Today, the European Parliament’s Rapporteur for the next Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (FP10), MEP Christian Ehler, and the Rapporteur for the Specific Programme implementing FP10, MEP René Repasi, presented their draft reports. Both reports contain strong and impactful contributions that improve several aspects of the European Commission’s proposal.
The Young European Research Universities Network (YERUN) welcomes these two reports as fundamental contributions to shaping the European Parliament’s vision for the design and ambition of the future Framework Programme and as an important basis for the upcoming negotiations. YERUN particularly welcomes the clear reaffirmation of the core mission of Horizon Europe: to support excellence-driven knowledge creation and frontier research as the foundation of Europe’s long-term competitiveness, resilience and leadership.
In particular, MEP Ehler’s draft report provides important clarity on the relationship between FP10 and the proposed European Competitiveness Fund (ECF), underlining that the Framework Programme must remain independent and should not be subordinated to broader industrial policy frameworks. Preserving this autonomy is essential to ensure that Europe’s industrial and technological strategies are driven by strong research and innovation outcomes.
YERUN also welcomes MEP Ehler’s ambition to redesign the governance and strategic orientation of collaborative research within the programme. By proposing new approaches to the organisation and implementation of Pillar 2, the report contributes constructively to the ongoing debate on how to strengthen the effectiveness, responsiveness and strategic impact of collaborative research funding. It also challenges the status quo by inviting co-legislators to reconsider current directions and reflecting on where the programme can deliver the greatest added value for beneficiaries. We look forward to continuing discussions on how these proposals are going to be implemented in practice as they represent an important political message in the broader negotiations on the future structure of the programme.
Finally, MEP Ehler’s draft report includes several positive elements that reflect priorities consistently raised by the research community, including those highlighted in YERUN’s joint proposed amendments on FP10 and joint statement on ECF. These include a strong emphasis on simplification for beneficiaries, the reinforcement of the autonomy and role of key instruments such as the European Research Council (ERC), as well as a continued commitment to openness in international research cooperation. YERUN also strongly supports the proposed budgetary increase to €220 billion, that recognises the scale of investment required for Europe to remain globally competitive in research and innovation.
YERUN also welcomes the draft report by MEP René Repasi on the Specific Programme. Echoing many of the points included in YERUN’s joint amendments on FP10, the draft report reinforces key principles that are central to the strength of the Framework Programme, such as the role of excellence as the foundation of European research funding and the importance of investigator-driven, bottom-up research. YERUN equally supports the reports’s proposal to strengthen the independence of the ERC, as well as the recognition of the importance of integrating social sciences and humanities across the whole programme. Gender equality, open science and the public value of research, are highlighted as transversal priorities, underlining their importance in ensuring that the Framework Programme continues to deliver benefits to European society.
Together, the two reports set a very important direction for the European Parliament’s position on FP10. As negotiations move forward across the EU institutions, YERUN is ready to continue engaging constructively with policymakers to help ensure that the next Framework Programme remains ambitious, excellence-driven and capable of strengthening Europe’s capacity to generate knowledge, innovation and tangible solutions to global challenges.
