The Council document, viewed by Science|Business, has put articles 19 and 25 of the FP10 proposal in brackets, indicating they will be subject to scrutiny by the budget working party. Article 19 concerns the Widening programme, aimed at bridging disparities in research and innovation performance among Member States. Article 25, on the other hand, is considered the cornerstone of the entire programme, as it stipulates that scientific excellence is the main criterion for awarding grants.

According to Julien Chicot, head of research and innovation policy at the Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities, this criterion is what makes Horizon Europe a magnet for the best researchers and the most ambitious projects. Questioning it could reduce the programme's attractiveness, discouraging those who work on cutting-edge ideas.

At the same time, the provisions on the Widening programme, although a funding issue, have also been called into question. While necessary to reduce disparities among nearly half of the EU Member States, their evaluation by a non-specialized research working party could lead to decisions that do not fully consider the specific challenges of these countries.

The decision-makers' perspective: finance vs research

Finance ministries tend to focus on economic cohesion and might be tempted to divert funds towards more immediate goals, sacrificing long-term investments in research.

This situation highlights a fundamental tension within the EU: on one hand, the commitment to promoting excellence and funding frontier research; on the other, the need to address regional disparities and ensure an equitable distribution of funds. The outcome of these negotiations will determine not only the structure of the next funding programme, but also the strategic direction of European research for the next decade. For the scientific community, it is a moment of great uncertainty and potential transformation.

The outcome of these negotiations will directly influence future calls for proposals, collaboration opportunities, and the competitiveness of the European research system as a whole. For researchers, it is essential to closely follow the evolution of these debates and understand the implications of the decisions that will be made.

References
Emerging Council plans could shake up FP10, Florin Zubașcu – ScienceBusiness
Europe’s budget (Horizon Europe 2028-34) - Factsheet
Regulation proposal establishing Horizon Europe, the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, for the period 2028-2034