C_202603467EN.000101.fmx.xml

Opinion of the European Committee of the Regions – Horizon Europe – The 10th Framework Programme for Research and Innovation

(C/2026/3467)

Rapporteur

Anne BESNIER (FR/PSE), Vice-President of the Region of Centre-Val de Loire

Reference documents

Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing Horizon Europe, the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, for the period 2028-2034 laying down its rules for participation and dissemination, and repealing Regulation (EU) 2021/695

COM (2025) 543

Proposal for a Council Decision on establishing the Specific Programme implementing Horizon Europe – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation for the period 2028-2034, laying down the rules for participation and dissemination under that Programme, and repealing Decision (EU) 2021/764

COM (2025) 544

I. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR AMENDMENTS

Amendment 1

Recital (11)

Text proposed by the European Commission

CoR amendment

EU Missions as set up in the Regulation 2021/695 should enable a transformative and systemic impact for society, by fostering cross-disciplinary, cross-sectoral, cross-policy and cross-border collaboration. They should rely on research and innovation to develop the breakthrough technologies, services, products, and social innovations needed to achieve their ambitious objectives. In turn, EU Missions should accelerate the development, scaling, and deployment of innovative solutions and help create lead markets for new products and services. The Framework Programme should finance the research and innovation activities of the Missions, while the deployment and scaling up should be delivered through other EU programmes and national funding.

EU Missions as set up in the Regulation 2021/695 should enable a transformative and systemic impact for society, by fostering cross-disciplinary, cross-sectoral, cross-policy, cross-border and cross-regional collaboration , fully reflecting the specific needs of mountain, rural, island and other peripheral regions . They should rely on research and innovation to develop the breakthrough technologies, services, products, and social innovations needed to achieve their ambitious objectives. In turn, EU Missions should accelerate the development, scaling, and deployment of innovative solutions and help create lead markets for new products and services. The Framework Programme should finance the research and innovation activities of the Missions, while the deployment and scaling up should be delivered through other EU programmes and national funding. Moreover, cities and regions should be able to act as key environments for the experimentation, validation and large-scale deployment of solutions developed under the EU Missions, in particular through pilot projects and real-world demonstrators.

Reason

All specific regional situations must be taken into account, not only cross-border regions but also other regions, including maritime and mountain areas. Ensuring explicit cross-regional collaboration prevents innovation investments from concentrating only in already strong hubs and better addresses brain drain and structural disadvantages in peripheral regions.

Amendment 2

Recital (14)

Text proposed by the European Commission	CoR amendment
The Programme should reinforce links between universities and innovation ecosystems, including the private sector.	The Framework Programme should strengthen the links between universities and innovation ecosystems, including the private sector, and connecting local and regional ecosystems.

Reason

Linking up regional ecosystems will promote the rapid development of innovation, and the Framework Programme should facilitate these connections.

Amendment 3

Recital (15)

Text proposed by the European Commission

CoR amendment

The European Innovation Council (EIC) should stimulate deep tech market-creating innovation. It should identify, develop and deploy these deep tech innovations through its instruments. Through coherent and streamlined support, the EIC should fill the vacuum in public support and private investment for breakthrough technologies and deep tech innovation. The EIC should aim to bridge, integrate and accelerate through its instruments the innovator’s journey from research to market and enable the Union to have leading companies in emerging areas of technology to meet its social and economic objectives and avoid dependencies on other regions. The EIC should support high risk, high-potential innovations and companies presenting such technological, scientific, financial, management or market risks that they are not yet considered to be fully bankable and therefore cannot raise the necessary level of investments to be globally competitive from the market.

The European Innovation Council (EIC) should stimulate deep tech market-creating innovation. It should identify, develop and deploy these deep tech innovations through its instruments. Through coherent and streamlined support, the EIC should fill the vacuum in public support and private investment for breakthrough technologies and deep tech innovation. The EIC should aim to bridge, integrate and accelerate through its instruments the innovator’s journey from research to market , by strengthening the links between the ERC and the EIC, and enable the Union to have leading companies in emerging areas of technology to meet its social and economic objectives and avoid dependencies on other regions. The EIC should support high risk, high-potential innovations and companies presenting such technological, scientific, financial, management or market risks that they are not yet considered to be fully bankable and therefore cannot raise the necessary level of investments to be globally competitive from the market.

Reason

The research excellence developed through the ERC must lead to innovation. Before the ERC research programme comes to an end, it must be linked up with the opportunities offered by the EIC.

Amendment 4

Recital (16)

Text proposed by the European Commission

CoR amendment

Deep-tech scale-up financing under the Scaleup Europe Fund announced in the Startup Scaleup Strategy, existing at the time of the entry into force of the present Regulation, should be carried out under the terms agreed in the MFF 2021-2027. All scaleup financing under the MFF 2028-2034 should take place under the ECF. In this context, the CoR and local and regional authorities should equally and duly be associated in the governance of the ECF, including being informed in advance of programming decisions and forthcoming new initiatives. This participation must ensure a balanced representation of the different territorial levels, ensuring that the outermost regions are represented.

Reason

The various territorial levels must be represented in a balanced way, and the specific nature of the outermost regions, as recognised in Article 349 TFEU, must also be acknowledged.

Amendment 5

Recital (17)

Text proposed by the European Commission

CoR amendment

The Joint Research Centre (‘JRC’) should continue to provide independent scientific evidence and technical support for Union policies throughout the whole policy cycle. The direct actions of the JRC should be implemented in a flexible, efficient, and transparent manner, taking into account the needs of Union policies and the relevant needs of the users, among which should be Member States, regions and cities, of the JRC and ensuring the protection of the Union’s financial interests. The JRC should continue to generate additional resources, which it may use to support its scientific and technical activities. Special attention shall be given to bridging the gap between EU policy objectives and their implementation at regional and local level, by strengthening the integration between research, innovation and market deployment, including support for scaling up innovations.

Reason

The work of the Joint Research Centre is very important for the regions. A common work, via the CoR, must continue. Strengthening the link from research to market deployment improves impact, supports regional innovation and helps scale solutions across Europe.

Amendment 6

Recital (19)

Text proposed by the European Commission

CoR amendment

The Programme should support European research infrastructures and technology infrastructures in driving scientific and technological excellence and industrial competitiveness, by supporting the continuum of the research and innovation cycle from basic to applied research towards societal and market deployment across regional and national borders and the whole European Research Area (ERA). To this end, deployment monitoring should be put in place to assess the geographical distribution of funding and avoid disproportionate concentrations.

Reason

Reinforces the CoR’s proposal by providing territorial monitoring mechanisms.

Amendment 7

Recital (20)

Text proposed by the European Commission

CoR amendment

The Programme should implement concrete measures in support of capacity building in widening countries and strengthening collaborative links across the Union enhancing the research and innovation capacity in widening and transition countries, leading to a more cohesive and integrated European R&I system and contributing to the target to invest at least 3 % of GDP in research and development. The eligible Member States from the 2021-2027 period should be divided into two groups for the whole duration of the Programme, on the basis of the Innovation Scoreboard Index and the relative financial return per Gross National Income (GNI), based on the following criteria: i) ‘Transition countries’, with both an Innovation Scoreboard Index (2023-2025) above 75 % of the Union average and positive relative financial return per GNI (2021-2025) under Horizon Europe; ii) ‘Widening countries’, all other Member States eligible under the 2021-2027 period.

The Programme should implement concrete measures in support of capacity building in widening countries and strengthening collaborative links across the Union and including regions and large cities while enhancing the research and innovation capacity in widening and transition countries, leading to a more cohesive and integrated European R&I system and contributing to the target to invest at least 3 % of GDP in research and development. The eligible Member States from the 2021-2027 period should be divided into two groups for the whole duration of the Programme, on the basis of the Innovation Scoreboard Index and the relative financial return per Gross National Income (GNI), based on the following criteria: i) ‘Transition countries’, with both an Innovation Scoreboard Index (2023-2025) above 75 % of the Union average and positive relative financial return per GNI (2021-2025) under Horizon Europe; ii) ‘Widening countries’, all other Member States eligible under the 2021-2027 period.

Reason

At the risk of widening the gap between regions, closing the innovation gap in the EU cannot be tackled at national level alone. Recognising the role of cities as innovation hubs helps to strengthen the efficiency of the European research and innovation system and accelerate the spread of innovation.

Amendment 8

Recital (22)

Text proposed by the European Commission

CoR amendment

To reinforce the Union’s strategic autonomy and ensure long-term sustainable economic growth, it is essential to bolster its global competitiveness while safeguarding its strategic assets and interests as outlined in the European Economic Security Strategy[1]. Article 136 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 as complemented by Article 10 of Regulation (EU) XXX [European Competitiveness Fund] promote the competitiveness of the Union and protect its economic security. The application of these provisions for the purpose of the Programme should provide an appropriate legal framework to allow, where necessary, for the establishment of specific conditions regarding award procedures that promote research-driven competitiveness and protect the interests and strategic autonomy of the Union, including measures aimed at restricting participation or protecting results and ensuring coherence and consistency with specific rules under the European Competitiveness Fund windows. Where necessary, a risk-based approach should be applied to ensure that risks related to research and innovation are identified, assessed, and addressed through proportionate and effective measures[2]. In accordance with Article 136 of the Financial Regulation, eligibility restrictions should apply to high-risk suppliers, for security reasons.

[1]	Joint Communication to the European Parliament, the European Council and the Council on ‘European Economic Security Strategy’, JOIN(2023) 20 final, Brussels, 20.06.2023.

[1]	Joint Communication to the European Parliament, the European Council and the Council on ‘European Economic Security Strategy’, JOIN(2023) 20 final, Brussels, 20.06.2023.

[2]	Council Recommendation of 23 May 2024 on enhancing research security, C/2024/3510.

[2]	Council Recommendation of 23 May 2024 on enhancing research security, C/2024/3510.

Reason

Cities and regions are key to implementation and innovation uptake. They mobilise industrial and academic collaboration towards EU targets. Recognising their role strengthens ecosystems and contributes to competitiveness, resilience and economic security throughout Europe.

Amendment 9

Recital (25)

Text proposed by the European Commission

CoR amendment

The Programme acknowledges climate change as one of the biggest global and societal challenge and climate action as a driver for industrial competitiveness. Activities should reflect the importance of tackling climate change in line with the Union’s commitments to implement the Paris Agreement. Building on developments in research, EU Missions should strengthen links to large-scale deployment, replication and investment uptake, in order to maximise their impact on the innovation eco-system, society, ecology and the economy across the Union.

Reason

EU Missions aim to achieve systemic impact across all parts of Europe. New RDI-based knowledge is essential. Cities and regions already play a key role in implementation. Strengthening links to deployment and investment ensures real results and supports competitiveness and societal outcomes.

Amendment 10

Recital (29)

Text proposed by the European Commission

CoR amendment

Support measures are needed to strengthen and better connect innovation ecosystems. Such measures should support organisations and innovators to create competitive, robust and connected innovation ecosystems and improve framework conditions through cooperation and knowledge exchange. They should help connect national, regional, and local ecosystems by removing barriers in the single market such as market fragmentation, limited capital access and segmented national capital markets, slow innovation uptake and the underutilisation of innovation procurement. The existing tools such as Regional Innovation Valleys (RIVs), the Seal of Excellence, Interreg and renewed Smart Specialisation (S3/S4) should be maintained within the next Programme, together with relevant European Mission initiatives and Digital Innovation Hubs (DiHs/EDiHs), as they all promote networking among innovation ecosystems. These strategies should constitute a binding element in the establishment of the Programme’s investment priorities at regional and interregional level. Particular attention should be paid to the integration of regions with weaker structural connectivity into European knowledge and innovation networks, as their position restricts access to partnerships, knowledge flows and spillover effects.

Reason

Reinforces the CoR amendment and highlights the unique case of regions with less structural connectivity in European knowledge and innovation networks.

Amendment 11

Article 2, Definitions

Text proposed by the European Commission	CoR amendment
For the purposes of this Regulation, the following definitions apply:	For the purposes of this Regulation, the following definitions apply:
[…]	[…]
(23) ‘innovation ecosystem’ means an ecosystem which brings together at Union level organisations whose functional goal is to enable technology development and innovation and which encompasses relations between material resources (such as funds, equipment, and facilities, including research and technology infrastructures), institutional entities (such as higher education institutions and support services, research and technology organisations, companies, investors – including venture capitalists – and financial intermediaries) and national, regional and local policy-making and funding entities.	(23) ‘innovation ecosystem’ means an ecosystem which brings together at local, regional, national and Union level organisations whose functional goal is to enable technology development and innovation and which encompasses relations between material resources (such as funds, equipment, and facilities, including research and technology infrastructures), institutional entities (such as higher education institutions and support services, research and technology organisations, healthcare systems as privileged environments for the generation of knowledge and the validation and uptake of innovations, companies, investors –including venture capitalists – and financial intermediaries) and national, regional and local policy-making and funding entities.
(24) ‘knowledge triangle’ means the creation of networks between education institutions, research organisations and business with the aim to create innovation ecosystems that cater for the creation of an innovation pipeline from the inception of innovation through entrepreneurial education to the creation of startups and the growth of scale-ups.	(24) ‘knowledge triangle’ means the creation of networks between education institutions, research organisations and business with the aim to create innovation ecosystems that cater for the creation of an innovation pipeline from the inception of innovation through entrepreneurial education to the creation of startups and the growth of scale-ups.
	(25) ‘quadruple helix’ means a series of interactions of four major actors in the innovation system: science, public authorities, industry and society.

Reason

Innovation ecosystems complement each other, so they must all be taken into account in Horizon Europe. While the knowledge triangle is important, we should not overlook the quadruple helix which enables society to be included in science. In addition, the role of healthcare systems in innovation ecosystems – as real-life environments for research and innovation, where evidence is generated, solutions are validated and their uptake is accelerated – is strengthened, thereby improving the connection between technological development and practical application in line with the EU’s objectives.

Amendment 12

Article 3, Programme objectives

Text proposed by the European Commission

CoR amendment

The specific objectives of the Programme are:

—	Create high-quality knowledge, skills and attractive careers for researchers and support the realization of the European Research Area (ERA)

—	Create high-quality knowledge, skills and attractive careers for researchers and support the realization of the European Research Area (ERA)

—	Increase EU-wide and international collaborative research, knowledge sharing and valorisation.

—	Increase EU-wide and international collaborative research, knowledge sharing and valorisation.

—	Align EU, national and regional priorities to create a pan-European research and innovation ecosystem.

—

Align EU, national and regional research and innovation priorities to create a strong pan-European research and innovation ecosystem , including by strengthening access to research and technology infrastructures for industry, SMEs and start-ups, to support innovation, testing, demonstration and scaling of solutions.

—	Help grow regional and local innovation ecosystems bottom-up by also strengthening the connections between them.

—	Foster the development of European innovative entrepreneurship ecosystems, supporting the creation, growth and scale-up of start-ups and their integration into local, regional and European ecosystems.

—	Reduce national and regional disparities in research and innovation capacity, skills, and talent to strengthen innovation ecosystems.

—

Reduce national and regional disparities in research and innovation capacity, skills, and talent to strengthen innovation ecosystems and effectively support ‘pockets of excellence’ especially in less developed rural and peripheral regions, using the Regional Innovation Scoreboard as a benchmark for widening decisions .

—	Improve the Union’s position in innovation, with a specific focus on strategic technologies and disruptive innovation, facilitate the diffusion of innovative solutions to foster competitiveness and address key societal challenges.

—	Strengthen the scaling and deployment of EU Missions by enhancing their role in mobilising innovation, investment and coordinated implementation across sectors and levels of governance, contributing to transformative ‘moonshot’-level impact.

—	De-risk and mobilise more private research and innovation financing, particularly for supporting deep tech and the scaling up of innovative startups and SMEs.

—	De-risk and mobilise more private research and innovation financing, particularly for supporting deep tech and the scaling up of innovative startups and SMEs.

—	Contribute to increasing public and private investment in research and innovation in Member States, thereby contributing to reach an overall expenditure of at least 3 % of Union Gross Domestic Product (‘GDP’) in research and development.

—	Foster the replication, adaptation and inter-territorial transfer of innovative solutions that have been tested successfully, in particular between European cities and regions, with a view to maximising the impact and scalability of Union investments.

—	Promote monitoring based on regional indicators to measure the participation, return and territorial impact of the Programme.

Reason

To achieve its goals, the EU must strengthen implementation on the ground. This requires emphasising the role of research and technology infrastructures in regional innovation. Better access for companies supports SMEs, strengthens ecosystems and enhances innovation capacity across all EU regions. The proposal is to provide for territorial monitoring mechanisms. The Regional Innovation Scoreboard is a proven, data-driven tool that better reflects sub-national disparities than national-level indicators alone and should therefore serve as a benchmark for widening participation decisions.

Amendment 13

Article 4, Programme structure

Text proposed by the European Commission

CoR amendment

(c)	Part III ‘Innovation’, with the following components, in particular: (i) the European Innovation Council (EIC); (ii) Innovation ecosystems including activities to foster the integration of the knowledge triangle – higher education, research and innovation, and business – across the Union.

(c)

Part III ‘Innovation’, with the following components, in particular: (i) the European Innovation Council (EIC); (ii) Innovation ecosystems including activities to foster the integration of the knowledge triangle – higher education, research and innovation, and business – across the Union , regions and localities .

(d)	Part IV ‘European Research Area’, with the following components, in particular: (i) reforming and enhancing the European R&I system; (ii) research and technology infrastructures; (iii) widening participation and spreading excellence.

(d)

Part IV ‘European Research Area’, with the following components, in particular: (i) reforming and enhancing the European R&I system with the involvement of local and regional authorities (LRAs) and the application of a Multilevel Governance (MLG) approach ; (ii) research and technology infrastructures; (iii) widening participation and spreading excellence at all levels of governance .

Reason

Research and innovation are rooted in regional ecosystems. Supporting the development of these ecosystems and encouraging links between them will enable the most competitive innovation to develop rapidly.

Amendment 14

Article 8, Alternative, combined and cumulative funding

Text proposed by the European Commission

CoR amendment

The Programme shall be implemented in synergy with other Union programmes. An action that has received a Union contribution from another programme may also receive a contribution under this Programme.

The Programme shall be implemented in synergy with other national, regional and European programmes , while respecting the competences of regional authorities with regulatory or strategic responsibilities for research, innovation and economic development, in line with the principles of subsidiarity and multi-level governance . The Programme’s synergies, with the ECF fund and the NRPP must be set out.

Reason

The generic reference to ‘local and regional authorities’ does not distinguish between very different institutional realities.

Amendment 15

Article 12, European Research Council

Text proposed by the European Commission	CoR amendment
The ERC shall attract the most talented researchers from all over the world and establish the Union as a world-leading centre for research and innovation.	The ERC shall attract the most talented researchers from all over the world and establish the Union as a world-leading centre for research and innovation.
	A European Researcher Status will be created to support excellent researchers by facilitating their activities throughout the European Union.

Reason

Research excellence must be developed across Europe. A European Researcher Status, guaranteeing the path of excellence and fostering ties between researchers, will allow research results to be scaled up and will help prevent brain drain.

Amendment 16

Article 14, Joint Research Centre

Text proposed by the European Commission	CoR amendment
The Joint Research Centre shall provide independent, evidence-based knowledge and science, supporting EU policies to positively impact society.	The Joint Research Centre shall provide independent, evidence-based knowledge and science, supporting EU policies , as well as national and regional ones, to positively impact society.

Reason

The work of the Joint Research Centre is very important for the regions. A common work, via the CoR, must continue.

Amendment 17

Article 15, Collaborative research

Text proposed by the European Commission	CoR amendment
4. The Programme shall support activities to tackle global societal challenges in the areas of strengthening democratic values and tackling disinformation, including rule of law and fundamental rights; promoting socio-economic transformations that contribute to inclusion and growth, addressing demographic and intergenerational challenges, including from a youth perspective and including migration management and integration of migrants.	4. The Programme shall support activities to tackle global societal challenges in the areas of strengthening democratic values and tackling disinformation, including rule of law and fundamental rights; promoting socio-economic transformations that contribute to inclusion and growth, addressing demographic and intergenerational challenges, including from a youth perspective and including migration management and integration of migrants. To this end, Social and Human Sciences (SHS), including cultural and creative sectors, shall be explicitly and adequately supported throughout the Programme, including in the design, implementation and deployment of research and innovation actions addressing major societal challenges.
5. The Programme shall contribute to EU Missions notably through the identification of priority actions for R&I funding for the development of new knowledge, technologies, services, and products in view of their goals. Funding for the EU Missions established under Article 8 of the Regulation (EU) 2021/695 shall be awarded on the basis of work programmes covering up to the budgetary year 2030.	5. The Programme shall contribute to EU Missions notably through the identification of priority actions for R&I funding for the development of new knowledge, technologies, services, and products in view of their goals. Funding for the EU Missions established under Article 8 of the Regulation (EU) 2021/695 shall be awarded on the basis of work programmes covering up to the budgetary year 2030 , with strengthened involvement of local and regional authorities in the governance of EU Missions.
	Particular attention shall be paid to the role of cities and regions as spaces for the deployment of innovative solutions to address urban challenges such as housing, social inclusion, sustainable mobility, the energy transition and climate resilience.

Reason

Many innovative entrepreneurship projects face difficulties in gaining access to an initial source of solvent demand and in achieving operational validation of their solutions.

Amendment 18

Article 17, Innovation Ecosystems

Text proposed by the European Commission	CoR amendment
1. The Programme shall support organisations to create competitive, robust and connected innovation ecosystems and framework conditions. Synergies with Union, national and regional programmes shall be pursued to this end.	1. The Programme shall support organisations to create competitive, robust and connected innovation ecosystems and framework conditions , such as Regional Innovation Valleys (RIVs) . Synergies with Union, national and regional programmes shall be pursued to this end. Moreover, place-based innovation aims to drive economic growth, improve quality of life, and contribute to sustainable development at regional and local level, and therefore must also be supported. The Programme shall also support social innovation as an essential driver of inclusive growth, territorial cohesion and societal resilience.
2. The Programme shall support activities to foster the integration of the knowledge triangle – higher education, research and innovation, and business – across the Union.	2. The Programme shall support activities to foster the integration of the knowledge triangle and the quadruple helix – higher education, research and innovation, business and society – across the Union.
	3. This Programme shall be carried out in a balance policy and financial manner across priority areas and relevant activity streams.
	4. The Programme shall promote the strategic use of innovation procurement as a key tool for the deployment of innovative solutions by local and regional authorities.
	5. The Programme shall support the development of large-scale pilot and demonstration projects led by cities and regions, as well as the strengthening of innovative entrepreneurship ecosystems, by facilitating access for start-ups and scale-ups to finance, experimentation infrastructure, international networks and first customers, in particular through the strategic use of innovation procurement.
	6. The Programme shall also promote the development of open-innovation instruments that facilitate collaboration between public administrations, businesses, universities, research centres, start-ups and civil society, in particular through collaborative platforms, experimentation environments and open-innovation programmes driven by cities and regions.
	7. The Programme shall also promote the active integration of regions with lower structural connectivity into European and international knowledge and innovation networks, facilitating their participation in consortia and their positioning in emerging strategic areas.

Reason

Regional innovation ecosystems represent, at their level, what innovation should look like at European level. These ecosystems must be able to count on Europe’s support in order to grow, form connections and create European ecosystems. Public procurement represents a key tool for generating demand for innovation and facilitating the market entry of new solutions. Open innovation makes it possible to accelerate knowledge transfer and the uptake of innovative solutions. Improving regional participation in the Programme requires simultaneous action on two complementary dimensions: on the one hand, strengthening internal capacities for access, management, optimisation and scientific entrepreneurship; on the other hand, better integration of less connected regions into the European Knowledge and Innovation Networks, on which collaborations, consortia and spillover effects rely heavily.

Amendment 19

Article 18, European Research Area and infrastructures

Text proposed by the European Commission

CoR amendment

2. The Programme shall ensure the effective promotion and protection of values and principles of the ERA and the Pact for research and innovation, notably ethics and integrity in research and innovation, freedom of scientific research and gender equality and equal opportunities, and the promotion of attractive research careers and mobility. The funding of the Research and Technology Infrastructures shall contribute to equip the Union with a strong and coherent ecosystem of world-class sustainable facilities and services, building on prioritised pan-European infrastructures and complementary state-of-the-art national capacities and using funding instruments, including European partnerships. The Programme shall contribute up to 20 % of the building costs of critical new world-class capacities of European research and technology infrastructures.

2. The Programme shall ensure the effective promotion and protection of values and principles of the ERA and the Pact for research and innovation, notably ethics and integrity in research and innovation, freedom of scientific research and gender equality and equal opportunities, and the promotion of attractive research and innovation careers and mobility. The funding of the Research and Technology Infrastructures shall contribute to equip the Union and its Member States with a strong and coherent ecosystem of world-class sustainable facilities and services, building on prioritised pan-European infrastructures across the Union and accessible to all stakeholders, including SMEs and startups, health systems and their spin-offs. This infrastructure will be complementary to state-of-the-art national and regional capacities and using funding instruments, including European partnerships. The Programme shall contribute up to 20 % of the building costs of critical new world-class capacities of European research and technology infrastructures.

Reason

Cities and regions fund research infrastructure and foster the development of new, high-value infrastructure at national and European level. Moreover, these infrastructure must remain accessible to SMEs and start-ups, as well as to health systems and their spin-offs, as real life environments for research and innovation in which disruptive innovations are developed.

Amendment 20

Article 19, Widening

Text proposed by the European Commission	CoR amendment
1. ‘Widening countries’ are Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia for the purposes of funding the actions under paragraph 5, points a) and b).	1. ‘Widening countries’ are Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia for the purposes of funding the actions under paragraph 5, points a) and b).
3. Only legal entities established in widening countries or transition countries shall be eligible as coordinators under the ‘widening participation and spreading excellence’ component of the ‘Strengthening the ERA’ part of the Programme.	3. Only legal entities , including local and regional authorities, established in widening countries or transition countries and the outermost regions referred to in Article 355(1) TFEU, shall be eligible as coordinators under the ‘widening participation and spreading excellence’ component of the ‘Strengthening the ERA’ part of the Programme.
4. For associated countries, legal entities from the list of eligible countries as defined based on an indicator and published in the work programme shall be fully eligible as coordinators under this component. Legal entities from outermost regions as defined in Article 349 TFEU shall be also eligible as coordinators under this component and shall be subject to the same rules applying to widening countries under this Article, with the exception of paragraph 7.	4. For associated countries, legal entities from the list of eligible countries as defined based on an indicator and published in the work programme shall be fully eligible as coordinators under this component.
5. ‘Widening’ includes the following: (a) capacity building measures; (b) measures supporting networking, knowledge valorisation, countering brain drain and dedicated National Contact Points (NCP) support.	5. ‘Widening’ includes the following: (a) capacity building measures; (b) measures supporting networking, knowledge valorisation, countering brain drain and dedicated National Contact Points (NCP) support.
6. The Programme shall assist widening and transition countries to increase their participation and to promote a broad geographical coverage in excellent collaborative projects. Those efforts shall be mirrored by proportional measures by Member States.	6. The Programme shall assist widening and transition countries to increase their participation and to promote a broad geographical coverage in excellent collaborative projects. Those efforts shall be mirrored by proportional measures by Member States and regions and shall also contribute to countering brain drain and supporting talent retention and circulation, especially in less-developed, rural, remote and outermost regions.
7. From 2030 onwards access to capacity building measures is restricted to those widening countries that have increased their real expenditure of public investment in research and development in the latest known year compared to the year prior to it.	7. From 2030 onwards access to capacity building measures shall be assessed not only on the basis of efforts at national level, but also by taking into account developments in regional and local research and innovation ecosystems, based on relevant territorial indicators, including regional innovation scoreboards, where appropriate .

Reason

Since the 2021-2027 period, the outermost regions have been eligible under this chapter on the same footing as countries eligible at national level. However, as currently worded in the European Commission’s proposal, this recognition is not made clear. The amendment merely seeks to clarify this point.

Amendment 21

Article 2, Operational objectives

Text proposed by the European Commission

CoR amendment

2. The Specific Programme has the following operational objectives: (f) connect and develop research and technology infrastructures across the European Research Area (ERA) to provide transnational access; (g) support the creation and scale-up of deep tech and innovative start-ups; (i) increasing the participation of research organisation from the widening countries and transition countries referred to in Article 19 of Regulation XXX [reference to the Horizon Europe Regulation]; (j) foster open science and ensure visibility to the public and open access to results where possible.

2. The Specific Programme has the following operational objectives: (f) connect and develop research and technology infrastructures across the European Research Area (ERA) to provide transnational , inter-regional and cross-border access; (g) support the creation and scale-up of deep tech and innovative start-ups; (i) increasing the participation of research organisation from the widening countries and transition countries referred to in Article 19 of Regulation XXX [reference to the Horizon Europe Regulation]; (j) foster open science and ensure visibility to the public and open access to results where possible , including through media promotion actions as part of Science with and for Society at the local and regional level.

Reason

The development of a world-class research and innovation system cannot be achieved without the local and regional level, and this must be taken into account when meeting these objectives.

Amendment 22

Article 4, Work programmes

Text proposed by the European Commission

CoR amendment

2. The Commission shall adopt separate work programmes, by means of implementing acts, for the implementation of actions under the following components, as set out in Article 1(3): (a) the European Research Council (ERC), for which the draft work programme shall be established by the ERC Scientific Council under Article 7(9)(a)(ii), in accordance with Article 18(3). The Commission shall depart from the draft work programme established by the ERC Scientific Council only in accordance with Article 7(4), second subparagraph; in that case, the Commission shall adopt the work programme by means of an implementing act in accordance with Article 18(4); the Commission shall duly motivate that; (b) the European Innovation Council (EIC), for which the work programme shall be prepared following the advice of the EIC Board under Article 12(1)(b), in accordance with Article 18(4); (c) Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA), global societal challenges, EU Missions, New European Bauhaus Facility, innovation ecosystems, reforming and enhancing the European R&I system, research and technology infrastructures, widening participation and spreading excellence, in accordance with Article 18(4); (d) the JRC, for which the multi-annual work programme shall take into account the opinion provided by the Board of Governors of the JRC referred to in Commission Decision 96/282/Euratom.

2. The Commission shall adopt separate work programmes, by means of implementing acts, for the implementation of actions under the following components, as set out in Article 1(3) , and the CoR should be informed of these work programmes : (a) the European Research Council (ERC), for which the draft work programme shall be established by the ERC Scientific Council under Article 7(9)(a)(ii), in accordance with Article 18(3). The Commission shall depart from the draft work programme established by the ERC Scientific Council only in accordance with Article 7(4), second subparagraph; in that case, the Commission shall adopt the work programme by means of an implementing act in accordance with Article 18(4); the Commission shall duly motivate that; (b) the European Innovation Council (EIC), for which the work programme shall be prepared following the advice of the EIC Board under Article 12(1)(b), in accordance with Article 18(4); (c) Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA), global societal challenges, EU Missions, New European Bauhaus Facility, innovation ecosystems, reforming and enhancing the European R&I system, research and technology infrastructures, widening participation and spreading excellence, in accordance with Article 18(4) . For these components, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions shall be included in the relevant programming committees and Boards; representatives of local authorities, in particular large cities where appropriate, shall also be included ; (d) the JRC, for which the multi-annual work programme shall take into account the opinion provided by the Board of Governors of the JRC referred to in Commission Decision 96/282/Euratom.

Reason

Research and innovation are carried out at local and regional level. Thanks to its close ties and knowledge of innovation ecosystems, the European Committee of the Regions, through its members, is well qualified to give its opinion on the Framework Programme plan.

Amendment 23

Article 5, European Partnerships

Text proposed by the European Commission

CoR amendment

1. (a)

iii.	partners’ composition: unless duly justified, the participation of public entities from at least five Member States and private entities representing substantial segments of their respective ecosystems is required, ensuring a broad and balanced involvement of key stakeholders;

iii.

partners’ composition: unless duly justified and irrespective of their size , the participation of public entities from at least five Member States and private entities representing substantial segments of their respective ecosystems is required, guaranteeing a broad and balanced involvement of key stakeholders;

xiii:

continuous monitoring shall include tracking progress towards a set of partnership-specific common indicators including partner contributions, cost efficiency, and openness to new partners. Partnership-specific common indicators shall build on the common indicators as defined under Regulation XXX [reference to Performance Regulation] and set out in the biennial monitoring reports on the performance of European partnerships under Horizon Europe 2021-2027;

xiii:

Reason

The members of these partnerships form part of the regions’ economic and innovation ecosystems. The Committee must therefore be kept informed of these partnerships, how they develop and results they achieve.

Amendment 24

Article 6, European Research Council

Text proposed by the European Commission

CoR amendment

4. The ERC President shall be appointed by the Commission following a transparent recruitment process involving an independent dedicated search committee. The recruitment process and the candidate selected shall have the approval of the ERC Scientific Council. The term of office of the ERC President shall be limited to two years, extendable once for up to two years.

4. The ERC President shall be appointed by the Commission , together with the European Parliament, the Council and other relevant institutions, following a transparent recruitment process involving an independent dedicated search committee. The recruitment process and the candidate selected shall have the approval of the ERC Scientific Council. The term of office of the ERC President shall be limited to two years, extendable once for up to two years.

Reason

Amendment 25

Article 7, ERC Scientific Council

Text proposed by the European Commission

CoR amendment

c iii.

regularly report to the Commission on its own activities

c iii.

regularly report to the Commission and the European Parliament, as well as to the EESC and the CoR, on its own activities

Reason

For these reasons, the Committee needs to be kept informed about the development of the ERC Scientific Council and the outcome of its work.

Amendment 26

Article 9, Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions

Text proposed by the European Commission

CoR amendment

3. The implementation of the MSCA shall:

(b)

ensure strategic synergies with the European Research Council (ERC) but also with Union instruments that foster innovation, such as the European Innovation Council (EIC) and the activities to foster the integration of the knowledge triangle – higher education, research and innovation, and business – across the Union as well as other Union programmes such as Erasmus+;

(b)

ensure strategic synergies with the European Research Council (ERC) but also with Union instruments that foster innovation, such as the European Innovation Council (EIC) and the activities to foster the integration of the knowledge triangle – higher education, research and innovation, and business – across the Union , with the involvement of local and regional authorities, as well as other Union programmes such as Erasmus+;

(c)	promote work-life balance, diversity, and inclusion, setting high standards for working conditions across the European Research Area.

(c)	promote work-life balance, gender equality, diversity, inclusion, and adequate social protection, setting high standards for working conditions across the European Research Area.

Reason

Cities and regions regularly develop programmes to support laureates of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions and seals of excellence. They support what the EU can put in place to support these researchers.

Amendment 27

Article 10, Joint Research Centre

Text proposed by the European Commission

CoR amendment

1. The activities of the Joint Research Centre (JRC) shall be complementary to indirect actions supporting longer-term policy objectives. To achieve this, the JRC works with international, national, regional, and local stakeholders, including through scientific collaboration agreements.

The JRC activities shall:

—	be flexible and responsive to evolving policy needs.

—	be flexible and responsive to evolving policy needs.

—	ensure synergy with other EU investments.

—	ensure synergy with other EU investments.

—	focus on the following areas:

—	focus on the following areas:

i.	scientific and technical support to Union policy priorities, in particular (but not limited to) those defined within the framework of the European Competitiveness Fund and those defined for parts I, II, III and IV of the Horizon Europe Programme;

i.	scientific and technical support to Union policy priorities, in particular (but not limited to) those defined within the framework of the European Competitiveness Fund and those defined for parts I, II, III and IV of the Horizon Europe Programme;

ii.	knowledge integration and policy impact;

ii.	knowledge integration and policy impact;

iii.	territorial development and Member State support;

iii.	territorial development place-based innovation, including renewed Smart Specialisation (S3/S4) and Member State support;

iv.	scientific excellence and international collaboration;

iv.	scientific excellence and international collaboration;

v.	open science, knowledge sharing and capacity building.

v.	open science, knowledge sharing and capacity building at all levels of governance and across borders.

Reason

Smart Specialisation Strategies (S3/S4) are a key tool for excellence in local and regional innovation. The joint work between the Committee and the JRC should continue and allow the regions to further refine their area of specialisation.

Amendment 28

Article 11, Collaborative research

Text proposed by the European Commission	CoR amendment
(b) (i)	(b) (i)
promoting social inclusion, social and economic transformations, inclusive societies and social cohesion and tackling inequalities to create opportunities for all, taking into consideration rural areas’ specificities, addressing demographic change and intergenerational fairness, including well-managed migration and mobility, supporting mental health and societal well-being, including for young people;	promoting social inclusion, social and economic transformations, inclusive societies and social cohesion and gender equality, and tackling inequalities to create opportunities for all, taking into consideration rural areas’ specificities, addressing demographic change and intergenerational fairness, including well-managed migration and mobility, supporting – including mental health – health and societal well-being, including for young people;

Reason

Gender equality must be a priority in Horizon Europe, both in terms of supporting leading researchers and in research topics. It also strengthens the reference to health through a holistic approach, explicitly including mental health as an essential component of well-being and social cohesion.

Amendment 29

Article 12, The European Innovation Council Board

Text proposed by the European Commission

CoR amendment

2. The EIC Board may upon request from the Commission address recommendations to the Commission on: (a) any matter which, from an innovation perspective, may enhance and foster innovation eco-systems across the Union, the achievements and impact of the objectives of the EIC, and the capacity of innovative firms to roll out their solutions; (b) identifying in cooperation with relevant Commission services, national and regional authorities and other relevant entities, possible regulatory barriers faced by entrepreneurs, in particular those awarded support under the EIC; (c) programming in other parts of the Specific Programme.

2. The EIC Board may upon request from the Commission address recommendations to the Commission on: (a) any matter which, from an innovation perspective, may enhance and foster innovation eco-systems across the Union, in line with renewed Smart Specialisation (S3/S4) and the objectives of the European Research Area (ERA), the achievements and impact of the objectives of the EIC, and the capacity of innovative firms to roll out their solutions; (b) identifying in cooperation with relevant Commission services, national and regional authorities and other relevant entities, including the CoR , possible regulatory barriers faced by entrepreneurs, in particular those awarded support under the EIC; (c) programming in other parts of the Specific Programme.

Reason

Owing to its close ties and knowledge of innovation ecosystems, the European Committee of the Regions, through its members, is well qualified to give useful opinions on the EIC Board’s recommendations.

Amendment 30

Article 13, Innovation Ecosystems

Text proposed by the European Commission

CoR amendment

The Specific Programme shall support:

(a)

the establishment and support of connected hubs across the Union, providing innovators, start-ups and scale-ups access to resources, services and partners, including investment opportunities, first buyers of R&I and innovative solutions, corporates, experimentation facilities, research and technology infrastructures, entrepreneurial talent, coaching and mentoring;

(a)

(b)	activities to develop pan-European innovation ecosystems in key thematic areas, support the development of innovation skills and early-stage venture building, fostering the integration of the knowledge triangle – higher education, research and innovation, and business – across the Union;

(b)

activities to develop pan-European innovation ecosystems in key thematic areas, support the development of innovation skills and early-stage venture building, fostering the integration of the knowledge triangle and quadruple helix – higher education, research and innovation, and business and society – across the Union , as well as local and regional authorities ;

(c)

programmes to support innovative SMEs, start-ups and scale-ups to expand and access international markets through market viability studies, place-based innovation tools, collaborative research and innovation, exchange of talents, tailored mentorship, access to global investor networks, regulatory guidance, localized marketing support, and soft-landing services in target countries , as well as by strengthening local innovative entrepreneurship ecosystems, which provide incubation and acceleration services, access to finance and links to public and private customers;

(d)	other actions to support the development of innovation ecosystems and connectivity including studies, benchmarking, mutual learning between innovation actors and coordination of innovation policies.

(d)	other actions to support the development of innovation ecosystems by fostering the creation of local and regional ecosystems of excellence in key thematic areas and connectivity including studies, benchmarking, mutual learning between innovation actors and coordination of innovation policies.

(e)	instruments for creating real-world experimentation environments, including living labs, test beds and regulatory sandboxes, with a view to reducing time to market and facilitating the uptake of innovative solutions by public authorities, businesses and citizens ;

Reason

For the reasons above, the ecosystem approach based on the quadruple helix should be included. This approach enables society to be included in science, and the regional and local level to be taken into account in how the programme is implemented. Open-innovation instruments are essential for connecting technological supply with real demand, shortening time to market and strengthening the competitiveness of European innovation ecosystems. The transition from research to deployment requires real-world spaces for technical, regulatory and operational validation.

Amendment 31

Article 15, Widening participation and spreading excellence

Text proposed by the European Commission	CoR amendment
The Specific Programme shall support a truly integrated and cohesive R&I ecosystem in the Union, addressing especially the third and fourth priority areas of the Pact for R&I, amplifying access to research and innovation excellence across the Union and prioritising investments and reforms. Disparities between leading and less advanced countries in terms of R&I performance shall be tackled through activities building a solid science base and connecting actors and ecosystems, and that encourage structural policy reforms at national and regional level aimed at, such as, improving the attractiveness of research careers, internationalisation, effectiveness of management and governance of R&I institutions or matching activities with Union initiatives.	The Specific Programme shall support a truly integrated and cohesive R&I ecosystem in the Union, addressing especially the third and fourth priority areas of the Pact for R&I, amplifying access to research and innovation excellence across the Union and prioritising investments and reforms. Disparities between leading and less advanced countries and regions in terms of R&I performance shall be tackled through activities building a solid science base and connecting actors and ecosystems, and that encourage structural policy reforms at national and regional level aimed at, such as, improving the attractiveness of research careers, internationalisation, effectiveness of management and governance of R&I institutions or matching activities with Union initiatives. uch actions shall also contribute to countering brain drain and supporting talent retention and circulation, especially in less-developed, rural, remote and outermost regions.
	In this context, cities and regions play a central role as hubs connecting innovation ecosystems, as they concentrate talent, research infrastructure, start-ups, corporations, investment networks, innovative entrepreneurship and support services for innovative entrepreneurship.

Reason

While the national programme allows research to be carried out in all European countries, we should not overlook the fact that there are differences between regions within the same country. Moreover, enabling this programme to be carried out at that level (e.g. using the Regional Innovation Scoreboard as a benchmark) would be a useful contribution to its success.

Amendment 32

Article 16, Research infrastructures

Text proposed by the European Commission

CoR amendment

2. Research infrastructures activities shall focus on: (a) developing, consolidating and streamlining the Union landscape of research infrastructures, including coordination between the Union, national and regional capacities and contributing up to 20 % of the building costs of critical new world-class capacities , while also recognising the role of certain areas, including the outermost regions, as environments that are particularly well suited to the testing, demonstration, validation and prototyping of innovative solutions under real-world conditions ; (b) reinforcing transnational access to research infrastructures across domains and sectors, and adapting to new emerging user communities; (c) making research infrastructures more resilient and sustainable while keeping pace with rapid technological advancements; (d) developing a web of findable, accessible, interoperable, reusable (FAIR) and machine-actionable research data, including through expanding and consolidating the European Open Science Cloud as Europe’s research data space , in order to ensure the use and valorisation of public data, including from local and regional authorities and cities and ensuring fair territorial access to the benefits of this infrastructure across the Union ; (e) reinforcing European research infrastructure policy and international cooperation.

Reason

Society must not only be the beneficiary of scientific discoveries, it must also be involved in research that has an impact on people living in Europe. Research infrastructure should not be conceived solely in terms of physical facilities, but also as local and regional ecosystems capable of accelerating the validation and demonstration of innovative solutions. In this context, outermost regions offer distinctive conditions that make them particularly well suited to act as test beds in strategic fields such as energy, water, climate change adaptation, biodiversity and the blue economy.

Amendment 33

Article 18, Committee procedure

Text proposed by the European Commission

CoR amendment

2. The committee may convene in the following configurations, having regard to the subject matter to be discussed:

2. The committee , also involving the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, may convene in the following configurations, having regard to the subject matter to be discussed:

—	General configuration: overview of the implementation of the Specific Programme;

—	General configuration: overview of the implementation of the Specific Programme;

—

ERC;

—

ERC;

—

MSCA;

—

MSCA;

—	Global societal challenges, EU Missions, New European Bauhaus Facility;

—	Global societal challenges, EU Missions, New European Bauhaus Facility;

—	EIC and innovation ecosystems;

—	EIC and innovation ecosystems;

—	Research and technology infrastructures;

—	Research and technology infrastructures;

—	Reforming and enhancing the European R&I system and widening participation and spreading excellence.

—	Reforming and enhancing the European R&I system and widening participation and spreading excellence.

Reason

The CoR, which is very well informed about the research carried out at local and regional level, must be involved in this committee so that it can contribute its knowledge of the field.

II. POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS

THE EUROPEAN COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS (CoR)

Ensuring a stable and ambitious budget for leading and competitive R&I

calls for the proposed Framework Programme’s budget to be the minimum allocation that would allow it to live up to the EU’s ambitions through its new innovation agenda and its strategy for research and technology infrastructures in particular; underlines that the Framework Programme must remain an autonomous tool for a competitive, sustainable, just and socially inclusive Europe strengthening Europe’s technological leadership and strategic autonomy;

requests that the budget be designed in such a way that it is rooted in crisis-proof stability, meaning that it is protected from being adjusted to benefit other strategic European programmes and initiatives;calls, furthermore, for Framework Programme funding to be used to boost scientific excellence, foster disruptive innovation and thus strengthen a globally competitive R&I ecosystem, and underlines in this regard the importance of fundamental research as a core enabler of key technologies;

points out that research and innovation are not an end in themselves, but must help specifically improve people’s quality of life, strengthen economic, social and territorial cohesion, support good-quality public services and respond to the major green, digital and demographic transitions in a just manner, while ensuring a stronger link between research, innovation, market deployment and societal impact, enabling faster scaling of solutions and increased mobilisation of private and public investment;

Towards a more inclusive Framework Programme structure

welcomes the proposed structure of the Framework Programme. However, the Committee notes that social sciences and humanities could be better integrated and that greater account could be taken of citizen science through its various pillars and programmes. After all, these are also key drivers for innovation uptake, for its potential to transform society and for strengthening democracy, critical thinking, the fight against disinformation and the resilience of European societies;

calls for gender equality to be embedded across the Framework Programme, in terms of both governance, priority-setting and research content, and in conditions for participation and scientific careers. The Committee supports stronger measures to tackle persistent inequalities in the research and innovation sectors;

finds it regrettable that the Framework Programme favours a national approach to carry out the Widening Participation and Spreading Excellence programme, whereas closing the innovation gap in the EU needs to be addressed within innovation ecosystems, which mostly emanate from regional and local ecosystems;

welcomes the fact that health research will be a thematic priority in the Framework Programme, but calls for research in this area, particularly in respect of public health, to be anchored not only in competitiveness, but also in ‘society’;

in light of the above, suggests considering the Regional Innovation Scoreboard (RIS) to carry out measures to widen participation at local and regional level, while taking better account of the specific needs and innovation capacities of different regions;

Implementing the Framework Programme with strong support from its local and regional innovation ecosystems

points out that regional and local innovation ecosystems, which are at the heart of innovation in the EU, are creating future participants in the Framework Programme, and calls for efforts building on their excellence to form an integral part of implementing strategic objectives, and highlights the crucial role of companies, including SMEs and scale-ups, in innovation ecosystems, calling for stronger frameworks to attract private investment and support business creation and scaling;

10.

reiterates, therefore, the pivotal role played by cities and regions in building the EU’s scientific and technological excellence, through both cohesion policy and their participation in projects under different framework programmes. They do so by creating fertile ground to elaborate, research, develop, produce and disseminate knowledge, to build on that knowledge and to develop future innovations that can benefit society and the environment;

11.

calls, therefore, for cities, regions and their ecosystems to be actively involved and participate in the governance and implementation structures of the Framework Programme, as well as in all the support schemes for innovation ecosystems to be rolled out under this framework, such as the European Startup and Scaleup Hubs;

12.

calls for the Framework Programme to be streamlined to properly benefit universities, local and regional authorities, public research organisations, healthcare systems, SMEs, start-ups, social economy operators and non-profit organisations, especially in geographical areas with more limited administrative capacity, in order to ensure fairer access to European funding;

13.

draws attention to the greater difficulties faced by small beneficiaries, in particular SMEs and smaller public authorities, in complying with the requirements and procedures of calls for proposals; calls, in this regard, for more simplification, greater responsiveness to their specific constraints, and the introduction of targeted calls specifically designed for them;

14.

calls for the participation of cities, regions and their ecosystems to be fully embedded in the Innovation Ecosystems programme and the initiatives with which they are closely associated, such as the regional innovation valleys, in order to be able to jointly develop leading projects to benefit innovation ecosystems across Europe;

15.

requests that societal innovation be more explicitly recognised as a strategic element of the Framework Programme, alongside technological innovation, especially when it provides fresh responses to challenges relating to poverty, ageing, access to care, housing, inclusion, education and citizen participation as well as climate adaptation, environmental resilience and sustainable resource use;

16.

underlines that the success of the EU Missions depends on their local ownership, the active involvement of cities and regions in their governance, and their ability to rally the public, public services, universities, businesses and civil society around specific, measurable objectives;

17.

calls for EU Missions to be strengthened towards a ‘Moonshot’ level of ambition, mobilising breakthrough technologies, coordinated investments and systemic innovation to address Europe’s major societal challenges and competitiveness gaps;

Linking the implementation of the Framework Programme with smart specialisation strategies

18.

calls for the enabling and multiplying role of smart specialisation strategies (S3/S4) to be recognised. These strategies can form links with the Framework Programme by fostering partnerships between stakeholders in the same innovation ecosystem, while also concentrating investments in these local and regional ecosystems to generate top-class innovation;

19.

considers that, in order to be fully effective, the regions need to adopt this approach as far as possible by increasing their strategies’ degree of specialisation;

20.

proposes, in light of the above, that technical support be offered to the regions in order to achieve this;

21.

suggests, in order to mutually broaden the impact of the S3 and the Framework Programme, that the latter should link its programming and implementation more closely with that of the S3, which is to be rolled out with the future national and regional partnership plans in mind. This could be achieved, for example, by linking the planning of project calls more closely with that of the NRP plans, by creating joint partnership platforms or by creating ‘hop-on’ participation facilities;

Bringing about ongoing practical synergies between the pillars of the Framework Programme and other funds

For better links between pillars, favouring a ‘place-based’ approach

22.

welcomes efforts to link the various pillars of the programme, such as EIC Transition and the Horizon Results Booster, and calls for a more comprehensive mechanism to be set up (such as a ‘promotion pathway’) to which cities and regions, as managing authorities of the NRP plans, can contribute to help funded projects mature, enabling them to pass from Pillar 1 to Pillar 3;

23.

proposes that the desired ‘investment journey’ through the various EU programmes fully factor in cities’ and regions’ contribution to how the NRP plans are carried out. The idea is that projects funded through these plans or the Framework Programme receive joint support to build on their results aimed at achieving higher levels of societal or technological maturity, and to contribute to the shared objectives of these programmes;

Cities, regions and their innovation ecosystems as key connectors for successful synergies with the Framework Programme

24.

calls for the Framework Programme to put in place an active combination of EU funds supporting research and innovation, in order to enhance scientific excellence and European competitiveness and to achieve the Framework Programme’s strategic objectives, and underlines the strategic role of research and technology infrastructures, interoperable data spaces and AI-enabled solutions as key enablers for accelerating innovation and scaling solutions;

25.

supports the creation of the European Competitiveness Fund, but considers that its implementation depends on close and strong links with the Framework Programme, particularly in the definition of its mechanisms for connecting them; here, in the interests of the autonomy of the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, the overall governance structure – which includes not only relevant national and regional representatives, but also research experts – must ensure effective participation from the research side;

26.

believes that the objective of European competitiveness must go hand in hand with the objectives of territorial and social cohesion, and that any excessive concentration of funding, infrastructure and innovation capacity in a limited number of already high-performing geographical areas should be avoided;

27.

supports, in this regard, the need for the Framework Programme to build more practical synergies with the European Competitiveness Fund, involving cities and regions as key players in restoring the EU’s competitiveness. The Committee calls, in this regard, for them to be closely involved in the shared governance of the Framework Programme and the Competitiveness Fund in all the forms these synergies take;

28.

stresses that EU investments in research and innovation must contribute to a just transition, by supporting the creation of quality jobs, skills development, anticipation of labour market changes and fair access to the opportunities created by the green and digital transitions in all geographical areas;

29.

welcomes the streamlined coordination between the implementation of the NRP plans to enable cities and regions to jointly invest in projects co-financed by the Framework Programme, and calls for them to be closely involved in stakeholder consultation structures, such as an Industrial and Technological Competitiveness Council or a Societal Challenges Council;

In favour of a European Research Area Framework Programme and a European Researcher Status

30.

reiterates that Europe must be able to offer its best researchers a safe and attractive working environment and that the Framework Programme should serve this purpose; underlines the importance of transnational collaborative research for the European Research Area; highlights in this connection the role of universities in knowledge generation and valorisation, and calls for Horizon Europe’s structure and budget to do this justice;

31.

calls for a European Researcher Status to be set up that would allow, through peer-to-peer recognition, smoother exchanges with their counterparts, and certainty of treatment and social support, regardless of the country in which they work;

32.

suggests that the dynamism of the European Research Area be boosted by providing for open calls for proposals and fundamentally strengthening the bottom-up nature of research funding; is also in favour of clusters of projects being created in various parts of the programme, along the lines of the ARPA (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network) approach, as part of portfolios, and thus for more specialist support to be provided by programme managers, likewise with a view to making more efficient use of research results;

33.

believes that such recognition, based on this status, would help stem the brain drain and increase the appeal for international researchers by complementing the Choose Europe programme;

34.

underlines the need to tackle brain drain and foster the genuine movement of talent within the EU, including by providing further support to regions facing sustained losses in research, innovation and skills capacities. The aim is to prevent excellence from being concentrated in a limited number of clusters;

35.

stresses that European research and innovation are world leaders in sustainability, the circular economy and climate change adaptation, and therefore calls for these areas to remain central in the next funding period, including in order to make the EU more attractive as a destination for leading researchers from around the world.

Brussels, 7 May 2026.

The President

of the European Committee of the Regions

Kata TÜTTŐ