The development process
In 2018 the Commission proposed an ambitious €100 billion research and innovation programme - Horizon Europe - to succeed Horizon 2020.
The European Parliament and the Council of the EU reached in March and April 2019 a provisional agreement on Horizon Europe. The European Parliament endorsed the provisional agreement on 17 April 2019.
The EU institutions reached a political agreement on Horizon Europe on 11 December 2020 and set the budget for Horizon Europe at €95.5 billion in current prices (including €5.4 billion from the Next Generation of the EU – Recovery Fund). On this basis, the European Parliament and the Council of the EU proceed towards the adoption of the legal acts.
The Commission's proposal for Horizon Europe
The Commission initially proposed an ambitious €100 billion research and innovation programme to succeed Horizon 2020.
The proposal was made as part of the EU's proposal for the next EU long-term budget, the multiannual financial framework (MFF).
Various building blocks were taken into account including the interim evaluation of Horizon 2020, the Lab-Fab-App report (informally the Lamy report), foresight studies and various other reports.
Legal texts, factsheets and video
- legal texts and factsheets for Horizon Europe
- factsheet about research and innovation in the new EU budget (French and German versions also available)
- video explaining the aims of Horizon Europe
Reports and materials that shaped the proposal
Evaluating Horizon 2020
To make an effective proposal, the Commission built on what has been learned from Horizon 2020.
- Communication on the interim evaluation of Horizon 2020, adopted 11 January 2018 outlines views on how the impact of a successor research and innovation investment programme could be maximised
- Horizon 2020 Evaluation: Results of the interim evaluation of Horizon 2020, input studies and evaluation methods
- LAB – FAB – APP: Investing in the European future we want: Report of the independent high level group, led by Pascal Lamy, on maximising the impact of EU research and innovation programmes
Mission-oriented policy
- Mission-Oriented Research & Innovation in the EU: A problem solving approach to innovation-led growth. This report is the result of Professor Mariana Mazzucato's academic reflections based on her research with input from internal and external stakeholders of the European Commission.
- Presentation on mission-oriented research and innovation policy: Outlines some of the main findings of the report by Professor Mariana Mazzucato
More studies and reports on missions
Foresight scenarios
BOHEMIA is an extensive, systematic, multi-year study that set out various future scenarios and recommendations for research and innovation policy.
Economic rationale
Analysis to set out the economic rationale for public R&Iinvestments and their impact on growth and jobs carried out by the Commission.
Involving citizens in setting priorities for the next framework programme
Report by the Democratic Society on involving citizens in the next framework programme
Report of the high level group on the European Innovation Council
Europe is back: Accelerating breakthrough innovation recommendations on how a European Innovation Council (EIC) should be set up to fund and nurture breakthrough innovation.
Public input to the proposal
- call for feedback on research and innovation missions (Closed 4 April 2018 - thank you for your input)
- public consultation on EU funds in the area of research & innovation (Closed 8 March 2018 – thank you for your input)