Most Member States benefit from synergies between Horizon Europe and cohesion funds

Member states Research and Innovation and European regional Development Fund (ERDF) managing authorities met for the second time to enhance collaboration and synergies. The meeting was co-chaired by DG R&I, DG REGIO and Czech authorities.

The first part of the meeting was dedicated to policy related topics, such as the significant potential of Smart Specialisation Strategies under cohesion policy to enhance synergies between the Horizon Europe and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) programmes, with the smart specialisation strategies serving as a crucial bridge for their development. The group also discussed how to improve ‘access to excellence’, in particular for ‘Widening countries’, state aid rules for Research, Development and Innovation and an exchange of practices among Member States on how to best structure cooperation between R&I and Cohesion policy communities at national level.

The second part looked more into the practical aspects of implementing synergies, based on the outcome of a recently launched survey to the members of the group on synergies. The survey revealed that nearly all the 16 Member States who responded engage in synergies with Horizon Europe at national or regional level, with primary funding source being cohesion policy, followed by the Recovery and Resilience Facility. The most used instrument remains the Seal of Excellence, with a broad coverage of different policy actions (EIC Accelerator, Teaming, Marie Sklodowska Curie Actions, ERC Proof of Concept calls). Other tools related to possible ttransfers from ERDF to Horizon Europe, ERDF support to European Partnerships, and the use of new ‘synergies friendly’ state aid provisions. Members of the group also explored how a data driven approach could help identify synergies between EU programmes and support the uptake and deployment of Horizon project results.

Two more meetings of the ERA Forum sub-group on Access to Excellence – ‘R&I and Cohesion Managing Authorities’ Network (RIMA) are foreseen in 2024. The RIMA group members also discussed possible work and deliverables under the new ERA policy agenda, beyond 2024.

Background

One of the European Research Area objectives is to increase performance of R&I systems, while building on Horizon Europe and complementarities with smart specialization strategies under the Cohesion policy. The Council Conclusions on the New ERA and the explanatory document on ERA Action 16 foresee that “the work on the action is to be guided by a structured dialogue between the Commission and the Member States”. This dialogue should be conducted in a dedicated sub-group of the ERA Forum. The creation of such a dedicated group was also recommended by the European Court of Auditors in a recent audit on ‘H2020-ESIF synergies’.

Opportunities for synergies between Horizon Europe and Cohesion Policy programmes have been already put in place through more harmonised provisions in all relevant legislation. Based on this legislation, the European Commission published a year ago a practical and user-friendly guidance notice called “Synergies between Horizon Europe and ERDF programmes”. Following a similar example of a structured dialogue with Member States through its Seal of Excellence Community of Practice, the Commission now aims through RIMA to strengthen the cooperation between the authorities in charge of the key EU funding programmes supporting R&I, thereby to help improve ‘access to excellence’ and R&I performance across Europe.

For More Information

Synergy guidance notice: Publications Office (europa.eu)

ECA report on H2020-ESIF synergies: https://www.eca.europa.eu/en/publications?did=62446