Pacific

Policy background

The EU maintains a long-standing relationship with the countries of the Pacific. It aims to reinforce cooperation in science technology and innovation with the region and promote the development of mutually beneficial partnerships.

The main policy goals are:

• strengthening relationships with Australia and New Zealand, as well as reinforcing a regional approach and dimension for research and innovation with the Pacific Islands in areas that include earth observation, climate action, biodiversity, and more
• supporting the institutional policy dialogue under Horizon Europe and bilateral science and technology agreements with New Zealand, and bilateral agreements with Australia
• promoting bilateral cooperation between research and innovation actors and monitoring progress in the bilateral science and technology cooperation
• promoting synergies between EU policies and programmes addressing targeted countries in the Pacific and facilitating the coordination of research projects and initiatives supported by Horizon Europe

Funding and cooperation opportunities

Horizon Europe, is the biggest EU research and innovation programme ever with more than €95.5 billion of funding available over 7 years (2021 to 2027). It is open to the world, which means that participants from all over the world can participate in most calls. The EU can fund the participation in Horizon Europe collaborative research actions of entities established in EU Member States, in countries Associated to Horizon Europe, and in low- and middle-income countries.  Many Pacific countries are included in this latter category.

For other countries, in principle*, the EU does not provide funding for the participation of their research entities in collaborative research projects, so they are expected to bring their own funding to the table.

*In exceptional cases, the Commission or the relevant funding body may consider that funding the participation of a legal entity is essential for implementing the action (Article 23.2(b) of the Horizon Europe Regulation)

On 9 July 2023, New Zealand became Associated to Pillar 2 of Horizon Europe.

European Research Council

The European Research Council offers grants to researchers in all research domains for frontier research.  Researchers from anywhere in the world are welcome to apply and if selected are eligible for funding to establish a research group in Europe. Grants are available for researchers starting or consolidating their independent career and for advanced researchers. Synergy grants are also available, where a group of 2-4 Principal Investigators (PIs) may include one PI outside the EU or countries associated to Horizon Europe, to tackle together an ambitious research problem, with all funded by the ERC.

Marie Skłodowska Curie Actions

Marie Skłodowska Curie Actions offer fellowships for post-doctoral researchers from anywhere in the world to spend up to 2 years in a European group – or for European researchers to spend up to 2 years in a lab in another part of the world. Also offers opportunities for institutions from around the world to participate in Doctoral Networks and Staff Exchange consortia (third country institutions are self-funded in Doctoral Networks and Staff Exchange).

Projects and results

Research project database

EU-funded research projects involving the Pacific

For previous framework programmes, please contact the Research enquiry service.

Example of research cooperation projects: 

• OCSEAN (2020-2025) unites researchers from Canada, Europe, Island Southeast Asia and Oceania to re-evaluate our understanding of the Austronesian expansion by using new high-density data from archaeology, biological anthropology, linguistics and genetics.
  • EPIC EU-Pacific Partnerships for ICT RDI (2017-2019) aims to improve cooperation in the area of information and communication technologies between Europe and three partner countries in the Asia-Pacific (Australia, New Zealand, Singapore).