PURPOSE: to establish Horizon 2020 - the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (2014-2020).
LEGISLATIVE ACT: Regulation (EU) No 1291/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing Horizon 2020 - the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (2014-2020) and repealing Decision No 1982/2006/EC.
CONTENT: Horizon 2020 will replace the EU's 7th Research Framework Programme (FP7), which runs until the end of 2013. Horizon 2020 shall maximise Union added value and impact, focusing on objectives and activities that cannot be efficiently realised by Member States acting alone.
The general objective of Horizon 2020 is to contribute to building a society and an economy based on knowledge and innovation across the Union by leveraging additional research, development and innovation funding and by contributing to attaining research and development targets, including the target of 3% of GDP for research and development across the Union by 2020.
Horizon 2020 focuses on three priorities, namely:
The general objective shall be pursued through these three mutually reinforcing priorities.
Some of the main features of the Horizon 2020 programme include:
· Simplification: simplification is a central aim of Horizon 2020. It is to be reflected in its design, rules, financial management and implementation in order to attract a strong participation of universities, research centres, industry and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). A simplified funding model will be used for the reimbursement of activities.
· Science with and for society: a separate structure and budget line will contribute to the harmonious integration of scientific and technological endeavour into European society. In addition, it will be used to increase the atractiveness of scientific and technological careers, in particular for young people, as well as to address the existing gender imbalance in these fields.
· Spreading excellence and widening participation: the research and innovation potential of the Member States, despite some recent convergence, remains very different, with large gaps between "innovation leaders" and "modest innovators". Activities shall help close the research and innovation divide in Europe by promoting synergies with the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESI Funds) and also by specific measures to unlock excellence in low performing research, development and innovation (RDI) regions, thereby widening participation in Horizon 2020 and contributing to the realisation of the ERA.
· Small and medium-sized enterprises: Horizon 2020 will provide a range of means to support the research and innovation activities and capacities of SMEs along the different stages of the innovation cycle. The creation of a dedicated SME instrument will help to increase the participation of SMEs under Horizon 2020 funded projects.
· Fast Track to Innovation (FTI): in order to reduce the time from idea to market, using a bottom-up approach, and to increase the participation of industry, SMEs and first-time applicants in Horizon 2020, the Fast Track to Innovation (FTI) pilot should be implemented within the specific objective "Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies" and within the priority "Societal challenges". It should stimulate private sector investment in research and innovation, promote research and innovation with a focus on value creation and accelerate the development of technologies into innovative products, processes and services.
· Partnerships for research and innovation: Horizon 2020 will support the development and implementation of public-private and public-public partnerships, including the European Technology Platforms, the Joint Programming Initiatives and the European Innovation Partnerships.
· Ethical principles: all the research and innovation activities carried out under Horizon 2020 shall comply with ethical principles and relevant national, Union and international legislation. Particular attention shall be paid to the need to ensure high levels of human health protection. Research on human stem cells, both adult and embryonic, may be financed, depending both on the contents of the scientific proposal and the legal framework of the Member States involved. However, no funding shall be granted for research activities that are prohibited in all the member states and no activity shall be funded in a member state where such activity is forbidden.
· International Cooperation: international cooperation with third countries will be promoted in each of the three priorities of Horizon 2020.
· Sustainable development and climate change: Horizon 2020 will encourage and support activities towards exploiting Europe's leadership in the race to develop new processes and technologies promoting sustainable development, in a broad sense, and combating climate change.
Mid-term evaluation: the Commission will carry out, with the assistance of independent experts, a review of the Horizon 2020 programme not later than end 2017.
Budget: the new funding programme is granted with a budget of EUR 77 028 300 000 at current prices for a period of seven years. It is distributed as follows:
· excellent science, EUR 24 441.1 million;
· industrial leadership, EUR 17 015.5 million;
· societal challenges, EUR 29 679 million;
· spreading excellence and widening participation, EUR 816.5 million;
· science with and for society, EUR 462.2 million;
· non-nuclear direct actions of the JRC, EUR 1 902.6 million.
The EIT shall be financed through a maximum contribution from Horizon 2020 of EUR 2 711.4 million.
Horizon 2020 shall be implemented through the consolidated specific programme established by Council Decision 2013/743/EU. The rules for participation and dissemination of results are laid down in Regulation (EU) No 1290/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council.
ENTRY INTO FORCE: 23.12.2013.