The Council adopted a partial general approach
on the proposal for a Council Decision establishing the specific
programme for the implementation of the research and innovation
framework programme "Horizon Europe".
The programme sets out the operational
objectives and types of activities envisaged to implement Horizon
Europe, the EU's framework programme for research and innovation
for the years 2021 to 2027.
The decision contains provisions
concerning:
- the main lines of research activities under each
Horizon Europe pillar;
- the multiannual strategic planning process, to be
adopted by the Commission with early and close involvement of
Member States;
- the establishment of the European Innovation Council
(CEI);
- work programmes for the implementation of the specific
programme, to be adopted by the Commission;
- broadening participation in research activities funded
by Horizon Europe;
- the strengthening of the European Research
Area.
The Specific Programme has the following
operational objectives:
- strengthening excellent basic and frontier research;
reinforcing and spreading excellence, including by fostering wider
participation throughout the Union;
- reinforcing the link between research, innovation, and
where appropriate, education and other policies;
- supporting the implementation of Union policy
priorities including in particular the sustainable development
goals and the Paris Agreement;
- promoting responsible research and innovation, taking
into account the precautionary principle,
- strengthening the gender dimension across the
Programme;
- increasing collaboration links in European research
and innovation and across sectors and disciplines, including social
sciences and humanities;
- strengthening international
cooperation;
- connecting and developing to research infrastructures
across the European Research Area and providing transnational
access;
- attracting talent, training and retaining researchers
and innovators in the European Research Area, including through
mobility;
- fostering open science and ensuring visibility to the
public and open access to scientific publications and research
data, including appropriate exceptions;
- encouraging exploitation of R&I results and
actively disseminating and exploiting results, in particular for
leveraging private investments and policy
development;
- delivering, through R&I missions, on ambitious
goals within a set timeframe;
- improving the relationship and interaction between
science and society, including the visibility of science in society
and science communication, and promoting the involvement of
citizens and end-users in co-design and co-creation
processes;
- accelerating industrial transformation, including
through improved skills for innovation;
- stimulating R&I activities in SMEs and the
creation and scale-up of innovative companies, in particular
start-ups, SMEs, and in exceptional cases small
mid-caps;
- improving access to risk finance, including through
synergies with InvestEU, in particular where the market does not
provide viable financing.
Structure
The Specific Programme shall consist of the
following parts:
- Pillar I 'Excellent Science';
- Pillar II 'Global Challenges and European Industrial
Competitiveness’;
- Pillar III 'Innovative Europe';
- Part 'Widening Participation and Strengthening the
European Research Area'.
Budget
The financial envelope for the implementation
of the Specific Programme for the period 2021 to 2027 shall be [EUR
91 100 000 000] in current prices.
The EIC Board
The European Innovation Council Board shall be
composed of 15 to 20 independent high level individuals drawn from
various parts of Europe's innovation ecosystem, including
entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, investors, public administration
experts and researchers, including academic experts on innovation.
It shall contribute to outreach actions, with EIC Board members
striving to enhance the prestige of the EIC brand.
The members of the EIC Board shall be appointed
by the Commission, following an open call for nominations or for
expression of interests or both, whichever the Commission will find
more appropriate.
The EIC Board may upon request address
recommendations to the Commission on any matter which from an
innovation perspective may enhance and foster innovation
eco-systems across Europe or emerging technology trends from EIC's
portfolio, to inform the programming in other parts of the Specific
Programme.
The Programme shall be implemented by work
programmes. They shall set out the expected impact and be prepared
following a strategic planning process to this Decision.