The six months that shaped the future of Horizon Europe

The first half of 2025 saw Brussels consumed by a debate over the future of the EU’s research and innovation programme, which ended with a legislative proposal that quenched long-running rumours of Horizon Europe's demise.

Speculation centred over the role of the European Competitiveness Fund, envisioned as an umbrella mechanism for industrial and innovation policy that could have absorbed Horizon Europe in the next Multiannual Financial Framework. Leaked documents and mixed messages from the European Commission heightened concerns. The controversy was largely resolved when the Commission’s budget proposal included a standalone €175 billion successor to Horizon Europe, though a significant portion of this funding will be governed by European Competitiveness Fund rules.

Meanwhile, the actions of the Trump administration in the US prompted the EU to adopt a strategy to attract displaced researchers. And Israel’s invasion and blockade of Gaza led increasing numbers of EU universities to review their ties with the country, although there's no agreement yet on suspending its access to parts of the Framework Programme.

Here's how it all unfolded.

FP10

The first months of 2025 were marked by coordinated efforts from research lobbies, member states, associated countries and MEPs urging the Commission to ensure that the successor to Horizon Europe, FP10, would remain a standalone programme with a ringfenced budget in the next Multiannual Financial Framework.

Over the months, speculation and concern mounted regarding the future independence of FP10, particularly as plans emerged for a new Competitiveness Fund intended to serve as an umbrella for all relevant EU initiatives.

While calls intensified to preserve the Framework Programme's autonomous status, an informal task force within the European Parliament was established to advise on strengthening the role of the Widening programme in FP10. At the same time, the research community advocated for increased funding for the post-2027 European Innovation Council and European Research Council.

In July, the Commission finally unveiled its proposal for the upcoming research Framework Programme, one that appeared to satisfy most research players. The plans envisage FP10 with double the budget of its predecessor, at €175 million, and its independence for the most part preserved. However, a large part of the Pillar 2 budget, covering collaborative research, will be managed by the Competitiveness Fund.

AI and defence

While debate over the future of the next research Framework Programme intensified, the current research landscape also came under renewed scrutiny.

January marked the start of Poland’s Council presidency, with plans to promote the uptake of artificial intelligence in science and to make defence a top priority.

In parallel, the European Parliament, echoing ongoing concerns over security, formally called on the EU to strengthen its technological independence from third countries, particularly the US. This stance appeared to contrast with that of the Commission, which is promoting deeper cooperation with international partners through its new International Digital Strategy.

Meanwhile, the Commission unveiled fresh plans to support Europe's space, quantum, life sciences and start-up ecosystems, with a particular focus on strategic sectors including defence and dual-use technologies. The Commission plans to make FP10 dual use by default, and it has already proposed opening the European Innovation Council Accelerator to dual-use and defence projects in the final years of the current programme.

At February’s AI Action Summit in Paris, the Commission and the private sector came together to announce plans to invest €200 billion over the next five years and deliver on the promise of a CERN for AI.

The EU also launched trilogue talks on its pharmaceutical reform, aiming to balance incentives for innovation with better access to medicines. It also continued efforts to broaden the list of countries associated with Horizon Europe. India was invited to consider joining, while Egypt, Switzerland, and South Korea have officially come on board.

Finally, the Commission decided to make Horizon Europe work programmes publicly available to all during the drafting process. This is a move long championed by Science|Business which, in the interests of greater transparency, has been publishing leaked drafts, sent confidentially by readers, on its Horizon papers page since 2021.

The final batch of 2025 work programmes reflect the EU’s renewed focus on competitiveness and a shift toward simpler administrative rules. They also demonstrate an increased influence of the Clean Industrial Deal over research priorities in anticipation of the next EU budget.

Trump’s return

Since his return to the White House, Donald Trump has been on an anti-science crusade, ordering massive layoffs at federal agencies, tightening control over universities, cancelling grants and censoring topics for researchers. 

Europe seized the opportunity to present itself as a haven for US-based scientists and has providing options for them to continue their work across the Atlantic.

The Commission itself unveiled a €500 million Choose Europe package, set to start this autumn, to attract the best international talent.

Israel

Israel’s food blockade of Gaza, which has begun to cause widespread starvation in the besieged territory, has sparked outrage across the EU and called into question the country’s association to Horizon Europe.

While European universities have remained divided on whether Israel should be suspended from the Framework Programme, the Commission recently suggested blocking it from a European Innovation Council grant targeting start-ups. EU member states have not yet agreed to back the proposal.