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DRAFT BUDGETARY ASSESSMENT (COM(2025)0543 – C100164/2025 – 2025/0543(COD))

On the proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing Horizon Europe, the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, for the period 2028-2034 laying down its rules for participation and dissemination, and repealing Regulation (EU) 2021/695

BUDG-PA-782453

Committee on Budgets · Rapporteur: Hélder Sousa Silva

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The Committee on Budgets gives its budgetary assessment of the proposed Horizon Europe Framework Programme for Research and Innovation for 2028-2034, which would repeal Regulation (EU) 2021/695. It considers the programme envelope should be increased from EUR 154 billion to a number taken from the interim report on the 2028-2034 multiannual financial framework, in current and 2025 prices. It asks for sufficient human resources, more indicative sub-envelopes and a more detailed budget nomenclature, and for research decommitments to be re-used without a cap. It calls for the Scaleup Europe Fund to continue its mission within the European Innovation Council, and for transparency and scrutiny of budgetary guarantees and external assigned revenue. It submits eight amendments to the draft proposal, including new recitals on parliamentary oversight and on the budgetary assessment under Article 310(4) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.

Committee position. The Committee on Budgets concludes that the programme envelope should be increased, that human resources and more detailed budget nomenclature are needed, and that decommitments should be re-used without a cap. It submits eight amendments to the draft proposal.

Key points

  1. The committee considers the programme envelope should rise from EUR 154 billion to a number from the interim report on the 2028-2034 multiannual financial framework, in current and 2025 prices.
  2. It says sufficient human resources must be available from the outset and throughout the next multiannual financial framework for effective implementation.
  3. It points out that Article 6 lists only 7 indicative amounts at item level against 15 in 2021-2027, and recommends fixing indicative sub-envelopes in the basic act.
  4. It recognises flexibility as important but wants predictable annual resources and an indicative allocation for each programme item.
  5. It regrets that the Legislative Financial and Digital Statement has only 5 budget lines against 44 in 2021-2027, saying this hampers oversight and could allow large transfers outside budgetary authority decisions.
  6. It insists that detailed legislation and appropriate governance are conditions for budgetary decision-making and parliamentary oversight, and that a steering mechanism cannot replace Parliament's powers.
  7. It stresses that borrowing and lending under a budgetary guarantee must be clearly identified, transparently presented and monitored, respecting the co-legislators and the budgetary authority.
  8. It strongly calls for the Scaleup Europe Fund to continue its mission within the European Innovation Council in the next multiannual financial framework.
  9. It says external assigned revenue must be fully transparent and subject to parliamentary scrutiny, and that amendments on it should be coordinated with the Committee on Budgets.
  10. It recalls the proposed performance regulation and says changes to the programme's architecture, objectives and eligible actions must be reflected in its monitoring provisions.
  11. It considers research decommitments should be fully re-used without an artificial cap, and that reflows from financial instruments should stay within the programme.
  12. Its amendments add new recitals on budget nomenclature, parliamentary oversight and the budgetary assessment, and change recital 34 and Articles 6, 7 and 10 on the EIC Fund, the Scaleup Europe Fund and the European Competitiveness Fund InvestEU Instrument.

Who is affected

  • Researchers, innovators and SMEs benefiting from the programme, for whom the committee seeks predictable funding.
  • The Commission, which would gain latitude to shift spending priorities under the proposed budget breakdown.
  • The budgetary authority and co-legislators, whose powers the committee says must be respected.
  • The Scaleup Europe Fund and the European Innovation Council, which the committee wants to keep the Fund's mission.
  • Participating third countries and other donors providing financial contributions to the programme.

Figures and deadlines

  • EUR 200 billion — the increased budget the Draghi report supports for the programme.
  • 12% in Horizon 2020 to 16.4% in Horizon Europe — the average success rate.
  • 30% — the share of high-quality proposals that could be financed.
  • EUR 81.8 billion — the additional amount that would have been needed to fund all high-quality proposals.
  • 3% of GDP on R&D by 2030 — the target restated in the Budapest declaration.
  • 26 years since the Barcelona declaration — the period in which only few member states met the target.
  • EUR 154 billion — the programme envelope the committee wants increased.
  • 7 indicative amounts at item level in Article 6, against 15 in 2021-2027; 5 budget lines in the Legislative Financial and Digital Statement, against 44 in 2021-2027.

Legal basis: Article 310(4) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.