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DRAFT OPINION (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

CULT-PA-782406

Committee on Culture and Education · Rapporteur: Laurence Farreng

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The Committee on Culture and Education proposes amendments to the Commission's proposal for Horizon Europe, the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation for 2028-2034. The amendments add culture, education and the cultural and creative industries to the programme's impact goals and to its research priorities. They strengthen the place of higher education, doctoral students and the European Universities Alliances, and add a definition of those alliances. They also widen the European Innovation Council to universities and research organisations and give the European Institute of Innovation and Technology a role in linking business, research and education. The amendments add respect for academic freedom and liberty of scientific research to the conditions for association, and remove the reference to building costs of research infrastructures, excluding building costs from funding.

Committee position. The Committee on Culture and Education proposes amendments to the Commission's Horizon Europe proposal, mainly to add culture, education and the cultural and creative industries, to strengthen higher education and European Universities Alliances, and to widen innovation support to universities.

Key points

  1. Recital 2 would list cultural and educational impact alongside scientific, technological, environmental and societal impact as aims of the programme.
  2. A new recital states that cultural and creative industries have strategic potential for Union competitiveness, especially in digital innovation such as artificial intelligence and virtual reality.
  3. Recital 12 would describe the New European Bauhaus Facility as bridging science, technology, art and cultural heritage and mainstreaming environmental sustainability across all Union policies.
  4. Recital 14 would add doctoral students to the research workforce the programme should develop and retain, and refer to European Universities Alliances in synergy with Erasmus+.
  5. A new recital states that fragmentation of higher education and research undermines Union sovereignty, and that European Universities Alliances serve the European Research Area and the European Higher Education Area.
  6. Recital 15 would allow the European Innovation Council to support universities and university-based incubators, alongside high-risk companies.
  7. Recital 20 would build on existing initiatives such as the European Universities Alliances in support of widening and transition countries, and sets criteria dividing eligible member states into two groups.
  8. A new recital states that the European Institute of Innovation and Technology should support integration of higher education in innovation ecosystems, and that its support schemes should benefit European Innovation Council beneficiaries.
  9. Article 2 would define the knowledge triangle as integration of and interaction between education, research and innovation, and add a definition of European Universities Alliances as the Commission's flagship initiative launched in 2019.
  10. Article 3 would add doctoral students to those for whom the programme creates knowledge, skills and attractive careers, and Article 4 would name the European Institute of Innovation and Technology in innovation ecosystems.
  11. Article 5 would require integration of cultural and creative industries and social sciences and humanities across all programme components, including specific calls on culture and SSH topics.
  12. Article 9 would add respect for academic freedom and liberty of scientific research to the commitment required for association, and Article 18 would exclude building costs from funding of research and technology infrastructures.

Who is affected

  • Cultural and creative industries: added to the programme's impact goals, research priorities and specific calls.
  • Universities, doctoral students and European Universities Alliances: given a stronger role in the programme and a new definition.
  • European Innovation Council and European Institute of Innovation and Technology: widened to universities and linked to each other's beneficiaries.
  • Widening and transition countries: eligible member states divided into two groups for the whole programme.
  • Entities seeking association: must commit to respect academic freedom and liberty of scientific research.

Figures and deadlines

  • 2028-2034: the period of the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation.
  • 2019: year the European Universities Alliances initiative was launched.
  • at least 3% of GDP: target for investment in research and development.
  • above 75% of the Union average: Innovation Scoreboard Index (2023-2025) for transition countries.
  • 2021-2025: period for the relative financial return per GNI used to classify transition countries.