On the adoption of the Research Programme of the Research Fund for Coal and Steel, on the multiannual technical guidelines for this programme, on the multiannual financial guidelines for managing the assets of the Research Fund for Coal and Steel, and repealing Decisions 2003/77/EC and 2008/376/EC
Parliament is consulted: it gives an opinion and can propose amendments, but the Council takes the decision and need not follow them.
Where it stands: Parliament gave its opinion on 19 May 2026. The Council takes the final decision.
- ✓ Referred to committee 9 March 2026
- ✓ Committee work Report adopted 6 May 2026
- ✓ Tabled for plenary 7 May 2026
- ✓ Plenary vote Adopted 19 May 2026
- 5 Adopted by the Council
How a file moves through Parliament
A file is referred to one lead committee (others may give an opinion). Its rapporteur writes a draft report, committee members table amendments, and the committee votes to adopt the report. The report is then tabled for all MEPs; political groups can table further amendments, which are voted on before the final vote in plenary. The Council takes the final decision, and the act is published in the Official Journal.
Who is working on it
- Lead committee
- ITRE — Industry, Research and Energy
- Rapporteur
- Borys BUDKA PPE
- Shadow rapporteurs
- Paulo CUNHA PPEJens GEIER S&DPaolo BORCHIA PfEElena DONAZZAN ECRSophie WILMÈS RenewVille NIINISTÖ Verts/ALE
The rapporteur drafts and negotiates the text for the lead committee; each other political group names a shadow rapporteur to follow the file.
The text, version by version
Latest Tabled for plenary → Adopted by Parliament: No change of substance: the two versions differ only in presentation — cover page, numbering or the parts a report carries that the adopted text does not. see the changes →
Committee draft → Tabled for plenary: Adds conditions to Parliament's support for the RFCS final phase, requiring optimized capital disbursement and targeted funding for breakthrough technologies in vulnerable regions. Adds a rejection of concentrating research resources in established hubs, emphasizing geographical inclusivity for competitiveness and cohesion. The other change is wording: removes "European" before "Commission". see the changes →
Newest version first. Open a version to read it in full. “What changed” shows the differences paragraph by paragraph; ✦ lines are AI-written from the texts themselves.
Timeline
- Plenary stage
- 19 May 2026 Plenary voteAdopted Adopted by an overwhelming majorityFor 537 Against 17 Abstained 83
Final vote on the draft Council decision at 14:24 · 84% of votes cast in favour · every MEP’s position →
- 18 May 2026 Debated in plenary
MEPs debated the text in the chamber ahead of the vote.
- 7 May 2026 Report tabled for plenary
This is the text all MEPs vote on. Political groups can still table amendments to it.
- Committee stage
- 6 May 2026 Committee vote: report adopted
ITRE (Industry, Research and Energy) voted on the amendments and adopted the report that goes to plenary.
- 14 April 2026 Amendments tabled in committee
Members of ITRE (Industry, Research and Energy) proposed changes to the draft.
- 16 March 2026 Draft report published
The rapporteur’s first text in ITRE (Industry, Research and Energy). Members can table amendments before the committee votes.
- 9 March 2026 Referred to the ITRE (Industry, Research and Energy) committee
The lead committee prepares Parliament’s report.