EU ministers debated the next Horizon Europe programme (FP10) at the 29 May 2026 Competitiveness Council, with Commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva pushing back against adding bureaucratic layers to priority-setting and urging flexibility on European partnerships. The Council also unanimously adopted a Recommendation on Science Diplomacy.
Zaharieva argued the FP10 regulation must genuinely shorten time-to-grant and warned against tightening partnership rules with unnecessary complexity. On widening participation, she acknowledged divergent positions among widening states but stressed excellence remains the guiding principle, with support for catch-up tied to national reforms. The French-Polish proposal for bottom-up collaborative research received her strong support, though she suggested it might be achievable during implementation without a separate provision.
All member states agreed on the political importance of Horizon Europe and the need for timely agreement to ensure a smooth 2028 launch. The Science Diplomacy Recommendation was adopted unanimously. Next steps include trilogue negotiations on the four remaining open items. The debate, chaired by Cyprus Deputy Minister Nicodemus Damiano, highlighted a consensus on the programme's value but diverging views on how to balance excellence with widening participation and simplify rules. Affected stakeholders include researchers, innovators, industry, widening countries, and international research partners.