At the 29 May 2026 Competitiveness Council, EU ministers debated the Horizon Europe package for 2028-2034, with divergences persisting on widening provisions, defence research funding, and partnership governance. The Cypriot Presidency (Nicodemus) stressed convergence on most text and urged timely agreement to avoid funding gaps. Commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva backed the presidency's direction, warning against adding complex layers and calling for genuine simplification, noting work programmes risk 3000 pages.
The widening provisions remain contentious. The Netherlands (EPP) supported targeted widening but opposed anonymised proposals, insisting on excellence. Denmark (Renew) strongly backed dual-use and defence research under the EIC, citing Russian drone attacks in Romania, and pushed for joint Horizon-ECF governance to end silos. Portugal (S&D) defended a transition pathway for widening countries and urged co-creation with member states. Luxembourg (Renew) called for early member-state involvement in priority setting and clear partnership closure procedures.
Defence research funding also split ministers. Austria (EPP) insisted pure defence research be funded from the European Competitiveness Fund (ECF), not Horizon, and supported limiting partnerships to strategic areas. Finland (EPP) stressed excellence and open competition. The Netherlands and Denmark opposed central financial management for partnerships.
The presidency aims for a partial general approach by June, aligned with the ECF regulation. Affected stakeholders include researchers, industry, SMEs, and widening countries seeking capacity-building. The outcome will shape the EU's research priorities and budget allocation for the next seven-year period.