MEP Marc Botenga (The Left) has submitted a parliamentary question to the European Commission, challenging the apparent inconsistency in how the EU treats Russian and Israeli beneficiaries of the Horizon Europe research programme. The question, dated 26 June 2026, targets the Commission's approach to attributing state conduct to individual beneficiaries and participating entities.
Botenga's question draws attention to the Commission's blanket suspension of cooperation with all Russian entities following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, without individual assessment, and the subsequent termination of cooperation in April 2022 after the fifth sanctions package and case-by-case evaluations. He contrasts this with the Commission's stated position on Israeli participation, where the Commission argued that Israeli beneficiaries cannot be considered in breach of obligations merely because they are established in Israel, and that restrictive measures must be based on the beneficiary's own conduct, not that of the State of Israel.
whether the Commission considers that Russian beneficiaries were targeted because of their own conduct or because of the Russian state's actions, and how this differs from the Israeli case; how the Commission reconciles its position on non-attribution of state conduct for Israeli beneficiaries with the measures against Russian beneficiaries; and whether the Commission distinguishes between its competence to temporarily suspend cooperation and its competence to finally terminate it.
The question reflects concerns over unequal treatment, with potential implications for research institutions and businesses in both Russia and Israel. It also touches on legal consistency and the EU's application of sanctions in research cooperation. The Commission is expected to reply within approximately six weeks, and its answer will signal the legal reasoning behind its differentiated approach. The question does not set numerical targets or deadlines but seeks clarification on policy principles and legal interpretations.