Ekaterina Zaharieva

Policy topics Ekaterina Zaharieva is active on

What Ekaterina Zaharieva has said (80)

• 2026-06-12 “Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission 12.6.2026 Written question The EU has no legal definition for ‘geoengineering’. The Convention on Biological Diversity stated [1] that ‘[…] any technologies that deliberately reduce solar insolation or increase carbon sequestration from the atmosphere on a large scale that may affect biodiversity […] should be considered as forms of geo-engineering […]. ’ The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) referred to geoengineering as ‘a broad set of methods and technologies that aim to deliberately alter the climate system in order to alleviate the impacts of climate change. Most, but not all, methods seek to either (1) reduce the amount of absorbed solar energy in the climate system (Solar Radiation Management) or (2) increase net carbon sinks from the atmosphere at a scale sufficiently large to alter climate (Carbon Dioxide Removal). Scale and intent are of central importance. […] Geoengineering is different from weather modification and ecological engineering, but the boundary can be fuzzy [2] ’. Due to the rather broad scope and variable interpretation of ‘geoengineering’, it is not possible for the Commission to provide a comprehensive list of projects on weather modification and geoengineering technologies, and the entities involved in them. Depending on the scope and interpretation of ‘geoengineering’, information on specific projects funded under the Research and Innovation Framework Programmes, and the entities benefitting from them, can be extracted from the Community Research and Development Information Service (CORDIS) [3] . The Commission is not aware of EU-funded research activities specifically on weather modification. [1] Decision X/33. Biodiversity and climate change https://www.cbd.int/decision/cop?id=12299. [2] https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/2018/02/ipcc_wg3_ar5_annex-i.pdf, page 1262. [3] https://cordis.europa.eu/projects/en.”
  Carbon capture storage and utilisation · Climate efforts
• 2026-06-08 “Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission 8.6.2026 Written question The Commission ensures inclusion of appropriate multidisciplinary expertise in the evaluation of proposals under programmes such as the European Innovation Council (EIC) by appointing independent external experts covering the relevant scientific, technological and socioeconomic domains, including education, psychology and neurodevelopmental needs where relevant. Experts are selected from dedicated pools, trained and monitored to ensure compliance with rules and avoidance of bias. Panels are composed to ensure diversity and expertise aligned with the proposal content. Evaluation criteria are defined in the annual EIC work programme and include assessment of societal and ethical aspects, including for AI-based solutions, under the impact criterion. This covers potential benefits, risks and compliance with ethical standards. Transparency and consistency are ensured through standardised procedures like calibration of experts, quality checks and evaluation committees which review and finalise scores. Originality, intellectual property strategy and global market potential are assessed using the award criteria defined in the EIC work programme; this includes novelty, breakthrough nature, market development and scalability. Targeted calls and strategic monitoring of global trends contribute to reducing dependencies and strengthening the EU’s position in strategic AI technologies. Central to the Commission’s strategy is also the Resource for AI Science in Europe (RAISE) [1] and the European Frontier AI Initiative [2] , which seek to pool resources and talent to bolster the EU's AI ecosystem through three key pillars: strategic research and innovation, expert consultation and support for the development of highly capable European AI models. [1] https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/strategy/strategy-research-and-innovation/our-digital-future/european-ai-science-strategy/raise-resource-ai-science-europe_en. [2] https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/funding/turning-strategy-action-commission-launches-frontier-ai-grand-challenge.”
  Research priorities within the EU
• 2026-06-03 “Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission 3.6.2026 Written question The Commission’s position on geoengineering is set out in the Joint Communication of the Commission and High Representative on the Climate-Security Nexus [1] , which states that ‘risks, impacts and the unintended consequences that these technologies pose are poorly understood, and necessary rules, procedures and institutions have not been developed’ and stresses that the EU, guided by the precautionary principle, ‘will support international efforts to assess comprehensively the risks and uncertainties of climate interventions, including solar radiation modification and promote discussions on a potential international framework for its governance, including research related aspects’. For solar radiation modification (SRM) in particular, the Commission has funded projects to investigate ethical and governance aspects of SRM and related research [2] . The Commission requested the Group of the Chief Scientific Advisors to conduct a scientific risk assessment of SRM technologies and the European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies to provide ethical perspectives on SRM. The two groups delivered their opinions [3] [4] on 9 December 2024. [1] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52023JC0019. [2] See, in particular, TechEthos (https://doi.org/10.3030/101006249), GENIE (https://doi.org/10.3030/951542) and Co-CREATE (https://doi.org/10.3030/101137642). [3] https://scientificadvice.eu/advice/solar-radiation-modification/. [4] Commission, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, Opinion on solar radiation modification — Ethical perspectives, Publications Office of the European Union, 2024, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2777/951016.”
  Climate efforts
• 2026-06-02 “Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission 2.6.2026 Written question The Scaleup Europe Fund is designed as a market-based instrument to support the scaling of innovative European companies, while mobilising substantial private investment. The EU contribution to the Scaleup Europe Fund is foreseen as EUR 1 billion, drawn from the European Innovation Council component of Pillar III of Horizon Europe (HE) [1] under the current Multiannual Financial Framework, with the target to attract EUR 4 billion from private investors (of which approximately EUR 2 billion has already been indicated by the group of private founding investors) [2] . The selected private fund manager is expected to raise the remaining capital to reach the target size of EUR 5 billion. The Fund will invest high-growth scale-ups in strategic sectors, such as AI, quantum, semiconductors, robotics, energy, space, and biotechnologies/medical technologies, with selection criteria stemming from the HE Programme. The detailed investment strategy will be agreed by all founding investors, including the Commission, with the selected fund manager. Gender equality and climate considerations will be addressed in line with applicable EU legal and policy frameworks but do not constitute HE selection criteria. While the investment guidelines, agreed with all founding investors, will ensure that the Commission policy objectives are reflected in the overall mandate and investment strategy, all investment decisions will be taken by the independent private fund manager according to market standards, thus avoiding any political involvement in individual investment decisions. This ensures independent, market-based, investment decision-making, that will target Europe’s scale-up financing needs. [1] https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-open-calls/horizon-europe_en. [2] Novo Holdings, Export and Investment Fund of Denmark, CriteriaCaixa, Santander/Mouro Capital, Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo/Intesa Sanpaolo/Fondazione Cariplo, Dutch pension fund ABP (with APG as Asset Manager, and Allianz).”
  EU Competition policy · EU policy on sustainability criteria in public funding · EU industrial funding
• 2026-06-02 “Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission 2.6.2026 Written question The proposal for the European Competitiveness Fund [1] (ECF) and the proposed Framework Programme for research [2] (FP10) will have closely coordinated programming of activities. In particular, certain actions under FP10 (those collaborative research actions under the ‘Competitiveness’ part of the FP10 Pillar II falling in a policy area also covered by an ECF policy window) will be programmed in specific dedicated parts of single work programmes. Moreover, the specific programme on defence research is integrated with the policy window covering defence as part of the ECF proposal (thus also mirroring the current setup of the European Defence Fund [3] in that window). However, there is no legal issue as regards funding of the programmes as both ECF and FP10 have separate budgetary envelopes; ECF actions will be financed from ECF budget and FP10 actions will be financed from FP10 budget. Where an action contributes to objectives of both the ECF and FP10, it could be financed from both envelopes taking the form of, for example, a synergy call. The architecture proposed by the Commission for the ECF indeed foresees four policy windows. To ensure a seamless investment journey — from research to manufacturing and market deployment — the Commission has proposed to mirror the same policy windows within Pillar II of Horizon Europe (2028- 2034) [4] , under its ‘Competitiveness’ component. Horizon Europe will fund the research and innovation activities of the policy windows, while the ECF will focus on later stages of the investment journey, including scale-up manufacturing and market deployment. A tight connection between the two programmes will be ensured through single work programmes, in line with the proposed regulations. [1] https://commission.europa.eu/publications/european-competitiveness-fund_en. [2] See the proposal for Horizon Europe 2028-2034 — https://commission.europa.eu/publications/horizon-europe_en. [3] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32021R0697. [4] https://commission.europa.eu/publications/horizon-europe_en.”
  EU industrial funding · EU research funding
• 2026-06-01 “Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission 1.6.2026 Written question 1. Article 48(2) of the Horizon Europe Regulation, as recently amended [1] , sets out the eligibility conditions and restrictions under the European Innovation Council Accelerator that apply regarding support for innovation in critical defence technologies as well as regarding support for potential dual-use applications: — Regarding support for critical defence technologies, the participation is limited to legal entities established in the EU, in Ukraine or in a European Economic Area ( EEA ) member associated to Horizon Europe [2] . Therefore, legal entities established in Israel are not eligible to participate. — Regarding support for dual-use applications, the work programme may limit the participation to legal entities established in Member States or to legal entities established in specified associated countries in addition to Member States [3] . 2. In case the State of Israel would in future not respect its obligations under Article 2 of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement [4] , the Commission has the prerogative to propose appropriate and proportionate measures , as it did in July 2025 [5] . In this respect, as the Council has not taken a decision yet on the Commission proposal to partially suspend the application of the Horizon Europe Association Agreement with Israel, the Agreement remains applicable in full . Any Horizon Europe action must comply with ethical principles and respect relevant EU, national and international law [6] . For Israeli entities, specific eligibility criteria related to the place of establishment or activities continue to apply [7] . [1] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=OJ:L_202502653. [2] Furthermore, legal entities that are directly or indirectly controlled by a third country other than Ukraine or an EEA member associated to Horizon Europe (such as Israel), or by legal entities of such a third country, are excluded from participation unless a guarantee is provided that support for the legal entity would not contravene the security and defence interests of the EU and its Member States, as established in the framework of the common foreign and security policy pursuant to Title V of the Treaty on European Union, including respect for the principle of good neighbourly relations. The guarantees must be approved in accordance with the national procedures of the Member State or the EEA member associated to Horizon Europe in which the legal entity is established. [3] For duly justified and exceptional reasons, in order to guarantee the protection of the strategic interests of the EU and its Member States, the work programme may also exclude the participation of legal entities established in the EU or in associated countries directly or indirectly controlled by non-associated third countries or by legal entities of non-associated third countries from individual calls for proposals, or make their participation subject to conditions set out in the work programme. [4] Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the State of Israel, of the other part https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:02000A0621(01)-20130701. [5] COM(2025) 620 final, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52025PC0620. [6] As per Article 19 of the Horizon Europe Regulation. [7] Guidelines on the eligibility of Israeli entities and their activities in the territories occupied by Israel since June 1967 for grants, prizes and financial instruments funded by the EU from 2014 onwards, OJ/C 205/05 of 19.07.2013, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52013XC0719(03).”
  Relations with Israel - Palestine · EU competences on defence
• 2026-06-01 “Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission 1.6.2026 Written question Under the Horizon Europe (HE) [1] legal framework, all funded actions must comply with ethical principles and applicable national, EU and international legislation [2] . At the level of HE implementation, several mechanisms are in place to prevent that EU funds are used for activities that could be unethical, or contrary to international or EU law. Applicants must complete an ethics self-assessment and all proposals considered for funding undergo an ethics review carried out by independent ethics experts [3] . Furthermore, for Israeli entities, specific eligibility criteria related to the place of establishment or activities apply [4] . Article 2(2) of the Agreement associating Israel to HE [5] sets out the principle that Israeli entities participate in the HE programme under terms and conditions equivalent to those applicable to legal entities established in the EU. Any actions of the State of Israel cannot be considered automatically attributable to Israeli entities participating in HE. The HE Agreement is based on the Euro-Mediterranean Association Agreement [6] . In the context of the events in Gaza, the Commission concluded that there are indications that Israel would be in breach of Article 2 of the Euro-Mediterranean Association Agreement. The Commission therefore proposed to the Council a suspension of trade-related provisions of the Association Agreement as well as a partial suspension of the application of the HE Agreement with Israel, so that legal entities established in Israel would not be eligible to participate in calls for grant and investment support under the HE European Innovation Council Accelerator. The Council has not taken a decision yet. The Commission continues to closely monitor the situation. [1] https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-open-calls/horizon-europe_en. [2] Article 19(1) of Regulation (EU) 2021/695 (HE Regulation) explicitly requires that: ‘Actions carried out under the Programme shall comply with ethical principles and relevant Union, national and international law, including the Charter and the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and its Supplementary Protocols’. These obligations are also embedded in the HE Model Grant Agreement, Article 14, and are applicable to all beneficiaries of EU funding under HE, see https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/common/guidance/aga_en.pdf. [3] The HE ethics appraisal scheme ensures a rigorous ethical evaluation. Proposals with serious or complex ethics issues must undergo an ethics assessment and may be made subject to specific ethics requirements which become obligations in the grant agreement as ‘ethics deliverables’. Furthermore, Article 19(3) of the HE Regulation in its first sentence sets out the systematic screening of the ongoing actions regarding the observance of the ethical standards under paragraph 1. Any ethical concerns arising during implementation of a project are taken very seriously and may lead to ethics-related checks or reviews when appropriate. A non-compliance may trigger contractual measures such as reduction of the EU funding or termination of the grant or termination of the participation of the respective beneficiary. [4] https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/044b0978-9f3f-4cdc-b0df-827d94af5c6c/language-en. [5] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:22022A0323(10). [6] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=OJ:L:2000:147:FULL.”
  Relations with Israel - Palestine
• 2026-06-01 “Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission 1.6.2026 Written question The respect for fundamental rights is a founding principle set out in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union. The EU safeguards fundamental rights in research inter alia through the ethics review process that operates within the framework of Horizon Europe (HE) [1] . All projects undergo a rigorous ethics review process, ensuring compliance with ethical standards and respect for human rights. The gender equality provisions of HE are anchored in the legal basis of the programme, which commits to ensuring the effective promotion of equal opportunities for all and the implementation of gender mainstreaming, including the integration of the gender dimension in research and innovation content [2] . The project AEQUITAS [3] has been funded under the topic ‘Tackling gender, race and other biases in AI’ of a HE Cluster 4 call in the 2021-2022 Work Programme [4] . Work programmes and most notably the HE calls are shaped through inclusive consultation with Member States, stakeholders, and experts, and are aligned with the HE general and specific objectives in the basic act and the operational objectives in the Council Decision on the Specific Programme [5] , including gender equality promotion. [1] See Article 19 of Regulation (EU) 2021/695, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A02021R0695-20251224. [2] Article 7(6) Of Regulation (EU) 2021/695. [3] Assessment and engineering of equitable, unbiased, impartial and trustworthy AI systems, https://doi.org/10.3030/101070363. [4] A human-centred and ethical development of digital and industrial technologies 2021 (HORIZON-CL4-2021-HUMAN-01), https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/HORIZON-CL4-2021-HUMAN-01-24. [5] Council Decision (EU) 2021/764 of 10 May 2021, OJ L 167I, 12.5.2021, pp. 1-80, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec/2021/764/oj/eng.”
  Gender roles, equality and inclusion
• 2026-05-29 “Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission 29.5.2026 Written question The Commission recognises the importance of tackling high-burden under-researched medical conditions like Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and depending on the outcome of the negotiations on the next Multi Annual Financial Framework is considering the possibility of including in future work programmes of Horizon Europe (2028-2034) topics like the call topic: ‘Tackling high burden for patients and under-researched medical conditions’ [1] from the Horizon Europe Work Programme 2025. Regarding the current Health Cluster part of the Horizon Europe Work Programme 2026-2027, where topics are generally broad, there is an open call topic that is likely of interest for the ME/CFS research community: ‘Advancing research on the prevention, diagnosis, and management of post-infection long-term conditions’ [2] . The Commission is committed to fund high-quality proposals in all medical fields within the limitation of budget allocations and based on strategic choices made together with Member States and associated countries. Noteworthy, the observed increase in oversubscription across all call topics can in part be attributed to the rise in the use of artificial intelligence in proposal writing. [1] https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/HORIZON-HLTH-2025-01-DISEASE-07. [2] https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/HORIZON-HLTH-2026-01-DISEASE-03.”
  EU competences on health
• 2026-05-29 “Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission 29.5.2026 Written question The Commission promotes and protects fundamental rights by ensuring that all legislative, policy and administrative measures falling under EU competence comply with the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. The gender equality provisions of Horizon Europe are anchored in the legal basis of the programme, which commits to ensuring the effective promotion of equal opportunities for all and the implementation of gender mainstreaming, including the integration of the gender dimension in research and innovation content [1] , [2] . The Gender Equality Plan eligibility criterion is set out in the General Annexes to the Work Programmes of Horizon Europe [3] , established through governance and programme design mechanisms that balance EU-level coordination with national and regional autonomy, ensuring the upholding of the principle of subsidiarity. The gender equality plans are expected to be adapted to the unique institutional contexts of organisations. The mandatory provisions are designed to accommodate the internal governance structures of diverse institutions. By enabling organisations to tailor these plans, they support inclusivity without compromising organisational autonomy. Integrating the gender dimension in research refers to the systematic incorporation of sex and/or gender differentiated analysis into the design, methodology and implementation of a research project [4] . This practice ensures outcomes that benefit the society as a whole, enhancing the relevance and excellence of research. This requirement aims to enrich scientific inquiry without imposing constraints on intellectual creativity and expression, thereby fully respecting and enhancing academic freedom and integrity of scientific inquiry. [1] Article 7(6) of Regulation (EU) 2021/695 establishing Horizon Europe, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2021/695/oj/eng. [2] They are direct applications of the Treaty-based principle of equality mainstreaming, Article 10 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union states: In defining and implementing its policies and activities, the Union shall aim to combat discrimination based on sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=OJ:C:2016:202:FULL. [3] https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-open-calls/horizon-europe/horizon-europe-work-programmes_en. [4] These principles are also reiterated and strengthened in the Roadmap for Women’s Rights, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52025DC0097 and the EU Gender Equality Strategy, https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/1f5fa936-9fba-4435-93f5-32fa220bac82_en?filename=gender-equality-strategy-2026-2030.pdf.”
  Gender roles, equality and inclusion · Governance of academic priorities within the EU
• 2026-05-28 “Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission 28.5.2026 Written question Nuclear activities that contribute to the achievement of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) [1] objectives can be funded under the TFEU where the Euratom Treaty [2] does not lay down exhaustive or specific rules. This is the case for the European Innovation Council (EIC). A s set out in Article 19(1) of the Horizon Europe (HE) Regulation [3] , any action carried out under the HE programme must comply with ethical principles and relevant EU, national and international law, including the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights [4] and the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and its Supplementary Protocols [5] . Export control of dual use items in the EU [6] is based on a common list of dual-use items [7] that must be controlled in all Member States [8] . From the description of the AUTOFLY project coordinated by Sightec, there is no mention of nuclear materials or technologies being involved. Article 48(2) of the HE Regulation, as recently amended [9] , sets out the eligibility conditions and restrictions under the EIC Accelerator that apply for support for innovation in critical defence technologies and may be applied for support for applications with potential dual-use. Sightec applied successfully for EIC blended finance support in 2021 and received the grant support but was rejected for the equity investment [10] , so there is no ongoing investment in the company. Regarding the statement by Sightec’s CEO pointing to dual use, it should be noted that the HE legal base, at the time, specified that activities supported had to be exclusively civilian [11] . In addition, the European Defence Fund (EDF) has strict eligibility conditions for participation [12] . Israel is not associated to the EDF and it is therefore excluded from participation. [1] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX%3A12012E%2FTXT . [2] https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/resources/publications/euratom-treaty/. [3] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:02021R0695-20251224. [4] https://fra.europa.eu/en/eu-charter. [5] https://www.echr.coe.int/documents/d/echr/Convention_ENG. [6] Dual-Use Regulation 2021/821. [7] ‘EU control list’. [8] Any action that would not respect non-proliferation would be in clear violation of the above and appropriate measures would be taken. [9] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=OJ:L_202502653. [10] I n line with the EIC Fund’s investment guidelines. [11] This does not exclude that subsequent developments of the technologies could have dual use. [12] As a general rule, participating entities must be established in the EU or an associated third country (currently Norway and soon Ukraine), have their executive management structures in the EU or an associated third country, and not be controlled by a non-associated third country.”
  EU competences on foreign affairs · EU competences on defence
• 2026-05-12 “Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission 12.5.2026 Written question The Commission announced [1] [2] ,that the study on ‘ultra-processed foods’ will rely on the opinions of the Scientific Advice Mechanism (comprising the Group of Chief Scientific Advisors (GCSA) [3] ) and the European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies (EGE) [4] . The advisory process typically spans one year from the receipt of an official request for advice. GCSA and EGE Opinions rely on scientific literature reviews, expert hearings and workshops. They are supported by the Horizon Europe-funded Science Advice for Policy by European Academies (SAPEA) [5] and Support for the Activities of the European Group on Ethics by European Academia and Ethics Bodies (SAEGE) [6] projects, respectively, that supply evidence review reports (ERRs) and independent expert panels. SAPEA’s reports undergo double-blind peer review, while GCSA drafts are scrutinised by experts, the Commission, and external stakeholders. Declarations of interest are available on the Register of Commission expert groups (GCSA and EGE), or the Scientific Advice Mechanism to the European Commission (SAM) website [7] (SAPEA working groups) post-ERR publication, to prevent lobbying. All meetings remain closed to prevent undue influence. [1] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52025DC0525&qid=1762330863739. [2] https://health.ec.europa.eu/publications/communication-eu-cardiovascular-health-plan-safe-hearts-plan_en. [3] https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/knowledge-publications-tools-and-data/publications/all-publications/commission-decision-setting-high-level-group-scientific-advisors_en. [4] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32024D1997. [5] https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101198044. [6] https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101256865. [7] https://scientificadvice.eu.”
  Nutrition
• 2026-04-07 “Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission 7.4.2026 Written question The EU is not a member of the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) [1] and not part of the CERN governance. The Commission can only comment on EU funds under its remit such as from Horizon Europe [2] , with competitive open calls for proposals e.g. for research activities, technology development, and knowledge valorisation. The selection process involves independent experts and is based on pre-defined and transparent criteria (excellence, impact and implementation). The implementation is controlled through reporting, monitoring, and auditing, with specific procedures depending on the fund used for a specific call. As such, CERN has applied and been awarded funding for projects under different parts of the Horizon Europe Programme, including European Research Council grants, Marie-Sklodowska-Curie fellowships, Pillar 2 collaborative projects and research infrastructures. This is carried out in full transparency and all the information on the projects and awarded funding can be freely accessed in the Horizon Europe dashboard. The Commission is accountable for the EU funding and ensures that the procedures for allocating and monitoring this funding follow the highest standards of excellence including transparency. EU funding for research infrastructures opens national facilities to researchers from all over Europe through support to transnational access and supports technology development needed by European facilities to remain state-of-the-art. The importance of complementary EU funding of research infrastructures was highlighted in the Letta [3] , Draghi [4] and Heitor reports [5] of 2024, and the Commission’s 2025 proposal for Horizon Europe under the EU’s next Multiannual Financial Framework [6] includes an ambitious support to research infrastructures. [1] An intergovernmental organisation essentially funded by its members. Currently, 25 countries, including 20 EU Member States, are members of CERN. [2] Regulation (EU) 2021/695 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2021/695/oj/eng. [3] https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/ny3j24sm/much-more-than-a-market-report-by-enrico-letta.pdf. [4] https://commission.europa.eu/topics/competitiveness/draghi-report_en. [5] https://op.europa.eu/publication-detail/-/publication/2f9fc221-86bb-11ef-a67d-01aa75ed71a1. [6] https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/news/all-research-and-innovation-news/horizon-europe-2028-2034-twice-bigger-simpler-faster-and-more-impactful-2025-07-16_en.”
  Accounting and auditing of EU budget · EU research funding
• 2026-03-27 “E-000409/2026 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission All proposals selected for funding in the 2025 European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant call underwent peer review in accordance with the ERC’s established procedures and were selected solely on the criterion of scientific excellence, in line with Article 28(2) of the Horizon Europe Regulation 1 . In addition, each project selected for funding by the ERC under Horizon Europe undergoes an ethics review procedure. This ensures that all research activities included in the proposal conform to ethical standards and relevant national, EU, and international laws, including the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and the European Convention on Human Rights and its Supplementary Protocols. The ethics review focuses on the research proposed by the applicant. The proposal in question has successfully obtained ethical clearance. For more information on how the ethics review process takes place, please see the relevant Information for Applicants 2 and Annex A of the ERC Rules of submission and evaluation under Horizon Europe 3 . During the preparation of the corresponding grant agreement, the ERC Executive Agency (ERCEA) received allegations concerning certain public statements attributed to the person mentioned in the subject of the written question. The grant agreement has not been signed yet. The ERCEA and the Commission are presently assessing these allegations, including the relevant facts and their possible implications for the grant’s implementation, applying due process and proportionality. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32021R0695. 2 https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/guidance/information-forapplicants_he-erc-stg-cog_en.pdf. 3 https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/guidance/erc-rules-forsubmission-and-evaluation_he-erc_en.pdf.”
  Recruitment policies in the EU
• 2026-03-27 “Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission 27.3.2026 Written question The conditions to participate in and receive funding under Horizon Europe (HE) are set out in the regulation establishing HE [1] including in its Article 19(1), namely that the actions carried out must comply with ethical principles and relevant EU, national and international law, including the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights [2] and the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and its Supplementary Protocols [3] . Any legal entity applying for funding under HE, either on its own or as part of a consortium, must comply and continue to comply with the eligibility criteria and other call conditions for the duration of the action. Furthermore, the legal entity must declare not to be in any of the exclusion situations set out in Article 138 of the Financial Regulation [4] . When becoming a beneficiary, the legal entity must respect all the obligations set out in the HE grant agreement [5] . In case an exclusion situation or non-compliance is established, the responsible authorising officer has the right to take appropriate measures, which may include termination of participation. Pursuant to Article 2(2) of the Association Agreement to HE [6] , Israeli entities participate in the programme under terms and conditions equivalent to those applicable to legal entities established in the EU. Accordingly, any termination of the participation of Israeli grant beneficiaries on the sole grounds of their nationality would amount to discrimination. Under the HE grant agreement, the EU granting authority has the right to take appropriate measures in case of an improper implementation which may include the termination of the grant or a reduction of the grant amount [7] . [1] http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2021/695/oj. [2] https://fra.europa.eu/en/eu-charter. [3] https://www.echr.coe.int/documents/d/echr/Convention_ENG. [4] https://commission.europa.eu/publications/eu-financial-regulation_en. [5] Horizon Europe model grant agreement — https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/common/agr-contr/general-mga_horizon-euratom_en.pdf. [6] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/agree_internation/2022/323(10)/oj. [7] The same principles apply also to the grant agreements awarded under the international dimension of the Erasmus+ programme.”
  Jewish culture and antisemitism · Relations with Israel - Palestine
• 2026-03-26 “E-000382/2026 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission The Commission and EU Agencies 1 support and monitor scientific progress on microplastics to aid EU legislation. Microplastic pollution is assessed in reports by the Joint Research Centre and the EEA 2 . The European research cluster to understand the health impacts of micro- and nanoplastics (CUSP) 3 is a EU-funded research initiative 4 , to advance the development, and harmonisation of materials and analytical methods. CUSP has produced 200+ publications 5 , including on addressing methodological challenges 6 . The CUSP Research Roadmap 7 summarises findings and highlights major challenges ahead. At the Parliament's request, EFSA will provide a scientific opinion on potential health risks from microplastics, and on analytical methods 8 . The Commission and scientific community recognise the limitations of current methodologies for detecting microplastics, especially for smaller particles, and advise caution in reporting findings. However, humans ingest and inhale microplastics, and small particle accumulation in human tissues remains a concern. The 2023 Regulation on the registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals (REACH) 9 restriction on microplastics is based on an assessment by ECHA, that concluded there is an environmental risk from microplastic emissions. This conclusion is not challenged by studies referring to effects on human health. The Plastic Pellet Losses Regulation 10 states that any harm to human health is considered ‘potential’, with precautionary measures taken based on the opinion 11 of the Group of Chief Scientific Advisors. In 2025 the Commission launched a new EUR 40 million 1 European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), European Food and Safety Agency (EFSA), European Environment Agency (EEA). 2 Key messages from EEA-JRC report 13/2024:‘Microplastics are a major emerging pollutant of concern as the chemical compounds within them can pose a threat to human health. While much data is available on the presence of microplastics in the environment, knowledge on the health impacts of microplastics is currently lacking. The Commission initiated regulatory actions, such as a restriction of non-degradable and non-soluble (semi-)synthetic polymer microparticles and of products that contain them. While a number of research projects are ongoing, significant data gaps remain regarding microplastic sources, exposure pathways and levels of concern for humans and the environment’. Full report: https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/analysis/publications/zeropollution-monitoring-and-outlook-report. 3 https://cusp-research.eu/. 4 CUSP received a funding of EUR 30 million and consists of 5 projects connecting 70+ organisations from 22 countries. 5 https://zenodo.org/communities/cusp-research/records?q=&l=list&p=1&s=10&sort=newest. 6 https://zenodo.org/records/17038462. 7 https://zenodo.org/records/17467125. 8 https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/news/microplastics-european-parliament-requests-scientific-advice-efsa. 9 Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006; https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legalcontent/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A02006R1907-20140410. 10 Regulation (EU) 2025/2365; https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2025/2365/oj/eng. 11 https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/knowledge-publications-tools-and-data/publications/allpublications/environmental-and-health-risks-microplastic-pollution_en.”
  EU policy towards plastics · Microplastics
• 2026-03-25 “Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission 25.3.2026 Written question The Commission implements a robust evaluation process for Horizon Europe designed to ensure equal treatment, fairness, transparency, and impartiality. Proposals are assessed by external independent experts who collaborate to reach a consensus, which helps mitigate individual biases. In two-stage calls, first-stage proposals are evaluated blindly where possible, providing an additional safeguard against bias . Evaluator panels reflect geographical diversity, including representatives from widening countries. An independent study [1] concluded that the evaluation system in Horizon Europe is broadly fair. The Commission is committed to continuous improvement, focusing on maintaining the same high quality in the process, with particular attention to the inclusion of w idening countries. The European Research Council (ERC) uses scientific excellence as the sole award criterion for assessing proposals. In 2024, the ERC [2] introduced further reforms to reduce bias and to ensure that the excellence of the research project carries more weight than the applicant’s track record. The new Horizon Europe proposal [3] strives to align European, national, and regional priorities, to strengthen research and innovation ecosystems by creating close links with the European Competitiveness Fund proposal [4] and coordinated investments through the proposed new National and Regional Partnership Plans (NRPPs) [5] . Having a simplified framework for nationally pre-allocated envelopes within the NRPPs will allow in that respect to better exploit synergies with other instruments of the EU budget, including the European Competitiveness Fund and Horizon Europe [6] . [1] https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/f54dbfed-7743-11ec-9136-01aa75ed71a1/language-en. [2] See Article 28 (2) of the Horizon Europe Regulation, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32021R0695. [3] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52025PC0543. [4] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52025PC0555. [5] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52025PC0558. [6] Member States also have the possibility to transfer funds from shared management funds, e.g. European Social Fund Plus or European Regional Development Fund to Horizon Europe to support excellent proposals which would otherwise have received a seal of excellence. This can help strengthen participation in Horizon Europe by beneficiaries from regions/Member States that have traditionally had a low participation and success rate; boost projects in areas identified as priorities through smart specialisation; and help preserve administrative capacity at national/regional level in the selection and follow up of research and innovation projects. The Commission currently implements such transfers from Malta, Lithuania and Germany (Brandenburg).”
  EU research funding · EU-level coordination of research agendas
• 2026-02-11 “E-004731/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission Member States are responsible for organisation and delivery of medical care 1 , including detection, diagnosis and treatment of diseases. The Commission supports Member States in reducing the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) 2 , including conditions such as endometriosis, through the ‘Healthier Together’ EU NCD initiative 3 with the financial support of the EU4Health programme 4 . Together with the Expert Group on Public Health 5 , the Commission also supports the exchange of best practices among Member States via the EU Best Practice Portal on Public Health 6 . Over EUR 2 billion have been invested in research and innovation projects related to women’s health through the EU’s research and innovation framework programmes, Horizon 2020 7 and Horizon Europe 8 . This includes 15 research projects on endometriosis worth EUR 47 million. The current R&I framework programme ‘Horizon Europe’ offers a variety of funding opportunities, including broadly defined calls under the ‘Health’ Cluster 9 . More information about opened and upcoming funding opportunities for research on gynaecological diseases, including endometriosis, can be found on the EU Funding and Tenders Portal 10 . The EU is at the forefront of supporting research and innovation with the aim to improve and protect the health and well-being of citizens by developing innovative solutions to prevent, diagnose, treat and cure diseases. For instance, the project MultiMENDo 11 looks for diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers, as well as new therapeutic approaches for endometriosis using menstrual fluid. The projects EUmetriosis 12 develops an integrated approach to enhance understanding, diagnosis, tailored management of endometriosis and empowerment of patients with this disease. 1 As per Article 168 (7) TFEU https://eurlex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:12008E168:EN:HTML. 2 https://ec.europa.eu/health/non_communicable_diseases/overview_en. 3 https://health.ec.europa.eu/publications/eu-non-communicable-diseases-ncds-initiative-guidance-document_en. 4 https://health.ec.europa.eu/funding/eu4health-programme-2021-2027-vision-healthier-european-union_en. 5 https://health.ec.europa.eu/non-communicable-diseases/expert-group-public-health_en. 6 https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/dyna/bp-portal/. 7 https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-opencalls/horizon-2020_en. 8 https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-opencalls/horizon-europe_en. 9 https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-opencalls/horizon-europe/cluster-1-health_en. 10 https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/home. 11 https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101078556. 12 https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101157146.”
  Pharmaceuticals regulation in EU · EU competences on health
• 2026-02-03 “E-004355/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission The partial suspension of Israeli’s association to Horizon Europe 1 that the Commission has proposed to the Council 2 appears as an appropriate measure in application of Article 79(2) of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement 3 in view of Israel’s breach of Article 2 of this Agreement. The proposed partial suspension specifically concerns the eligibility of entities established in Israel to participate in calls for grant and investment support under the Accelerator of the European Innovation Council (EIC). The latter supports single eligible entities (small and medium-sized enterprises and exceptionally small mid-caps) with a focus on breakthrough and emerging technologies 4 . The proposed partial suspension is subject to a decision of the Council and in the absence thereof the Commission must continue to treat Israeli applicants as eligible to participate in such calls in accordance with the Horizon Europe Association Agreement. According to Article 19(1) of the Horizon Europe Regulation 5 any actions carried out under Horizon Europe must comply with ethical principles and relevant Union, national and international law 6 . The guidelines on the eligibility of Israeli entities and their activities in the territories occupied by Israel since June 1967 for grants, prizes and financial instruments funded by the EU from 2014 7 , continue to apply to all Horizon Europe projects. The Commission will continue to use the possibilities and instruments at its disposal, both at proposal and project implementation level, to ensure respect of the Horizon Europe legal framework and will take appropriate action in case non-compliance would be established. 1 Agreement between the European Union, of the one part, and Israel, of the other part, on the participation of Israel in the Union programme Horizon Europe – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:22022A0323(10)&qid=1764159710053. 2 COM(2025) 620 final. 3 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=OJ:L:2000:147:FULL. 4 This would imply that legal entities established in Israel would no longer be eligible to participate in calls for grant and investment support under the Horizon Europe EIC Accelerator from the date of effect of the suspension. 5 Regulation (EU) 2021/695 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 April 2021 establishing Horizon Europe – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, laying down its rules for participation and dissemination, and repealing Regulations (EU) No 1290/2013, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legalcontent/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32021R0695. 6 Including the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and its Supplementary Protocols. 7 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2013:205:0009:0011:EN:PDF.”
  Relations with Israel - Palestine
• 2026-01-15 “E-004547/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission The Commission is aware of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announcement to discontinue foreign subawards 1 . This is expected to have an impact on the participation of EU based organisations in future NIH calls. However, the NIH continues to support international collaboration and fund EU based organisations through direct awards 2 . Horizon Europe funding under Cluster 1 ‘Health 3 is awarded through competitive calls, therefore no specific ad hoc mechanism is foreseen to compensate EU research teams for the loss of NIH’s funding. It is in the EU’s strategic interest to cooperate with countries beyond the EU, particularly for multilateral cooperation on (global) health issues, such as International Rare Diseases Research Consortium (IRDiRC) 4 , Global Research Collaboration for Infectious Disease Preparedness (GloPID-R) 5 and Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases (GACD) 6 . When there is a reciprocal interest, this applies also to United States based entities, who can participate in projects with EU beneficiaries and are eligible for exceptional funding in Horizon Europe Cluster 1 work programmes under a commitment, dating from 2008 7 . In line with the EU’s global approach to research and innovation, participation in Horizon Europe projects is not only open to the 21 countries associated to it, but also to participation (albeit on different terms) by entities from other countries and regions worldwide. This includes Cluster 1. Regarding biodata resources, Horizon Europe is funding the secretariat of the Global Biodata Coalition (GBC 2023-2026, Grant 101260366). 1 https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-25-104.html. 2 https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-25-155.html. 3 https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-opencalls/horizon-europe/cluster-1-health_en. 4 https://irdirc.org/. 5 https://www.glopid-r.org/. 6 https://www.gacd.org/. 7 https://www.science.org/cms/asset/e17dfe9b-e6e4-45bf-9740-e2125650e4b4/pap.pdf.”
  Strategic Screening in International Research Cooperation · EU research funding
• 2025-12-22 “E-004125/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission Funding under Horizon Europe (HE) is allocated on a competitive basis to consortia of entities from at least three different countries, of which at least one entity from an EU Member State, and two entities from EU Member States or countries associated to HE. The openness of HE to international cooperation provides mutual benefit for EU and the third countries participating in it. The figure referenced in the Daily Sabah most likely refers to the overall funds available under HE under 2025-2027 to topics relevant to the automotive industry. Turkish entities have so far in the programme received approximately EUR 320 million EU contributions under HE (around EUR 90 million under Cluster 5 ‘Climate, Energy and Mobility’, and EUR 67.68 million under Cluster 4, ‘Digital, Industry and Space’). Most importantly Türkiye, like all other countries associated to HE, pay for the participation of their entities in the programme. HE contains safeguards to protect the EU’s interests. The Commission may take actions to protect the EU’s strategic assets, interests, autonomy or security, including limiting cooperation with non-EU countries 1 . In addition, where justified and provided for in the grant agreement, the Commission or the relevant funding body may object to the transfer of ownership if the transfer or licensing of these results is not in line with the EU’s interests 2 . The Commission’s proposal for the Framework Programme 10, complemented by the proposal for the European Competitiveness Fund 3 , provides the legal means to ensure that appropriate measures can be taken to safeguard economic and research security considerations. This will offer support for the entire investment journey of European projects, from conception to scale-up and market uptake. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32021R0695. 2 Ibid. 3 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:52025PC0555.”
  Trade relations with Turkey
• 2025-12-12 “E-003892/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission As confirmed in the answer to Written Question E-001930/2024, any research and innovation activities carried out under Horizon Europe must have an exclusive focus on civil applications 1 . This means that, while the activities may involve dual-use related technologies or products 2 , the focus of the activities must be exclusively civil. On this basis, the Commission does not consider that funding research and innovation activities with a dual-use potential, when the exclusive focus is on civil applications in line with Article 7(1) of the Horizon Europe Regulation, constitutes a violation thereof. The Commission proposal 3 to partially suspend the application of the Agreement on the Association of Israel to Horizon Europe 4 with regard to calls for grant and investment support under the Accelerator part of the European Innovation Council (EIC) should not be interpreted in any way as implying that any activities funded by Horizon Europe may have departed from the principle of an exclusive civil focus. The reasons for the Commission proposal were different and described in the proposal and its explanatory memorandum. 1 Article 7(1) Horizon Europe Regulation http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2021/695/2024-03-01. 2 https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/guidance/guidance-noteresearch-focusing-exclusively-on-civil-applications_he_en.pdf. 3 COM(2025) 620 final https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52025PC0620. 4 Agreement between the European Union, of the one part, and Israel, of the other part, on the participation of Israel in the Union programme Horizon Europe – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation http://data.europa.eu/eli/agree_internation/2022/323(10)/oj.”
  EU competences on defence · Transparency requirements of EU institutions
• 2025-12-10 “E-004131/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission We refer the honourable member to the answer to Parliamentary Question E-002369/2025, detailing the Commission's risk management measures, eligibility criteria, and security checks to support gain-of-function research on influenza.”
  EU competences on health · Vaccination
• 2025-12-10 “E-004308/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission This project 1 is funded by a European Research Council (ERC) grant through Horizon Europe 2 , a programme ensuring Europe produces world-class scientific results. Since 2007, the ERC has funded over 17,000 projects and over 14,000 researchers 3 in various fields, leading to more than 2,400 patents and 220,000 articles in scientific journals. It is worth mentioning that ERC grantees have earned 15 Nobel Prizes, 7 Fields Medals, 12 Wolf Prizes, and other prestigious awards. Selected by independent scholars through rigorous evaluation procedure based on scientific excellence, the project explores human rights aspects in abortion law debates. It analyses how human rights arguments gain traction through legal, social, and linguistic processes, contributing to academic debate on human rights interpretation and implementation across cultural and regional contexts. The project focuses on specific countries in Africa (Mozambique, Senegal), Europe (Poland, Ireland) and Latin America (Argentina, and Honduras) and involves advocacy groups, policymakers, and legal experts, targeting scholarly circles while addressing civil society and stakeholders. The principle of subsidiarity is respected insofar as this project is funded under the Horizon Europe programme, whose main objective is to maximise the Union added value and impact in research and innovation, while focusing on objectives and activities that cannot be efficiently realised by the Member States acting alone. This may take the form of funding academic research and debate, which differs essentially from adopting legislation or shaping policies. All ERC-funded projects are closely monitored to ensure progress and compliance with relevant EU legislation and ethical principles 4 . 1 For an overview of the project’s results, please consult https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101044421. 2 Horizon Europe is the 9th Framework programme for Research and Innovation: https://commission.europa.eu/funding-tenders/find-funding/eu-funding-programmes/horizon-europe_en. 3 Principal Investigators. 4 This includes the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, and the European Convention on Human Rights and its Supplementary Protocols.”
  Abortion policy · Sexuality and reproduction · EU competences on human rights
• 2025-12-10 “E-004265/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission As spelled out in its Article 1(3), the proposed Regulation establishing Horizon Europe 20282034 1 does not apply to the Specific Programme on defence research. The activities of the latter and rules on association are laid down in the proposed Regulation establishing the European Competitiveness Fund (ECF) 2 . Under the future Horizon Europe Programme, only the European Innovation Council could support innovation in critical technologies with focus on defence applications. For such activities, entities established in third countries would be eligible for funding provided that their country is associated with the ECF for defence activities. International cooperation would remain a cornerstone of the EU’s research and innovation policy, reflecting the EU’s commitment to promote cooperation with third countries and international organisations in this field, as mandated by the Treaties 3 . Carefully designed research security provisions would apply where justified. 1 Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and 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, COM(2025) 543 final, 16.07.2025. 2 Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and the Council on establishing the European Competitiveness Fund (ECF), including the specific programme for defence research and innovation activities, repealing Regulations (EU) 2021/522, (EU) 2021/694, (EU) 2021/697, (EU) 2021/783, repealing provisions of Regulations (EU) 2021/696, (EU) 2023/588, and amending Regulation (EU) [EDIP], COM(2025) 555 final, 16.07.2025. 3 See Article 180, point (b) in conjunction with Article 186 of the Treaty on the functioning of the EU.”
  EU competences on defence · EU policy on screening foreign investment in strategic sectors and critical infrastructure
• 2025-12-08 “P-003992/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) is an independent EU body which has a Governing Board (GB) providing strategic guidance. The EIT sets out the rights and obligations of the EIT Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs) by means of partnership and grant agreements. It supervises the KICs through quality control, monitoring and evaluations 1 , while leaving them room to design their actions in a bottom-up way. The KICs integrate the knowledge triangle connecting education, research and business. Entrepreneurial education and skills development are critical drivers of innovation, and a catalyst for key industrial sectors, and EU policies, to which the KICs are fully aligned: energy, climate, digital, raw materials, manufacturing, urban mobility, food, health, culture and creativity and water, marine and maritime. The Commission designs and implements Horizon Europe collegially, in full alignment with all EU priorities. The Commission keeps the EIT closely aligned with EU policy developments so that the KICs contribute to EU priorities, such as the Union of Skills 2 , the Startup and Scaleup Strategy 3 , the Industrial Alliances 4 and the New European Bauhaus 5 . The Commission supports the KICs to set up Policy Advisory Boards which provide a feedback loop with Commission services. The mid-term evaluation of Horizon Europe has assessed the KICs’ performance positively 6 . In line with the EIT Regulation 7 , the EIT GB has submitted its contribution on the Strategic Innovation Agenda 8 . The Commission will take it into account for the review of the Commission’s proposal of the EIT legal framework, due by 31 December 2026 9 . It is in this context that the Commission will reassess the provisions concerning the KICs. It is a prerogative of the Commission to decide upon its internal organisation in order to 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32021R0819, Article 6(c). 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX%3A52025DC0090. 3 https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/document/download/2f76a0df-b09b-47c2-949c800c30e4c530_en. 4 https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/industry/industrial-alliances_en. 5 https://new-european-bauhaus.europa.eu/index_en. 6 https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/strategy/support-policy-making/shaping-eu-research-andinnovation-policy/evaluation-impact-assessment-and-monitoring/horizon-europe-programme-analysis_en, see especially the leverage effect of KICs. 7 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32021R0819, Article 4(4) of the EIT Regulation. 8 https://www.eit.europa.eu/sites/default/files/202507/EIT%20Strategic%20Vision%20%28with%20annexes%29%20July%202025%201.pdf. 9 Article 26 ‘Review’, EIT Regulation: ‘By 31 December 2026, the Commission shall, on the basis of the results of the evaluations referred to in Article 20(2) and (3), submit, where appropriate, any proposals for amendments to this Regulation which it considers to be necessary, in particular in relation to the EIT’s mission and objectives set out in Article 3 and with a view to extending the EIT’s budget beyond the period specified in Articles 3 and 21 in accordance with the relevant Union framework programme for research and innovation’.”
  Research priorities within the EU · Governance of academic priorities within the EU
• 2025-11-28 “E-004156/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission 1. The Strategy for European Life Sciences (LSS) was announced by the Commission President in her political guidelines for the term 2024-2029 1 . The LSS is an umbrella strategy, which announces a number of actions and initiatives that will be rolled out over the coming months and years 2 in order to deliver on the aims of the LSS and strengthen the position of the EU on the global scene for life sciences. The LSS is therefore also pointing to efforts that will be delivered through other means than the LSS itself, to provide a comprehensive picture of initiatives relevant to life sciences without duplicating efforts while increasing coherence and coordination. 2. To develop the LSS, the Commission capitalised on available information, including reports (such as the Draghi report 3 ) and studies (e.g. those underpinning the interim evaluation of Horizon Europe 4 ). A dedicated public call for evidence 5 also sought the views of stakeholders and the general public regarding challenges and opportunities for life sciences, to speed up the safe development, deployment and uptake of life sciences-based innovation. The feedback received confirmed the need for innovation-responsive regulation, as well as for unlocking and better mobilising public and private investments. 1 https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/e6cd4328-673c-4e7a-8683-f63ffb2cf648_en. 2 See the actions summary table in the Communication ‘Choose Europe for life sciences’ (COM(2025) 525 final): https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52025DC0525. 3 https://commission.europa.eu/topics/eu-competitiveness/draghi-report_en. 4 https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/strategy/support-policy-making/shaping-eu-research-andinnovation-policy/evaluation-impact-assessment-and-monitoring/horizon-europe-programme-analysis_en. 5 https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/14592-EU-Life-sciences-strategy_en.”
  Pharmaceuticals regulation in EU · Pharma IPRs
• 2025-11-06 “E-003626/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission The Commission recognises the need to support research on Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), and the Health Cluster Work Programme of Horizon Europe 1 has recently offered funding opportunities 2 . The Commission also supports the new European partnership for Brain Health 3 , which is expected to start in January 2026, and which should also cater to the needs of researchers in the ME/CFS area. Horizon Europe will continue to provide funding opportunities 4 for further research on ME/CFS. The European Health Data Space 5 , which aims to improve health data exchange across the EU and access to those data for research could eventually provide a framework for harmonising data of different disorders, including ME/CFS. Regarding assisting Member States in integrating ME/CFS education into the curricula of medical higher education institutions, the Commission emphasises the importance of quality assurance in education, which aligns with the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG). These standards serve as a robust framework for ensuring that curricula and postgraduate training programs meet high quality benchmarks. While the Commission fully respects academic freedom and institutional autonomy and therefore does not direct or prescribe the content of curricula, it actively encourages Member States and educational institutions to incorporate the ESG into their education systems. The Commission consistently refers to ESG across educational initiatives, reinforcing the principles adopted at the European Higher Education Area Ministerial Conference in 2015 6 , which have now become the standard for educational quality assurance throughout Europe. 1 https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-opencalls/horizon-europe_en. 2 Opportunities include a 2025 call topic ‘Tackling high-burden for patients, under-researched medical conditions’ (https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/HORIZON-HLTH2025-01-DISEASE-07), and a similar one in 2024 (https://ec.europa.eu/info/fundingtenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/horizon-hlth-2024-disease-03-14-two-stage). In 2023, projects funded under the topic ‘Relationship between infections and non-communicable diseases’ (https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/HORIZON-HLTH2023-DISEASE-03-07) include one also studying ME/CFS (https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101136582) and another studying diseases caused by the post-acute phase of COVID-19 infection (https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101137196), where the knowledge gained will also benefit the field of ME/CFS. 3 https://www.brainhealth-partnership.eu/. 4 https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/home. 5 https://health.ec.europa.eu/ehealth-digital-health-and-care/european-health-data-space-regulation-ehds_en. 6 https://ehea.info/page-ministerial-conference-yerevan-2015.”
  EU competences on health · Processing of health data
• 2025-10-27 “E-003406/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission The Commission is developing the EU Digital Twin of the Ocean (DTO) 1 . It is a is a key element of the EU Mission 'Restore our Oceans and Waters' 2 and aims to provide decision support tools and transform ocean knowledge into actionable solutions for sustainability and resilience. Currently, the DTO's annual energy consumption is about 60 megawatt-hours (MWh), equivalent to the heating energy of approximately 10 houses. Of this, 20 MWh is sourced entirely from green energy, while the remaining 40 MWh draws from the French grid, which relies minimally on fossil fuels 3 . Additionally, waste heat from computing is repurposed for heating, resulting in negligible CO2 emissions from the DTO. Although energy use is expected to rise as the initiative expands, the DTO adheres to an open science principle that enhances energy efficiency by centralising resources and sharing computing results, preventing redundant data storage and calculations. The DTO holds immense potential for significant energy savings across various sectors. The World Meteorological Organization estimated that improved ocean observations and weather forecasts save the maritime industry EUR 1.5 billion annually in fuel costs, avoiding circa 8 million tons of CO2 emissions. This is achieved by optimising shipping routes according to ocean currents, wind patterns and wave heights. With the enhanced forecasting capabilities of the DTO, such savings are expected to grow. To develop the DTO's core infrastructure EDITO 4 the Commission partnered with Mercator Ocean International and the Flanders Marine Institute, who manage the Copernicus Marine Service 5 and European Marine Observation and Data Network programmes 6 . They employ a fully open and co-design approach, engaging with about 100 EU collaborative projects and interested stakeholders through Digital Ocean Fora. 1 https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-opencalls/horizon-europe/eu-missions-horizon-europe/restore-our-ocean-and-waters/european-digital-twin-oceaneuropean-dto_en. 2 https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-opencalls/horizon-europe/eu-missions-horizon-europe/restore-our-ocean-and-waters_en. 3 (6-7% in 2023). 4 EUropean DIgital Twin Ocean phase 2 https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101227771. 5 https://marine.copernicus.eu. 6 https://emodnet.ec.europa.eu.”
  Energy efficiency · EU ocean policy
• 2025-10-27 “E-003467/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission While research related to dual-use products or technologies is not prohibited, any research and innovation activities carried out under Horizon Europe must have an exclusive focus on civil applications. Consequently, funds to beneficiaries based in Israel were only awarded for research activities with civilian purposes. Activities intended for military applications are ineligible 1 . However, Horizon Europe projects’ results 2 may be developed into technologies with a dual-use potential, even if they were originally intended and funded for purely civil applications. This transition could happen beyond the lifetime of the project itself. Article 2(2) of the Agreement on the association of Israel to Horizon Europe 3 sets out the principle that Israeli entities participate in the Horizon Europe programme under terms and conditions equivalent to those applicable to legal entities established in the EU. While any actions of the State of Israel cannot be considered automatically attributable to Israeli entities participating in Horizon Europe, Israel needs to comply with Article 2 of the EuroMediterranean Agreement 4 . In the context of Israel’s intervention in the Gaza Strip and the ensuing humanitarian catastrophe, the Commission has come to the conclusion that Israel is violating human rights and humanitarian law thus breaching Article 2 of the EuroMediterranean Agreement. Therefore, it has proposed to the Council to partially suspend the Horizon Europe Association Agreement with Israel so that legal entities established in Israel would not be eligible to participate in calls for grant and investment support under the Horizon Europe European Innovation Council Accelerator. Furthermore, in her State of the Union Speech on 10 September 2025, the Commission President announced a further package of measures. The XTEND project funded a commercial and financial viability study only, no grant was deployed to develop any technology 5 . The project UnderSec cited above 6 is currently under ethical review. 1 In line with the grant agreement, when implementing the projects all beneficiaries must ensure that all the activities under the project comply with this horizontal rule as well as with ethical principles and relevant national, EU and international legislation. 2 Once the project is over. 3 Agreement between the EU, of the one part, and Israel, of the other part, on the participation of Israel in the EU programme Horizon Europe — the framework Programme for Research and Innovation, OJ L 95, 23/03/2022. 4 ‘Relations between the Parties, as well as all the provisions of the Agreement itself, shall be based on respect for human rights and democratic principles, which guides their internal and international policy and constitutes an essential element of this Agreement.’ 5 At the time of submission, the applicant self-declared the proposal did not involve dual-use items and confirmed it did not raise concerns regarding the exclusive focus on civil applications. During the evaluation process, the company underwent an ethics pre-screening which did not reveal any issues. No other ethics issues were detected during the feasibility study report preparation. Furthermore, by signing the grant agreement, the company assumed a legal obligation to ensure that the activities carried out under the action were exclusively focused on civil applications. Beyond the grant for the feasibility study, which implementation was completed in 2020, no investment component or other funding was provided to the company nor by the SME (small and medium-sized enterprises) Instrument neither by the European Innovation Council Accelerator. 6 Sensor-based prototype system for underwater security: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101121288.”
  Disarmament and non-proliferation of weapons · Relations with Israel - Palestine
• 2025-10-23 “E-003220/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission While research related to dual-use products or technologies is not prohibited, any research and innovation activities carried out under Horizon Europe (HE) must have an exclusive focus on civil applications. When implementing the projects, all beneficiaries must ensure that all activities under the project comply with this rule as well as with ethical principles and relevant national, EU and international legislation. HE projects’ results 1 may be developed into technologies with a dual-use potential, even if they were originally intended and funded for purely civil applications. This transition could happen beyond the lifetime of the project itself. At project level, several safeguards have been established under HE to ensure that EU funds are not used for activities that violate international law. In line with Article 19 of the HE Regulation, pertaining to ethics, the proposals to be funded are evaluated by external independent experts and are subject to a self-assessment and a systematic ethics screening, which may result in rejection or in specific additional ethics-related obligations in the HE grant agreement. During the lifetime of a selected project, the continued compliance with the grant agreement is monitored by the Commission and its Agencies in charge of implementing HE. Ethicsrelated checks or reviews may be initiated at any time, if ethical concerns arise. Noncompliance may lead to any of the measures provided for in the grant agreement, including termination of the project. The Commission and its Agencies would review all reported cases which allegedly breach HE rules. So far it has not been established that any activities under current projects involving Israeli entities breached the principle of exclusive focus on civil applications. Article 2(2) of the Agreement on the association of Israel to Horizon Europe 2 sets out the principle that Israeli entities participate in the Horizon Europe programme under terms and conditions equivalent to those applicable to legal entities established in the EU. While any actions of the State of Israel cannot be considered automatically attributable to Israeli entities participating in HE, Israel needs to comply with Article 2 of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement 3 . In the context of Israel’s intervention in the Gaza Strip and the ensuing humanitarian catastrophe, the Commission has come to the conclusion that Israel is violating human rights and humanitarian law thus breaching Article 2 of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement. Therefore, it has proposed to the Council to partially suspend the HE Association Agreement with Israel so that legal entities established in Israel would not be eligible to participate in calls for grant and investment support under the HE European Innovation 1 Once the project is over. 2 Agreement between the EU, of the one part, and Israel, of the other part, on the participation of Israel in the Union programme Horizon Europe — the framework Programme for Research and Innovation, OJ L 95, 23/03/2022. 3 ‘Relations between the Parties, as well as all the provisions of the Agreement itself, shall be based on respect for human rights and democratic principles, which guides their internal and international policy and constitutes an essential element of this Agreement’.”
  Disarmament and non-proliferation of weapons · Relations with Israel - Palestine
• 2025-10-23 “E-002540/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission The Commission has not established so far that the activities under projects funded by the Horizon Europe (HE) programme have breached the principle of exclusive focus on civil applications. During the lifetime of a project the continuing compliance with the rules is monitored by the Commission Executive Agencies in charge of implementing the programme. With regard to the European Defense Fund (EDF), entities, private or public, established in Israel are not eligible under EDF. In cases where EU-established entities are controlled by non-associated third-country entities, safeguards such as security guarantees approved by the Member State in which they are established are imposed by the Regulation 1 and enforced to ensure that no sensitive information is unduly accessed or transferred to the controlling entity, and that the latter cannot use sensitive technology or results resulting from the EU-funded action 2 . Article 2(2) of the Agreement on the association of Israel to HE 3 sets out the principle that Israeli entities participate in the HE programme under terms and conditions equivalent to those applicable to legal entities established in the EU. While any actions of the State of Israel cannot be considered automatically attributable to Israeli entities participating in HE, Israel needs to comply with Art. 2 of the Euro-Med Agreement 4 . In the context of Israel’s intervention in the Gaza Strip and the ensuing humanitarian catastrophe, the Commission has come to the conclusion that Israel is violating human rights and humanitarian law thus breaching Art. 2 of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement. Therefore, it has proposed to the Council to partially suspend the HE Association Agreement with Israel so that legal entities established in Israel would not be eligible to participate in calls for grant and investment support under the HE European Innovation Council Accelerator. Furthermore, in her State of the Union Speech on 10 September 2025, the Commission President announced a further package of measures, as the Commission considers that there is a case for the suspension of certain trade-related provisions of the EU-Israel Association Agreement. The Commission plans to implement additional measures such as putting on hold bilateral support to Israel. 1 Regulation (EU) 2021/697 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2021 establishing the European Defence Fund and repealing Regulation (EU) 2018/1092. 2 Projects carried out under EDF shall also comply with ethical principles also reflected in relevant EU, national and international laws. The ethical aspects of EDF funded projects are screened, and should any participant breach these conditions, there are mechanisms in place to ensure compliance, including the termination of grants and the recovery of funds. 3 Agreement between EU, of the one part, and Israel, of the other part, on the participation of Israel in the Union programme Horizon Europe — the framework Programme for Research and Innovation, OJ L 95, 23/03/2022. 4 ‘Relations between the Parties, as well as all the provisions of the Agreement itself, shall be based on respect for human rights and democratic principles, which guides their internal and international policy and constitutes an essential element of this Agreement’.”
  EU competences on human rights · Relations with Israel - Palestine
• 2025-10-22 “E-003206/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission Rafael Advanced Defence Systems Limited is a beneficiary in Horizon Europe (HE) project ‘Sensor-based prototype system for underwater security’ 1 within a consortium of 21 beneficiaries. Under the HE 2 legal framework, all research and innovation actions funded under the programme must comply with ethical principles and applicable national, EU and international legislation. Article 19(1) of the HE Regulation explicitly requires that: ‘Actions carried out under the Programme shall comply with ethical principles and relevant Union, national and international law, including the Charter and the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and its Supplementary Protocols’. This includes principles and norms of international humanitarian law. These obligations are also embedded in the HE Model Grant Agreement 3 (e.g. Article 14) and are applicable to all beneficiaries of EU funding under the programme. In this context and at the level of HE implementation, several mechanisms are put in place to prevent that EU funds are used for activities that could be contrary to international or EU law. Projects financed under HE are selected by independent experts. The HE ethics appraisal scheme ensures a rigorous ethical evaluation 4 . Compliance with such requirements is also checked at project level. Any ethical concerns arising during implementation are taken very seriously and may lead to ethics related checks or reviews when appropriate. Currently, the project cited above is under ethics assessment. A non-compliance may trigger contractual measures such as reduction of the EU funding or termination of the grant or termination of the participation of the respective beneficiary. 1 ‘Sensor-based prototype system for underwater security’: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101121288. 2 https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-opencalls/horizon-europe_en. 3 Horizon Europe Model Grant Agreement: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/20212027/common/guidance/aga_en.pdf. 4 Applicants must complete an ethics self-assessment. All proposals considered for funding will undergo an ethics review carried out by independent ethics experts. Proposals with serious or complex ethics issues must undergo an ethics assessment and may be made subject to specific ethics requirements which become obligations in the grant agreement as 'ethics deliverables'. Furthermore, Article 19 (3) of the HE Regulation in its first sentence sets out the systematic screening of the ongoing actions regarding the observance of the ethical standards under paragraph 1.”
  Disarmament and non-proliferation of weapons · Relations with Israel - Palestine
• 2025-10-22 “E-001178/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission 1. Given the illegal invasion of Ukraine by Russia, the measures taken regarding the participation of Russian entities in Horizon Europe 1 were based on: a. EU restrictive measures adopted under Article 29 of the Treaty on the European Union as well as Articles 75 and 215 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, notably Article 1i of Council Decision 2014/512/CFSP and Article 5l of Council Regulation (EU) No 833/2014 2 , and b. eligibility restrictions set out in the Horizon Europe work programmes in application of Article 22(6) of the Horizon Europe Regulation 3 . 2. Article 2(2) of the Agreement on the association of Israel to Horizon Europe 4 sets out the principle that Israeli entities participate in the Horizon Europe programme under terms and conditions equivalent to those applicable to legal entities established in the EU. While any actions of the State of Israel cannot be considered automatically attributable to Israeli entities participating in Horizon Europe, Israel needs to comply with Article 2 of the EuroMediterranean Agreement 5 . In the context of Israel’s intervention in the Gaza Strip and the ensuing humanitarian catastrophe, the Commission has come to the conclusion that Israel is violating human rights and humanitarian law thus breaching Article 2 of the EuroMediterranean Agreement. Therefore, it has proposed to the Council to partially suspend the Horizon Europe Association Agreement with Israel so that legal entities established in Israel would not be eligible to participate in calls for grant and investment support under the Horizon Europe European Innovation Council Accelerator. Furthermore, in her State of the Union Speech on 10 September 2025, the Commission President announced a further package of measures. 1 https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-opencalls/horizon-europe_en. 2 OJ L 229, 31/07/2014, p 1. 3 Regulation (EU) 2021/695 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 April 2021 establishing Horizon Europe – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, laying down its rules for participation and dissemination, OJ L 170, 12.5.2021, p. 1–68. 4 Agreement between the European Union, of the one part, and Israel, of the other part, on the participation of Israel in the Union programme Horizon Europe — the framework Programme for Research and Innovation, OJ L 95, 23/03/2022. 5 ‘Relations between the Parties, as well as all the provisions of the Agreement itself, shall be based on respect for human rights and democratic principles, which guides their internal and international policy and constitutes an essential element of this Agreement’.”
  EU-Russia relations (from March 2022) · Relations with Israel - Palestine
• 2025-10-21 “E-002355/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission While research related to dual-use products or technologies is not prohibited, any research and innovation activities carried out under Horizon Europe must have an exclusive focus on civil applications. When implementing the projects, all beneficiaries must ensure that all activities under the project comply with this rule as well as with ethical principles and relevant national, EU and international legislation. Horizon Europe projects’ results 1 , may be developed into technologies with a dual-use potential, even if they were originally intended and funded for purely civil applications. This transition could happen beyond the lifetime of the project itself. The Commission therefore cannot provide an overview of all projects that might have future results with dual use development. Ethics screening is part of the evaluation process under Horizon Europe, and it is done by specific ethics evaluators 2 . During the lifetime of a selected project, the continued compliance with the grant agreement is monitored by the Commission and its Agencies in charge of implementing Horizon Europe. The Commission and its Agencies would review all reported cases which allegedly breach Horizon Europe rules. So far it has not been established that any activities under current projects involving Israeli entities breached the principle of exclusive focus on civil applications. Article 2(2) of the Agreement on the association of Israel to Horizon Europe 3 sets out the principle that Israeli entities participate in the Horizon Europe programme under terms and conditions equivalent to those applicable to legal entities established in the EU. While any actions of the State of Israel cannot be considered automatically attributable to Israeli entities participating in Horizon Europe, Israel needs to comply with Article 2 of the EuroMediterranean Agreement 4 . In the context of Israel’s intervention in the Gaza Strip and the ensuing humanitarian catastrophe, the Commission has come to the conclusion that Israel is violating human rights and humanitarian law thus breaching Article 2 of the EuroMediterranean Agreement. Therefore, it has proposed to the Council to partially suspend the Horizon Europe Association Agreement with Israel so that legal entities established in Israel would not be eligible to participate in calls for grant and investment support under the Horizon Europe European Innovation Council Accelerator. Furthermore, in her State of the Union Speech on 10 September 2025, the Commission President announced a further package of measures. 1 Once the project is over. 2 The screening takes place after the main scientific evaluation and covers all the proposals selected for funding. Some of the projects also have additional ethics checks over the course of the project duration. 3 Agreement between the EU, of the one part, and Israel, of the other part, on the participation of Israel in the EU programme Horizon Europe — the framework Programme for Research and Innovation, OJ L 95, 23/03/2022. 4 ‘Relations between the Parties, as well as all the provisions of the Agreement itself, shall be based on respect for human rights and democratic principles, which guides their internal and international policy and constitutes an essential element of this Agreement.’”
  Relations with Israel - Palestine · Disarmament and non-proliferation of weapons
• 2025-10-20 “E-003553/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission According to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), Galicia has been impacted by 242 fire events so far in 2025, and these fires burned 121,090 hectares (ha). Since 1 August 2025, Galicia suffered 151 fires events that burned 119,870 ha. According to EFFIS, the burned area affecting Natura 2000 sites in Galicia since 1 January 2025 was 39,257 ha, from which 39,112 ha were burned after 1 August 2025.”
  Nature protection and restoration in the EU
• 2025-10-14 “E-003088/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission Loneliness is an important topic, and the Commission paid special attention to it during the COVID-19 pandemic. An analysis 1 of the Commission’s own Joint Research Centre (JRC) shows that social distancing increased loneliness across the EU. In 2016, about 12% of Europeans reported feeling lonely “most or all of the time”, whereas during early lockdowns this share doubled to roughly 25%. It should be noted though that the increase of loneliness during the pandemic period as a result of (different) social distancing measures implemented by the Member States at the time had to be balanced with the need to contain the spread of the virus in order to prevent further direct health impacts, including lethal, of a scale which often overwhelmed public health systems. No official data exist on how many people died in the EU specifically “as a result of the effects of loneliness” during lockdowns nor is there specific data available tracking suicides in relation with the lockdowns. The data available by Eurostat shows that suicides did not increase in the EU 27 during the period 2020 and 2021. 2 Looking at a larger time span, it can be observed that suicides in the EU decreased by 10% between 2011 and 2021. Importantly, the study also found that poor health and unfavourable economic conditions are critical loneliness risk factors, and that loneliness of individuals in poor health is mostly chronic, i.e. persistent over time, with no statistically significant variations between normal and exceptional circumstances. 1 https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC130751. 2 https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/tps00122/default/line?lang=en&category=t_hlth.t_hlth_cdeath.”
  EU policy on mental health
• 2025-10-13 “E-002432/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission The Commission’s work is guided by the Treaties, which establish that the EU is founded on common values such as democracy, equality, and respect for human rights, and require the EU to combat discrimination. The Commission is also committed to academic freedom, freedom of scientific research, and excellence in universities. It recognises the importance of an environment where diverse ideas thrive, and where academic freedom is respected and protected. Horizon Europe Work programmes are shaped through inclusive consultation with Member States, stakeholders, and experts, and are aligned with the Horizon Europe objectives spelled out in Regulation 2021/695 1 and the Specific Programme Council decision 2 where the role of research and innovation in social sciences and humanities is explicitly recognised as fundamental for combatting inequalities, unemployment, marginalisation, discrimination and radicalisation, guaranteeing human rights, fostering cultural diversity and European cultural heritage, among others. This ensures pluralism and shields EU funding from ideological agendas. Project selection and evaluation is based on independent expert evaluation. Strict eligibility and exclusion criteria ensure that only organisations aligned with EU values can access funding, without targeting any belief system. 1 Regulation (EU) 2021/695 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 April 2021, OJ L 170, 12.5.2021. 2 Council Decision (EU) 2021/764 of 10 May 2021, OJ L 167I, 12.5.2021.”
  Research priorities within the EU · Governance of academic priorities within the EU
• 2025-10-13 “E-002760/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission The purpose of the Choose Europe initiative is to retain researchers in Europe by providing them strong support, as well as to attract top talent to the EU. Funding under this initiative comes from Horizon Europe - the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation 1 , namely through the European Research Council (ERC) and Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) components over the years 2025-2027. As the initiative is entirely financed through redeployments within Horizon Europe, it does not require new appropriations and is consistent with the Financial Regulation 2 and current programme framework. Measures under the Choose Europe initiative include making available an additional EUR 1 million top-up for ERC grantees who relocate to the EU. Also, a new seven-year ERC ‘super grant’ is being prepared, to provide a longer-term perspective for top researchers in the EU. Under MSCA, a ‘Choose Europe for Science’ pilot was recently launched, providing longer career perspectives to early stage scientists who wish to stay in, or relocate to, Europe. Both the ERC and MSCA apply rigorous, excellence-based and transparent evaluation criteria, are open to researchers globally and maintain the same standards for all applicants, regardless of nationality. Grants can only be provided to researchers who work in the EU or in Horizon Europe associated countries. Measures under Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/2506 on the protection of the Union budget against breaches of the principles of the rule of law must be respected, and the Commission remains open to constructive engagement with the affected Member State. 1 Regulation (EU) 2021/695 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 April 2021 establishing Horizon Europe – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, laying down its rules for participation and dissemination, and repealing Regulations (EU) No 1290/2013 and (EU) No 1291/2013 (Text with EEA relevance). 2 Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 September 2024 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union (recast).”
  Governance of academic priorities within the EU · Research priorities within the EU
• 2025-10-10 “E-002799/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission The Horizon Europe programme have funded several projects on diversifying dietary habits, sustainable and competitive land-based protein crop systems and value chains 1 , and consumer’s preferences. The Horizon Europe funded projects under the policy framework Food 2030 2 also launched the initiative Horizon4Proteins 3 to tackle key aspects such as consumer acceptance of alternative proteins, safety and regulatory challenges, food applications and sustainability. Horizon4Proteins has around 115 partners including universities, research institutions, corporations and Non-Governmental Organisations. While acknowledging the references to information on the suitability of food for vegans or vegetarians in the European Court of Auditors’ special report 4 , none of its recommendations concerns this topic and therefore the Commission is currently not planning to work on it. The European Court of Justice held 5 that Member States cannot prohibit the use of customary or descriptive names for plant-based products where a legal name for a particular food does not exist. The Court also held that, in the absence of a legal name, information relating to the replacement of an ingredient of a food is sufficient to protect the consumer from the risk of being misled. Considering the Court’s judgement, in the context of the proposals for the Common Agricultural Policy post 2027, the Commission has introduced a proposal to protect certain meat-related terms to help consumers making informed choices. 1 https://valpropath.eu/; https://legumesproject.eu/project; https://valereco.eu/about-valereco; https://www.legendaryproject.eu. 2 https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/news/all-research-and-innovation-news/new-report-food-2030research-and-innovation-pathways-action-20-2023-12-04_en. 3 https://smartproteinproject.eu/wp-content/uploads/H4P_Factsheet_digital.pdf. 4 https://www.eca.europa.eu/en/publications/SR-2024-23. 5 case C-438/23. Judgement of the Court of Justice of 4 October 2024, Protéines France and Others, C-438/23, EU:C:2024:826.”
  EU policy on novel foods · Food labelling harmonisation at EU level · Plant-based diet
• 2025-10-10 “E-003314/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission According to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) of the Copernicus programme, the protected area of Pena Trevinca (SAC code ES0000437) was affected by two wildfire events in August 2025. The first one, identified by EFFIS as id=278477, started around 15 August 2025 and it was finally extinguished on 30 August 2025. This wildfire burned a total of 25 230 hectares (ha), from which 5 319 ha were in Galicia region and 19 911 ha in Castilla y Leon region. This wildfire burned 4 916 ha in the Pena Trevinca protected area. The second one, identified by EFFIS as id=278347, started around 12 August 2025, and it was finally extinguished on 19 August 2025. This wildfire burned a total of 12 032 ha, from which 11 722 ha were in Galicia region and 310 ha in Castilla y Leon region. This wildfire burned 104 ha in the Pena Trevinca protected area. It is not possible to provide a precise assessment of the burned area in Pena Trevinca on 18 August 2025 due to low resolution and smoke contamination of the available satellite images on 17 August 2025 and 18 August 2025.”
  Nature protection and restoration in the EU
• 2025-10-06 “E-002507/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission The Commission ensures that centrally managed research and innovation (R&I) flagship projects deliver European added value – addressing cross-border challenges that no single Member State can tackle alone. These projects, enablers of innovation, are strategic public investments through which Europe can foster competitiveness, technological excellence and global leadership, while supporting European core values such as sustainability and equality. Their competitive selection and independent evaluation ensure their impact, excellence and efficient implementation. EU R&I funding boosts company performance and delivers high economic returns – up to EUR 11 per EUR 1 invested 1 . Beyond funding, the EU’s regulatory framework promotes technologically neutral R&I in key areas such as the Copyright Directive 2 , the Data Act 3 and the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act 4 to ensure fair and competitive conditions. The EU also stimulates demand through the start-up and scale-up strategy and the forthcoming European Innovation Act, helping innovators to grow and compete globally. The Commission's strategic initiative, the ‘Competitiveness Compass’ 5 strengthens the EU's technological independence and competitiveness by investing in critical technologies like AI, quantum computing and cloud infrastructure, enhancing innovation capacity and long-term economic benefits. The AI Continent Action Plan 6 recognises the need to incentivise large investments in cloud and edge capacity and announced the Cloud and AI Development Act, which will tackle obstacles for the development of cloud and data centre infrastructure. This will allow the EU to at least triple its data centre capacity within the next five to seven years and support technological sovereignty 7 . 1 https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_25_1115. 2 https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/copyright-legislation. 3 https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/data-act. 4 https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/regulatory-framework-ai. 5 https://commission.europa.eu/topics/eu-competitiveness/competitiveness-compass_en. 6 https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/ai-continent-action-plan. 7 While the EU remains open to providers that comply with its rules and values, technological sovereignty will require highly secured EU-based capacity.”
  Overall simplification of regulation in the EU · EU digital & tech sovereignty · EU research funding
• 2025-09-29 “E-002369/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission Gain-of-function research involves genetically altering an organism to enhance its biological functions and is undertaken to better understand diseases and develop therapies and vaccines. The potential risks associated with creating more infectious or deadly pathogens need to be carefully managed and weighed against the benefits for public health. The Commission’s approach to protection from potential biological weapons is guided by the 2017 Action Plan to enhance preparedness against chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) security risks 1 . In this context, the Commission established the Customs Crisis Management function, enabling rapid response by customs authorities to security risks stemming from EU imports, including potential biological weapons. This mechanism has been activated in past crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The support to gain-of-function research is possible under the EU research and innovation framework programme 2 , subject to strict eligibility criteria and ethical conditions, verified through a scientific and ethical evaluation and screening of proposals and projects raising ethical issues, and where appropriate a security check. The programme has supported gain-offunction research on influenza virus to improve the response to emerging infectious diseases 3 . The Commission will continue to implement the highest levels of ethics integrity in the research and innovation domain, and to protect in this context EU values and security. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:52017DC0610. 2 Regulation (EU) 2021/695 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 April 2021 establishing Horizon Europe – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, laying down its rules for participation and dissemination, and repealing Regulations (EU) No 1290/2013 and (EU) No 1291/2013. 3 Horizon 2020 COMPARE project carried out at Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam in the Netherlands: Collaborative Management Platform for detection and Analyses of (Re-)emerging and foodborne outbreaks in Europe (2014-2019; https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/643476).”
  Pharmaceuticals regulation in EU
• 2025-09-26 “E-002761/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission Both the voluntary and involuntary termination of the participation of a beneficiary in an action is legally possible under Article 32(2) of the Model Grant Agreement. The beneficiaries may request such termination, and the coordinator must submit a request for an amendment. The granting authority will assess the propriety of the termination based on the reasons provided. Each termination will be assessed on its own merits and on the reasons provided, including the beneficiary’s opinion. Termination of participation based solely on the nationality of the beneficiary would amount to discrimination, which is prohibited under the Association Agreement. Horizon Europe rules entail that funding of research and innovation activities must have an exclusive focus on civil applications. However, it cannot be a priori guaranteed that such research could not eventually be exploited for dual-use products or technologies (usually used for civilian purposes but with possible defence applications) 1 . This is because project results may be developed outside the scope of the funded project, or after the project, into technologies with a dual-use potential, either immediately or with some adaptation, even if they were originally intended for purely civil applications. 1 During project implementation, beneficiaries must ensure compliance with applicable Horizon Europe horizontal rules, as well as with ethical principles and other relevant national, EU and international legislation.”
  EU competences on foreign affairs · Relations with Israel - Palestine
• 2025-09-24 “E-002031/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission The Commission acknowledges the challenges in developing new treatments for rare diseases (RDs). The EU regulation on orphan medicinal products, (EC) No 141/2000 1 catalysed the development of medicines for people living with a rare disease, as reported in the public registry of orphan designated products in the EU 2 . In an effort to tackle this challenge, the Commission supports research and innovation (R&I) on rare diseases (RDs) 3 . Over the past 25 years, through the EU’s framework programs for R&I, it has allocated more than EUR 5 billion to single and multi-partner RD research projects 4 . Notably, the development of new RD treatments has been the focus of several EC research consortia, whose work led to new RD therapies 5,6 approved in the EU. Under Horizon Europe 7 (2021-2027), the Health cluster 8 continues to support RD research, through collaborative projects developing RD therapies 9 and optimising the RD clinical trials through public-private consortia 10 . The flagship initiative, the European Partnership on Rare Diseases, ERDERA 11 , that started in 2024 as a co-funded Partnership with EU Member States, provides further research funding opportunities, such under its 2025 12 call dedicated to pre-clinical therapy studies for RDs. Moreover, future opportunities addressing clinical research, are envisaged under the recently adopted Life Science Strategy 13 (LSS) that sets out a coordinated approach across the entire life sciences value chain. LSS introduces a new set of actions, including flagship initiatives, such as an Investment Plan for multi-country clinical trials to boost research, innovation and market access of new medicines. 1 Regulation (EC) No 141/2000 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 1999 on orphan medicinal products, (OJ L 18, 22.1.2000, p. 1.1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2000/141/oj ). 2 Union Register of medicinal products - Public health - European Commission: https://ec.europa.eu/health/documents/community-register/html/reg_od_act.htm?sort=a. 3 EU-Factsheet (edition Feb. 2025) ‘Collaboration: A key to unlock the challenges of rare diseases research’: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-law-and-publications/publication-detail/-/publication/c85cfbb5-f58f-11ef-b7db01aa75ed71a1/language-en. 4 More info can via found via searches at cordis dissemination database: https://cordis.europa.eu/projects. 5 ALPHA-MAN (2010-2014) project developed a new orphan medicine for the ultra-rare disease alphamannosidosis: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/261331/news. 6 VISION-DMD (https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/667078) (2016-2021) project led to a new treatment of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy for patients from the age of 4 that was approved in the EU in December 2023. 7 https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-opencalls/horizon-europe_en. 8 https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-opencalls/horizon-europe/cluster-1-health_en. 9 https://cordis.europa.eu/programme/id/HORIZON_HORIZON-HLTH-2022-DISEASE-06-04-two-stage/en. 10 Such as RealiseD under the Innovative Health Initiative https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101165912. 11 https://erdera.org/ (2024-2031). 12 https://erdera.org/funding/. 13 COM/2025/525 final ‘Choose Europe for life sciences: A strategy to position the EU as the world’s most attractive place for life sciences by 2030’.”
  Pharma IPRs · Pharmaceuticals regulation in EU
• 2025-09-24 “E-002253/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission Under current Horizon Europe (HE) research related to dual-use products or technologies is not prohibited and it is not excluded that HE project results may potentially be developed outside the scope of the project, even if they were originally intended and funded for purely civil applications. This transition could happen beyond the lifetime of the project itself. At project level, a number of safeguards have been established under HE to ensure EU funds are not used for activities that violate international law 1 . Any measures would have to be based on the conduct of the beneficiary, not on the actions or behaviour of the State of Israel, which cannot be considered automatically attributable to its entities participating in HE grants. At programme level, in view of the State of Israel’s intervention in the Gaza Strip and the ensuing humanitarian catastrophe, the Commission considers that there is a case for a partial suspension of the Israeli’s association to the HE programme following the High Representative review that concluded that there are indications that Israel would be in breach of its human rights obligations under Article 2 of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement 2 that forms the basis for the Agreement on the Association of Israel to HE. The partial suspension that the Commission has proposed to the Council 3 , via an appropriate and proportionate measure, specifically concerns the participation of entities established in Israel in activities funded under the Accelerator of the European Innovation Council (EIC) 4 . The High Representative is the Vice-President of the Commission. The work of the College of Commissioners is fully carried out in accordance with the principle of collegiality 5 . 1 Proposals to be funded are evaluated by external independent experts and are subject to a self-assessment and an ethics review which may result in rejection or specific additional ethics related obligations. During the implementation phase, checks or reviews may be initiated at any time if ethical or other concerns emerge, Noncompliance may lead to any of the measures provided for in the grant agreement, including termination of the project. 2 OJ L 147, 21.6.2000, p. 3, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/agree_internation/2000/384/oj. 3 COM(2025) 620 final. 4 This would imply that legal entities established in Israel would no longer be eligible to participate in calls for grant and investment support under the Horizon Europe EIC Accelerator. 5 Article 17(6) of the Treaty on European Union (TEU).”
  Relations with Israel - Palestine
• 2025-09-23 “E-001638/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission The Financial Regulation 1 (FR) sets out rules for the award of funds to entities, based on objective criteria. In addition, the Commission carries out rigorous selection processes, including several different checks on grant beneficiaries based on objective criteria. Horizon Europe, Creative Europe and the European Research Council’s funding is not linked to any religious considerations. Funding is allocated solely on the basis of scientific merit and the quality of the proposal. Horizon Europe funding is assigned on the basis of a rigorous assessment by independent evaluators against three main criteria: Excellence, Impact, and Quality and Efficiency of the Implementation. These evaluations ensure that projects are selected based on their scientific and societal value, irrespective of any religious, political, or ideological affiliation. The selection of Creative Europe projects for funding is also based on a rigorous and independent assessment using criteria such as Relevance, Quality of content and activities, Project management and Dissemination without consideration of any religious background. The European Research Council (ERC) likewise guarantees that all funded projects undergo strict and independent scientific and ethics evaluations. These assessments, carried out by panels of independent experts, prioritise scientific excellence and compliance with EU legislation and ethical standards, with no consideration given to the religious beliefs or affiliations of applicants or institutions. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/2509/oj.”
  EU policy on Islam · Research priorities within the EU
• 2025-09-19 “E-002052/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission The study 1 on fiscal impact of migration is a Science for Policy report by the Joint Research Centre, which provides evidence-based scientific support to the European policymaking process. The scientific output expressed therein does not imply a policy position of the Commission. It highlights that legal migrants play a key role in the EU economy and society. As Member States face labour shortages in areas like construction, engineering, healthcare and ICT, legal migrant workers are essential in filling these gaps, given the ageing and shrinking working population of the Member States 2 . The study examines the fiscal contribution of natives, intra-EU migrants and extra-EU migrants in the EU in the past and future. It notes that migration moderately impacts the economy, emphasizing the need to consider taxpayer characteristics, which can vary significantly across countries and over time 2 . The study also finds that removing obstacles to the full labour market integration of migrants can produce considerable positive fiscal benefits for hosting countries in the future. No updated version of the study is planned, as the net fiscal impact of natives vs. immigrants does not vary substantially from one year to the next 3 . The need for future updates should also be gauged against the significant data gathering work required. The study used the EU statistics on income and living conditions (EU-SILC) data 4 because it is the only source giving a detailed overview and comparable statistics about benefits received and taxes paid by individuals/households in all Member States. This data makes the distinction between natives, intra-EU and extra-EU migrants. However, a more granular analysis by country of origin or migration motive is not possible as this type of data is not included in the EU-SILC data. 1 Bélanger, A., Christl, M., Conte, A., Mazza, J., Narazani, E., Projecting the net fiscal impact of immigration in the EU, EUR 30407 EN, Publications Office of the EU, Luxembourg, 2020, ISBN 978-92- 76-23423-4, doi:10.2760/582639, JRC121937. 2 Cf page 17 ‘For the OECD (2013), immigrant families in 27 OECD countries contributed on average 0.3% of GDP to national budgets between 2007 and 2009. Immigrants tend to have a less favourable net fiscal position than natives, but their net contribution is generally positive. […] The socio-economic and demographic profile of the taxpayer once again explains the national results’. and page 18 ‘The results of the static analyses discussed in this section are strongly dependent on the demographic unit of analysis (i.e. individuals or families), age structure, education and labour market performance of the different population groups, as well as the budget items and years analysed. The estimated impact is either positive or negative depending on the case considered but it is generally moderate’. 3 See Fiorio, C. V., Frattini, T., Riganti, A., & Christl, M. (2024). Migration and public finances in the EU. International Tax and Public Finance, 31(3), 635-684. 4 https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/microdata/european-union-statistics-on-income-and-living-conditions.”
  Legal migration · EU policy on integration and ethnic, racial and religious discrimination
• 2025-09-16 “E-002842/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission The EU Open Science Policy 1 aims to improve access to and reuse of publicly funded research results. A secondary publication right (SPR) is a tool that may help reach this objective and is already introduced in six Member States 2 . The Council has recently welcomed this introduction 3 . Following action 2 of the European Research Area (ERA) Policy Agenda 2022-2024 4 and action 1 of the ERA Policy Agenda 2025-2027 5 , the Commission is analysing existing obstacles and possible solutions to improve access to and reuse of research results. To this end, a study 6 was published in May 2024, providing evidence and policy options, including the possibility of an EU-wide SPR with various parameters, including embargoes. It is also a topic of the Commission's ongoing study on the economic impact of identified policy options 7 . Immediate open access to peer-reviewed scientific publications through trusted repositories is mandatory for Horizon Europe beneficiaries, including retention of sufficient intellectual property rights to do so. Through Horizon Europe, the Commission financially supports institutional non-profit open access infrastructures and services without author fees 8 . In 2021 the Commission launched Open Research Europe (ORE) 9 , an open access scholarly publishing service for Commission-funded researchers in all disciplines and with no author fees. It is aligned with Horizon Europe open access requirements, promoting equity, transparency and integrity in scholarly publishing. With several European research funding and performing organisations, the Commission aims to evolve ORE into a sustainable collectively funded and governed non-profit open access service 10, 11 . 1 https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/strategy/strategy-research-and-innovation/our-digital-future/openscience_en. 2 Germany (2013), the Netherlands (2015), Austria (2015), France (2016) Belgium (2018) and Bulgaria (2023). 3 Council Conclusions of 23 May 2023 on ‘High-quality, transparent, open, trustworthy and equitable scholarly publishing’. 4 https://european-research-area.ec.europa.eu/policy-agenda-2022-2024. 5 https://european-research-area.ec.europa.eu/era-policy-agenda-2025-2027. 6 ‘Improving access to and reuse of research results, publications and data for scientific purposes’: https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/news/all-research-and-innovation-news/enhancing-researchaccessibility-and-reuse-new-study-outlines-strategic-measures-2024-05-16_en. 7 ’Economic analysis of options for improving EU legislative and regulatory frameworks with impact on access and reuse of publicly funded R&I results and of publications and data for scientific purposes’. Expected to be finalised spring 2026. 8 For example through projects such as DIAMAS (Developing Institutional Open Access Publishing Models to Advance Scholarly Communication) and CRAFT-OA (Creating a Robust Accessible Federated Technology for Open Access), accessible at https://diamasproject.eu/ and https://www.esf.org/eu-projects/craft-oa/, respectively. 9 https://open-research-europe.ec.europa.eu/. 10 https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6282402. 11 https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2777/204155.”
  Research priorities within the EU
• 2025-08-21 “E-001775/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission The Commission aims to make the EU the most attractive and secure place for both EU and non-EU scientific talent, especially amid today’s uncertainties. Europe is already a safe haven for scientists, and this role must be protected by enshrining the freedom of scientific research in EU law. The Commission has put forward a EUR 500 million package for 2025–2027 to make Europe a magnet for researchers. This includes the Marie Skłodowska-Curie ‘Choose Europe’ pilot, 1 which supports early-career researchers with attractive allowances and longer employment prospects, as well as measures under the European Research Council, in particular doubling the amount offered to researchers who relocate to Europe from abroad, already available in 2025, as well as a seven-year 'super grant', which will come into effect from 2026. In addition, the Commission has brought together over 70 national and regional initiatives to attract foreign researchers, which can be accessed through a one-stop-shop in EURAXESS 2 . The EU is also making it easier for researchers to relocate and integrate. The ‘Students and Researchers’ Directive 3 provides a framework 4 for researchers to enter and reside in the EU, and the upcoming visa strategy aims to build on this by further easing such relocation procedures. EURAXESS 5 offers information and personalised assistance, helping researchers connect with institutions and regional innovation ecosystems. The European Research Area Act, that the Commission will propose in 2026, will aim to introduce measures strengthening the freedom of scientific research, research careers, mobility and coordination across Member States. 1 In addition to the ‘Choose Europe’ pilot, the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) provide a wide range of training, mobility and career development opportunities that are open to researchers of all nationalities, including United States researchers, for them to successfully relocate to Europe. 2 Jobs and opportunities | EURAXESS: https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs#choose-europe-for-science-new. 3 Directive (EU) 2016/801 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 May 2016 on the conditions of entry and residence of third-country nationals for the purposes of research, studies, training, voluntary service, pupil exchange schemes or educational projects and au pairing (recast). 4 This framework includes, amongst others, equal treatment rights with EU citizens in many areas, possibility to bring their families to the EU, intra-EU mobility rights, right to stay for up to 9 months after the end of the research to look for a job, possibility to teach while conducting research, etc. 5 https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/.”
  Research priorities within the EU
• 2025-08-21 “E-001949/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission The Commission remains firmly committed to promoting and safeguarding academic freedom, in line with Article 13 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. The protection of researchers, regardless of their country of origin, is integral to ensuring scientific excellence and maintaining trust in research. The association agreement with Egypt, expected to be signed later this year, is expected to include provisions protecting academic freedom. The Commission and EU Member States reaffirmed their commitment to scientific freedom by signing the Bonn Declaration in 2020. Moreover, the Pact for Research and Innovation in Europe 1 explicitly included scientific freedom as one of its ten key values and principles. The Rome Communiqué further strengthened commitments to academic freedom, institutional autonomy, and the protection of scholars at risk. The Commission has already launched several initiatives, such as a toolkit to counter foreign interference in R&I 2 . The European Research Area Policy Agenda (2022–2024) 3 contained an action aimed at protecting academic freedom. Initiatives such as EURAXESS Science4Refugees 4 and the SAFE Project 5 also play an important role in supporting scientists at risk. In response to the European Parliament's resolution (2023/2184(INL)) of 17 January 2024 6 , the Commission is currently conducting a study to assess the state of scientific freedom and develop an appropriate legislative response. The Commission will closely monitor the situation and engage in regular dialogue with Egyptian authorities. Through these actions, we want to ensure that researchers can conduct their work freely and without undue interference. 1 https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-13701-2021-INIT/en/pdf. 2 https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/3faf52e8-79a2-11ec-9136-01aa75ed71a1/language-en. 3 https://european-research-area.ec.europa.eu/policy-agenda-2022-2024. 4 https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/frameworks/science4refugees. 5 https://saferesearchers.eu/. 6 https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2024-0022_EN.html.”
  EU competences on human rights · EU-Egypt relations
• 2025-08-21 “E-002073/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission In 2021, the Commission joined forces with Breakthrough Energy and the European Investment Bank in the ‘EU-Catalyst Partnership’ to provide equity, grants and venture debt for selected clean-tech projects. The main aim was to stimulate more private investment into European low-carbon technology companies and innovators, providing solutions to climate challenges. The Commission contributes with an InvestEU top up guarantee of EUR 220 million from the Innovation Fund and EUR 200 million grants from Horizon Europe 1 . The Partnership is currently supporting three projects 2 . The partnership does not involve grant or grant type support for one of the partners e.g. Breakthrough Energy. The European Green Deal is supported by a range of EU funds and funding instruments, such as Next Generation EU 3 , LIFE 4 , the Innovation Fund 5 or Horizon Europe. These funds are designed to finance projects, policies and initiatives that align with the Green Deal’s objectives, such as reducing emissions, protecting biodiversity, transitioning to a circular economy and ensuring a just transition for all regions and communities. The Commission supports numerous non-governmental organisations (NGOs) through operating or action grants to advance Green Deal goals. Like other organisations, NGOs can participate in projects supported by EU funds and the funding instruments mentioned above, by responding to calls for proposals that match with their area of expertise. The award of grants is done through competitive procedures, while no specific amounts are ringfenced. 1 https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-opencalls/horizon-europe_en. 2 Ineratec, producing eSAF; Ottana/Energy Dome, building a CO2-based energy storage facility; and Rondo, developing power-to-heat technologies. 3 https://next-generation-eu.europa.eu/index_en. 4 https://cinea.ec.europa.eu/programmes/life_en. 5 https://cinea.ec.europa.eu/programmes/innovation-fund_en.”
  Energy (green transition) · EU industrial funding
• 2025-08-20 “E-002058/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission The EUR 500 million package for 2025–2027, announced at the Choose Europe for Science event at the Sorbonne University in Paris on 5 May 2025, comes from Horizon Europe and aims to enhance the EU’s global competitiveness in research and innovation. It is not targeted at any one nationality, but is open to researchers worldwide, including those already based in the EU, under existing and transparent Horizon Europe rules. This package includes the Marie Skłodowska-Curie (MSCA) “Choose Europe” pilot, 1 which supports early-career researchers with attractive allowances and longer employment prospects, as well as measures under the European Research Council (ERC), in particular doubling the amount offered to researchers who relocate to Europe from abroad, already available this year, as well as a seven-year 'super grant', which will come into effect from next year. Both ERC and MSCA are open to researchers from all countries, as long as they are based in EU Member States or Associated Countries, with selection based strictly on scientific excellence, regardless of origin. In addition, EUR 230 million has been earmarked for European Research Area (ERA) Chairs (2026–2027), supporting the creation of 120 new research leadership positions in widening Member States. This will strengthen the research landscape across all Member States and help retain and attract talent where it is most needed. The Commission remains fully committed to transparency, fairness and the highest standards of evaluation in all Horizon Europe actions. These principles will continue to guide the implementation of this package. 1 In addition to the “Choose Europe” pilot, the MSCA provide a wide range of training, mobility and career development opportunities that are open to researchers of all nationalities, including US researchers, for them to successfully relocate to Europe.”
  Research priorities within the EU
• 2025-08-20 “E-002376/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission This project is a European Research Council (ERC) grant funded through Horizon 2020 1 . A key role of the ERC in Horizon 2020 was to ensure that Europe produces world-class science. The ERC has funded since 2007 more than 17 000 projects and over 10 000 researchers, across physical sciences and engineering, life sciences, social sciences and humanities 2 . This led to over 2 200 patents and other Intellectual Property Rights applications. More than 200 000 articles were published in scientific journals and the ERC grantees have been awarded with 14 Nobel Prizes, 7 Fields Medals, 11 Wolf Prizes and dozens of important prizes. The ERC ensures that all funded projects undergo rigorous and independent scientific and ethics evaluations. These assessments prioritise scientific excellence and compliance with EU legislation and ethical standards. The project EuQu 3 is a multidisciplinary research project that explores the complex historical interactions between Europe and the Islamic world. The main scientific objective is to study the role of the Qur’an in European intellectual history, thought and self-image. The project was selected solely based on its excellence followed by a strict ethical scrutiny 4 . No evidence of financial misconduct or inappropriate affiliations has been found. Ongoing monitoring upholds compliance with the original grant agreement and with EU legislation generally. The ERC funds projects based solely on their scientific excellence, via independent expert evaluations. The EuQu project’s objectives are solely scholarly, not motivated or linked to any specific political agenda. The project contributes to nuanced scientific discourse, in line with Europe`s long tradition of academic freedom and scientific inquiry. 1 The EU's research and innovation funding programme from 2014-2020. 2 Within the social sciences and humanities projects which represent around a fourth of ERC grants, topics span an extensive range of disciplines, including economics and finance, law and political science, sociology, psychology and linguistics, literature and philosophy, history and archaeology, geography and environmental studies, anthropology, arts and cultural and religious studies – the category in which falls the mentioned project. 3 ‘The European Qur'an. Islamic Scripture in European Culture and Religion 1150-1850’. 4 ‘Annex A: The ethics review process’, Commission Decision C(2017)4750 amending Decision C(2014)2454 on the ERC rules for submission of proposals and the related evaluation, selection and award procedures relevant to the specific programme of Horizon 2020 https://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/data/ref/h2020/sgl/erc/h2020-erc-serules-amended2_en.pdf.”
  EU research funding · EU policy on Islam
• 2025-08-20 “E-002260/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission The Commission is aware of the significant impact that endometriosis has on individuals and healthcare systems. The EU is at the forefront of supporting research and innovation with the aim to improve and protect the health and well-being of citizens by developing innovative solutions to prevent, diagnose, monitor, treat and cure diseases. Over EUR 1.3 billion have been invested in more than 700 research and innovation projects related to women’s health and gynaecological diseases through the EU framework programmes for research and innovation, Horizon 2020 1 and Horizon Europe 2 . Recognizing the challenges and the burden these conditions place on those affected, the Commission is committed to fund research on women’s health and gynaecological diseases, including endometriosis, so that health priorities align with the broader needs of the population. The Commission does not intend to focus call topics specifically addressing particular health conditions in Horizon Europe. Horizon Europe offers a variety of funding opportunities for health research 3 , through calls for proposals that are broadly defined and open for innovative approaches to address specific call requirements. All proposals, including those on endometriosis, submitted to these calls are evaluated by independent experts based on predefined criteria, focusing on excellence, impact, and quality and efficiency of implementation 4 . In this regard, the quality of proposed research in submitted proposals is defining which projects will be funded and contributes to the thematic research portfolio. 1 https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-opencalls/horizon-2020_en. 2 https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-opencalls/horizon-europe_en. 3 Information about currently open and upcoming funding opportunities for health research including on gynaecological diseases, e.g. endometriosis, can be found through the EU Funding and Tenders Portal: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/home. 4 https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/wp-call/2025/wp-14-generalannexes_horizon-2025_en.pdf.”
  EU competences on health · Gender roles, equality and inclusion
• 2025-08-20 “E-001734/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission The EU has a long-standing position of non-recognition of Israel’s sovereignty over the territories occupied by Israel since June 1967 and considers its settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory as illegal. All cooperation programmes must respect the ‘Guidelines on the eligibility of Israeli entities and their activities in the territories occupied by Israel since June 1967’ 1 and all beneficiaries of EU-funded grants, prizes and financial instruments have to abide to these Guidelines. Under Horizon Europe 2 and Horizon 2020 3 Programmes Israeli legal entities as well as all other beneficiaries must sign a grant agreement that requires compliance with EU values, ethical principles, and relevant EU, national and international law, including the Charter and the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and its Supplementary Protocols 4 . Under Horizon Europe there have been no projects involving the participation of Israel’s national water company Mekorot. Under the previous Framework Programme, Horizon 2020 5 , Mekorot received EUR 1.23 million in funding in six projects 6 , all of which have been completed. Mekorot was involved in the FIT4REUSE project 7 , under the Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area (PRIMA) 8 . The total amount received by Mekorot under this project, completed on 31 December 2023, was EUR 350 000. Mekorot has not been involved in any projects funded by PRIMA under subsequent calls. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52013XC0719(03). 2 https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-opencalls/horizon-europe_en. 3 https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-opencalls/horizon-2020_en. 4 See Article 19 (1) Horizon Europe Regulation https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2021/695/oj/eng. 5 https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-opencalls/horizon-2020_en. 6 AquaNES: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/689450, ULTIMATE: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/869318, STOP-IT: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/740610, SMART-Plant: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/690323, SuWaNu Europe: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/818088 and MARSoluT https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/814066. 7 FIT4REUSE: Sustainable Non-Conventional Water Solutions for Mediterranean Agriculture https://www.bioazul.com/en/projects/fit4reuse-integrated-use-of-water-resources/. 8 https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/research-area/environment/prima_en PRIMA is partly funded by the EU under Horizon 2020.”
  Relations with Israel - Palestine
• 2025-08-19 “E-001497/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission Horizon Europe 1 , the European Regional Development Fund, the Just Transition Fund and the Recovery and Resilience Facility, provide research and innovation (R&I) investment opportunities for boosting innovation. In order to make the most of these opportunities, Member States are encouraged to boost their R&I potential through enhanced capacities linked to investments and reforms. The Greek R&I system has shown improvements in recent years. Greece is a ‘moderate innovator’ according to the European Innovation Scoreboard 2 , and R&D intensity has been steadily increasing over the last decade 3 . Notwithstanding this progress, Greece still faces challenges to boost its innovative ecosystem, and it would benefit from a long-term strategy for R&I investments to ensure stability of funding and enhance its R&I potential. Organisational arrangements and institutional structures for R&I can follow different pathways in Member States. R&I policy, by its very cross-cutting nature and role in several policies should adopt a ‘whole of government approach’ where actions are in close synergy and mutually beneficial with other sectoral policies, notably education policies, and therefore a close collaboration is encouraged. The Technical Support Instrument or the Horizon Policy Support Facility (PSF) 4 give Member States practical support to design, implement and evaluate reforms that enhance the quality of R&I investments, and policies. Greece used the PSF to review the R&I policy framework for the national research infrastructures and assess how they were progressing. The analysis provided clear recommendations 5 and showed that these infrastructures deserve recognition, but also further efforts and investment. 1 https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-opencalls/horizon-europe_en. 2 Greece is at 77.5% of the EU average. 2024 (EIS) European Innovation Scoreboard: provides a comparative analysis of innovation performance for EU countries, including the relative strengths and weaknesses of their national innovation systems. See: https://ec.europa.eu/assets/rtd/eis/2024/ec_rtd_eis-country-profile-el.pdf. 3 (https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/rd_e_gerdfund__custom_14033923/default/table?lang=en) . Greece: 0.72% in 2012 and 1.49% in 2023. Research and development (R&D) intensity is defined as gross domestic expenditure on R&D as a percentage of gross domestic product. EU average is 2.24% in 2023. 4 See: https://projects.research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/en/statistics/policy-support-facility. 5 EC 2023: https://projects.research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/en/statistics/policy-support-facility/psfopen/support-greece-implementation-psf-country-recommendations.”
  Research priorities within the EU · Governance of academic priorities within the EU
• 2025-08-19 “P-002243/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission The Commission aims to make the EU the most attractive and secure place for both EU and non-EU scientific talent. Both the budgets of the Horizon Europe and Erasmus+ programmes are fixed until 2027, as adopted by the co-legislators. The Erasmus+ programme makes the EU an attractive place to study and work and supports transnational education cooperation 1 . Through the ‘Study in Europe’ initiative 2 , the Commission promotes global awareness of the high quality and the rich cultural and linguistic diversity of European higher education 3 . Moreover, the Commission has identified a EUR 500 million package for 2025–2027 to make Europe a magnet for researchers. This includes the Marie Skłodowska-Curie ‘Choose Europe’ pilot 4 , as well as measures under the European Research Council 5 . In addition, the Commission has brought together over 70 national and regional initiatives to attract foreign researchers, which can be accessed through a one-stop-shop in EURAXESS 6 . The EU is also making it easier for researchers to relocate and integrate. The ‘Students and Researchers’ Directive 7 provides a framework 8 for researchers to enter and reside in the EU, and the upcoming visa strategy aims to build on this by further easing such relocation procedures. EURAXESS 9 offers information and personalised assistance, helping researchers connect with institutions and regional innovation ecosystems. The European Research Area Act, that the Commission will propose in 2026, will aim to introduce measures strengthening 1 The current 65 European Universities alliances, the Commission Communication on a blueprint towards a European degree and the provision of full scholarships to the best-ranked students worldwide through the Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters action are contributing to this goal. 2 Study in Europe – European Education Area: https://education.ec.europa.eu/study-in-europe. 3 In line with the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, the EU has a supporting role when it comes to the area of education. Consequently, the establishment, organisation, and management of higher education institutions, including the creation and control of their campuses, falls within the competence of individual Member States and relevant higher education institution, according to national law and regulations. 4 The ‘Choose Europe’ pilot supports early-career researchers with attractive allowances and longer employment prospects. Moreover, the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) provide a wide range of training, mobility and career development opportunities that are open to researchers of all nationalities, including United States researchers, for them to successfully relocate to Europe. 5 In particular doubling the amount offered to researchers who relocate to Europe from abroad, already available in 2025, as well as a seven-year 'super grant', which will come into effect from 2026. 6 Jobs and opportunities | EURAXESS https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs#choose-europe-for-science-new. 7 Directive (EU) 2016/801 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 May 2016 on the conditions of entry and residence of third-country nationals for the purposes of research, studies, training, voluntary service, pupil exchange schemes or educational projects and au pairing (recast). 8 This framework includes, amongst others, equal treatment rights with EU citizens in many areas, possibility to bring their families to the EU, intra-EU mobility rights, right to stay for up to nine months after the end of the research to look for a job, possibility to teach while conducting research, etc. 9 https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/.”
  Research priorities within the EU
• 2025-08-19 “E-001613/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission This project is a European Research Council (ERC) grant funded through Horizon 2020 1 . A key role of the ERC in Horizon 2020 was to ensure that Europe produces world-class science. The ERC has funded since 2007 more than 17 000 projects and over 10 000 researchers, across physical sciences and engineering, life sciences, social sciences and humanities 2 . This led to over 2 200 patents and other Intellectual Property Rights applications. More than 200 000 articles were published in scientific journals and the ERC grantees have been awarded with 14 Nobel Prizes, 7 Fields Medals, 11 Wolf Prizes and dozens of important prizes. The European Qur’an’ project is a multidisciplinary scientific research project that explores the complex historical interactions between Europe and the Islamic world. The main scientific objective of the project is to study the role of the Qur’an in European intellectual history, thought and self-image. The project has developed a wide-ranging database of primarily Western European texts dealing with the Qur’an in the long period from 1150-1850 3 . This project is a major scholarly undertaking by a group of recognised academic institutions 4 . The project was awarded funding through an independent scientific peer-review process, with the selection based solely on scientific excellence 5 . All ERC funded projects are monitored, requiring periodic scientific and financial reports, to ensure progress and compliance with all relevant EU legislation and ethical standards. Projects also undergo an independent ethics appraisal process 6 . The funding of this project is in line with the Treaty on European Union 7 , the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights 8 and the objective to promote academic freedom. 1 The EU's research and innovation funding programme from 2014-2020. 2 Within the social sciences and humanities projects which represent around a fourth of ERC grants, topics span an extensive range of disciplines, including economics and finance, law and political science, sociology, psychology and linguistics, literature and philosophy, history and archaeology, geography and environmental studies, anthropology, arts and cultural and religious studies – the category in which falls the mentioned project. 3 For an overview of the project’s results, please consult https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/810141/results. 4 Led by the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), the University of Naples L’Orientale, University of Copenhagen, and University of Nantes, with additional academic partners across Europe and beyond. 5 For more details on the applicable evaluation procedure and criteria, please consult the ERC work programme 2018-2020, Commission C(2017) 5307 of 2 August 2017 https://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/data/ref/h2020/wp/2018_2020/erc/h2020-wp18-erc_en.pdf. 6 See Annex A: The ethics review process, Commission Decision C(2017)4750 amending Decision C(2014)2454 on the European Research Council rules for submission of proposals and the related evaluation, selection and award procedures relevant to the specific programme of Horizon 2020; https://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/data/ref/h2020/sgl/erc/h2020-erc-se-rules-amended2_en.pdf. 7 See Article 6: ‘The Union recognises the rights, freedoms and principles set out in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union…’: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/resource.html?uri=cellar:2bf140bf-a3f8-4ab2-b506fd71826e6da6.0023.02/DOC_1&format=PDF. 8 See Article 13: ‘The arts and scientific research shall be free of constraint. Academic freedom shall be respected’: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/charter/pdf/text_en.pdf.”
  EU policy on Islam · EU research funding
• 2025-08-19 “E-001398/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission The Commission does not yet have evidence that Horizon Europe 1 projects have been impacted negatively by measures adopted by the new United States (US) Administration in the field of health research, including those involving the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The NIH are involved in five ongoing projects under Horizon Europe and two ongoing projects under Horizon 2020 (see Annex). The Commission is monitoring the evolving situation and will be attentive to further developments. There are currently no plans of the Commission to step in to compensate for a possible future cut or cancellation of health research funding by U.S. authorities. While the EU cannot compensate any possible cut from NIH, US-based entities continue to be eligible for funding in the calls of part 4 on Cluster 1 ‘Health’ of the 2025 Horizon Europe Work Programme 2 . In Cluster 1 of Horizon Europe, US organisations scored 109 participations and received over EUR 27 million of EU funding so far. Finally, the Commission intends to keep its good relations with NIH. Independently from the financial loss, the cooperation with NIH is key at strategic level, since both the Commission and NIH are part of international multi-lateral initiatives in the field of health research. 1 https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-opencalls/horizon-europe_en. 2 https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-opencalls/horizon-europe/cluster-1-health_en.”
  EU competences on health
• 2025-08-19 “E-001515/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission The European Research Council (ERC) has funded since 2007 more than 17 000 projects and over 10 000 researchers, across physical sciences and engineering, life sciences, social sciences and humanities 1 . This led to over 2 200 patents and other Intellectual Property Rights applications. More than 200 000 articles were published in scientific journals and the ERC grantees have been awarded with 14 Nobel Prizes, 7 Fields Medals, 11 Wolf Prizes and dozens of important prizes. The `EuQu` project received funding from the EU’s Horizon 2020 ERC’s Synergy Grant call in 2018. The ERC awards grants based solely on scientific excellence 2 . Evaluated by renowned international scientific experts on the subject matter, the application met all necessary criteria and was selected among 27 successful out of 295 submissions in a highly competitive call. To ensure that all funded actions adhere to the highest ethical standards and principles, the European Research Council Executive Agency (ERCEA) conducts an ethics appraisal process with the help of independent, highly qualified ethics experts 3 . The project received ethics clearance before the grant was signed. This project is a major scholarly undertaking by a consortium of recognised academic institutions 4 . The research conducted concerns the development of knowledge and does not support any group or ideology. The ERCEA oversees projects through regular monitoring, requiring periodic scientific and financial reports to ensure progress and compliance with all relevant legislation and ethical standards 5 . 1 Within the social sciences and humanities projects which represent around a fourth of ERC grants, topics span an extensive range of disciplines, including economics and finance, law and political science, sociology, psychology and linguistics, literature and philosophy, history and archaeology, geography and environmental studies, anthropology, arts and cultural and religious studies – the category in which falls the mentioned project. 2 ERC Work Programme 2018-2020, Commission C(2017) 5307 of 2 August 2017t: https://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/data/ref/h2020/wp/2018_2020/erc/h2020-wp18-erc_en.pdf. 3 ‘Annex A: The ethics review process’, Commission Decision C(2017)4750 amending Decision C(2014)2454 on the ERC rules for submission of proposals and the related evaluation, selection and award procedures relevant to the specific programme of Horizon 2020: https://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/data/ref/h2020/sgl/erc/h2020-erc-se-rules-amended2_en.pdf. 4 Led by the Spanish National Research Council, involving the University of Naples L’Orientale, University of Copenhagen, and University of Nantes, with additional academic partners across Europe and beyond. 5 Projects undergo rigorous initial peer-review evaluation and mid-term and final reviews. If a project fails to meet standards or breaches any of its obligations under the grant agreement, the grant may be suspended, terminated, or reduced and funds may be recovered, and other administrative sanctions may be adopted.”
  EU research funding · EU policy on Islam
• 2025-08-19 “E-001639/2025 E-001640/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission The project ‘White Islam: A New Religion for Europeans’ 1 , funded by Marie SkłodowskaCurie Actions (MSCA) under Horizon Europe 2 , is conducted at the University of Amsterdam with part of the research at George Washington University. It studies the Murabitun World Movement, a transnational network of European converts to Islam. The proposal was assessed based on scientific excellence by independent experts. The University of Leiden's 'Entangled Universals of Transnational Islamic Charity' 3 project analyses the influence of Islamic charities on poverty alleviation, while the University of Amsterdam's 'EcoIslam in Indonesia' 4 examines Islamic impacts on sustainability in Indonesia and its policy effects. Funded by the European Research Council (ERC) under Horizon Europe following independent peer review evaluation based on scientific excellence, both projects aim to address global challenges. Istanbul Bilgi University and Oxford University received ERC funds under Horizon 2020 for ‘Nativism, Islamophobism and Islamism in the Age of Populism’ 5 , which explores the role of nativism and Islamism in populism, and ‘Choosing Islamic Conservatism’ 6 , which studies Muslim youth's embrace of conservatism in Europe and the UK and its effects on social cohesion. These projects, selected only based on scientific excellence, strive to address societal challenges through innovative research. MSCA and ERC support doctoral education, postdoctoral training of researchers and investigator-driven research across all fields of knowledge. Projects are monitored for scientific and financial progress, adherence to EU laws, and ethical standards. The granting authorities remain uninvolved in specific matters pertaining to the content or implementation strategies of the projects, as long as the activities carried out are in line with the award decision and the signed grant agreement, thus preserving academic freedom and scientific excellence 7 . The ERC has funded since 2007 more than 17 000 projects and over 10 000 researchers, across Physical Sciences and Engineering, Life Sciences, Social Sciences and Humanities 8 . 1 For an overview of the project’s results, please consult https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/892075. 2 https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-opencalls/horizon-europe_en. 3 For an overview of the project’s results, please consult https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101124597. 4 For an overview of the project’s results, please consult https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101125011. 5 For an overview of the project’s results, please consult https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/785934. 6 For an overview of the project’s results, please consult https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101019016. 7 See Article 13 of the CFREU: “The arts and scientific research shall be free of constraint. Academic freedom shall be respected”. Available at: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/charter/pdf/text_en.pdf. 8 Within the social sciences and humanities projects which represent around a fourth of ERC grants, topics span an extensive range of disciplines, including Economics and Finance, Law and Political Science, Sociology, Psychology and Linguistics, Literature and Philosophy, History and Archaeology, Geography and Environmental studies, Anthropology, Arts and Cultural and Religious Studies – the category in which fall the mentioned projects.”
  Research priorities within the EU · EU policy on Islam
• 2025-08-18 “P-001946/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission The European Research Council (ERC) promotes top-tier scientific research in Europe by offering competitive funding opportunities, supporting frontier research across all disciplines, to enhance innovative breakthroughs in all fields of science. The ERC has funded since 2007 more than 17 000 projects and over 10 000 researchers, across physical sciences and engineering, life sciences, social sciences and humanities 1 . This led to over 2 200 patents and other Intellectual Property Rights applications. More than 200 000 articles were published in scientific journals and the ERC grantees have been awarded with 14 Nobel Prizes, 7 Fields Medals, 11 Wolf Prizes and dozens of important prizes. The mentioned projects, addressing Muslim cultures and societies, explore topics like minority inclusion in democracies and changes in Islamic law 2 . These projects are world-class scholarly undertakings that advance the frontiers of knowledge. The ERC employs a rigorous evaluation process to assess all research proposals. Through a comprehensive, independent peer review process, proposals are examined for scientific merit and feasibility. In addition, the ERC maintains the highest standard of oversight and ensures that funded projects adhere to all relevant legislation and ethical standards. Proposals undergo a detailed ethics review by independent ethics experts and receive ethics clearance before grants are signed 3 . The ERC funds projects that push the frontiers of knowledge, aligned with the values of academic freedom and scientific inquiry. Projects are selected for funding by independent scientific panels in the respective fields of research, via transparent, competitive evaluations, based solely on scientific excellence. 1 Within the social sciences and humanities projects which represent around a fourth of ERC grants, topics span an extensive range of disciplines, including economics and finance, law and political science, sociology, psychology and linguistics, literature and philosophy, history and archaeology, geography and environmental studies, anthropology, arts and cultural and religious studies – the category in which falls the mentioned project. 2 Comprehensive information regarding the scientific methodologies and outcomes of the referenced projects is available through the following links: Nativism, Islamophobism and Islamism in the Age of Populism: Culturalisation and Religionisation of what is Social, Economic and Political in Europe ISLAM-OPHOB-ISM https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/785934; Openings to the Inclusion of Muslim Minorities in Today’s Democracies INCLUDE https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101001133; Mapping Change in Islamic Law, Rules and Practices MCILRaP https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101141682; Animals in Philosophy of the Islamic World |Mizan, Culture in Muslim societies and throughout the Islamic world: https://mizanproject.org/animals-in-philosophy-of-the-islamicworld/#:~:text=Scholars%20have%20explored%20ancient%20Greek%20and%20Indian%20discussions,and%20 on%20the%20types%20and%20uses%20of%20animals; Beyond Sharia: The Role of Sufism in Shaping Islam PIETY https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101020403. 3 ‘Annex A: The ethics review process’, Commission Decision C(2017)4750 amending Decision C(2014)2454 on the ERC rules for submission of proposals and the related evaluation, selection and award procedures relevant to the specific programme of Horizon 2020 https://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/data/ref/h2020/sgl/erc/h2020-erc-se-rules-amended2_en.pdf and ‘Annex A: Ethics review process’, The ERC Rules of Submission, and the related methods & procedures for peer review and proposal evaluation relevant to the specific programme implementing Horizon Europe https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/guidance/erc-rules-forsubmission-and-evaluation_he-erc_v1.0_en.pdf.”
  EU policy on Islam · EU research funding
• 2025-08-18 “P-002204/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission 1. The EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy 1 does not contain language permitting companies to break any rules at EU or at national level. 2. The EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy announced the launch of a study to assess the extent to which corporate restructuring organisation and regulation at EU and Member State levels create obstacles for business adaptation and innovation in different sectors of the economy, based on firm-level data. This study will support the implementation of the Quality Jobs Roadmap 2 and the Fair Labour Mobility package 3 . 3. The Commission does not consider that the EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy would discourage responsible business practices. 1 https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/strategy/strategy-research-and-innovation/jobs-and-economy/eustartup-and-scaleup-strategy_en. 2 https://employment-social-affairs.ec.europa.eu/news/executive-vice-president-minzatu-kicks-exchanges-socialpartners-quality-jobs-roadmap-2025-04-16_en. 3 https://transport.ec.europa.eu/transport-modes/road/mobility-package-i_en.”
  EU policy on permanent and fixed-term employment · EU regulation on worker representation in company decisions
• 2025-08-14 “P-001563/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission The European Research Council (ERC) has funded since 2007 more than 17 000 projects and over 10 000 researchers, across physical sciences and engineering, life sciences, social sciences and humanities 1 . This led to over 2 200 patents and other Intellectual Property Rights applications. More than 200 000 articles were published in scientific journals and the ERC grantees have been awarded with 14 Nobel Prizes, 7 Fields Medals, 11 Wolf Prizes and dozens of important prizes. This project is a ERC grant funded through Horizon 2020, the EU's research and innovation funding programme from 2014-2020. The project was selected through a rigorous peer review process involving top researchers from around the world. ERC grants support pioneering research that push the frontiers of knowledge and have the potential to make significant scientific breakthroughs. The sole criterion for funding is the scientific excellence of the proposal 2 . The project explores the complex historical interactions between Europe and the Islamic world by studying how the Qur'an has been translated, interpreted and used in Europe from the 12 th to the 19 th centuries. It wanted to understand the continent's broader intellectual, religious and cultural history, foundational to European values 3 . Grant proposals are evaluated by independent top scientists. Any proposal that provides a ground-breaking internationally competitive approach can be funded if it meets the ERC’s criterion for scientific excellence. All projects funded by the ERC can be found in the ERC database 4 or CORDIS 5 . 1 Within the social sciences and humanities projects which represent around a fourth of ERC grants, topics span an extensive range of disciplines, including economics and finance, law and political science, sociology, psychology and linguistics, literature and philosophy, history and archaeology, geography and environmental studies, anthropology, arts and cultural and religious studies – the category in which falls the mentioned project. 2 For more details on the applicable evaluation procedure and criteria, please consult the ERC work programme 2018-2020, Commission C(2017) 5307 of 2 August 2017: https://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/data/ref/h2020/wp/2018_2020/erc/h2020-wp18-erc_en.pdf. 3 For an overview of the project’s results, please consult https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/810141/results. 4 https://erc.europa.eu/projects-statistics. 5 https://cordis.europa.eu/.”
  EU policy on Islam · EU research funding
• 2025-08-01 “E-000820/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission Established in 2021, the Horizon Europe Cancer Mission 1 aims to improve the lives of more than 3 million people by 2030, through prevention, cure and for those affected by cancer including their families, to live longer and better 2 . Since 2023, the Commission has started a collaboration with the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health in the United States on childhood and lung cancer, in the context of the EU Cancer Mission and Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan 3 . More recently, the EU Cancer Mission has started working with Japan. Moreover, the Commission will establish a European ecosystem for clinical research, with additional contributions from the planned Life Sciences Strategy and the Biotech Act. In line with the EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy 4 , the Commission, in coordination with the European Investment Bank Group, will work with large institutional investors to develop a voluntary European Innovation Investment Pact for those who commit to invest part of their assets under management into EU funds of funds, venture capital funds and unlisted scaleups. The Strategy also announces European Innovation Council 5 expansion and a Scaleup Europe Fund. Other actions include the development of i) a framework for intellectual property (IP) valuation for IP-backed financing in cooperation with the EU Intellectual Property Office, and ii) a blueprint for licensing, royalty- and revenue-sharing and equity participation for academic institutions and their inventors when commercialising IP and creating spinoffs, following best commercial practice. Additionally, the Commission is supporting startups through the EU IP Helpdesk 6 that offers free-of-charge, expert advice on a variety of IP-related topics. 1 https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-opencalls/horizon-europe/eu-missions-horizon-europe/eu-mission-cancer_en. 2 To date, Horizon Europe funding on cancer research and innovation totals EUR 2.4 billion, of which EUR 0.5 billion to support 60 Cancer Mission projects. 3 https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_21_342. 4 Adopted on 28 May 2025. Available at: https://research-andinnovation.ec.europa.eu/document/download/2f76a0df-b09b-47c2-949c-800c30e4c530_en?filename=ec_rtd_eustartup-scaleup-strategy-communication.pdf. 5 https://eic.ec.europa.eu/index_en. 6 https://intellectual-property-helpdesk.ec.europa.eu/regional-helpdesks/european-ip-helpdesk_en.”
  Innovation incentives in medicine procurement · Pharma IPRs
• 2025-07-16 “E-001947/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission Research activities involving human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) under Horizon Europe can be funded, subject to strict conditions in accordance with the ‘Statement of the Commission on ethics/stem cell research – Artikel 19’ 1 . The scientific evaluation experts must ascertain that there is a necessity to use these cells to reach the scientific objectives. The conditions on the use of human embryos (hE) are even stricter. No activities leading to embryo destruction can be undertaken. All proposals with hE/hESCs undergo an in-depth ethics assessment by independent ethics experts, to ensure compliance with relevant EU and international regulations, including the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and Horizon Europe Regulation. All resulting requirements become contractual obligations. Proposals that put at risk human embryos or promote eugenic practices are ineligible. Each proposal is subjected to the approval by the Member States (Programme Committee) via the Comitology procedure. Only then are the contracts concluded. The Commission and funding bodies closely monitor ethics deliverables during project implementation. Relevant project information is publicly available via the human pluripotent stem cell registry 2 and EU CORDIS 3 . hESC-based models provide unique insights into early human development or disease pathways, enabling the creation of advanced, human-relevant in vitro systems that offer greater predictivity than conventional animal models. Responsible and tightly regulated use of hESCs contributes to improving human health and supports the principle of human dignity by upholding strict ethical safeguards and by advancing medical innovation that better respects and protects human life. 1 Statement 2021/C 185/01:https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32021C0512(01). 2 https://hpscreg.eu/browse/projects. 3 https://cordis.europa.eu/.”
  Sexuality and reproduction
• 2025-06-23 “E-001448/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission 1. The Commission is fully committed to improving health outcomes for cancer patients through innovative therapies 1 . Under the EU4Health programme, the Joint Action on Personalised Cancer Medicine 2 will address the effectiveness of therapies. The European Cancer Information System 3 provides relevant data. 2. For primary use, the European Health Data Space will ensure citizens’ right to access and control their health data in an electronic format, and for secondary use, it will facilitate the access for research, innovation and policy making, contributing to optimise treatment and improve delivery of care. 3. The Horizon Europe 4 Cancer Mission 5 supports pragmatic clinical trials to test the effectiveness of therapies, including on surgery-centred technologies 6 . The Euratom Research and Training Programme 7 addresses research in the medical applications of ionising radiation, notably novel uses of radionuclides for the screening and treatment of cancer. 1 For example, through Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Regulation (EU) 2021/2282, applicable since January 2025, which includes assessment of new cancer treatments, and the CAN.HEAL project developed common protocols to assess effectiveness of new cancer technologies. 2 https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/eu4h-2024-pj03-4. 3 ECIS https://ecis.jrc.ec.europa.eu/; ECIS provides comparable statistical indicators and trends of cancer incidence, prevalence, mortality, and survival to monitor outcomes. 4 https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-opencalls/horizon-europe_en. 5 https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-opencalls/horizon-europe/eu-missions-horizon-europe/eu-mission-cancer_en. 6 E.g. HORIZON-MISS-2025-02-CANCER-03, HORIZON-MISS-2025-02-CANCER-04; https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/how-to-participate/referencedocuments;programCode=HORIZON?programmePeriod=2021-2027&frameworkProgramme=43108390. 7 Council Regulation (Euratom) 2021/765 of 10 May 2021 establishing the Research and Training Programme of the European Atomic Energy Community for the period 2021-2025 complementing Horizon Europe – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation and repealing Regulation (Euratom) 2018/1563 (OJ 167I, 12.5.2021, p. 81, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2021/765/oj).”
  Processing of health data · Pharmaceuticals regulation in EU
• 2025-06-23 “E-001337/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission The Commission aims to make the EU the most attractive and secure place for both EU and non-EU scientific talent, especially amid today’s uncertainties. Europe is already a safe haven for scientists, and this role must be protected by enshrining the freedom of scientific research in EU law. The Commission will put forward a new EUR 500 million package for 2025 –2027 to make Europe a magnet for researchers. This includes the Marie Skłodowska-Curie ‘Choose Europe’ pilot, 1 which will support early-career researchers with attractive allowances and longer contracts, and a seven-year 'super grant' under the European Research Council. The EU is also making it easier for researchers to relocate and integrate. The ‘Students and Researchers’ Directive 2 provides a framework 3 for researchers to enter and reside in the EU, and the upcoming visa strategy aims to build on this by further easing migration procedures. EURAXESS 4 offers information and personalised assistance, helping researchers connect with institutions and regional innovation ecosystems. The European Research Area Act, expected in 2026, will aim to introduce measures strengthening the freedom of scientific research, research careers, mobility and coordination across Member States. The Commission supports European regions through initiatives like Regional Innovation Valleys to boost local innovation, particularly in digital and healthcare sectors. This is complemented by tools such as the Artificial Intelligence factories 5 , the European Institute of Innovation and Technology 6 , Digital Innovation Hubs 7 and Startup Europe 8 . These efforts are further supported by EU Cohesion Policy, which helps regions leverage funding to support innovation and digitalisation. 1 In addition to the ‘Choose Europe’ pilot, the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action (MSCA) provide a wide range of training, mobility and career development opportunities that are open to researchers of all nationalities, including United States researchers, for them to successfully relocate to Europe. 2 Directive (EU) 2016/801 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 May 2016 on the conditions of entry and residence of third-country nationals for the purposes of research, studies, training, voluntary service, pupil exchange schemes or educational projects and au pairing (recast). 3 This framework includes, amongst others, equal treatment rights with EU citizens in many areas, possibility to bring their families to the EU, intra-EU mobility rights, right to stay for up to nine months after the end of the research to look for a job, possibility to teach while conducting research, etc. 4 https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/. 5 https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/ai-factories. 6 https://www.eit.europa.eu/. 7 https://european-digital-innovation-hubs.ec.europa.eu/home. 8 https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/startup-europe.”
  Research priorities within the EU
• 2025-06-20 “E-001625/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission In a volatile geopolitical context, the Commission stresses that education, research and innovation in Europe are founded on the indissoluble paradigm of academic freedom and freedom of scientific research. In the EU, European and international researchers will always be able to enjoy scientific freedom, which will therefore be enshrined in EU law in the context of the European Research Area (ERA) Act, expected in 2026 1 . A EUR 500 million package has been announced by the Commission President for the period 2025-2027 to further strengthen the attractiveness of the EU for world’s talents, including from the European diaspora 2 . This includes a ‘Choose Europe for Science’ Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action (MSCA) 3 already in 2025 to provide excellent researchers coming to Europe with pathways to stable employment 4 , a seven-year European Research Council (ERC) 5 super grant coupled with increased funding for grantees moving to Europe from abroad, and a visa strategy to facilitate relocation to Europe 6 . The new package builds on existing policies and tools. For example, the new European framework for research careers 7 and the European Charter for Researchers 8 support reforms at national and EU level to attract and retain research talents 9 , while EURAXESS 10 continues to provide personalised support to incoming researchers. In addition, the ERA Talent Platform 11 ensures the visibility of the attractive environment of European careers, and a Research and Innovation Careers Observatory (ReICO) 12 provides as of mid-2025 data for evidence-based policies. Moreover, 65 European Universities alliances 13 , the work towards a European degree, and the Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters action 14 contribute to the attractiveness of the EU as a place to study and work. 1 As announced in the Commission Communication of 29 January 2025 on A Competitiveness Compass for the EU, the ERA Act will also include, among others, legislative measures aiming to address challenges for research careers and mobility. 2 https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/da/speech_25_1130. 3 https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_25_657. 4 The MSCA also provide a wide range of training, mobility and career development opportunities that are already available and open to researchers of all nationalities, including United States researchers. See https://marie-sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu/. 5 https://erc.europa.eu/about-erc/erc-glance. 6 https://erc.europa.eu/news-events/news/choose-europe-science-erc-welcomes-new-budget-super-grants. 7 Council Recommendation of 18 December 2023 on a European framework to attract and retain research, innovation and entrepreneurial talents in Europe, OJ C C2023/1640, 29/12/2023. 8 https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/hrexcellenceaward/european-charter-researchers. 9 A Mutual Learning Exercise (https://projects.research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/en/statistics/policy-supportfacility/psf-challenge/mutual-learning-exercise-research-careers) under the Horizon Europe Policy Support Facility supports the exchange of good practices by Member States on the implementation of the new framework for research careers. 10 https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/. 11 https://ec.europa.eu/era-talent-platform/. 12 https://ec.europa.eu/era-talent-platform/reico/, developed in partnership with the OECD with Horizon Europe support.”
  Research priorities within the EU
• 2025-06-20 “E-001403/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission The Commission has not been informed by any national or European authority about intelligence indicating that COVID-19 originated in a laboratory. The Commission closely monitors scientific studies on the origin of SARS-CoV-2 and supports the research of the World Health Organization (WHO) 1 . The WHO’s Global Study on the origins of SARS-CoV-2 suggests three possible zoonotic pathways for the introduction of the virus and concludes that the introduction through a laboratory incident is extremely unlikely 2 . Furthermore, a 2023 scientific critical review concluded that the strongest evidence supports a zoonotic over a laboratory origin 3 . The Commission supported research on infectious diseases via its framework programmes for Research and Innovation 4 . Prior to the pandemic, the Commission provided financial support to institutions engaged in high-risk virological research including Wuhan Institute of Virology via two EU-funded projects 5 . The Commission ensures transparency, traceability and safety in EU-funded research 6 , including gain-of-function and dual use research. The Commission implements ethics assessments and promotes transparency through open-access publication of research results. Security checks are conducted as part of the ethics and security scrutiny process 7 , with clearance required from the Security Scrutiny Group 8 before funding is granted. In addition, project monitoring is ensured until the end of a project to check its proper implementation and compliance with the obligations laid down in the grant agreement. 1 https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/eu-statement-who-led-covid-19-origins-study_en. 2 https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/origins-of-the-virus, WHO-convened Global Study of Origins of SARS-CoV-2: China Part Joint WHO-China Study, page 9. 3 Alwine JC, Casadevall A, Enquist LW, Goodrum FD, Imperiale MJ. A Critical Analysis of the Evidence for the SARS-CoV-2 Origin Hypotheses. mBio. 2023 Apr 25;14(2):e0058323. doi: 10.1128/mbio.00583-23. Epub 2023 Mar 28. PMID: 36897098; PMCID: PMC10127682. 4 Including https://cordis.europa.eu/programme/id/FP6, https://cordis.europa.eu/programme/id/FP7, https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-opencalls/horizon-2020_en and https://commission.europa.eu/funding-tenders/find-funding/eu-fundingprogrammes/horizon-europe_en. 5 Grant agreements: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/653316; https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/871029. 6 https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/projects-results. 7 https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/funding-tendersopportunities/display/OM/Special+procedures%3A+Ethics+review%2C+security+scrutiny%2C+Ownership+co ntrol+check. 8 Composed of national security experts nominated in agreement with their national security authorities.”
  Pharmaceuticals regulation in EU · EU competences on health
• 2025-06-18 “E-000926/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission The Commission is well aware of the risks that could emerge from international collaborations in research and innovation (R&I), including at the level of Member States, national funding agencies and research performing organisations. In line with the Global Approach to Research and Innovation of 2021 1 , several legal measures have already been implemented in Horizon Europe to enhance research security 2 . It is to be noted that no new grants or contracts were signed under Horizon Europe with any legal entity (public and private) established in Russia, Belarus or in the non-government-controlled territories of Ukraine. Beyond Horizon Europe, and in full respect of the academic freedom and the institutional autonomy of the R&I sector, the Commission is working to raise awareness on research security and to encourage due diligence processes. As a follow-up to the European Economic Security Strategy of 2023 3 , in January 2024, the Commission proposed a Council Recommendation on enhancing research security 4 (adopted in May 2024) that provides guidance to ensure international cooperation remains both open and secure. In line with the latter, the risk level of international cooperation activities should be assessed on the basis of four criteria 5 . It is the combination of those factors that determines the risk level of a project. The recommendation aims to mobilise research organisations to perform risk appraisals and, where needed, set up risk management plans before international research collaborations. It supports the notion that with academic freedom also comes academic responsibility. The Commission is establishing dedicated structures to support the sector perform due diligence processes. 1 COM(2021) 252 final. 2 These include tools such as the use of Article 22(5) of the Horizon Europe Regulation allowing to limit the participation of certain entities in specific calls, the ethics screening process, ensuring a focus on civil applications and that the highest ethical standards are abided by, and Article 40(4) relating to the right to object to transfers of ownership of results. China-specific restrictions have also been inserted using article 22(6) to exclude entities based in China from participating in innovation actions. At the level of the Horizon Europe Work Programme additional eligibility restrictions are provided for the protection of the EU’s economic security. 3 JOIN(2023)20 final. 4 OJ C, C/2024/3510, 30.5.2024. 5 a) the risk profile of the EU-based organisation entering into the international cooperation: consider the organisation’s strengths and vulnerabilities; b) the research and innovation domain in which the international cooperation is to take place: for example: consider whether the project focusses on research domains involving critical knowledge and technology; c) the risk profile of the third country where the international partner is based or from where it is owned or controlled; d) the risk profile of the international partner organisation.”
  EU-China relations · EU-Russia relations (from March 2022) · Foreign interference in Europe
• 2025-06-18 “E-001128/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission The Commission is aware of the funding of MEN4DEM 1 . The project will contribute to the expected impact of the Horizon Europe area of intervention on democracy and governance 2 . The call under which the project is funded stated that the implementation of the research activities should develop evidence-based innovations, policies and policy recommendations that expand political participation, social dialogue, civic engagement, gender equality and inclusiveness 3 . The preparation of the work programmes and calls of Horizon Europe are guided by the programme's operational objectives, as outlined in the Specific Programme Decision 4 . For the area of intervention on democracy and governance, under cluster 2 ‘Culture, creativity and inclusive society 5 ’, these objectives aim to strengthen democracy, the rule of law, and fundamental rights. In addition, a collaborative and consultative process with stakeholders, Member States and experts, ensures that the calls’ topics are relevant and aligned with the programme's objectives. The selection of projects for funding is based on an independent evaluation by external experts, assessing submitted proposals against three criteria: excellence, impact, and quality and efficiency of the implementation. Apart from social sciences and humanities, Horizon Europe funds research on other key thematic sectors, including artificial intelligence, health, energy, and environment. Overall, and during its first three years of implementation, Horizon Europe could not fund nearly seven out of ten high-quality proposals 6 due to a lack of sufficient budget 7 . 1 https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101177356. 2 I.e. the reinvigoration of democratic governance through, among others, the expansion of active and inclusive citizenship (see Horizon Europe Strategic Plan 2021-2024, p. 45 at https://op.europa.eu/s/z5ah). 3 https://europa.eu/!JHk7XR, pp. 12-23. 4 Council Decision (EU) 2021/764 of 10 May 2021, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec/2021/764/oj/eng. 5 https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-opencalls/horizon-europe/cluster-2-culture-creativity-and-inclusive-society_en. 6 Proposals with an evaluation score above the minimum quality threshold defined in the call. 7 See the Communication Horizon Europe: Research and Innovation at the heart of competitiveness, COM(2025) 189 final, at https://europa.eu/!897NPW.”
  Research priorities within the EU · Governance of academic priorities within the EU
• 2025-05-23 “E-001317/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission The Commission has become aware through media reports that the Italian authorities have launched an investigation regarding a possible breach of the Italian airspace by drone(s). The Commission is responsible for the security of the Joint Research Centre site in Ispra (Varese); in this, it collaborates with the host country authorities and exchanges relevant information. The Commission has not observed any violation by drones of the no-fly zone above said site, nor is it aware of any related specific security threat. The security management system of the Commission encompasses the identification of threats, assessment and mitigation of risks to the Commission staff, assets and information. It includes people, information, physical facilities and technology, through the development and implementation of policies and procedures for all its sites. These are regularly reviewed. In view of the above, the Commission is not opening a specific inquiry, nor changing its existing security measures.”
  EU policy on screening foreign investment in strategic sectors and critical infrastructure
• 2025-05-19 “E-000953/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission The Commission has no intention to terminate the key activities as referred to by the Honourable Member. Currently internal discussions are pending on how to continue to implement in the best possible way the obligations transferred to the Commission by the Directive 2012/18/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 July 2012 on the control of major-accident hazards involving dangerous substances.”
  Industrial emissions directive (IED)
• 2025-05-15 “E-000488/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission 1. Since 1996, Israel's association to the EU framework programmes for research and innovation (R&I) has been a success story with clear mutual benefits across various priority areas including information and communication technologies, health, advanced manufacturing, climate change and energy, as well as biotechnology. At this stage, it is premature to discuss which countries would be allowed to participate in or offered association to the successor of the current framework programme for R&I and under which terms as it is still to be scrutinised and adopted by the co- legislators, based on a proposal that is yet to be adopted by the Commission. 2. In accordance with Article 2 Treaty on European Union, the EU is founded on the values of inter alia respect for human rights. In consequence and in application of relevant EU, national and international law 1 , the EU will continue to reaffirm its commitment to the protection and promotion of human rights including in R&I related activities, applicable to all participants in the R&I framework programmes regardless of their nationality. 3. Currently, any R&I activities carried out under Horizon Europe 2 must have an exclusive focus on civil applications, as set forth in applicable rules and in particular in the Horizon Europe Regulation 3 . During the implementation of Horizon Europe projects, all beneficiaries must ensure that the activities under the action comply with these rules. 1 Including the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and its Supplementary Protocols. 2 https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-opencalls/horizon-europe_en 3 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=CELEX:32021R0695, OJ L 170, 12.5.2021, p. 1–68.”
  EU competences on human rights · EU competences on foreign affairs
• 2025-05-15 “E-001093/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission The EU is a safe and attractive place for global researchers, and the Commission is working to further enhance the attractiveness of the EU as a place to conduct cutting-edge research. For example, by supporting the implementation of the new European framework for research careers 1 , including the new European Charter for Researchers 2 , with a view to retaining EU talents and attracting international ones, including from the US 3 . Several initiatives are in the pipeline to further attract international talents. This includes a new ‘Choose Europe for Science’ Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action (MSCA) 4 already in 2025 to provide excellent researchers coming to Europe with pathways to stable employment 5 , increasing the funding for European Research Council (ERC) 6 grantees who move to Europe from abroad, as well as a visa strategy. At the same time, EURAXESS 7 continues to provide personalised support to incoming researchers, covering topics such as visas, relocation, career development, pensions, and family integration. Furthermore, the European Research Area (ERA) Talent Platform 8 as a one-stop-shop for researchers ensures the visibility of the attractive environment of European careers, and a Research and Innovation Careers Observatory (ReICO) 9 will provide as of mid-2025 data from EU Member States and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries on research careers to support additional evidence-based policies. Targeted communication activities are currently being assessed. 1 Council Recommendation of 18 December 2023 on a European framework to attract and retain research, innovation and entrepreneurial talents in Europe, OJ C C2023/1640, 29/12/2023. 2 https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/hrexcellenceaward/european-charter-researchers. 3 Measures include for example a Mutual Learning Exercise (https://projects.research-andinnovation.ec.europa.eu/en/statistics/policy-support-facility/psf-challenge/mutual-learning-exercise-researchcareers) under the Horizon Europe Policy Support Facility supporting the exchange of good practices by Member States, a Horizon Europe Talent Ecosystems pilot call https://ec.europa.eu/info/fundingtenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/HORIZON-WIDERA-2024-ERA-0203?isExactMatch=true&status=31094501,31094503,31094502&frameworkProgramme=43108390&callIdentifie r=HORIZON-WIDERA-2024-ERA-02&order=ASC&pageNumber=1&pageSize=50&sortBy=identifie supporting attractive careers for early-career researchers, the HR Excellence in Research award https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/hrexcellenceaward to improve working conditions in organisations employing researchers, based on the principles of the European Charter for Researchers, and the enhancement of the RESAVER https://www.resaver.eu/ complementary pension scheme for researchers. 4 https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_25_657. 5 The MSCA also provide a wide range of training, mobility and career development opportunities that are already available and open to researchers of all nationalities, including US researchers. See https://mariesklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu/ 6 https://erc.europa.eu/about-erc/erc-glance 7 https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/. 8 https://ec.europa.eu/era-talent-platform/. 9 https://ec.europa.eu/era-talent-platform/reico/, developed in partnership with the OECD with Horizon Europe support.”
  Research priorities within the EU
• 2025-05-14 “E-001033/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission Establishing measures to attract and retain talents and counter brain drain is a priority for the Commission, as human capital is fundamental for the competitiveness of research and innovation and of the European economy. The new European framework for research careers and the new European Charter for Researchers 1 support attractive careers and working conditions in universities and beyond, contributing to a balanced mobility of research talents between EU countries and sectors, to retaining European talents, and to attracting international ones. Horizon Europe 2 supports the implementation of the new framework, for example via the Human Resources Excellence in Research award 3 , a Mutual Learning Exercise 4 supporting the exchange of good practices by Member States 5 , and a Talent Ecosystems pilot call supporting attractive careers for early-career researchers 6 . Additional measures to ensure attractive careers are expected in the European Research Area (ERA) Policy Agenda 20252027 7 with Horizon Europe funding. A proposal for a legislative ERA Act is due in 2026, including measures to further strengthen researchers’ careers and mobility. The Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) 8 play a pivotal role in retaining European researchers, bringing European talents back to Europe and attracting foreign ones 9 . A new Choose Europe MSCA action is foreseen to be launched in 2025 to provide excellent researchers coming to Europe with pathways to more stable and attractive employment. The European Universities alliances funded by Erasmus+ continue to support the European academic community, as they offer enhanced global visibility and attractive career development within the institutions of the alliances and across diverse ecosystems 10 . 1 OJ C, C/2023/1640, 29.12.2023. 2 https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-opencalls/horizon-europe_en 3 https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/hrexcellenceaward 4 Under the Horizon Europe Policy Support Facility. 5 https://projects.research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/en/statistics/policy-support-facility/psf-challenge/mutuallearning-exercise-research-careers 6 https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/HORIZONWIDERA-2024-ERA-0203?isExactMatch=true&status=31094501,31094503,31094502&frameworkProgramme=43108390&callIdentifie r=HORIZON-WIDERA-2024-ERA-02&order=ASC&pageNumber=1&pageSize=50&sortBy=identifier 7 Proposal for a Council Recommendation on the European Research Area Policy Agenda 2025-2027, COM(2025) 62 final. 8 https://marie-sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu/ 9 See European Commission: AIT, CSES, Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture, PPMI, Dėlkutė, R. et al., Study on mobility flows of researchers in the context of the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions – Analysis and recommendations towards a more balanced brain circulation across the European Research Area – Final report, Publications Office of the European Union, 2022, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2766/401134 10 European Commission: Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture, PPMI, Grumbinaitė, I., Colus, F. and Buitrago Carvajal, H., Report on the outcomes and transformational potential of the European Universities initiative, Publications Office of the European Union, 2025, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2766/32313”
  Governance of academic priorities within the EU · Research priorities within the EU
• 2025-05-05 “E-000580/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission In Greece there is a momentum for the EU Climate Neutral and Smart Cities Mission 1 ; of the six Greek cities selected for the Cities Mission, five have already received the Mission Label. These cities established the ‘Climanet’ network, and the Greek government announced EUR 20 million to be allocated to these cities for the preparation of studies and the financing of projects 2 . At European level, 53 Cities have so far been awarded with a Mission Label. A further 33 Climate City Contracts are now under review. 80 more cities have joined the Twinning Learning Programme 3 to replicate good practices: nine are Greek cities 4 . The Climate City Capital Hub 5 , launched in June 2024, helps labelled cities 6 to get projects ready for investment. It offers advice on financing solutions, in cooperation with existing advisory services, such as those offered by the European Investment Bank (EIB), and puts cities in touch with investors. Through the ‘Enabling City Transformation Programme’ under Horizon Europe, EUR 21 million were secured in 2024 to deploy advisory services of the EIB 7 . In addition, the EIB ringfenced a lending envelope of EUR 2 billion for the labelled cities to support the implementation of their decarbonisation strategies. Greek Mission cities will also receive support from EU Cohesion Policy and, in line with the European Regional Development Fund/Cohesion Fund Regulation 8 , they are implementing their sustainable urban development strategies, to support energy efficiency, climate adaptation, smart cities and green transport projects. Finally, EU actions, such as the Covenant of Mayors 9 , the Green City Accord 10 , the European Urban Initiative 11 , the URBACT IV programme 12 and others, support cities in capacity-building and knowledge exchange. 1 https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-opencalls/horizon-europe/eu-missions-horizon-europe/climate-neutral-and-smart-cities_en 2 https://2030.ioannina.gr/?page_id=1121 3 https://netzerocities.eu/twinning-learning-programme/ 4 These are Penteli, Palaio Faliro, Mytilene and Vari-Voula-Vouliagmeni (selected for Cohort 1); Chalkida and Chios (in Cohort 2); Fyli, Heraklion and Larisa (in Cohort 3). 5 https://netzerocities.eu/capital-hub/ 6 https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/document/942e747e-3ccf-4121-a973-9cc8032fc421_en 7 Including European Local ENergy Assistance (https://www.eib.org/en/products/advisory-services/elena/index) and the InvestEU Advisory Hub (https://investeu.europa.eu/investeu-programme/investeu-advisory-hub_en). 8 OJ L231, 30/06/2021, Article 11. 9 https://eu-mayors.ec.europa.eu/en/home 10 https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/urban-environment/green-city-accord_en 11 https://www.urban-initiative.eu/ 12 https://urbact.eu/”
  Climate efforts · EU policy on urban development
• 2025-04-23 “E-000180/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission Any research and innovation activities in projects carried out under Horizon Europe 1 must have an exclusive focus on civil applications. During the execution of the Horizon Europe projects, all beneficiaries must ensure that the activities under the action comply with that rule. In addition, Horizon Europe beneficiaries must also comply with ethical principles and applicable EU and international law, and all Horizon Europe proposals go through an ethics screening during the evaluation process. The projects, in which Israel Aerospace Industries participates, are of a purely civil nature as per Article 7 (1) of Regulation (EU) 2021/695 2 . These include among other things projects to develop hybrid electric regional aircrafts, to revolutionise liquid hydrogen aircraft refuelling at airport scale, and to advance material science applications to reduce the generation of waste and enhance the safety of workers 3 . Furthermore, also within the scope of the implementation of Horizon Europe, the Commission applies specific measures with regard to the eligibility of Israeli entities and their activities in the territories occupied by Israel since June 1967 in line with the Commission Guidelines No 2013/C 205/05 4 . All projects funded by Horizon Europe are being closely monitored by the Commission to verify compliance with the applicable legal framework 5 . Any non-compliance by a beneficiary may trigger contractual measures as provided for in the Horizon Europe model grant agreement 6 . 1 https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-opencalls/horizon-europe_en 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2021/695/oj/eng 3 For information on the projects please consult the CORDIS website https://cordis.europa.eu/search?q=frameworkProgramme%3D%27HORIZON%27%20AND%20(%27israel%20 aerospace%20industries%27)&p=1&num=10&srt=Relevance:decreasing or the HE Dashboard https://dashboard.tech.ec.europa.eu/qs_digit_dashboard_mt/public/sense/app/dc5f6f40-c9de-4c40-8648015d6ff21342/sheet/3bcd6df0-d32a-4593-b4fa0f9529c8ffb0/state/analysis/select/Organisation%20PIC/999969315 4 OJ C 205, 19/07/2013. 5 Including with the ethical principles and the relevant EU, national and international law. See Article 19 of Regulation (EU) 2021/695, OJ L170, 12/05/2021. 6 E.g. the recovery of EU funding or even termination of the participation.”
  Relations with Israel - Palestine