Horizon Europe moves forward as EU research ministers take stock of progress and outline future priorities

At the Competitiveness Council (Research) on Tuesday, 9 December 2025, EU ministers responsible for research met in Brussels to discuss major strategic initiatives shaping Europe’s future research and innovation landscape. The meeting focused on the amendment of the Regulation on the Joint Undertaking EuroHPC, the Horizon Europe Package, and topics linked to the European Universities Alliances, the planned Scale-up Europe Fund, research security, and the priorities of the future Cypriot Presidency. The meeting was chaired by Danish Minister for Higher Education and Science, Christina Egelund, under the Danish Presidency of the Council of the EU. The European Commission was represented by Commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva, responsible for Start-ups, Research and Innovation.

Ministers adopted the general approach on the amended EuroHPC Regulation, aimed at strengthening Europe’s capacity in high-performance computing, supporting the development of AI Gigafactories, and advancing the EU’s ambitions in quantum technologies. The revised regulation seeks to ensure that the Joint Undertaking EuroHPC remains at the forefront of global technological competition and continues to provide secure, world-class computing capabilities to European researchers, industry, and the public sector.

A central part of the meeting was the Horizon Europe Package in the next Multiannual Financial Framework (2028–2034). Ministers held an orientation debate focusing on strategic priorities for European research and innovation (R&I), including the priorities of future European partnerships. The aim of this discussion was for Member States to put forward the first set of main strategic priorities for R&I, reflecting clear European added value and indicating which of these priorities would need to be addressed through larger partnerships requiring European cooperation. This debate serves as a foundation for further discussions on priority-setting in the ongoing negotiations on the next Horizon Europe.

Furthermore, the Danish Presidency presented its progress report, which ministers took note of. The report outlines the negotiation steps taken since the Horizon Europe Package discussions were launched in October, mapping key elements of the emerging positions, and indicating areas for further work as negotiations continue under the Cypriot Presidency.

Under Any Other Business, France informed about the contribution of the European Universities Alliances to the European Research Area (ERA), highlighting how university cooperation can drive excellence, talent circulation, and innovation. The European Commission provided information on the Scale-up Europe Fund, designed to improve access to late-stage finance for Europe’s deep-tech companies. The Commission also provided an update on the state of play regarding the creation of a European cooperation space for research security, underscoring the need for coordinated approaches to protect knowledge flows, safeguard critical technologies, and strengthen resilience.

Finally, the incoming Cypriot Presidency presented its priorities in the field of research. The informal meeting of research ministers is scheduled to take place on 30–31 March in Cyprus, while the formal Competitiveness Council (Research) meetings are planned for 27 February and 29 May in Brussels.

For more information: Competitiveness Council (Research and space) - Consilium