COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT EVALUATION Ex-ante Evaluation Accompanying the document Proposal for a COUNCIL DECISION on the adoption of the Research Programme of the Research Fund for Coal and Steel, on the multiannual technical guidelines for this programme, on the multiannual financial guidelines for managing the assets of the Research Fund for Coal and Steel, and repealing Decisions 2003/77/EC and 2008/376/EC
Date: 2025-12-10
Institutions: Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, European Commission
Subjects: ECSC, coal, financial management, fund (EU), innovation, liquidation, research and development, research programme, steel

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 10.12.2025  SWD(2025) 409 final  COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT  EVALUATION  Ex-ante Evaluation Accompanying the document Proposal for a COUNCIL DECISION on the adoption of the Research Programme of the Research Fund for Coal and Steel, on the multiannual technical guidelines for this programme, on the multiannual financial guidelines for managing the assets of the Research Fund for Coal and Steel, and repealing Decisions 2003/77/EC and 2008/376/EC {COM(2025) 760 final} - {SWD(2025) 410 final}  
 
 
1. 

INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................. 4 

2.  CONTEXT: THE REFORM OF THE RESEARCH FUND FOR COAL AND STEAL BEFORE AND 
AFTER 2021 ................................................................................................................................ 5 

2.1 The Research Fund for Coal and Steel before 2021 ......................................................... 5 

2.2 RFCS Reform in 2021 ........................................................................................................ 6 

2.3 Current assets .................................................................................................................. 7 

3.  PROBLEM ANALYSIS AND NEEDS ASSESSMENT FOR AN OVERALL REFORM .................. 8 

3.1 Challenges in the steel sector .......................................................................................... 8 

3.2 Coal sector in transition ................................................................................................... 9 

3.3 Outcome of the 2021 reform and feedback from stakeholders .................................... 10 

3.4 Research needs for coal and steel ................................................................................. 12 

3.5 Need for a reform .......................................................................................................... 14 

4. EU ADDED VALUE AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE RFCS ....................................................... 15 

4.1. Achievements of projects in the coal sector ................................................................. 15 

4.2. Achievements of projects in the Steel Sector ............................................................... 16 

4.3. RFCS and scaling up of projects .................................................................................... 17 

5.  POLICY OBJECTIVES ......................................................................................................... 17 

5.1 Improve the attractiveness and impact of the RFCS programme .................................. 18 

5.2 Addressing R&I needs and stakeholders’ recommendations ........................................ 18 

6.  POLICY OPTIONS .............................................................................................................. 18 

6.1 Option 1:  Baseline scenario .......................................................................................... 18 

6.2 Option 2: Renew the current legal framework post-2027 with same technical and 
financial guidelines .............................................................................................................. 19 

6.3 Option 3: Overall reform of the RFCS legal basis ........................................................... 19 

7.  PREFERRED OPTION AND EXPECTED IMPACTS .............................................................. 21 

7.1 Expected impacts for the steel sector ............................................................................ 21 

7.2 Expected impacts for the coal sector ............................................................................. 22 

8.  CONTRIBUTION TO WIDER UNION POLICY OBJECTIVES ................................................ 23 

9.  MONITORING AND EVALUATION .................................................................................... 24 

10. 

CONTRIBUTION TO SIMPLIFICATION OBJECTIVES ...................................................... 25 

ANNEXES .................................................................................................................................. 26 

1 

 
 
 
ANNEX I: SUMMARY OF THE CONSULTATION WITH MEMBER STATES, ADVISORY GROUPS, 
AND STAKEHOLDERS ............................................................................................................... 26 

Summary of the consultation for the Reform of the Research Fund for Coal and Steel 
(RFCS) ................................................................................................................................... 26 

Summary of the advice received from the Coal Advisory Group and the Steel Advisory 
Group ................................................................................................................................... 27 

Input and advice received from the Coal and Steel Committee (COSCO) ........................... 29 

ANNEX II: CONTRIBUTION FROM THE RESEARCH EXECUTIVE AGENCY (REA) TO THE EX-
ANTE EVALUATION FOR THE REVISION OF THE RESEARCH FUND FOR COAL AND STEEL ..... 30 

List of figures of Annex II ...................................................................................................... 30 

List of tables of Annex II ....................................................................................................... 31 

List of abbreviations of Annex II ........................................................................................... 31 

Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 32 

Chapter 1: Projects 2021 – 2024 .......................................................................................... 32 

Chapter 2: Ranking evolution ............................................................................................... 35 

Chapter 3: EU Contribution .................................................................................................. 36 

3.1. Types of participants in RFCS projects ...................................................................... 38 

3.2. Share of the budget used for equipment (CAPEX) .................................................... 39 

3.2.1. CAPEX for the Steel sector ..................................................................................... 39 

Chapter 4: Gender balance .................................................................................................. 40 

Chapter 5: SMEs ................................................................................................................... 41 

Chapter 6: Newcomers ........................................................................................................ 41 

Chapter 7: Scaling-up: from low to high technology readiness level (TRL) ......................... 42 

Chapter 8: Areas of concern identified during project implementation ............................. 43 

8.1. Suspension of a running project ............................................................................... 43 

8.2. Termination of a project during GAP ........................................................................ 44 

8.3. Amendments ............................................................................................................. 44 

8.3.1. Pre-financing .......................................................................................................... 45 

Chapter 9: Issues identified during dissemination events and contacts with stakeholders 45 

9.1. RFCS dissemination events ....................................................................................... 45 

9.2. Academic partners .................................................................................................... 47 

9.3. Subcontracting .......................................................................................................... 47 

9.4. Issues with the evaluation criteria ............................................................................ 47 

2 

 
 
9.4.1. Criterion 2: Impact ................................................................................................. 47 

9.4.2. Technology Readiness Level ................................................................................... 48 

9.4.3. Business case ......................................................................................................... 48 

Chapter 10: Added value of RFCS ........................................................................................ 49 

10.1. Feedback to Policy .................................................................................................. 49 

10.1.1. F2P results for the Coal sector ............................................................................. 49 

10.1.2. F2P results for the Steel sector ............................................................................ 51 

10.2. Success stories ........................................................................................................ 52 

10.3. The RFCS Technical Groups ..................................................................................... 52 

10.3.1. TGs: tasks and way of working ............................................................................. 52 

10.3.2. Feedback from the TGs ........................................................................................ 54 

10.4. The RFCS Advisory Groups ...................................................................................... 56 

10.5. Scientific impact – Publications .............................................................................. 56 

Annex Overview A: RFCS projects awarded in the period 2021 - 2024 ............................... 58 

Annex Overview B: RFCS publications ................................................................................. 60 

3 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1.  INTRODUCTION  

This Commission staff working document provides an ex-ante evaluation of the legislative proposal 
for a reform of the Research Fund for Coal and Steel, which is divided into two proposals for Council 
Decision. Both proposals for Council Decision have the same accompanying ex-ante evaluation. Such 
evaluation is required for all programmes that entail significant spending1. The scope of the evaluation 
covers  the  problems  to  be  addressed,  the  added  value  of  Union  involvement,  policy  objectives, 
expected  impacts  of  different  options,  their  contribution  to  wider  EU  policy  objectives,  and 
monitoring and evaluation arrangements. 

European  integration  started  in  1950  with  the  Schuman  Declaration  laying  the  foundations  of  the 
European  Coal  and  Steel  Community.  Since  then,  both  Europe  and  the  world  have  undergone 
tremendous  changes,  with  new  global  players,  radically  new  technologies  and  a  thoroughly 
transformed  world  order.  These  deep  changes  have  accelerated  in  recent  years.  Nevertheless,  steel 
remains a crucial industry for Europe’s competitiveness and strategic autonomy. The deep challenges 
that  it  now  faces  range  from  energy  prices  and  decarbonisation  to  global  tariffs  and  overcapacity. 
They  need  to  be  addressed  through  determined  public  support,  including  to  the  sector’s  research, 
innovation and deployment of advanced technologies. At the same time, the clean transition of coal 
mining  regions  also  requires  European  support,  including  through  research,  development  and 
demonstration  of  innovative  solutions.  The  Research  Fund  for  Coal  and  Steel,  funded  through  the 
assets of the European Coal and Steel Community in liquidation, remains the prime EU instrument to 
provide  for  this  support.  Its  reform  is  taking  place  in  the  broader  context  of  a  wide  range  of  EU 
initiatives to protect and promote Europe’s competitiveness, sustainable growth, security and strategic 
autonomy. 

With the Competitiveness Compass2, published in January 2025, the European Commission presented 
its roadmap and actions to boost industrial competitiveness. It responded to the call by stakeholders, 
as expressed in the Antwerp Declaration3 for making a business case for investments in Europe and to 
the Draghi report4 by following up on its recommendations to close the innovation gap, to present a 
joint  decarbonisation  and  competitiveness  plan,  and  to  increase  Europe’s  economic  security  and 
reduce  dependencies.  The  Draghi  report  recognised  decarbonisation  and  circular  economy  as  a 
powerful drivers of growth, when integrated with industrial, competition, economic and trade policies. 

The  Clean  Industrial  Deal  (CID)5,  presented  by  the  European  Commission  in  February  2025,  set 
concrete  actions  to  support  the  decarbonisation  of  European  industry  while  ensuring  that  the  EU 
remains competitive and an attractive manufacturing location. The CID placed a particular focus on 
energy-intensive  industries  and  clean tech sectors  and  presented  actions for lowering energy  prices, 
creating  lead  markets  to  boost  demand  for  clean  products,  financing  investments  for  the  clean 
transition,  focusing  on  circularity  and  access  to  materials,  acting  on  a  global  scale,  and  supporting 
skills and quality jobs. It was accompanied by the Affordable Energy Action Plan6 and followed by 
sector-specific action plans that tailor its implementation to the specific needs of sectors.  

1 European Commission: Directorate-General for Budget, Financial regulation applicable to the general budget 

of the Union (recast), Publications Office of the European Union, 2024, Art 34.1 

2 COM(2025)30 final 
3 https://antwerp-declaration.eu/  
4 The future of European competitiveness: Report by Mario Draghi, September 2024,  

https://commission.europa.eu/topics/eu-competitiveness/draghi-report_en  

5 COM(2025)85 final 
6 COM(2025)79 

4 

 
 
 
This  includes  the  European  Steel  and  Metals  Action  Plan7,  adopted  in  March  2025,  which  lists 
concrete  measures  aiming  at  boosting  the  competitiveness  of  the  steel  sector  and  eliminating 
bottlenecks for businesses and announces an overall reform of the Research Fund for Coal and Steel 
“to  simplify  and  further  accelerate  investments  in  steel  research,  including  research  on  defence 
applications”. 

Some  of  the  announced  CID  measures  have  already  been  presented.  For  instance,  the  European 
Commission adopted on 25 June 2025 a new Framework for State Aid measures to support the Clean 
Industrial  Deal (CIDSAF)8.  This  helps  Member  States  to  support  more  easily  the  development  of 
clean energy, industrial decarbonisation, circular economy, and clean technologies. This was followed 
on  2  July  2025  by  a  Recommendation  on  Tax  Incentives  to  support  the  CID,  which  outlines  a 
comprehensive  framework  for  Member  States  to  design  cost-effective  tax  measures  that  stimulate 
investment in clean technologies and industrial decarbonisation. 

Another key measure announced for the implementation of the CID is the Industrial Accelerator Act, 
also announced for the end of 2025, that aims to channel investments in infrastructure and industry, 
address permitting  bottlenecks, and create  lead  markets for  the  development  of European  clean  and 
resilient industrial technologies. The Act is expected to establish a low-carbon product label and apply 
sustainability,  resilience,  and  minimum  EU  content  requirements  for  low-carbon  products  in  public 
procurement.  

Moreover, a flagship call worth around EUR 600 million announced under the CID is expected to be 
published  under  the  2026-2027  Horizon  Europe  work  programme  to  support  fit-for-deployment 
projects. Furthermore, a EUR 1 billion pilot auction will be set up under the Innovation Fund on the 
decarbonisation of key industrial processes across various sectors and an IPCEI Design Support Hub 
will be launched to facilitate the development of IPCEIs by Member States. Finally, in the first half of 
2026, a proposal for an Industrial Decarbonisation Bank will be put forward. 

Another important new measure, targeting coal industries, fossil gas and oil specifically, is the EU’s 
world-leading Methane Regulation (EU/2024/1787)9, which entered into force on 4 August 2024. It 
aims to reduce methane emissions from the energy sector, reinforcing the EU’s global leadership in 
the  fight  against  climate  change.  The  Regulation  will  require  the  sectors  concerned  to  measure, 
monitor, report, and verify their methane emissions.  

The  proposed  reform  of  the  Research  Fund  for  Coal  and  Steel  (RFCS)  is  embedded  in  this  wider 
policy  context,  which  prioritises  support  to  energy-intensive  industries  for  their  decarbonisation 
journey, while creating conditions that foster their competitiveness. 

2.  CONTEXT: THE REFORM OF THE RESEARCH FUND FOR 

COAL AND STEAL BEFORE AND AFTER 2021 

2.1 The Research Fund for Coal and Steel before 2021 
The European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) was established for a period of fifty years by the 
ECSC Treaty signed in Paris on 18 April 1951 by Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg, and 

7 COM(2025)125 final 
8 https://competition-policy.ec.europa.eu/about/contribution-clean-just-and-competitive-transition/clean-

industrial-deal-state-aid-framework-cisaf_en  
9 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1787/oj/eng  

5 

 
 
 
 
the  Netherlands,  later  joined  by  new  Member  States  on  successive  enlargements  of  the  European 
Communities. Having entered into force on 23 July 1952, it expired as scheduled on 23 July 2002 and 
all assets and liabilities existing at this expiry date were transferred to the European Community. The 
Member States decided to add a Protocol to the EU Treaties that  provides for using these funds for 
research  in the  sectors related  to  the  10  industry￼. The  Protocol foresees  that the  revenue  from the 
assets of the ECSC in liquidation would constitute the Research Fund for Coal and Steel (RFCS). The 
Council  Decision  on  the  adoption  of  the  Research  Programme  of  the  RFCS  and  its  guidelines11 
indicate  that  with  the  general  aim  of  increasing  competitiveness  and  contributing  to  sustainable 
development, the main emphasis is on funding research  and technological development, to guarantee 
the economic, clean and safe production that aims at reducing costs, improving the quality of products 
and processes and contributing to environmental objectives and the conservation of resources, health 
and safety aspects, as well as improvement of working conditions. 

The RFCS has since then been a standalone programme set up under Protocol 37 of the Treaty and 
regulated by three Council Decisions12 that establish measures aiming at implementing the Protocol as 
well as establishing financial and technical guidelines.  

Every year since its creation, the Fund supports research activities through annual calls. The current 
legal base13 foresees a budget breakdown between coal and steel for supporting research, with 27.2% 
of the annual allocations to be devoted to coal-related research and 72.8% to steel-related research.  

2.2 RFCS Reform in 2021 
The  RFCS  initially  started  by  funding  research  activities  through  the  revenues  of  the  assets  of  the 
ECSC in liquidation. Until 2016, the RFCS was able to deliver stable annual programmes, using only 
revenues to ensure long-term viability of the assets14.  As of 2016, it became clear that due to the low 
revenues, the size of the programme could not be retained without the use of some of the assets. 

This was echoed in 2019 by a review of the European Court of Auditors (15) that raised the issue that 
the revenues generated by the original fund (at the end of 2018, the equity of the ECSC in liquidation 
amounted to EUR 1.5 billion) were continuously decreasing along with the constant decrease of the 
interest rate in the financial markets during the previous decade16.   
To address this issue, the Commission submitted a proposal allowing for partial use of the assets of 
the ECSC, which led to the adoption of Council Decision (EU) 2021/120717, which allowed the use of 
the assets as long as the revenues were not enough to cover an annual allocation for the programme. 
This provision will remain in effect until 31st December 2027, included. 

10 Protocol 37 on the financial consequences of the expiry of the ECSC Treaty and on the Research Fund for 
Coal and Steel, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:12008M/PRO/37  

11 Council Decision 2008/376/EC 
12 Council Decision 2003/76/EC amended by 2018/599, Council Decision 2003/77/EC amended by 2021/1207, 

and Council Decision 2008/376/EC amended by 2017/955. 

13 Article 4 point 2 of Council Decision 2003/76/EC 
14 Resolution of 20.07.1998 
15 Review No.10/2019 of the European Court of Auditors, available at 

https://www.eca.europa.eu/en/publications?did=51111#:~:text=Page%20Image-
,Review%20No%2010/2019:%20The%20European%20Coal%20and%20Steel%20Community,RO  

16 As per Council Decision 2003/76/EC, ECSC funds totalled approximately EUR 1.6 billion as of 23 July 2002. 
17 Council Decision (EU) 2021/1207 of 19 July 2021 amending Decision 2003/77/EC laying down multiannual 

financial guidelines for managing the assets of the ECSC in liquidation and, on completion of the 
liquidation, the Assets of the Research Fund for Coal and Steel, OJ L 261/47. 

6 

 
 
 
 
With the Decision 2021/1207, the Council did not merely authorise the use of the assets in order to 
maintain the same size of the programme as before, but decided that a much more considerable annual 
allocation  than  before  was  necessary  in  order  to  “to  provide  meaningful  support  for  worthwhile 
collaborative research projects that have the critical mass18”. The Decision 2021/1207 also points to 
the Union needs for ‘climate and resource frontrunners’ to develop breakthrough technologies in key 
industrial sectors by 2030 and to be climate-neutral by 2050. 

This  need  for  critical  mass  and  the  development  of  breakthrough  technologies  were  the  rationale 
behind  the  introduction  of  the  Big  Tickets  instrument  under  the  RFCS,  aiming  at  supporting  large 
pilot and demonstration projects, providing an indicative EU budget per project up to EUR 18 million 
for  coal  and  EUR  25  million  for  steel,  to  cover  high  Technology  Readiness  Levels  (TRLs).  The 
Decision 2021/1207 also introduced the Clean Steel Partnership, which receives EU funding of EUR 
700  million  between  2021  and  2027,  equally  split  between  RFCS  and  Horizon  Europe.  The  main 
objective  of  the  Clean  Steel  Partnership  was  to  enable  the  developments  of  technologies  related  to 
steel  at  a  demonstration  scale,  through  the  Big  Tickets  instruments,  aiming  at  funding  high  TRL 
projects (up to TRL 7 or 8).  

To allow for such investments, the annual allocation of the programme was set at EUR 111 million per 
year (with EUR 40 million for the annual research call, and EUR 71 million allocated for two The Big 
Tickets calls for coal and for steel). 

2.3 Current assets 
Total current and non-current assets held by the ECSC portfolio amounted to EUR 1.229 billion as of 
31 August 2025 compared to EUR 1.220 billion at the end of 2023, and EUR 1.5 billion in 2018. 

From these assets, the following liabilities can be deducted:  

-  EUR 36.874.795 for the last Brexit instalment (payable in November 2025); 

-  EUR 433.772.302 for the allocations to RFCS  until 2025 (payable at request); 

-  EUR 111.000.000 for the allocation to RFCS 2026 (payable as from 2026 at request ). 

Overall,  the  net  value  of  the  assets  (at  the  market  value  as  at  31.08.2025)  amounts  to  EUR 
647.150.923. 

This amount does not take account of the non-allocated funds of the RFCS for the period 2021-2026, 
which are estimated at around EUR 150 million. 

18 Recital 3 of Decision 2021/1207/EC. 

7 

 
 
 
 
 
 
3.  PROBLEM ANALYSIS AND NEEDS ASSESSMENT FOR AN 

OVERALL REFORM 

3.1 Challenges in the steel sector  
The European steel industry is a vital component of the EU economy and a key enabler of its strategic 
autonomy. Around five hundred production sites across 22 Member States19 contribute about EUR 80 
billion to the EU’s GDP and underpin over 2.5 million jobs (including indirect jobs)20. 

However,  the  steel  industry  faces  significant  challenges.  The  increasing  global  steel  excess 
capacities in third countries, as well as unfair trade practices and tariffs, threaten the viability of the 
European  steel  sector.  Since  stability  and  predictability  of  demand  are  fundamental  drivers  for 
investment  in  all  clean  technologies,  the  combination  of  high  energy  prices  and  operating  costs, 
strategic dependencies on critical raw materials, longer permitting times, and an uneven playing field 
are hindering the roll-out of investments in clean steel.  

At the EU level, steel production capabilities are still divided between the blast furnace - basic oxygen 
furnace (BF-BOF) route (58%) and the scrap-based electric arc furnace (EAF) route (41%)21. While 
the  EAF  route  is  considered,  when  coupled  with  renewable  energy,  as  one  of  the  routes  for 
decarbonisation of this energy intensive and highly carbon emitting industry, the BF-BOF is still part 
of  the  traditional  technologies  that  strongly  contribute  to  CO2  emissions.  The  transition  to  carbon 
neutrality  requires  heavy  financial  investments  to  innovate  industrial  technologies  and  installations. 
Hydrogen-base DRI and electrolysis of iron are – together with the evolution of the EAF and carbon 
capture  approaches  –    fundamental  technologies  for the  decarbonisation  of  the steel  sector22. While 
electricity and hydrogen are pivotal solutions for decarbonising the steel industry, their high costs and 
the limited availability of green hydrogen remain a barrier for investments. As of late 2024, Europe 
was producing only an estimated 0.023 million tonnes of renewable hydrogen annually23. Addressing 
this gap will require substantial investments in infrastructure, with the related costs. The difficulty to 
de-risk these high investments constitute a real challenge for decarbonisation, since steel production is 
highly CO₂-intensive, accounting for around 7% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and 5-6% 
of the EU total. To overcome the lack of hydrogen infrastructure availability, the steel industry is also 
pushed  to  install  onsite  hydrogen  production  and  storage  facilities,  to  create  synergies  with  parallel 
sectors, or to intensify the transition to electricity-based ironmaking. 

Despite  these  challenges,  the  EU  remains  a  global  player  in  steel  (along  with  China,  India,  Japan, 
USA,  Russia,  and  South  Korea),  with  strong  production  capacity  and  industrial  capabilities.  It  is, 
therefore,  crucial  to  support  the  sector  in  its  transition  and  safeguard  EU  competitiveness  in  this 
strategic field, which is indispensable to Europe’s overall industrial fabric. 

19 AT, BE, BG, HR, CZ, DK, EE, FI, FR, DE, GR, HU, IT, LT, LU, NL, PL, PT, RO, SK, ES, SE. 
20https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/api/files/document/print/en/ip_25_805/IP_25_805_EN.pdf#:~:tex

t=The%20European%20steel%20industry%2C%20with%20approximately%20500%20production,always
%20been%20a%20core%20engine%20for%20European%20prosperity.  

21 Joint Research Centre, European Commission 
22 2024-CSP-SRIA.pdf 

23The State of European Steel transition, 

https://caneurope.org/content/uploads/2025/03/THE_STATE_OF_THE_EUROPEAN_STEEL_TRANSITI
ON_mar2025.pdf  

8 

 
 
 
 
3.2 Coal sector in transition  
The coal production in Europe has been steadily declining since the 1980s, a trend that continues to 
accelerate throughout the 1990s and 2000s, thus contributing insignificant share to the GDP. In 2024, 
EU  hard  coal  production  according  to  Eurostat  stood  at  just  44  million  tonnes—an  84%  decrease 
compared to 277 million tonnes in 199024. Notably, in 2023, solar energy overtook brown coal as an 
electricity  source  in  the  EU  for  the  first  time,  marking  a  significant  milestone  in  the  energy 
transition25.  In  2023,  the  EU’s  import  dependency  rate  for  hard  coal  was  67%,  which,  while  high, 
remains below the import dependency rates for oil (95%) and natural gas (90%).  

Today,  coal  (hard  and  brown  coal)  is  mined  in  nine  EU  countries26. While  its  primary  use  remains 
electricity  generation  and  district  heating,  coal  also  plays  a  critical  role  in  industrial  processes, 
particularly in iron and steel production, as well as in cement manufacturing. 

The  decline  of  the  coal  sector  has  had  considerable social  and  economic  impacts.  Numerous mines 
and coal-fired power plants have been shut down, especially in regions historically dependent on coal. 
In  2021,  coal-related  activities  provided  direct  employment  to  approximately  208,000  people  in 
Europe,  76%  of  whom  worked  in  the  mining  sector.  This  represents  a  37%  drop  in  coal-related 
employment compared to 201827.  Similarly,  a  European  Parliament report  from  2019  estimated that 
238,000 jobs were tied to coal mines and power plants, projecting further job losses of up to 160,000 
by 203028.  

As  of  2023,  18  EU  Member  States  still  used  hard  coal  for  electricity  generation.  However,  its 
significance  has  sharply  diminished,  with  Poland  standing  out  as  the  only  country  where  hard  coal 
remains  the  dominant  source  of  electricity.  In  Poland,  hard  coal  accounted  for  39%  of  electricity 
generation in 2023, followed by brown coal (lignite) at 21%29. 

Germany  represented  46%  of  the  total  brown  coal  consumption  of  the  EU  in  2024,  followed  by 
Poland  (21%),  Czechia  (12%),  Bulgaria  (8%),  Romania  (6%)  and  Greece  (4%).  Brown  coal  is 
primarily used for electricity generation in the nine EU Member States30 that produce it. It has a low 
energy  content  and  does  not  have  a  lot  of  potential  uses  besides  electricity  and  heat  generation.  In 
most EU countries using brown coal in 2023, according to EUROSTAT, at least 90% of brown coal 
was used to produce electricity and heat.  

The  diminishing  role  of  coal  is  mirrored  in  its  shrinking  share  of  electricity  generation.  In  the  EU, 
coal’s contribution dropped from 16% in 2022 to 12% in 2023.  

Additionally, the EU remains heavily reliant on imports for hard coal. In 2023, 90% of net imports 
came  from  five  countries:  Australia,  the  United  States,  Colombia,  South  Africa,  and  Kazakhstan. 
Sanctions have effectively banned Russian coal imports (which plummeted by 98% between 2021 and 
2023), following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. 

The Just Transition Fund (JTF)31 has been created to support coal-dependent regions in diversifying 
and  modernising  their  economies  with  a  total  budget  of  EUR  19.3  billion  (including  EUR  10.87 

24 Coal production and consumption statistics - Statistics Explained - Eurostat 
25 Coal production and consumption statistics - Statistics Explained - Eurostat 

26 In 2023, production of hard coal and brown coal is found in DE, PL, CZ, BG, RO, EL, HU, SI, and SK. 
27 EU coal regions in transition - European Commission 
28 EU support for coal regions 
29 Coal production and consumption statistics - Statistics Explained - Eurostat 
30 BG, DE, CZ, SK, HU, RO, PO, SI.  
31 Regulation (EU) 2021/1056 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2024, established the 
Just Transition Fund, see more at: https://commission.europa.eu/funding-tenders/find-funding/eu-funding-
programmes/just-transition-fund_en 

9 

 
 
 
million under the recovery instrument NextGenerationEU) for Member States in the 2021-2027 MFF. 
These structural transformations are inherently long-term, but targeted research and innovation (R&I) 
activities  can  play  a  vital  role  in  accelerating  the  transition  and  ensuring  sustainable  economic  and 
social outcomes. 

Besides, with more stringent measures in the recent 2024 Methane Regulation, activities around coal 
mines will need to contribute to the objective of mitigating methane emissions.  

3.3 Outcome of the 2021 reform and feedback from stakeholders 
As  explained  earlier,  the  2021  reform  of  the  legal  base  of  the  RFCS  introduced  several  changes, 
including the Big Tickets instrument directed at supporting large pilot and demonstration projects.  

The proposal was based on the results of a monitoring exercise of the RFCS Research Programme, 
including an assessment of the expected benefits32. The experts that analysed the functioning of the 
RFCS  Research  Programme,  assessed  the  technological  developments  and  expected  benefits  of  the 
programme  to  the  sector  and  society.  They  drew  recommendations  for  the  improvement  of  the 
programme,  namely  the  introduction  of  support  for  breakthrough  research  on  clean  technologies. 
These results were discussed with stakeholders, who agreed on the need to invest efforts on R&I for 
clean technologies to further reduce industrial carbon footprint.  

The main objective of the reform was to set up a robust research programme for coal and steel, in line 
with EU climate objectives of the Green Deal, and to encourage the roll out of private investments.  

Outcome of the RFCS reform for the period 2021-2024 
In the period 2021-2024, the RFCS programme supported a total of 122 projects involving 422 unique 
participants, with a total budget of EUR 269 million (see Table I).33 The projects covered a wide range 
of  topics,  including  coal  mine  repurposing,  methane  abatement,  steel  production  processes,  energy 
efficiency,  recycling  and  environmental  sustainability.  The  total  number  of  steel  projects  is 
significantly higher than the number of coal projects, reflecting the difference in funding distribution, 
as per the RFCS legal base.  

Although the RFCS has proven its efficiency via the  yearly annual call in supporting coal and steel 
sectors through excellent collaborative research and involvement of the private sector, it has failed to 
meet the expectations of the 2021 reform in respect to the Big Tickets, reflected by the underspending 
of the programme The programme and in particular the Big Tickets calls in the present conditions are 
not  attractive  enough  to  yield  large  private  investment  necessary  to  meet  current  industrial 
decarbonisation objectives. 

For the Big Tickets on coal, only EUR 43 million (57%) out of EUR 76 million available during the 
years  2021-2024  have  been  spent.  Regarding  the  Big  Tickets  on  steel,  the  situation  is  worse:  only 
EUR 64 million (31%) out of EUR 208 million. Similar underspending, although to a lesser extent, 
occurred in the Annual call – yet only for coal and only for the outcomes of the 2022 call, which was 
a specific case. In fact, the 2022 call was merging funds foreseen for 2021 that could not be used due 
the late entry into force of the 2021 amendment of the RFCS legal base. 

32 European Commission: Directorate-General for Research and Innovation and Rossetti di Valdalbero, D., Steel 
and coal – A new perspective – European research and innovation in action, Publications Office, 2019 
33 More details on RFCS projects for the period 2021-2024 can be traced in Annex II: Contribution from the 

Research Executive Agency (REA) to the Ex-ante evaluation for the revision of the Research Fund for Coal 
and Steel. 

10 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Table I: RFCS spending in 2021-202434. 
Note: the negative signs appearing in the underspending column for the Annual call indicate an 
overspending. 

While  the  programme  has  overall  seen  a  slight  trend  towards  an  increase  in  the  number  of  funded 
projects, the underspending of the programme is rooted in a lack of attractiveness of certain aspects of 
the  programme,  made  worse  by  external  factors,  such  as  the  challenging  geopolitical  context  and 
uncertainty. When the Big Tickets  calls  were created and established, the situation and the needs of 
the steel industry were different. The first Big Tickets calls were launched in the crisis period of the 
aftermath of the COVID pandemic and coincided with the geopolitical upheavals caused by Russia's 
unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine, as well as with the related steep increases in the costs 
of  energy.  This  chain  of  events  was  made  worse  by  the  sector-specific  challenges  faced  by  the 
industry,  such  as  increased  overcapacity  (caused  by  higher  products  costs  due  to  increases  energy 
bills, along with state subsidies in some third countries) and trade issues, complemented by a highly 
unstable  financial market. Additionally,  the  costs  of  innovation  necessary to migrate  the industry  to 
low-carbon steelmaking, along with lack of primary materials (like hydrogen), infrastructures and an 
important increase of energy prices, contributed to a situation where the industry found itself with a 
missing direction in term of business plan and consequently became extremely cautious with regard to 
investments, including in research.  

Coupled with this specific uncertain context, the overall  RFCS call conditions were not sufficiently 
attractive to leverage substantial investments and trigger the expected participation in the Big Tickets 
calls. 

Feedback from Member States and stakeholders on the RFCS reform proposal 
The Commission reached out to Member States through the Committee for Coal and Steel (COSCO) 
and other stakeholders to identify the main obstacles to participation to the RFCS, with the purpose to 
address them through a revision of the legal base when dealing with the challenges of the financial 
regime  35. The  discussions  started  in  2024  with  the  purpose  to  understand  the  problems  behind  the 
lack of engagement of the industry in the Big Tickets. More focused consultations took place via joint 
meetings of the Coal and Steel Advisory Group on 12 May 2025 and 19 September 2025, the COSCO 
meeting on 24 April 2025 and 23 September 2025, and at a dedicated large-scale public consultation 
event  with  the  stakeholder  community  on  19  June  2025.  These  consultations,  coupled  with  the 
analysis  of  the  programming  period  2021-2024  done  by  the  European  Commission’s  Directorate-
General  for  Research  and  Innovation  (DG  RTD)  in  collaboration  with  Research  Executive Agency 
(REA) led to the identification of several factors leading to the undersubscription to the RFCS:  

•  Funding rates   

Stakeholders pointed out that the 50% funding rate for pilot and demonstration projects, thus also for 
the  Big  Tickets,  is  a  major  reason  for  the  programme’s  lack  of  attractiveness.  That  funding  rate  is 
much lower compared to Horizon Europe. In addition, there is no differentiation between the types of 

34 Research Executive Agency (REA). 
35 The full summary of stakeholders consultation is in Annex 

11 

 
 
 
 
 
 
beneficiaries  (industry  and  non-profit  /  academia).  This  comparison  indicates  a  difficulty  for  the 
industry  to  contribute  50%  of  the  project  costs  when  it  comes  to  large  pilot  and  demonstration 
activities.  Given  the  difficult  economic  situation  for both  coal  and  steel  sectors,  it  is important  that 
funding rates are increased to help de-risk investments in R&I.  

•  Timing of calls  

The route to achieve approval for substantial R&I investments in the industry can be very long, which 
makes it difficult to have proposals ready in time for Big Ticket calls under current call conditions. 
The  development  of  pilot  and  demonstration  facilities  is  inherently  a  complex  and  time  intensive 
process,  often  requiring  several  years from initial  concept  to  operational  deployment.  Before public 
funding can be formally requested from national or international sources, projects typically undergo 
multiple preparatory phases – including feasibility assessments, stakeholder alignment, and technical 
planning – which require considerable time and coordination. Since the current legal base  binds the 
applicants to a submission every 15th September for the Annual Call, the timing of launching the call 
significantly impacts the ability of applicants to submit their proposal on time. The same goes for the 
Big Tickets instruments: the timing of the call was considered too short by applicants, who called for 
a timing that would be more adjusted to the industrial timeline. 

•  Prescriptiveness of Research Fund for Coal and Seel calls 

The  current legal  base  contains  detailed  definitions  of  coal  and  steel,  as  well  as  R&I  objectives  for 
coal  and  steel.  On  top  of  this,  additional  specific  call  objectives,  that  have  been  considered  too 
prescriptive  by  several  stakeholders,  are  developed  annually  for  the  RFCS  Big  Tickets  calls. 
Industrially  oriented  research  needs  flexibility  since  it  is  difficult  to  predict  the  scale  up  and 
integration of new technology in a cost-effective way. This is why stakeholders pointed out that a high 
prescriptiveness  risks  overlooking  high-value  projects  that  contribute  significantly  to  industrial 
excellence  and  long-term  economic  success,  in  a  competitive  sector  like  steel.  Additionally,  they 
reminded that flexibility allows adapting to new needs and ideas in a rapidly evolving industry. 

3.4 Research needs for coal and steel  
In light of the policy context, this section will analyse the specific research needs for coal and steel. It 
draws on the findings of the literature review and from reports of the Technical Groups on coal and 
steel. 

Coal 

In the context of transitioning away from coal, post-mining and land restoration continue to challenge 
the industry, which is relying on research and innovation to ensure the long-term stability and safety 
of closed mines. Besides, as the EU energy system transitions away from fossil fuels towards a greater 
reliance on renewable energy sources, coal regions can play an important enabling role in this shift. 
Repurposing  former  coal  sites  for  renewable  energy  projects—such  as  pumped  hydro  storage, 
geothermal applications, or other sustainable  uses—offers a valuable pathway to support the energy 
transition  while  revitalising  affected  regions.  The  findings  of  a  recently  published  report  of  the 
Technical Group on Coal36 even highlight the need to conduct further research on the environmental 

36  European Commission: European Research Executive Agency, Tsakalidis, A., Merkourakis, S., Jenet, A. and 
Fumero, S., Research Fund for Coal and Steel – A summary of the findings of the Coal Research Technical 
Groups – 2023, Publications Office of the European Union, 2025, 
https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2848/5815364, available at https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-
/publication/3ddc2c7b-e764-11ef-b5e9-01aa75ed71a1/language-en 

12 

 
 
 
 
impact of mining, post-mining environmental issues and energy storage and production. The new EU 
regulation on methane emissions is also putting additional pressure to thoroughly monitor and report 
on  methane  emissions  from  active  and  closed  mines.  The  feedback  to  policy  produced  by  the 
European  Research  Executive  Agency  ‘REA’  (see  added  value  section  of  Annex  II)  indicates  the 
significant research contributions that the RFCS has made and can make to these objectives. 

Steel 

Decarbonisation  of  steel  is  one  of  the  major  challenges  to  be  tackled  in  achieving  the  overall  EU 
targets  of  at  least  55%  CO₂  emission  reduction  by  2030,  and  net-zero  by  2050. This  transition  will 
require  substantial  changes  across  the  production  chain,  through  a  combination  of  efficiency  of 
material use, circularity, fostering scrap-based steel production via Electric Arc Furnaces (EAF), and 
the deployment of innovative low-carbon production routes, such as hydrogen-based Direct Reduced 
Iron (H2-DRI)37. Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage (CCUS) technologies have also a potential 
in decarbonisation, however this route has less potential for taking up at European level.  

At EU level, steel production capacities are currently divided between the conventional blast furnace-
basic oxygen furnace (BF-BOF) route (58%), which is high in CO2 emissions, and the scrap-based 
electric arc furnace (EAF) route (41%). However, scrap-based production has some limitations, since 
it cannot deliver a steel with the purity level that is needed in some parts of the value chain. EAF also 
relies strongly on scrap, thus on circularity and related scrap upgrade activities still under evolution. 

To  replace  the  standard  BF-BOF,  Direct  Reduced  Iron  combined  with  Electric  Arc  Furnace  is 
projected to significantly expand its role in EU steelmaking, reaching 18% of the capacity in 2035. 
This technology has the advantage of taking up increasing proportions of hydrogen to displace natural 
gas38. At  the  same  time,  the  BF-BOF  capacity  may  decrease  since  a  substantial  share  of  BF-BOF 
facilities  in  the  EU  were  constructed  during  the  1950s  and  1960s  and  will  require  replacement  or 
retrofitting  within  the  next  decade.  It is estimated  74%  of  BF-BOF  furnace capacity in the  EU  will 
need to be upgraded with high investments associated to ensure their economic viability.  

Finally, there are high needs for research on the development of high-quality steel products that can be 
used, in particular, in renewable applications (e.g. wind turbines) on technologies for reducing scrap 
impurities to increase recycling, and additive manufacturing39.  

The feedback to policy produced by REA (see added value section of Annex II) indicates that selected 
RFCS pilot and demonstration projects provide tangible evidence of the sector’s capacity to innovate 
and reduce emissions.  

The  cost  of  these  low-carbon  technologies  is  often  higher  than  current  production  methods. This  is 
especially  the  case  in  the  early  stages  of  the  transition.  Targeted  support  and  increased  R&I 
cooperation are thus needed to make the business case and build on the current momentum and enable 
an accelerated transformation of the steel sector. 

37 MAURY, T., TORRES DE MATOS, C., BLANCO PEREZ, S., ARCIPOWSKA, A., MOYA, J. et al., 
Analysis of the EU Steel supply chain: current trends and circularity opportunities - Raw Material 
Information System Brief, European Commission, Ispra, 2025, JRC142660 

38 Agora Industry, Wuppertal Institute and Lund University (2024): Low-carbon technologies for the global steel 

transformation. A guide to the most effective ways to cut emissions in steelmaking 

39 European Commission: European Research Executive Agency, Tsakalidis, A., Merkourakis, S., Jenet, A. and 
Fumero, S., Research Fund for Coal and Steel – A summary of the findings of the Steel Research Technical 
Groups – 202 

13 

 
 
 
 
3.5 Need for a reform  
The coal and steel sectors should receive the appropriate support in their transition journey, one that 
contributes  to  competitiveness  and  decarbonisation  objectives.  This  requires  accelerating  R&I 
investments, which is fully aligned with the current EU policy objectives. At the same time, there is a 
need  to  ensure  that  the  RFCS  can  attract  enough  participation,  which,  according  to  the  feedback 
received from stakeholders, requires a revision of its overall functioning and its call conditions. These 
elements point  to the need to revise the legal base of the RFCS in order to enhance its attractiveness 
and maximise its impact. 

Not only the calls conditions require a revision, especially in term of funding rates, but also a further 
selling of the fund’s assets is necessary in order to continue providing adequate R&I  funding with a 
critical mass to effectively support coal and steel sectors in their transition. Decarbonisation efforts, as 
one of the priorities of the Competitiveness  Compass,  are costly for energy intensive industries and 
thus  also  requires  a  competitiveness  focus:  the  steel  sector  alone  is  declaring  financial  needs  until 
2030  which  are  estimated  at  €31  billion  for  capital  expenditures  (CAPEX)  and  €54  billion  for 
operating expenditures (OPEX), totalling €85 billion40. 

However, not investing now in decarbonisation will lead to higher costs in the future. As reported by 
the  steel  industry  already  in  2021,  additional  direct  carbon  costs  for  the  steel  industry  –  with  the 
combined effect of CBAM/ETS on the free allocation phase out  – will be nearly  EUR 14 billion in 
2030 with business-as-usual emissions, or EUR 8,4 billion, if the sector is able to reduce its emissions 
by 30% by 203041.  

Until  now,  energy-intensive  sectors  have  been  evolving  in  an  economic  and  political  context  that 
makes it harder to meet the conditions for a strong business case for decarbonisation. In this regard, 
the Draghi report and the consequent intense political activities of the Commission since the end of 
2024  have  set  the  foundation  for  the  business  case  that  would  support  rapid  investment, 
decarbonization,  and  competitiveness.  The  time  for  a  big  change  is  set  at  political  level  in  two 
fundamental  documents:  the  Clean  Industrial  Deal  communication  and  the  Steel  and  Metals Action 
Plan and the Industrial Accelerator Act will further contribute to this. 

Additionally, based on the provisions outlined in the Council Decision 2021/1208, the use of part of 
the  assets  for  dedicated  calls  will  expire  at  the  end  of  2027.  Should  there  be  no  new  legislative 
proposal after 2027, the only type for call for proposals on which the programme will rely on will be 
the RFCS Annual call, as before the reform in 2021. The call budget will be only based on the income 
generated by the assets, with related fluctuations. This will lead to a very small programme, in which 
the financial sustainability is not secured. 

In  this  context,  there  is  an  urgent  need  and  a  timely  opportunity  to  revise  the  programme  and 
strengthen  the  role  of  research  and  innovation  in  effectively  supporting  the  coal  and  steel  sectors 
during their transition. The current call conditions, research objectives, and available budget are not 
leveraging  enough  R&I  investment  from  the industry  and  do  not  offer  either  an  easy  access  for the 
academia and the research community. 

40 https://www.eurofer.eu/issues/climate-and-energy/maps-of-key-low-carbon-steel-projects  

41https://www.eurofer.eu/press-releases/prohibitive-energy-and-carbon-prices-risk-undermining-eu-steel-

industry-decarbonisation-eu-leaders-must-act-warns-
eurofer#:~:text=According%20to%20EUROFER%E2%80%99s%20impact%20assessment%2C%20the%2
0additional%20direct,proposed%2025%20billion%20euros%20investments%20in%20clean%20technologi
es.  

14 

 
 
 
4. EU ADDED VALUE AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE RFCS 

As the RFCS legal basis is based on Protocol 37 annexed to the Treaties, it falls under the competence 
of  the  EU.  The  measures  implementing  the  Protocol  are  established  in  a  Council  Decision  whose 
revision belongs to the Commission’s exclusive right of initiative for legislative proposals. 

Over the years, the RFCS Programme has provided significant advancements for both sectors. These 
advancements are compiled in the recent reports from the RFCS technical groups for coal and steel42 
and are based on strong collaboration between entities from different Member States of the EU and 
from  different  organization  type.  For  steel  companies  and  universities  participating  in  research 
projects,  the  benefits  ranged  from  cost  reduction  (resulting  from  savings  in  energy  use  and/or  raw 
materials),  increased  productivity,  improved  sustainability  to  gaining  new  market  share  through  the 
development  of innovative  steel  products43.  For the  coal sector,  the  RFCS  contributed  to improving 
health and safety in mines and minimising the impact of post-mining activities on the environment. 

The  RFCS  is  overall  an  important  industrial  programme,  with  peculiarities  that  distinguish  it  from 
typical  state-level  research  programmes.  It  is  specifically  tailored  to  support  cross-border 
collaboration, and at the same time it allows industry-academia collaboration with the aim to support 
dedicated industrial research. It is also extremely relevant for the social impact it creates, like it is the 
case for coal regions and re-skilling of the sector’s workers. 

4.1. Achievements of projects in the coal sector 
In the period 2021-2024, the RFCS has supported several projects in the coal sector, which focused on 
the repurposing of former coal mines and lignite mines, and targeting renewable energy production, 
green hydrogen generation, and waste management. Five projects can be highlighted as examples: two 
demonstrators  (GreenJOBS  and  MINE-TO-H2)  and  three  pilots  (HydroMine,  MidSafe,  and 
GrEnMine). These projects fall into two primary clusters: 

Cluster  1:  Renewable  energy  production  (including  hydrogen  production)  and  energy  storage: 
GreenJOBS, MINE-TO-H2, and HydroMine, focus on repurposing former coal and lignite mines for 
green  hydrogen  production,  renewable  energy  generation,  and  energy  storage.  The  projects  explore 
various  clean  technologies,  such  as  i)  electrolysis  of  mine  water  for  hydrogen  production,  ii) 
renewable  energy  production  (geothermal,  photovoltaic,  wind  power), 
iii)  energy  storage 
(unconventional  pumped  hydro  using  dense  fluids),  iv)  waste  heat  recovery  and  blending  hydrogen 
into the natural gas grid. 

42 European Commission: European Research Executive Agency, Tsakalidis, A., Merkourakis, S., Jenet, A. and 
Fumero, S., Research Fund for Coal and Steel – A summary of the findings of the Coal Research Technical 
Groups – 2023, Publications Office of the European Union, 2025, and European Commission: European 
Research Executive Agency, Tsakalidis, A., Merkourakis, S., Jenet, A. and Fumero, S., Research Fund for 
Coal and Steel – A summary of the findings of the Steel Research Technical Groups – 2023, Publications 
Office of the European Union, 2025, 

43 European Commission: Directorate-General for Research and Innovation and Sealy, C., Smart steel – 

Research fund for coal and steel – Supporting steelmaking and use in the 21st Century, Sealy, C.(editor), 
Publications Office, 2016 

15 

 
 
 
 
 
Cluster  2:  Circular  economy,  including advanced materials  development: The projects  MidSafe  and 
GrEnMine,  focus  on  post-mining  waste  management,  risk  mitigation,  and  the  development  of 
innovative  materials.  The  projects  investigate  aspects  such  i)  geotechnical  risk  management  and 
circular  economy  practices  (recycling  mining  wastes  to  produce  new  geomaterials),  ii)  innovative 
geomaterials  (developing  geopolymers  and  zeolites  to  enhance  soil  stabilisation  and  reduce 
environmental pollution), iii) gravity-based energy storage technology and assessment tools for post-
mining areas. 

RFCS has also made significant research contributions to methane emission abatement, supporting 
three projects: one pilot (ProVAM) and two demonstrators (REM and GI-mine). These projects aim to 
capture methane from coal mines, reducing emissions and enhancing sustainability. The projects 
address methane-related challenges from multiple angles, including: 

•  Capturing  and  utilising methane:  REM  focuses  on  capturing  and  utilizing Abandoned  Mine 
Methane (AMM) from closing mines, while GI-mine focuses on both reducing and utilizing 
AMM, integrating it with solid waste management. 

•  Reducing Ventilation Air  Methane  (VAM):  ProVAM  focuses  on  reducing VAM  from  active 

mines, improving capture and utilization, but does not utilize methane. 

•  Enhancing  safety:  All  projects  prioritize  safety,  addressing  methane-related  risks,  and 

preventing uncontrolled methane leaks. 

The projects have achieved significant methane emission reductions, with i) ProVAM + GI-mine: 
140,121 t/year of methane captured and utilized (2022); ii) REM: 18,013 t/year of methane captured 
and used (2024), with a reduction target of 12,924 t/year (2025)44. 

The projects have scalability potential in the EU: 41 shafts of Polish and Romanian gassy coal mines 
(ProVAM),  13  mines  across  Poland,  Slovenia,  Romania,  and  Serbia  (REM)  and  combined 
technologies applicable to mining waste dams and municipal sewage (GI-mine). 

4.2. Achievements of projects in the Steel Sector 
The European Union’s commitment to climate neutrality by 2050, as outlined in the European Green 
Deal,  necessitates  the  transformation  of  high-emission  industrial  sectors,  including  steelmaking. 
RFCS plays a role in this transition by funding projects aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. 
An evaluation has been conducted45 in relation to the contribution of selected RFCS-funded projects 
to the decarbonisation of the steel industry, with a focus on their alignment with the objectives of the 
Clean Steel Partnership and their potential for scalability and impact.  

RFCS  has  funded  five  key  projects—four  pilots  and  one  demonstrator—focused  on  near-market 
decarbonisation  technologies  (Table  II).  These  projects  collectively  address  various  technological 
pathways and exhibit varying levels of technology readiness (TRL 3 to TRL 9). 

The  combined  direct  emission  abatement  from  four  demonstration  plants  is  estimated  at 
approximately 35,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year for a production volume of 1.5 million tonnes of steel. 
Extrapolated to the EU level, assuming moderate adoption, these technologies could contribute to a 
reduction  of  up to 10 million  tonnes of  CO₂  annually,  which  corresponds  to  the  scaling  estimate  of 
ProSynteg technology. 

44 Analysis conducted by REA for the period 2021-2024 
45 Analysis conducted by REA for the period 2021-2024 

16 

 
 
 
 
Table II. How selected steel projects contribute to decarbonisation policy objectives of the clean steel 
partnership and EGD46. 

Project 

Focus Area 

TRL  Estimated CO₂ Reduction 

ProSynteg 

Hydrogen-rich syngas for 
blast furnaces 

3–6 

14 kg CO₂/t steel; up to 9.86 Mt/year (EU-wide 
potential) 

HYDREAMS  Waste heat to clean 

4–7 

75 kg CO₂/t steel; 14,000 t/year (Ugine plant) 

hydrogen 

TWINGHY 

Hybrid H₂/NG burners 
and digital twin 

5–7 

85 kg CO₂/t steel; up to 351 t/year (100% H₂ 
scenario) 

MODIPLANT  Electrification of heating 
systems 

6–9 

5–16 kg CO₂/t steel; up to  

10,000 t/year for flat products (electrification) 

3,000 t/year for flat products (HDG line) 

7,969 t/year for long products 

BIOCODE 

Biomass substitution in 
coke production 

5–7 

400 kg CO₂/t coke; 0.24–0.48 Mt/year 

It  is  important  to  note  that  the  five  evaluated  projects  represent  only  6%  of  the  RFCS  portfolio. 
Another 78% of lower TRL research projects may yield substantial further decarbonisation benefits in 
the  future.  Therefore,  the  estimates  provided  above  are  based  only  on  some  illustrative  examples 
while RFCS’s total contribution is, with certainty, significantly higher.  

The RFCS steel research portfolio demonstrates a strong alignment with the European Green Deal, the 
Clean Industrial Deal, and the Clean Steel Partnership. The selected pilot and demonstration projects 
provide tangible evidence of the sector’s capacity to innovate and reduce emissions.  

4.3. RFCS and scaling up of projects  
The  RFCS  programme  has  demonstrated  a  coherent  and  progressive  sequencing  of  research  and 
innovation activities across successive calls. This sequencing often involves scaling-up (from lower to 
higher TRL), building on previously validated concepts in the RFCS Annual Call research projects, 
and fostering cross-programme synergies with initiatives such as Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe. 
For more information, see Annex II in the Annexes section. 

5.  POLICY OBJECTIVES  

As  explained  above,  coal  and  steel  industries  are  facing  important  challenges  in  their  transition 
towards a decarbonised and competitive economy. The objectives of reforming the legal base would 

46Analysis conducted by REA for the period 2021-2024). 

17 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
be to improve the attractiveness of the programme and leverage its best impact for supporting these 
sectors, while address R&I needs and stakeholders’ recommendations. 

5.1 Improve the attractiveness and impact of the RFCS programme  
The proposed reform aims to simplify and improve the RFCS functioning, making it more accessible 
and  attractive  to  industry,  including  for  SMEs,  research  and  academia.  Revised  call  conditions  will 
help  reduce  investment  risks  for  industry. The  joint  decarbonisation  and  competitiveness  objectives 
set  out  in  the  Competitiveness  Compass  and  the  Clean  Industrial  Deal  (together  with  the  specific 
targeted  sectoral  implementation  outlined  in  the  Steel  and  Metals  Action  Plan),  as  well  as  other 
relevant support initiatives targeting the transition of coal and steel sectors, can only be achieved if 
private capital is supported by a coherent and coordinated framework of public funding. 

At the same time, reinforcing the EU’s strategic autonomy in critical sectors, such as coal and steel, 
requires a strong R&I capacity, with an impact-oriented approach. The overall goal is, therefore, not 
only  developing  lead  markets  in  clean  industrial  products,  but  also  supporting  dual  use  related 
capabilities. The proposed reform would support e research and development for dual use applications 
to achieve a higher impact. 

5.2 Addressing R&I needs and stakeholders’ recommendations  

The proposed reform has the objective to enhance the participation to the RFCS, by revising the call 
conditions and providing higher, more flexible budget, to encourage and de-risk private investments. 
The current policy context is aligned to the objectives of the reform, given the need for the steel and 
coal  sectors  to  transition  through  the  present  challenges,  the  indicated  ambition  to  support  this 
transition,  as  well  as  the  expiry  of  the  current  financial  regime  by  end  2027.  In  addition,  recent 
consultations conducted with stakeholders (including Coal Advisory Group (CAG) and Steel Advisory 
Group  (SAG)  and  Member  States  (through  COSCO),  together  with  the  finding  of  the  Technical 
Groups  and  evaluation  of programming  period  2021-2024,  provide  valuable insights  on  the type  of 
adjustments needed for the improvement of the RFCS Programme (see Annex I). 

The  reform  would  address  the  recommendations  of  stakeholders  to  strengthen  R&I  capabilities  for 
coal and steel and bring new knowledge applicable even beyond these industries.  

6.  POLICY OPTIONS  

6.1 Option 1:  Baseline scenario 
The current financial regime introduced by the 2021 reform will expire on 31st December 2027. The 
first  option  would  be  not  to  propose  financial  and  technical  guidelines  after  this  date.  This  would 
imply  that  on  1st  January  2028,  the  RFCS  can  only  be  funded  via  the  income  generated  by  the 
revenue of the assets with related fluctuations. In addition, the Big Tickets calls would be terminated. 

The only call would be the Annual call, which would continue to exist on a budget only based on the 
income  generated  by  the  assets,  with  related  financial  fluctuations.  This  situation  would  bring  the 
programme to a pre-2021 status, possibly worse given the recent volatility of the interest rates. This 
will  lead  to  a  financially  unsustainable  programme  and  the Annual  call  would  run  on  a  very  small 
budget, if any, not enough to support the intense R&I needs of the industry in the actual transitional 
situation. 

18 

 
 
 
 
Figure 1: RFCS assets net results on investments  

Source: DG BUDG, European Commission,  

6.2 Option 2: Renew the current legal framework post-2027 with 
same technical and financial guidelines 

The second option would be to use the same technical and financial guidelines beyond 2027, with the 
current regime of annual allocations of EUR 111 million with same funding rates. This option would 
lead to the full liquidation of all assets for 2033 or for 2034. Besides, this option would not provide 
solutions  to  boost  the  attractiveness  of  the  programme  and  would  not  allow  for  larger  R&I 
investments which are needed in the short-run, given the current difficulties faced by the steel sector 
and its transition needs. It would also not address the importance of aligning the RFCS objectives with 
current stakeholder needs, nor implement more attractive funding rates. 

6.3 Option 3: Overall reform of the RFCS legal basis  
The third option is an overall reform of the RFCS legal basis that will tackle the following aspects: 

Improving the attractiveness of the programme 

Based on the feedback received from stakeholders, raising the funding rate for collaborative research 
projects  and  pilot  and  demonstration  projects  to  70%  for  industry  and  100%  for  non-profit  entities 
would help significantly to boost the attractiveness of the programme. This funding rate frame takes 
into  consideration  the  large  panorama  of  stakeholders’  requests  and  mediating  on  the  voice  of 
stakeholders requesting a full coverage for non-profit organisations, which would come along with the 
requirement for non-profits to collaborate with industry. For instance, a requirement for an industrial 
partner  or  other  demonstrable industry support  could be  provisioned in the  eligibility  criteria  of  the 
call. 

19 

 
 
 
 
 
 
The definitions of coal and steel and the related research objectives would be streamlined, since the 
current  legal  base  goes  into  an  unnecessary  degree  of  detail,  adding  complexity  for  potential 
applicants.  The  overall  impact  would  be  more  emphasised  and  related  to  broader  policy  objectives 
allowing more flexibility for applicants, adding to the principles of simplification and openness. This 
approach would allow for stakeholders to specifically target the evolving needs of their industry.  

Additionally,  biannual  call  scheme  can  support  long-term  predictability  and  better  planning  for 
application. More specifically, one call would remain open over an extended period of time along the 
two-years  programme  with  two  deadlines  per  year,  allowing  applications  better  matching  the 
industrial investment clock in terms of predictability and flexibility. In the implementation,  one call 
could include all types of projects, allowing for applications throughout the TRL scale and with more 
flexibility  in  the  budget  per  project,  thus  grouping  under  one  scheme  the  current  schemes  of  the 
Annual call and Big Tickets calls. 

To  increase  attractiveness,  the  proposal  is  also  to  move  towards  explicit  dual  use  projects  in  a 
dedicated topic under the Work Programme 2026 to match the political agenda with more innovative 
research that could benefit civil applications and technologies.  

Although  this  will  not  be  reflected  in  a  reformed  legal  base  itself,  the  proposed  reform  would  be 
accompanied  by  enhanced  communication  efforts  from  RTD  and  REA  to  promote  the  RFCS 
programme and its novelties. This would be also conducted through the CAG/SAG advisory groups, 
which are the ambassadors of the programme.  

Accelerating investment for the years 2027-2030 

The proposed reform also introduces the frontloading of assets in work programmes that would run 
for 2027-2028 and for 2029-2030. This responds to the challenges and transition needs that the sectors 
are currently facing and the favourable policy context to support the sectors, as well as the need for a 
higher budget envelope. The call would be established in a Commission Implementing Decision, with 
technical expertise from the Coal Advisory Group (CAG) and Steel Advisory Group (SAG). The call 
would allow for proposals up to TRL 6 for collaborative research projects and TRL 7 and TRL 8 for 
larger scale demonstration projects.  

The  frontloading  would  amount  to  a  potential  investment  package  of  ca.  EUR  800  million  for  the 
years  2027-2030,  as  there  are  EUR  647  million  (market  value  as  of  31  August  2025)  of  remaining 
assets  at  the  end  of  2026,  whereas  non-allocated  funds  of  the  RFCS  for  the  period  2021-2026  are 
estimated at around EUR 150 million. This would allow for setting annual allocations of up to EUR 
200 million for 2027, 2028 and 2029, and remaining unspent appropriations for 2030. These higher 
annual allocations aim to ensure a meaningful programme with a strong EU added value. This would 
allow  the  continuation  of  funding  for  ambitious  projects,  while  taking  account  of  the  increased  EU 
funding  needs  from  the  envisaged  higher  EU  funding  rate  to  increase  the  attractiveness  of  the 
programme. 

Simplification of the programme governance and overall funding EU funding landscape  

The proposed reform includes a provision on the advisory structure of the programme, which foresees 
to establish the advisory and technical groups in a Commission Decision.  

Technical Groups could remain in place until the end of 2030 to support the final technical review of 
the  programme.  However,  their  expertise  and  cluster  monitoring  role  over  the  portfolio  of  the 
respective group would be dismissed after that time, given that no additional calls are planned, for the 
preparation of which their input has been relevant. 

20 

 
 
 
 
In addition, the above-mentioned increase of the EU funding rate for collaborative research projects 
and pilot and demonstration projects to 70% for industry and 100% for non-profit entities would also 
contribute  to  simplification  and  harmonisation  of  the  EU  funding  landscape,  by  aligning  the  EU 
funding  rate  with  the  funding  modalities  of  the  new  EU  programmes  for  competitiveness,  research 
and innovation. 

Breakdown on Coal and Steel 

The  breakdown  for  coal  and  steel  of  27,2%  and  72,8%  respectively,  was  decided  in  2003  and 
calculated  according  to  the  amount  paid  by  the  respective  industries  via  the  levy  that  collected  the 
money  to  start  the  ECSC,  which  was  paid  based  on  the  production  rate  of  each  company  in  the 
respective sector47. This breakdown between coal and steel will be maintained at the level of the work 
programme, instead of the Council Decision. This will provide the necessary flexibility if necessary to 
ensure full use of the assets in the last year of implementation of the programme.   

7.  PREFERRED OPTION AND EXPECTED IMPACTS 

Option  3  appears  as  the  most  impactful,  the  one  that  would  strongly  contribute  to  EU’s  long-term 
policy  objectives,  the  announcements  in  the  European  Steel  and  Metals  Action  Plan  and  address 
stakeholder needs. The frontloading of investment would allow for ambitious research projects, which 
could help reaching climate targets by 2050 while maintaining competitiveness. It would also allow to 
finance the revised funding rates that would address stakeholders’ recommendations and contribute to 
attract  more  investments  and  a  wider  participation  to  the  RFCS  programme.  The  streamlining  of 
research objectives, more adapted to current realities faced by the sectors, would help to maximise the 
impact of the programme. The proposed reform also introduces a requirement to conduct deployment 
and  commercialisation  activities  in  Europe,  to  ensure  the  best  impact  of  R&I  projects  for  EU 
competitiveness. 

Regarding the timing, the reform would ideally take effect in January 2027. While this timing has not 
specifically  been  requested  by  stakeholders,  it  would  offer  more  attractive  call  conditions  earlier. It 
would  correlate  with  a  series  of  measures  aiming  at  supporting  energy  intensive  industries  (for 
instance the Industrial Accelerator Act), as described in the introduction. Indeed, this reform is to be 
understood in a broader policy context in which energy-intensive sectors are considered key actors for 
the EU industrial competitiveness and decarbonisation strategy.   

7.1 Expected impacts for the steel sector  
Supporting  research  on  clean  steel  will  contribute  to  decarbonising  industrial  processes  in  Europe, 
with  significant  benefits  for  the  environment  and  health.  It  is  also  expected  to  generate  positive 
employment effects across the steel value chain and the economy overall when mastering to unlock 
the growth opportunities from the green transition when an adequate business case is made.  

Under the planned reform, the RFCS programme is expected to support research still across various 
segments  of  the  innovation  chain  and  promote  a  fast-track  pipeline  for  maturing  mid-TRL  projects 
into large-scale deployment. 

47 Council resolution 98/C 247/04 of 1998 has invited the Commission to consider how the breakdown could be 
applied, stating that it “should initially be based on the financial contribution paid by the two industries”. 

21 

 
 
 
  
 
The implementation of hydrogen-based Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) and Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) 
technologies  is  expected  to  reduce  dependence  on  imported  natural  gas  and  coking  coal,  lowering 
production emissions and carbon costs. This is expected to enhance the global competitiveness of the 
European  steel  industry,  while  simultaneously  supporting  the  development  of  a  domestic  green 
technology  supply  chain.  This  includes  upstream  sectors  such  as  renewable  energy  and  hydrogen 
production, creating positive spillovers across the EU economy. 

On  a  societal  level,  investment  in  clean  steel  R&I  is  expected  to  contribute  directly  to  the  EU’s 
climate objectives by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It is also expected to position the European 
steel  sector  as  a  future  leader  in  renewable  energy  technologies,  supporting  the  creation  of  high-
quality jobs across green industrial value chains. 

Importantly,  clean  steel  should  be  regarded  as  a  distinct  product  category  from  conventionally 
produced  steel.  Its  successful  deployment  requires  dedicated  lead  markets  capable  of  absorbing 
production volumes — an ambition aligned with the forthcoming Industrial Accelerator Act.  

One such strategic lead market is the automotive sector, for which the European Commission adopted 
its Industrial Action Plan for the European automotive sector in March 2025.48 Automotive and steel 
are  deeply  interconnected:  steel  is  a  critical  component  of  vehicle  structures  and  parts.  Ensuring  a 
stable, secure supply of clean, high-quality steel is essential for the competitiveness of the automotive 
industry  —  not  only  for  civil  applications,  but  increasingly  in  response  to  rising  defence  sector 
demand. Moreover, as the reformed RFCS is expected to support dual-use technologies, this opens up 
new market opportunities in both civilian and defence-related applications. 

Finally, by boosting the competitiveness of the EU steel sector, the RFCS Programme is expected to 
reinforce  the  resilience  of  strategic  supply  chains,  enable  improvements  in  scrap  quality,  and  foster 
circularity. These are key to reducing raw material dependency and strengthening Europe’s strategic 
autonomy. 

7.2 Expected impacts for the coal sector 
In  the  coal  sector,  targeted  research  related  to  methane  emission  reductions,  along  with  continued 
efforts in mine repurposing, will play a key role in supporting the transition of coal-dependent regions 
in Europe. Extending the time available for proposal preparation is expected to increase submission 
rates, particularly as the coal sector has shown interest in pursuing the Big Tickets instrument. These 
larger-scale  projects  often  require  research  at  higher  TRLs,  which  in  turn  demand  substantial 
investment. 

Industrial  partners  typically  require  time-consuming  internal  decision-making  processes  before 
committing financially. Providing longer preparation periods and higher funding rates  is expected to 
encourage  broader  participation  from  both  the  private  sector  and  academia,  thereby  reinforcing 
support for the regions most affected by coal phase-out. 

Increasing  the  scope  and  intensity  of  coal-related  research  under  the  RFCS  is  also  expected  to 
contribute to the development of new skills and the creation of high-quality jobs for the workforce. To 
optimise  this,  it  will  be  crucial  that  RFCS-funded  coal  projects  clearly  demonstrate  how  the 
knowledge and technologies developed can be transferred to related areas, such as biomass cultivation 
or CO₂ capture and storage. 

48 COM(2025) 95 final 

22 

 
 
 
 
To  conclude,  the  reform  of  the  RFCS  Programme  under  option  3  is  designed  to  drive  research 
excellence,  strengthen  the  competitiveness  of  the  coal  and  steel  sectors,  and  actively  support  their 
transition towards decarbonisation. 

8.  CONTRIBUTION TO WIDER UNION POLICY OBJECTIVES 
The proposed reform of the RFCS, which aims to support the  decarbonisation pathways of the coal 
and steel sectors, is not a stand-alone initiative but is embedded in a broader EU policy framework. 

The Competitiveness Compass, published in January 2025, establishes industrial competitiveness as a 
core  priority  and  sets  out  cross-sectoral  actions  for  the  coming  years.  It  recognises  decarbonisation 
and circular economy as a key drivers of growth when aligned with industrial, competition, economic, 
and trade policies. This follows the recommendations from the Draghi Report (2024) on the future of 
European competitiveness. 

Building  on  the  Competitiveness  Compass,  the  Clean  Industrial  Deal  in  February  2025 
operationalises  its  objectives  and  introduces  transversal  measures  to  keep  the  EU  an  attractive 
manufacturing  hub,  particularly  for  energy-intensive  industries.  Its  implementation  is  supported 
through sectoral action plans, including notably the European Steel and Metals Action Plan of March 
2025. 

The Clean Industrial Deal also proposes the Industrial Accelerator Act, designed to stimulate demand 
for  EU-made  clean  products.  The  proposal  complements  initiatives  such  as  the  auctioning  system 
enabled by the forthcoming Industrial Decarbonisation Bank, and aligns with the Net-Zero Industry 
Act (NZIA), which streamlines permitting and enables strategic project status. 

The  steel  sector,  which  has  historically  received  free  allowances  under  the  EU  Emissions  Trading 
System (ETS), will face increasing carbon costs with the phase-out of these allowances by 2035. To 
remain competitive, the sector must make timely investments. The Draghi Report anticipates carbon 
prices  to  reach  €100/tonne  or  more  by  2030. The  Carbon  Border Adjustment  Mechanism  (CBAM), 
entering into force in January 2026, will further support decarbonisation by preventing carbon leakage 
and  ensuring  fair  competition.  In  addition,  the  reform  will  be  designed  to  explore  bridging 
opportunities with other instruments of the next MFF.  

The current RFCS already implements synergies with the Framework Programme through the Clean 
Steel Partnership, as well as the upcoming Clean Industrial Deal call under Horizon Europe, planned 
in  2026.  On  this  basis,  and  following  the  eventual  full  liquidation  and  use  of  the  ECSC  assets,  a 
smooth transition towards research and innovation support for coal and steel in the programmes in the 
next  EU  Multiannual  Financial  Framework  (MFF)  2028-2034,  such  as  Horizon  Europe,  could  be 
considered. 

For  the  coal  sector,  the  proposed  reform  will  be  fully  aligned  with  the  goals  of  the  Just  Transition 
Mechanism  and  the  Methane  Regulation,  supporting  research  that  aims  to  reduce  both  CO₂  and 
methane emissions.  

The proposed reform will be tailored to the evolving needs of both coal and steel sectors. Substantial 
research investment is required to accompany the transition, particularly over the next decade, to meet 
decarbonisation goals and maintain European steel production. Higher annual budget allocations and 
streamlined research priorities will better align RFCS funding with the Union’s broader objectives on 
decarbonisation, strategic autonomy, and competitiveness. 

23 

 
 
 
Importantly, the legal provision enabling Member States to complement RFCS funding with State aid 
will  help  close  the  funding  gap  for  clean  steel  R&I,  creating  a  stronger  business  case  for  private 
investment. This integrated approach will prevent inefficient public spending on unsustainable legacy 
value chains and instead focus support on economically viable, future-proof solutions. 

For the steel sector, since green technologies remain in need of optimisation, medium- to high-TRL 
research  will  be  essential  for  testing,  improving,  and  validating  performance.  The  next  decade  is 
critical, as many large-scale investments backed by State aid will go online. These projects will need 
to demonstrate and gradually integrate new technologies into industrial operations.  Hence, sufficient 
support needs to be made available to support this process. 

As for the coal sector, the 2040 phase-out target and methane mitigation objectives also require urgent 
R&I  support.  Past  projects  have  shown  strong  added  value,  and  now  mature  technologies  must  be 
demonstrated, scaled, and deployed within existing infrastructure. Coal regions in transition will need 
near-term  industrial  continuity  and  viable  alternatives,  which  is  translated  in  a  need  for  sustained 
support,  namely  in  high  TRL,  ready  to  deploy  research.  The  proposed  reform  will  support  a 
competitive funding scheme covering low, medium, and high TRLs, with budgets aligned to project 
scale and ambition. 

9.  MONITORING AND EVALUATION 

The implementation of the RFCS programme will be  monitored by the Research Executive Agency 
(REA),  which  is  responsible  for  executing  the  programme,  in  collaboration  with  the  European 
Commission’s  Directorate-General  for  Research  and  Innovation  (DG  RTD).  This  work  will  require 
regular  coordination  meetings  and  annual  reporting,  which  provides  structured  feedback  on  how 
funded  projects  contribute  to  broader  EU  policy  objectives,  namely  through  the  feedback  to  policy 
(F2P)  exercise,  conducted  by  REA.  Reporting  will  also  inform  about  the  attractiveness  of  the 
programme, e.g. by providing data on the evolution of number of proposals and the absorption rate of 
the funding. Regular discussion with the advisory committee and the COSCO will also help to assess 
the  effectiveness  of  the  reform  in  addressing  R&I  needs,  as  well  as  the  recommendations  made  by 
stakeholders.  

In addition, the technical progress of specific project portfolios under the RFCS will continue to be 
monitored by the Coal and Steel Technical Groups (‘the Technical Groups’ or TGs), which will be set 
up  by  a  Commission  decision.  These  groups  are  composed  of  recognised  high-level  experts  with 
substantial  experience  in  their  respective  sub-sectors.  Information  about  the  Technical  Groups  – 
including  their  membership,  meeting  agendas,  and  other  details  –  is  made  publicly  available  in  the 
Register of Commission Expert Groups.49 Management of the TGs is entrusted to REA, as established 
in the Memorandum of Understanding between REA and DG RTD. 

The Technical Groups provide a comprehensive overview of technological developments within their 
specific  domains.  This  assessment  is  based  on  information  collected  from  RFCS-funded  projects, 
primarily through dedicated annual meetings between the Technical Groups and project coordinators, 
organised by REA. 

Additionally, the Technical Groups are expected to produce the necessary content for REA to provide 
the annual reports  offering  a  broader analysis that also  considers  developments in related  areas  and 

49 https://ec.europa.eu/transparency/expert-groups-register/screen/expert-groups?lang=en 

24 

 
 
 
 
parallel European programmes. This ensures a more integrated understanding of progress and impact 
across the innovation ecosystem. 

To enable comprehensive monitoring and evaluation, it is essential that future project proposals more 
effectively address the “impact” criterion. In REA’s contribution to this ex-ante analysis (see Annex II 
in the Annexes section), it was reported that many applicants either failed to adequately describe the 
potential impact of their proposals or offered only superficial statements without supporting evidence. 

Given that the RFCS operates as a bottom-up programme, each project may deliver unique outcomes. 
As  a  result,  evaluating  the  impact  across  the  entire  portfolio  presents  challenges.  In  2024,  the 
evaluation criteria were refined to introduce the concept of "scale and significance" and to clarify the 
distinction  between  "outcomes"  and  "impacts"  of  research  projects.  Continued  implementation  and 
promotion of these refined criteria in project design and reporting, as started by REA, will allow for 
more accurate and meaningful monitoring of RFCS research objectives, thereby enhancing the overall 
effectiveness of project evaluation and monitoring.  

10.  CONTRIBUTION TO SIMPLIFICATION OBJECTIVES 

its  ongoing  simplification  efforts 

The  proposed  reform  further  aligns  with  the  European  Commission’s  broader  objectives  of 
simplifying  and  consolidating  legislation,  eliminating  overlaps  and  contradictions  and  better 
implementation.  In  line  with  stakeholders’  feedback  as  well  as  the  political  guidelines  for  this 
the  Communication  on 
Commission’  and 
implementation  and  simplification  “A  simpler  and  faster  Europe”50,  there  is  a  need  to  identify 
simplification  measures  to make business  easier  and  faster.  Outdated  provisions  will be  repealed or 
adapted in the proposed reform, to reflect the most recent and relevant legislation, creating a clearer 
and more coherent legal framework. The consolidated new proposal will be implemented through two 
new  Council  Decisions  to  emphasise  the  approach  of  modernising  and  streamlining  the  legal  base. 
The overall number of provisions will be shortened, as a large portion of the current RFCS legal base 
duplicates details already covered at the Work Programme and Model Grant Agreement levels. This 
will  improve  clarity  and  ease  of  implementation.  Provisions  that  impose  administrative  burdens 
without added policy value will be removed. 

line  with 

in 

The updated proposal for the legal base  will also enhance the usability of the RFCS  Programme by 
introducing  a  single  call  covering  both  medium  and  high  TRL  research  and  applying  increased 
funding  rates  across  academia  and  industry.  The  introduction  of  a  single  call  is  expected  to  give 
applicants  sufficient  flexibility  along  with  an  extended  time  to  plan  and  design  proposals  more 
tailored  to  the  specific  industrial  needs.  Similarly,  research  objectives  will  be  streamlined,  with  a 
broader emphasis on project impact. 

Moreover,  as  indicated  earlier,  the  envisaged  increase  of  the  EU  funding  rate  for  collaborative 
research projects and pilot and demonstration projects to 70% for industry and  100% for non-profit 
entities  would  also  contribute  to  simplification  and  harmonisation  of  the  EU  funding  landscape,  by 
having it aligned to the funding modalities of the new EU programmes for competitiveness, research 
and innovation, notably HorizonEurope. 

50 COM/2025/47 final 

25 

 
 
 
 
 
ANNEXES 

ANNEX I: SUMMARY OF THE CONSULTATION WITH MEMBER 
STATES, ADVISORY GROUPS, AND STAKEHOLDERS 

Summary of the consultation for the Reform of the Research Fund for 
Coal and Steel (RFCS) 
The consultation, held as a virtual, public event on 19 June 2025, gathered 150 participants from the 
industry, academia, and research centres, all active in the coal and steel sectors to identify and discuss 
effective solutions for the announced RFCS reform. The event featured presentations from different 
Commission  services  to  set  the  scene  and  an  open  discussion,  based  on  guiding  questions  that 
focussed  on  three  key  areas:  accelerating  investments,  improving  program  attractiveness,  and 
enhancing impact. 

(i)  Accelerating Investment 

Stakeholders  supported  implementing  the  RFCS  reform  by  2028,  as  necessary  according  to  present 
legal  base  to  ensure  continuity  and  avoid  funding  gaps  in  the  programme.  The  Annual  Call  was 
praised  as  a  successful  tool  of  the  programme  and  its  general  approach  should  continue.  The  Big 
Tickets call should focus on specific, high technology readiness level (TRL) projects (TRLs 5–8), but 
avoid overlapping with EU instruments, such as the Innovation Fund. To enable industrial planning, 
calls should open 9–18 months in advance of the submission deadline. RFCS must be complementary, 
and not overlapping, to other EU investment tools, especially the Innovation Fund, which is seen as 
the logical continuation to reach deployment. The RFCS should be also aligned with other European 
policies  that  require  industrial  investments.  Predictability  in  energy  prices,  trade  policies,  and  the 
carbon mechanisms (e.g. CBAM) was deemed critical for investments. 

(ii) Improving Program Attractiveness 

Participants recommended increasing EU funding rates for the Big Tickets to 70–80%, with industry 
co-financing as a quality filter. Project budgets should remain flexible: Annual calls for smaller R&D 
projects  and  Big Tickets  calls  for  larger,  justified  initiatives.  Estimated  budget  was  suggested  to  be 
between EUR 300,000 and up to about a maximum of EUR 40 million, depending on the type and 
scope of the project. A longer submission window and pre-evaluation support were suggested for the 
Big  Tickets.  CAPEX  rules  should  address  ownership  risks  and  modular  scalability,  while  OPEX 
challenges  (e.g.  high  energy  costs)  require  complementary  policies.  The  current  coal/steel  funding 
split (27.2%/72.8%) was deemed equitable. 

(iii) Enhancing Impact 

initiatives 

Stakeholders cautioned against focussing only on large flagship projects, advocating also for smaller, 
TRL-progressive 
to  build  foundational  knowledge.  They  emphasised  EU-centric 
valorisation  of  project  outcomes  to  strengthen  industrial  competitiveness  and  strategic  autonomy, 
including EU-based Intellectual Property (IP) and pilot demonstrations. Encouraging the deployment, 
upscaling, and commercialisation of results in Europe would not only maximise the return on public 
investment, but also support job creation, innovation ecosystems, and long-term effectiveness. Dual 
use research was seen as compatible with the programme, but secondary to decarbonisation priorities.  

Key Takeaways: 

26 

 
 
 
 
•  Continuity and predictability were central to all sessions. 
•  The  RFCS  should  remain  a  flexible,  industry-led  program,  avoiding  direct  overlap  with 

broader EU funds. 

•  Long-term  funding  stability  and  alignment  with  industrial  cycles  (CAPEX,  permitting)  are 

critical for success. 

•  The  consultation  underscored  the  need  to  balance  innovation,  decarbonisation,  and 
competitiveness,  while  preserving  the  RFCS’s  unique  role  in  supporting  the  coal  and  steel 
sectors. 

Summary of the advice received from the Coal Advisory Group and 
the Steel Advisory Group  
The  members  of  Coal  Advisory  Group  (CAG)  and  Steel  Advisory  Group  (SAG)  were  asked, 
following the meeting with the European Commission of 12 May 2025 and on 19 September 2025, to 
provide written input on potential reasons for the observed low participation in the RFCS Big Tickets 
calls  and  strategies  to  improve  the  situation.  The  RFCS  Big  Tickets  serve  as  a  critical  funding 
mechanism for innovation in both sectors. The programme is widely recognized for its high-quality, 
industry-relevant  research,  with  strong  international  visibility.  It  supports  critical  decarbonisation 
goals, including CO₂-neutral iron production and energy efficiency, aligning with the Clean Industrial 
Deal and European Green Deal, and it has a unique value in bridging academia and industry, fostering 
innovation through collaborative projects. 

For  steel,  the  program  supports  a  wide  spectrum  of  projects,  from  targeting  CO₂-neutral  iron  ore 
reduction to  energy efficiency,  alloys for special  applications,  circular economy,  and  digitalisation  - 
aiming  to  align  with  the  European  Green  Deal’s  2050  climate  neutrality  objectives.  A  EUR  100 
million  budget  for  2025  emphasised  large-scale  R&D  with  a  focus  on  achieving  Technology 
Readiness  Level  (TRL)  7–8.  However,  participation  from  the  steel  industry  remained  low,  despite 
substantial  funding.  Key  barriers  reported  include  a  funding  rate  difficult  for  the  industry,  complex 
administrative requirements, and limited awareness among the wide range of industrial stakeholders. 
For coal, the program addresses mine repurposing as renewable energy hubs, methane mitigation, and 
recovery  of  critical  raw  materials  from  waste.  Reported  challenges  include  aligning  coal  sector 
initiatives with broader decarbonisation goals while ensuring economic viability for legacy regions. In 
general,  the  program  also  faces  challenges  in  sufficiently  showcasing  the  positive  impact  of  past 
projects, calling for stronger dissemination strategies to alignment with other EU initiatives. 

To enhance engagement, recommendations include adjusting funding rates, allow longer call opening 
time,  and  simplifying call structures to reduce administrative  burdens.  Co-designing calls  with both 
academic and industrial stakeholders, along with targeted support like proposal development  grants, 
could  boost  participation.  For  coal,  clearer  integration  of  mine  repurposing  and  waste  valorisation 
projects  into  funding  priorities  is  urged.  Both  sectors  require  stronger  collaboration  to  leverage 
synergies,  such  as  using  steel  industry  byproducts  in  coal  repurposing  initiatives,  to  maximise  the 
RFCS program’s impact on the green transition. 

Advice from the Coal Advisory Group (CAG) 

Key suggestions include: 

•  Streamlined application processes: A two-stage submission model to reduce upfront effort and 

overlap, with stage 1 as a concise outline and stage 2 for full proposals. 

•  Lump-sum  budgeting:  Introducing  optional  lump-sum  funding  to  lower  administrative 

complexity for small coal-region municipalities and SMEs.  

27 

 
 
 
•  RFCS ambassadors: A CAG ambassador scheme to promote the program at conferences and 

regional forums, supported by grants and standardised materials. 

•  Enhanced communication: Increased social media presence, storytelling (e.g. RFCS transition 

awards), and video case studies to highlight success stories and attract newcomers. 

•  Administrative simplification: Pre-filled templates, automated budget tools, and multilingual 
communication toolkits to reduce burdens, particularly for SMEs. Very often EU programmes 
are perceived as burdensome. 

•  Funding  adjustments:  Higher  co-funding  rates  for  SMEs  (60–70%),  possibly  100%  for 

universities, and sub-funds to prioritize energy security and diverse projects. 

•  Allow high TRL projects: Coal is close to final phase out. Hence, there is no time for R&D on 

a lower TRL, but only for research in conditions “close to market”. 

CAG  members  emphasised  the  need  for  closer  collaboration  between  academia  and  industry,  with 
proposals  often  initiated  by  research  institutions.  However,  limited  academic  engagement  has 
hindered  coal  industry  participation.  The  group  also  recommended  aligning  RFCS  with  the  Just 
Transition Fund and REPowerEU to sustain projects that miss funding thresholds. 

Advice from the Steel Advisory Group (SAG) 

Key suggestions include: 

•  Program  structure:  Differentiate  between  RFCS  Big  Tickets  (focusing  on  large-scale 

innovation) and Annual Calls to clarify objectives, budgets, and funding rates. 

•  Simplification  and  continuity:  Standardise  proposal  templates,  communicate  changes  early, 

and maintain consistent funding goals to reduce administrative complexity. 

•  Expert  involvement:  Retain  industrial  steel  experts  in  advisory  groups  (SAG,  TGA)  and 

evaluation processes to ensure project relevance and quality. 

•  Funding  flexibility:  Allow  higher  funding  rates  for  research  and  technology  organisations 
(RTOs) without compromising industrial participation and allow full funding if KPIs are met 
even with reduced project hours. 

•  Strategic alignment: Keep RFCS focused on steel-specific challenges, avoiding dilution into 
other  sectors,  and  align  with  EU  policy  goals  like  CO₂-neutral  iron  production  and  energy 
efficiency. 

•  High  TRL  research  projects  (RPJs)  in  the  Big  Tickets  calls:  There  seems  to  be  a  lack  of 

openings for medium-size, medium TRL projects. 

•  Plant builders are beneficiaries as equipment providers and research partners: Plant builders 
can be funded for the R&D part (e.g. design, engineering, development test, etc). As soon as 
the pilot or demo is on the site of the final user (consortium partner), the ownership should be 
transferred to the final user (the plant builder being paid for that). Currently, the ownership of 
the  equipment  remains  with  the  plant  builder  during  the  project,  generating  several  issues 
regarding liability and operations safety. 

SAG  members  noted  the  RFCS’s  unique  value  for  the  EU  steel  sector,  enabling  direct  industry 
applications  of  results.  However,  they  criticised  the  low  participation  in  Big  Tickets  calls  despite 
substantial  funding  (EUR  100  million  for  2025),  attributing  this  to  complex  processes  and  limited 
industry  engagement.  Suggestions  to  address  this  include  targeted  grants  for  SMEs,  clearer 
communication of call schedules, and post-2027 continuity. 

28 

 
 
 
Input and advice received from the Coal and Steel Committee 
(COSCO) 
In relation to the effort to improve the RFCS programme in view of the upcoming reform of the legal 
base and as follow up to the two meetings held respectively on 29 January 2025,  24 April 2025 and 
23 September 2025, ten members of the COSCO, namely Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Finland, 
France, Germany, Netherlands, Slovakia, Spain and Sweden, provided the specific advice summarised 
as follows: 

•  Communication and dissemination activities are considered to be very helpful for increasing 

participation in the programme and more of such activities should be fostered. 

•  The programme as is it is unattractive and not always compatible with industry timing, also in 
respect to scaling-up products. The RFCS and its conditions should be made more attractive, 
while securing an adequate quality of the selected projects. 

•  The  reform  is  considered  crucial  and  necessary  to  allow  the  further  use  of  the  assets  for 
research within the RFCS program. The programme should show continuity and be directed 
for use only of the sectors involved. 

•  Fund more basic, disruptive research. Given the high value of the industry-driven low TRL 
research for the sector, it is recommended to use the assets primarily for supporting the annual 
call dedicated to basic research. For the annual calls, an annual budget of EUR 40-50 million 
is considered adequate. 
In  the  EUR  600  million  dedicated  to  the  Clean  Industrial  Deal  over  the  period  2026-2027 
(EUR 550 million from Horizon Europe and EUR 50 million from the RFCS Big Tickets steel 
of 2026), the EUR 50 million coming from the Big Tickets for steel should be allocated to the 
Annual Calls instead. 

• 

•  Simplification & reducing administrative burden for an efficient use of the money.  
•  Since  the  assets  have  been  built  by  special  levies  from  the  steel  industry  and  to  ensure  the 
industry-driven character of the programme, the fund should be safeguarded and a dialogue 
between  the  sector,  Member  States  and  the  Commission  would  be  appreciated  to  shape  the 
reform. 

29 

 
 
ANNEX II: CONTRIBUTION FROM THE RESEARCH EXECUTIVE 
AGENCY (REA) TO THE EX-ANTE EVALUATION FOR THE 
REVISION OF THE RESEARCH FUND FOR COAL AND STEEL

List of figures of Annex II 
Figure 1. Number of projects by call type (2021-2024). 1 in 9 projects is linked to a  Big Tickets call 
showing proximity to market access. ................................................................................................... 33 
Figure  2.  Evolution  of  number  of  grants  from  2021  to  2024  (total  sum  of  steel  and  coal  projects) 
depict high variability, partly explained by late adoption of the legal basis in 2021. .......................... 34 
Figure 3. Evolution of number of grants from 2021 to 2024 for both sectors (steel and coal) depict 
high variability, partly explained by the late adoption of the legal basis in 2021 and poor quality of 
steel proposals in 2023. ........................................................................................................................ 34 
Figure 4. Number of beneficiaries per sector that received funding in 2021 -2024 ............................ 35 
Figure  5.  Number  of  projects  per  sector  (steel  and  coal)  and  per  type  of  action  (Research  (RPJ), 
Accompanying  Measures  (AM)  and  Pilot/Demonstration  (PDP))  demonstrating  two  thirds  of 
research-oriented projects. .................................................................................................................. 35 
Figure  6.  Evaluation  average  scores  of  proposals  (Annual  and  the  Big  Tickets  Calls,  2021–2024) 
showing increased proposal quality over time. .................................................................................... 36 
Figure  7.  Breakdown  of  funding  by  sector  showing  an  allocation  of  EUR  268.9  million,  with  steel 
receiving 71% (EUR 189.6 million) and coal 29% (EUR 79.3 million). ................................................... 37 
Figure  8.  EU  Contribution  of  EUR  79.3  million  for  coal  by  type  of  project  (research  projects, 
accompanying  measures,  pilot  &  demonstration  projects)  and  type  of  call  (annual  and  big  tickets) 
(2021-2024) showing that 58% is directed to innovation actions close to market uptake. ................. 37 
Figure  9.  EU  Contribution  of  EUR  189.6  million  for  steel  by  type  of  project  (research  projects, 
accompanying  measures,  pilot  &  demonstration  projects)  and  type  of  call  (annual  and  big  tickets) 
(2021-2024) showing that 45% is directed to innovation actions close to market uptake. ................. 38 
Figure  10.  Comparison  of  participant  organisations  in  coal  and  steel  sectors  (private  companies 
(PRC),  research  centres  (REC),  higher  education  sector  (HES),  public  entities  (PUB),  others  (OTH), 
showing similar distribution with industry partners leading in both, 44% and 66%, respectively....... 38 
Figure 11. Share of industrial equipment (CAPEX) ............................................................................... 39 
Figure 12. EU Contribution to private for-profit organisations by SME status, shows most of the EU 
funding  went  to  non-SMEs  (industry),  while  SMEs  also  received  a  significant  share  (a  quarter), 
highlighting the importance of SMEs in the research actions. ............................................................. 41 
Figure 13. Country of origin (top 5) of new RFCS participants. ............................................................ 42 
Figure  14.  Types  of  contract  amendments  requested  by  RFCS  applicants  depict  implementation 
issues  as  most  common  reason  for  contract  amendments  (32%),  followed  by  consortium  updates 
(25%)  and  budget  readjustments  (23%), 
indicating  that  project  execution  and  partnership 
adjustments are the main challenges faced by RFCS participants. ...................................................... 45 

30 

  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
List of tables of Annex II 
Table 1. RFCS Events ............................................................................................................................. 45 
Table  2.  How  selected  steel  projects  contribute  to  decarbonization  policy  objectives  of  the  clean 
steel partnership and EGD .................................................................................................................... 51 

List of abbreviations of Annex II 
AM 
AMM   
AC 
CAG 
BT 
CSP 
D&E 
DG 
EGD 
F2P 
GAP 
JT 
PDP 
PRC 
RFCS 
RPJ 
SAG 
TRL 
TGs 
VAM 

Accompanying Measures 
Abandoned Mine Methane 
Annual Call 
Coal Advisory Group 
Big Tickets Call 
Clean Steel Partnership 
Dissemination and Exploitation 
Directorate General 
European Green Deal 
Feedback to Policy 
Grant Agreement Preparation 
Just Transition 
Pilot & Demonstration Projects 
Private for profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education establishments) 
Research Fund for Coal and Steel 
Research Projects 
Steel Advisory Group 
Technology Readiness Level 
Technical Groups 
Ventilation Air Methane 

31 

 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Introduction 
This report provides input to the ex-ante evaluation for the revision of the Research Fund for Coal and 
Steel (RFCS) legal basis. The content of the report is limited to specific requests from DG RTD. As 
such, it is not an overview of the entire range and outputs of the RFCS programme activities.  

The “reference period” chosen was 2021 – 2024, and the data and analyses presented belong to this 
period. On few occasions, information on activities carried out in 2025 are briefly presented, to give 
an idea of future perspectives for the programme. This is always clearly indicated in the text. 

All data presented in the report come from the  eGrants Data warehouse (formerly called CORDA  - 
Common  Research  Family  Data  Warehouse).  The  data  extractions  were  operated  during  12-
16/05/2025. 

The report is divided in 10 chapters. The information related to the Coal sector and to the Steel sector 
are presented separately whenever possible, in order to highlight, the differences between the two.  

•  Chapter 1 gives an overview of the funded projects per sector and per call.  
•  Chapter 2 shows the evolution in the scoring of the proposals across the years.  
•  Chapter  3  details  the  EU  contribution  per  sector.  This  chapter  also  analyses  the  budget 
allocation  for  equipment  purchases  (CAPEX)  and  provides  insights  on  the  size  of  CAPEX 
giving particular attention to the Steel Big Tickets.  

•  Chapter 4 gives information on gender balance of different types of stakeholders of the RFCS 
community:  expert  evaluators,  members  of  the  Technical  Groups,  and  members  of  the 
Advisory Groups.  

•  Chapter 5 provides information on SME participation.  
•  Chapter 6 gives an overview of “newcomers”, i.e. how much RFCS can enlarge its participant 

pool with new entities.  

•  Chapter  7  provides  examples  of  projects  that  were  initially  funded  as  Research  projects  at 

lower TRL and have later on developed at Pilot & Demonstration level.  

•  Chapter  8  enumerates  areas  of  concern  that  were  encountered  during  the  grant  agreement 
signature  process  (notably  the  termination  of  two  GAPs  due  to  serious  issues  faced  by  the 
consortia), or during project implementation. A specific sub-chapter explains how limiting the 
amount of pre-financing was implemented as a major simplification measure.  

•  Chapter  9  gives  an  overview  of  the  RFCS  dissemination  events  organized  by  REA,  details 
issues  that  were  identified  through  contacts  with  the  stakeholders  and  explains  some  of  the 
solutions that were designed to solve them.  

•  Chapter  10  describes  the  added  value  of  RFCS  by  presenting:  RFCS  work  on  feedback  to 
policy, examples of promising projects/success stories, the feedback from the Technical and 
the Advisory Groups and some insight on scientific impact and how to improve it.   

Chapter 1: Projects 2021 – 2024 
The RFCS programme supported a total of 122 projects during the period 2021-2024 involving 422 
unique  participants,  with  a  total  budget  of  EUR  268.9  million  (see  Annex  Overview  A:  RFCS 
projects awarded in the period 2021 - 2024). The projects covered a wide range of topics, including 
coal  mine  repurposing,  methane  abatement,  steel  production,  energy  efficiency,  and  environmental 
sustainability. 

32 

 
 
 
The total number of steel projects is significantly higher than the number of coal projects, reflecting 
the difference in funding distribution, as per the RFCS legal basis51. The total number of Annual Call 
projects is higher than those of the Big Tickets Calls (BT). BT is a new instrument, targeting Pilot & 
Demonstration  projects  with  higher  TRL.  The  Annual  Call  is  a  long-established  RFCS  instrument 
which mostly funds research projects with lower TRL (Figure 1).  

Figure 1. Number of projects by call type (2021-2024). 1 in 9 projects is linked to a Big Tickets call 
showing proximity to market access. 

2021 was the first year of implementation, after the delegation52 from DG RTD to REA. The relatively 
low number of funded projects in 2021 was caused by the late adoption of the new RFCS legal basis 
(Figure 2 and Figure 3). 

5127,2  %  being  allocated  to  the  coal-related  research  and  72,8  %  to  the  steel-related  research:  Art  4.2.  of 
COUNCIL DECISION of 1 February 2003 establishing the measures necessary for the implementation of 
the Protocol, annexed to the Treaty establishing the European Community, on the financial consequences 
of the expiry of the ECSC Treaty and on the Research Fund for Coal and Steel (2003/76/EC),  

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:02003D0076-

20210811&qid=1748531037025  

52 COMMISSION DECISION  delegating powers to the European Research Executive Agency with a view to 
the performance of tasks linked to the implementation of Union programmes in the field of Research and 
Innovation,  Research  of  the  Fund  for  Coal  and  Steel  and  Information  Provision  and  Promotion  Measures 
concerning Agricultural Products comprising, in particular, implementation of appropriations entered in the 
general budget of the Union, Register of Commission Documents - C(2021)952. 

33 

 Coal Annual Call2483%Coal Big Tickets Call517%NUMBER OF PROJECTSSteel Annual Call8490%Steel Big Tickets Call910%NUMBER OF PROJECTS 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Figure  2.  Evolution  of  number  of  grants  from  2021  to  2024  (total  sum  of  steel  and  coal  projects) 
depict high variability, partly explained by late adoption of the legal basis in 2021. 

Figure 3. Evolution of number of grants from 2021 to 2024 for both sectors (steel and coal) depict 
high variability, partly explained by the late adoption of the legal basis in 2021 and poor quality of 
steel proposals in 2023.      

Figure 4 depicts the number of “not unique” participants (i.e. a given participant can be involved in 
several RFCS projects). A total of 905 beneficiaries, with the steel sector accounting for 77% of the 
total and the coal sector for 23%.  

34 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Figure 4. Number of beneficiaries per sector that received funding in 2021 -2024 

The  programme’s  project  portfolio  comprises  29  projects  in  the  coal  sector  and  93  in  the  steel 
sector. For the coal part this comprises 4 Accompanying Measures (AM), 7 Pilot and Demonstration 
Projects (PDP), and 18 Research Projects (RPJ). The steel sector has a more extensive portfolio, with 
6 AM, 24 PDP, and 63 RRJ.  

Research Projects are the most prevalent type of project in both sectors, accounting for 62% of 
the total projects in the coal sector and 68% of the total projects in the steel sector (Figure 5).  

Figure  5.  Number  of  projects  per  sector  (steel  and  coal)  and  per  type  of  action  (Research  (RPJ), 
Accompanying  Measures  (AM)  and  Pilot/Demonstration  (PDP))  demonstrating  two  thirds  of 
research-oriented projects. 

Chapter 2: Ranking evolution 
In  Figure  6  the  overall  evaluation’s  score  of  the  proposals  increases  over time. This  shows  that  the 
quality of the submitted proposals improves steadily over time.  

This  is  the  result  of  sustained  efforts  from  REA  to  assist  the  stakeholder  community  to  prepare 
proposals with higher quality (some examples are provided in paragraph 10.2).  

The figure also shows that the scores of the proposals submitted to the Annual Calls are consistently 
higher than the scores of the proposals submitted to the Big Ticket (BT) Calls.  

35 

 
 
 
 
 
 
The BT calls are exclusively addressing Pilot and Demonstration projects at high TRLs. The BT is a 
relatively  new  instrument  for  the  RFCS,  with  new  requirements.  On  the  other  hand,  the  number  of 
proposals, and consequently the level of competition among proposers is higher for the Annual Call.  

Figure  6.  Evaluation  average  scores  of  proposals  (Annual  and  the  Big  Tickets  Calls,  2021–2024) 
showing increased proposal quality over time. 

Note: the maximum score that can be obtained by a  proposal is 15 points. Proposals that obtain a score of at 
least 10 points are above the requested threshold. The total score is the sum of the individual scores obtained in 
the three evaluation criteria (Excellence, Impact, and Quality and efficiency of the implementation).  

Chapter 3: EU Contribution 
Figure 7 shows the amount of funding (EU contribution) allocated to the coal and the steel sectors.  

Figure 8 and Figure 9 show that for coal and steel, the research projects of the annual call received 
most  of  the  funding  (EUR  130.9  million),  followed  by  Pilot  &  Demonstration  projects  (EUR  25.8 
million).  For  Coal,  the  research  projects  of  the  annual  call  have  received  a  co-financing  amount  of 
EUR 31.2 million, the Pilot & Demonstration projects of the Big Tickets EUR 42.7 million and the 
Pilot & Demonstration projects of the Annual Call obtained a far lower funding EUR 3 million.  

These results show that the Annual Call is clearly dominated by Research projects for both sectors, 
with a far less focus on Pilot & Demonstration projects.  

One  possible  future  modification/improvement  of  RFCS  could  be  to  dedicate  the  Annual  Call 
exclusively  to  Research  projects  and  Accompanying  Measures  and  reserve  the  high  TRL  Pilot  & 
Demonstration  only  for  the  Big  Tickets.  This  separation  would  provide  even  more  clarity  of  the 
purpose of each instrument towards RFCS’s stakeholders. 

36 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Figure  7.  Breakdown  of  funding  by  sector  showing  an  allocation  of  EUR  268.9  million,  with  steel 
receiving 71% (EUR 189.6 million) and coal 29% (EUR 79.3 million). 

Figure  8.  EU  Contribution  of  EUR  79.3  million  for  coal  by  type  of  project  (research  projects, 
accompanying  measures,  pilot  &  demonstration  projects)  and  type  of  call  (annual  and  big  tickets) 
(2021-2024) showing that 58% is directed to innovation actions close to market uptake. 

37 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Figure  9.  EU  Contribution  of  EUR  189.6  million  for  steel  by  type  of  project  (research  projects, 
accompanying  measures,  pilot  &  demonstration  projects)  and  type  of  call  (annual  and  big  tickets) 
(2021-2024) showing that 45% is directed to innovation actions close to market uptake.  

3.1. Types of participants in RFCS projects 
Most of the participants for both sectors are private companies (PRC, 44% for coal and 66% for 
steel). The coal sector has a higher participation of research centres (REC, 23% for coal and 12% for 
steel) and higher education entities (HES, 27% for coal and 20% for steel).  

Overall, the programme has a strong private sector involvement (Figure 10). 

Figure  10.  Comparison  of  participant  organisations  in  coal  and  steel  sectors  (private  companies 
(PRC), research centres (REC), higher education sector (HES), public entities (PUB), others (OTH), 
showing similar distribution with industry partners leading in both, 44% and 66%, respectively. 

38 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
3.2. Share of the budget used for equipment (CAPEX) 

Figure 11. Share of industrial equipment (CAPEX) 

3.2.1. CAPEX for the Steel sector 
Figure 11 shows that for the Steel sector, a lower part of the budget is dedicated to the purchase 
of  equipment,  i.e.  capital  expenditures  (abbreviated  as  CAPEX),  whereas  for  the  Coal  sector  the 
figures are higher.  

To  explain this,  REA  has conducted  a  more  detailed  analysis  of  some  projects,  especially those for 
which the equipment costs were the lowest among the Steel BT portfolio (see below). In conclusion, it 
appears  that  several  BT  projects  focus  on  either  using  existing  equipment  for  industrial  scale 
trials (e.g. CROSSCUT, HYDREAMS) or deploy digital innovations  (e.g. TWINGHY, PRISMA), 
instead of purchasing or developing “traditional” industrial installations. 

total  project  costs)  for  purchasing 

Some Big Tickets steel projects seem to have a relative low percentage regarding the costs (3-5% 
of 
industrial  equipment  (HYDREAMS,  TWINGHY, 
CROSSCUT, PRISMA). Various reasons may play a role here: The total individual project costs, with 
a  budget  of  between  EUR  8.5  million  and  EUR  10.3  million,  are  relatively  high.  Nevertheless,  the 
respective  expenditures  for  industrial  equipment  are  relatively  low,  ranging  between  EUR  325,000 
and  EUR  428,000  (total  EUR  1.406.553)  per  project.  It  must  be  taken  into  account  that  the  total 
investment for industrial equipment for these four projects amounts to EUR 2,972,026, but only 47% 
of  this  is  billed  via  the  project  due  to  different  depreciation  periods  and  different  allocation  ranges 
regarding the respective use in the project. 

Direct  project-related  reasons  for  a  lower  investment  for  industrial  equipment  include  the 
development  and  application  of  digital  twins  (TWINGHY)  for  furnace  demonstrators,  the  use  of 
multi-material  approaches  to  test  alternatives  to  fossils  (CROSSCUT),  the  focus  on  leveraging 
modern digital infrastructures and platforms (PRISMA) and the use of existing industrial equipment 
from consortia partners (HYDREAMS). 

39 

 
 
 
 
 
Chapter 4: Gender balance 
The RFCS legal basis does not foresee any specific measures to promote gender issues or to collect 
information on gender from projects.  

In general, the female workforce ranges between 3-20% in the Steel sector53, 54, 55 and between 8-17% 
in the Coal mining sector56.  

However,  in  line  with  the  EU  policies,  efforts  were  made  to  improve  the  gender  balance  of  the 
evaluation experts and of the members of the various RFCS groups (Technical Groups and Advisory 
Groups).  

RFCS  managed  to  achieve  a  participation  of  female  evaluation  experts  and  female  members  of  the 
Technical Groups (TGs) and of the Coal and Steel Advisory Groups (CAC/SAG) ranging from 30% to 
42% depending on the group of experts (see below for more details per category of expert/member of 
an RFCS group).  

Gender balance of the RFCS expert evaluators 

The participation of women in the RFCS evaluations shows a stable balance ranging from around 35 
to 43 % for the years 2021 – 2024. 

Gender balance in the RFCS Technical Groups 

The members of the Technical Groups were renewed in early 2023. RFCS has managed to attract and 
select several qualified women candidates. Overall, 39% of the new members are women. Within the 
Steel TGs, 38% are women and within the Coal TGs, 42% are women57. 

Gender balance in the RFCS Advisory Groups 

The members of the Advisory Groups were renewed in early 2025 (see paragraph 10.4). Also here, a 
good  number  of  qualified  female  candidates  were  selected.  Overall,  34%  of  the  new  members  are 
women. For SAG, 36% are women58, and for CAG 31% are women59. 

53  Salminen-Karlsson,  M.  (2020).  Women  in  the  Steel  Industry:  Closed  in  Corners  or  Provided  with 

Possibilities. Nordic Journal of Working Life Studies, 10(4). https://doi.org/10.18291/njwls.122189 

54  Responsible  Steel:  International  Women's  Day:  Celebrating  women  working  across  the  steel  supply  chain. 

March 8, 2025;  

https://www.responsiblesteel.org/news/international-womens-day-celebrating-women-working-across-the-steel-

supply-
chain#:~:text=Despite%20these%20advancements%2C%20industries%20like,the%20workforce%20(S%26
P%20Global)  

55 Women in metals, mining make modest gains in leadership roles | S&P Global, 

https://www.spglobal.com/commodity-insights/en/news-research/blog/metals/052323-women-in-metals-mining-

make-modest-gains-in-leadership-roles 

56  Eiter,  B.M.  et  al.  2023  Occupational  Safety  and  Health  of  Women  in  Mining.  J  of  Women's  Health;  32:4; 

https://doi.org/10.1089/jwh.2023.0034 

57 RFCS Technical Groups - Outcome of the call for applications for the selection of members of the Coal and 

Steel Technical Groups, Ares(2023)2581588.  

58 REA RFCS SAG Membership - Outcome of the selection procedure for members of the steel advisory group, 

Ares(2025)2447821 

59 REA RFCS CAG Membership - Outcome of the selection procedure for members of the coal advisory group, 

Ares(2025)2447737. 

40 

 
 
 
 
Chapter 5: SMEs  
The  RFCS  legal  base60  does  not  explicitly  promote  SME  participation.  However,  the  programme 
encourages the involvement of SMEs, recognising their potential to drive technological advancements 
and economic growth. 

In the RFCS Calls from 2021 to 2024, applicants were required to provide administrative information 
about the participants (part A of the application form). While the form collects data on the applicants’ 
legal status, it does not explicitly require an SME status declaration. 

In  the  2021–2024  period,  out  of  254  unique  private  for-profit  organisations  (PRCs)  participating  in 
RFCS,  63  declared  themselves  as  SMEs,  138  declared  that  they  were  not  SMEs,  and  53  did  not 
provide  any  SME  status  information.  Figure  12  shows  the  EU  contribution  distributed  to  SME  and 
non-SME entities. 

Figure 12. EU Contribution to private for-profit organisations by SME status, shows most of the EU 
funding  went  to  non-SMEs  (industry),  while  SMEs  also  received  a  significant  share  (a  quarter), 
highlighting the importance of SMEs in the research actions. 

Chapter 6: Newcomers  
“Newcomers” are defined as entities that have not participated in RFCS before 2021. During the last 
programming  period  (2021-2024),  259  entities  out  of  a  total  of  885,  representing  a  share  of  29.3% 
were newcomers, 54 for coal and 205 for steel61.  

The  programme  has  shown  the  capacity  to  attract  a  significant  number  of  new  entities,  with 
Spain, Italy, Germany, France, and Poland being the top 5 countries of origin, accounting for 68% of 
all newcomers, indicating a successful outreach to diverse organisations across Europe (Figure 13).  

60 Council Decision of 29 April 2008 on the adoption of the Research Programme of the Research Fund for Coal 
and Steel and on the  multiannual technical guidelines for this programme (2008/376/EC) (Consolidated 
text), 

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A02008D0376-20210725#E0005  

61 This information is not shown in the figures. 

41 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Figure 13. Country of origin (top 5) of new RFCS participants. 

Chapter 7: Scaling-up: from low to high technology readiness level 
(TRL) 
The RFCS programme has demonstrated a coherent and progressive sequencing of research and 
innovation activities across successive calls. This sequencing often involves scaling-up (from lower 
to higher TRL), building on previously validated concepts in the RFCS Annual Call research projects, 
and fostering cross-programme synergies with initiatives such as Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe. 
Below are selected examples of such sequencing efforts, structured by Coal and Steel sector. 

Coal 

1. 
REM  (Big  Tickets  2022)  builds  directly  on  the  outcomes  of  the  earlier  DDMET  project 
(RFCS  2018),  further  advancing  the  technological  development  of  post-mining  methane  emission 
management.  The  project  exemplifies  a  scale-up  of  the  core  technology  and  aims  to  enhance  the 
system’s TRL through improved efficiency in emission control. 

2. 
MINE-TO-H2  (Big  Tickets  2023)  continues  work  initiated  in  POTENTIALS  and 
GreenJOBS  (both  RFCS),  with  the  goal  of  scaling  up  integrated  green  hydrogen  production  from 
mining  environments.  This  project  illustrates  how  RFCS  fosters  continuity  in  strategic  themes, 
transitioning from proof-of-concept to applied industrial systems. 

3. 
PRIMI  (Big  Tickets  2024)  integrates  findings  from  both  FLOW  (H2020  ERA-NET)  and 
MINRESCUE  (RFCS  2019),  aiming  to  upscale  recycling  methodologies  for  mining  and  inorganic 
industrial  residues.  This  is  a  clear  case  of  cross-programme  integration  and  scaling,  enhancing  the 
TRL of circular economy technologies within the coal sector. 

METH2GEN (Big Tickets 2024) follows the ROCCS project (RFCS 2019), advancing CO₂ 
4. 
storage capabilities in European coal seams. It represents a scale-up of carbon utilization and storage 
methodologies toward higher operational readiness and impact. 

POSTEN  (Big  Tickets  2024)  is  a  technological  continuation  of  HEET  II  (RFCS  2019), 
5. 
focusing  on  scaling  up  the  single-wire  energy  transfer  (SWET)  system.  This  initiative  highlights 
incremental  innovation  aimed  at  increasing  energy  transfer  capacity  and  efficiency  in  post-mining 
energy applications. 

42 

 
 
 
 
 
Steel 

1. 
Hy4Smelt  (Big  Tickets  2024)  builds  upon  H2FUTURE  (H2020),  targeting  industrial-scale 
green  ironmaking.  With  TRL  >  5,  the  project  is  a  direct  scale-up  of  pilot  concepts  toward  market 
readiness, marking a critical step in decarbonizing primary steel production. 

2. 
HYDREAMS (Big Tickets 2022), while not a direct continuation, parallels the HYSTALPI 
proposal under Horizon Europe. It aims to demonstrate clean H₂ oxycombustion at TRL 7, marking 
significant progress in industrial combustion systems for low-emission steelmaking. 

3. 
MODIPLANT  (Big  Tickets  2022)  synthesizes  insights  from  multiple  projects,  including 
LowCarbonFuture, BURNER 4.0, GREENSTEEL, and BAMBOO (RFCS, EP-PP, and H2020). The 
project  exemplifies  integrative  scaling  of  modular  plant  innovations  for  more  efficient  steel 
production. 

4. 
TWINGHY  (Big  Tickets  2022)  builds  upon  results  from  DevH2forEAF  (RFCS), 
ALCHIMIA (H2020), FLEX4FACT, and GREENSTEEL (RFCS). It advances hydrogen integration in 
electric  arc  furnaces  and  supports  digital  energy  transition  tools,  showing  both  technological  and 
digital scale-up trajectories. 

SLAG2BUILD  (Big  Tickets  2024)  continues  Ecoslag  (RFCS),  targeting  full  industrial 
5. 
implementation (TRL 8) of slag recycling technology. It exemplifies a transition from pilot scale to 
operational capacity in circular resource use within the steel industry. 

H2loop  (Big  Tickets  2024)  builds  on  PROSYNTEG,  H2TransBF  2030,  and  HYDREAMS 
6. 
(all  RFCS),  scaling  hydrogen  production  and  utilization  technologies  for  emissions  reduction. With 
TRL 7, it reflects both continuity and technological maturation. 

CROSSCUT 

(Big  Tickets  2024)  builds  upon  GREENEAF2,  RETROFEED,  and 
7. 
POLYNSPIRE, combining RFCS and H2020 efforts to demonstrate sustainable substitution of fossil 
coal in steel production. The project illustrates scale-up in both circularity and energy transition. 

PRISMA  (Big Tickets 2024)  synthesizes  outputs from Arrowhead  fPVN, AIMS5.0  (Chips-
8. 
JU),  and  ALCHIMIA  (H2020),  scaling  up  digital  infrastructure  for  smart  manufacturing  and 
environmental data integration within the steel sector. 

These  examples  demonstrate  the  strategic  foresight  of  the  RFCS  programme  and  its  synergy 
with  broader  EU  research  efforts.  The  consistent  reinforcement  of  earlier  results  and  progressive 
scale-up  of  technologies—often  to  TRL  7  or  8—contribute  significantly  to  the  long-term 
competitiveness and sustainability of Europe’s steel industries and positively support a just transition 
of the coal regions. 

Chapter 8: Areas of concern identified during project implementation 
Several areas of concern have been identified during project implementation, including delays, budget 
overruns, and few adjustments in project scope. These issues have been addressed through a range of 
measures, including project monitoring, risk management, and communication with participants. 

8.1. Suspension of a running project 
Big Tickets 2022/Steel/ FULLH2REHEAT: this project was suspended in April 2024 due to the high 
costs  of  using  green  hydrogen  and  its  availability. ArcelorMittal  is  seeking  for  an  alternative  pilot 

43 

 
 
 
 
plant  in  Spain,  contingent  on  accessing  affordable  local  green  hydrogen  prices.  Negotiations  are 
ongoing with the Spanish authorities (EU contribution EUR 8.2 million). 

8.2. Termination of a project during GAP 
Below  are  described  two  cases  of  projects  that  were  terminated  during  the  Grant  Agreement 
Preparation (GAP) process.  

Big  Tickets  2022/Coal/GreendealInertia:  this  proposal  dealt  with  the  repurposing  of  Coal  power 
plant  sites,  utilizing  inter-alia  “second  life”  batteries  from  public  buses.  The  EU  contribution  was 
substantial,  of  approx.  EUR  11.3  million.  When  the  grant  was  about  to  be  signed,  the  coordinator 
informed  REA  that  RWE  (a  German  multinational  energy  company),  represented  in  the  project  by 
four  legal  entities,  had  decided  not  to  sign  the  grant  agreement,  due  to  a  change  in  the  company 
strategy in relation to the use of second-hand batteries. At the request of the Consortium the GAP was 
terminated in July 2023. 

Big  Tickets  2023/Steel/REINJECT:  this  proposal  focussed  on  of  fossil  carbon  sources  in 
metallurgical  processes.  The  EU  contribution  was  of  approx.  EUR  5.8  million.  Towards  the  final 
stages of the grant agreement preparation, the coordinator informed REA that the financial situation 
of  the  company  (Celsa  Group)  did  not  allow  it  to  continue  with  the  grant.  At  the  request  of  the 
Consortium the GAP was terminated in February 2024. 

8.3. Amendments 
Four main kinds of amendments were implemented (Figure 14): 

a)  Budget  modifications  (which  include  Change  in  Annex  2;  Change  concerning  unit 

costs/contributions (Annex 2a) and Change of the maximum grant amount (Annex 2));  
b)  Consortium  update  (including  Beneficiary  termination;  Beneficiary  termination  (non-
accession  to  the  GA;  Addition  of  a  new  beneficiary;  Addition  of  an  associated  partner  and 
Change concerning listed equipment);  

c)  Implementation  issues  (including  Change  of  Annex  1;  GA  suspension  and  Change 

concerning listed equipment);  

d)  Pre-financing  (including  bank  guarantees,  for  more  details  see  the  dedicated  sub-section 

below). 

44 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Figure 14. Types of contract amendments requested by RFCS applicants depict implementation issues 
as most common reason for contract amendments (32%), followed by consortium updates (25%) and 
budget  readjustments  (23%),  indicating  that  project  execution  and  partnership  adjustments  are  the 
main challenges faced by RFCS participants. 

8.3.1. Pre-financing 
After  the  first  two  years  of  implementation,  REA  decided  in  order  to  streamline  the  Grant 
Agreement  Preparation  process,  to  modify  the  bank  guarantee  modalities.  This  measure  was 
implemented to simplify the administrative burden and as well preserve the EU financial interest. 
The new process has been used for the first time for the 2023 Annual Call and generalised for both 
Big Tickets and Annual Calls thereafter.  

It  has  led  to  efficiency  gains  as  this  change  had  an  important  operational  component,  as  it  has 
simplified the process and decreased the workload for both the consortia and the implementing body, 
by limiting the number of bank guarantees.  

Bank  guarantees  are  not  requested  anymore  except  for  the  case  of  a  coordinator  with  weak 
financial capacity, when keeping such a coordinator is manifestly to the benefit of the project (this 
type of exceptional decision may be taken after a careful case by case assessment). Processing bank 
guarantees is a time-consuming and cumbersome process. Also, the costs incurred by the consortia to 
secure  the  bank  guarantees  can  now  usefully  be  employed  in  other  activities. As  a  counterpart,  in 
order to protect the EU financial interests, the percentage of the pre-financing has been reduced 
from 40% to 20%. 

By streamlining this part of the GAP process this measure has also had a positive impact on the Time-
To-Grant. Its implementation was smooth, with no complaints received by the consortia.  

Chapter 9: Issues identified during dissemination events and contacts 
with stakeholders 

9.1. RFCS dissemination events 
Since  2022,  REA  systematically  organises  annual  dissemination  events  for  Coal  and  for  Steel,  and 
Information days for Annual and Big Tickets Calls.  

The  info  days  for  the  Big  Tickets  contain  an  additional  feature,  the  1-to-1  session  where 
stakeholders/potential applicants can clarify issues related to the preparation of the proposals.  

The  workshop  “How  to  write  a  good  proposal”  constituted  a  landmark  one-off  event,  which 
markedly  boosted  proposal  quality  (Table  1).  This  event  was  an  opportunity  to  collect,  and  clarify, 
issues faced by RFCS’s stakeholders. 

Some  of  the  most  prominent  ones  are  briefly  listed  below  after  an  overview  of  the  RFCS 
dissemination events carried out: 

Table 1. RFCS Events 

Name of event 

Date 

Venue 

Number of participants 

45 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
RFCS Summit 2022 - 
‘celebrating the 20th 
anniversary of RFCS’ 

21-22 March 2022 

Brussels 

~50 participants in-person and ~115 
on-line  

~300 connections to the web 
streaming during the two days and 
~200 users of Slido 

30 January 2023 

Brussels 

~150 participants 

13 June 2023 

Brussels 

~200 participants 

13 December 2023  Brussels 

25 January 2024 

Venice 

~40 participants in person and >150 
on-line 

~50 participants in person and >200 
on-line 

27 February 2024 

Brussels 

27 February 2024 

Brussels 

8 May 2024 

Oviedo 

~50 participants in person and >80 
on-line 

14 one-to-one sessions with potential 
applicants 

~300 participants in person and >150 
on-line 

4 July 2024 

Brussels 

19 February 2025 

Brussels 

19 February 2025 

Brussels 

~25 participants in person and >290 
on-line 

~70 participants in person and >100 
on-line 

14 one-to-one sessions with potential 
applicants 

15-16 May 2025 

Jastrzębie-
Zdrój 

~200 participants in person and >100 
on-line 

RFCS-2023-BT Info 
Day 

RFCS-2023 Annual Call 
Info Day 

RFCS Workshop ‘How 
to write a good proposal’  

RFCS annual Steel 
event: “European clean 
steel: stand up together 
for a future low emission 
industry - Hydrogen: a 
powerful ally”. 

RFCS-2024-BT Info 
Day 

RFCS-2024-BT ‘1-1 
Session’ 

RFCS annual Coal 
event: “European Coal 
in Transition: rising like 
a phoenix” 

RFCS-2024 Annual Call 
Info Day 

RFCS-2025-BT Info 
Day* 

RFCS-2025-BT ‘1-1 
Session’* 

RFCS annual Coal 
event: “European Coal 
in Transition: “from an 
industrial legend to 
cutting-edge research for 
the future”. Organised 
with the support of the 
Polish EU presidency. 

*Note: these events took place outside the reference period (2021 – 2024) but are included here for 
information purposes. 

46 

 
 
 
 
9.2. Academic partners 

Participants  from  academia  belong  to  the  broader  category  of  Higher  or  Secondary  Education 
Establishments.  Their  participation  is  more  prominent  in  the  Annual  Coal,  however  for  the  Big 
Tickets  it  is  lower.  This  is  clearly  justified  by  the  type  of  instrument,  having  the  research  projects 
addressing  lower  TRLs  and  thus  requiring  more  academia  involvement  than  the  pilot  and 
demonstration projects. 

In addition, in RFCS, the funding rate of 60% or 50% for any type of participant, contrary e.g. to 
Horizon  Europe,  where  a  much  better  co-financing  is  dedicated  to  academia,  research  centres  and 
SMEs,  hinders  the  participation  of  academic  partners,  especially  in  the  Big  Tickets  where  the 
budget size is generally higher than the budget of the annual call and the funding rate is, at the same 
time,  lower. Academic  institutions  face  difficulties  in  ensuring  the  remaining  percentage  of  project 
costs with their own resources.  

9.3. Subcontracting 
Research  activities  funded  by  the  RFCS  can  be  only  performed  in  EU  Member  States,  unlike 
Horizon  Europe.  This  obligation  has  created  some  challenges  for  the  RFCS  stakeholders  that  are 
multinational entities with often research centres established in other areas of the world. In order to 
overcome this limitation, some of the consortia have decided to subcontract those activities. This 
has  led  to  several  requests  for  clarification  at  the  Grant  Agreement  Preparation  stage  and  to 
discussions during the implementation of the projects. 

9.4. Issues with the evaluation criteria 
Some proposers had difficulties in replying satisfactorily to some of the evaluation criteria, especially 
in relation to the first two criteria, i.e. excellence and impact. Clarifications have been systematically 
provided during the various info days, and in the dedicated event on “How to write better proposals”. 
In addition, some of the questions were adjusted to make them clearer. Some examples are given 
below.  

9.4.1. Criterion 2: Impact 
The  RFCS  is  a  bottom-up  programme,  where  each  project  has  the  potential  to  achieve  distinct 
impacts.  In  consequence,  assessing  the  impact  of  projects  on  a  portfolio-wide  scale  can  be 
challenging.  The  RFCS  proposal  and  evaluation  guidelines  focus  on  broader  aspects,  such  as 
"expected benefits for the Coal/Steel sector" and "expected wider scientific, economic, environmental, 
and societal effects." As a result, proposals often vary significantly in their impact statements. 

A  common  issue  observed  was  that  many  proposers  either  failed  to  describe  the  impact  of  their 
proposal  or  provided  superficial  descriptions  without  sufficient  evidence  to  support  their  analysis. 
This led to low scores, especially during the first year after the delegation of the management of the 
fund to REA. To address this, it was clarified that proposers should provide meaningful assumptions 
and forecasts of their proposal's impact, backed by transparent justifications, references to scientific 
literature, or other relevant projects. 

Furthermore, the evaluation criteria were refined to include the concept of "scale and significance," 
and  the  distinction  between  "outcomes"  and  "impacts"  was  emphasized  during  the  Info  Days.  This 

47 

 
 
 
 
 
 
aims  to  encourage  proposers  to  provide  more  accurate  and  detailed  impact  assessments,  enabling 
more effective evaluation and monitoring of project outcomes. 

9.4.2. Technology Readiness Level 
Until the transfer of the programme to the REA, in the RFCS Annual Call all types of actions were 
competing  with  each  other:  Research  proposals  (RPJ),  Pilot/Demonstration  proposals  (PDP)  and 
Accompanying Measures (AM). REA first implemented a budget split with i) one indicative budget 
for AM and ii) one for RPJ and PDP.  

However,  in  2022,  several  proposals  were  submitted  as  RPJ  actions  but  were  having  a  clear 
correspondence  to  a  PDP  action  (with  high  TRL)  (e.g.  perhaps  to  benefit  from  the  higher  %  of 
financing  for  the  RPJ).  During  evaluations  some  proposals  received  lower  scores  because  of  this 
erroneous categorisation of actions. 

As off 2023 the RFCS annual calls had a separate budget for research and for pilot/demonstration 
actions62. This had an immediate positive impact in a number of areas, such as (i) applicants had a 
better understanding of call requirements in relation to matching the activities/TRL of their proposal 
with the Research or Pilot/Demonstration action type; (ii) proposals with similar objectives, activities 
and  expected  impact  were  compared  to,  and  competed  with,  each  other;  (3)  the  TRL  aspect  of  the 
evaluation  was  clearer  for  expert  evaluators;  (iv)  if  expert  evaluators  assessed  that  a  proposal 
belonged  to  a  different  type  of  action,  with  the  applicant's  agreement,  the  proposal  could  be 
transferred to the correct type of action instead of being penalised at the evaluation stage. 

9.4.3. Business case  
In  the  RFCS  Work  Programmes  for  2022–2024,  a  new  requirement  was  introduced  for  project 
proposals to include a business case or economic impact scenario. This change reflects an increased 
emphasis  on  the  economic  viability  and  industrial  impact  of  proposed  research. Applicants  should 
outline  how  their  project  results  could  be  integrated  into  industry  and  to  demonstrate  preliminary 
economic feasibility. In practice, proposals must present an exploitation strategy and a “preliminary 
assessment of their economic viability,” effectively providing a business case or new business model 
for the innovation. 

The purpose of including business cases in RFCS proposals is to ensure that funded projects deliver 
tangible  economic  benefits  and  are  aligned  with  industry  needs.  By  articulating  a  credible  path  to 
market  or  implementation,  projects  show  how  they  will  contribute  to  the  competitiveness  and 
sustainable growth of the steel sectors and how they can positively contribute to a just transition for 
the former coal regions.  

This  addition  to  the  Work  Programme  was  part  of  the  RFCS  programme’s  evolution  and 
modernisation, aligning with broader EU research funding trends that encourage feasibility and 
impact planning from the outset. It has also been integrated into the RFCS evaluation framework: 
expert evaluators  assess the  credibility  of the  project’s  economic  impact  and  deployment  plans  as  a 
key component of the proposal’s impact criterion. During the RFCS Info Days for the 2022, 2023, and 
2024  calls,  REA  highlighted  this  new  requirement,  underscoring  that  proposals  should  not  only 
demonstrate 
technical  excellence  but  also  show  a  convincing  economic  case  for  future 
implementation.  This  ensures  that  RFCS-supported  innovations  are  backed  by  a  sound  business 
rationale,  facilitating  their  uptake  and  contributing  to  the  programme’s  objectives  of  industrial 

62 RFCS split of the budget between Research and Pilot & Demonstration proposals,  Ares(2023)1672711, and 

Ares(2023)2020372. 

48 

 
 
 
 
 
innovation  and  economic  transition.  This  is  particularly  relevant  for  the  Pilot  and  demonstration 
projects (high TRLs). 

Chapter 10: Added value of RFCS 

10.1. Feedback to Policy 
Hereunder,  it  is  showcased  how  the  research  results  from  the  investments  have  contributed  to 
achieving  policy  objectives  of  linked  Commission  policies.  To  better  highlight  the  interdependence 
between  policies  and  research  investments,  REA  has  recently  (December  2024)  received  a  detailed 
Feedback to Policy (F2P) request from DG RTD63, focussing on four priority areas, two for Coal and 
two for Steel. 

Coal priority areas 

i) 
ii) 

Repurposing of Coal mines 
Methane emissions 

Steel priority areas 

iii) 
iv) 

Level of decarbonisation per project and overall impact on the steel industry in Europe 
Obstacles encountered in terms of industrial engagement, material availability and costs 

A  summary  of  the  reply  from  REA64  to  this  request  is  given  below,  together  with  some  additional 
relevant considerations collected during the 2025 Coal sector annual RFCS event organised by REA65. 

10.1.1. F2P results for the Coal sector 
Repurposing of Coal mines and the Just Transition package 

RFCS has made significant research contributions to the repurposing of coal mines. As examples, 
the following five projects could be highlighted: two demonstrators (GreenJOBS and MINE-TO-H2) 
and three pilots (HydroMine, MidSafe, and GrEnMine). These projects fall into two primary clusters: 

Cluster  1:  Renewable  energy  production  (including  hydrogen  production)  and  energy  storage: 
GreenJOBS, MINE-TO-H2, and HydroMine, focus on repurposing former coal and lignite mines for 
green  hydrogen  production,  renewable  energy  generation,  and  energy  storage.  The  projects  explore 
various  clean  technologies,  such  as  i)  electrolysis  of  mine  water  for  hydrogen  production,  ii) 
renewable  energy  production  (geothermal,  photovoltaic,  wind  power), 
iii)  energy  storage 
(unconventional  pumped  hydro  using  dense  fluids),  iv)  waste  heat  recovery  and  blending  hydrogen 
into the natural gas grid. 

Cluster  2:  Circular  economy,  including advanced materials  development: The projects  MidSafe  and 
GrEnMine,  focus  on  post-mining  waste  management,  risk  mitigation,  and  the  development  of 

63 RFCS Feedback to Policy Plan 2025 – Requests to Strengthen the Analysis, Ares(2024)9179704 

64  RFCS  Feedback  to  Policy  Plan  2025  –  Requests  to  Strengthen  the  Analysis  -  REA  analysis, 

Ares(2025)2443467 

65  RFCS  annual  Coal  sector  event,  “From  an  industrial  legend  to  cutting-edge  research  for  the  future”, 

https://euracoal.eu/2025/05/16/research-fund-for-coal-and-steel-conference-on-european-coal-in-
transformation/  

49 

 
 
 
 
 
 
innovative  materials.  The  projects  investigate  aspects  such  i)  geotechnical  risk  management  and 
circular  economy  practices  (recycling  mining  wastes  to  produce  new  geomaterials),  ii)  innovative 
geomaterials  (developing  geopolymers  and  zeolites  to  enhance  soil  stabilisation  and  reduce 
environmental pollution), iii) gravity-based energy storage technology and assessment tools for post-
mining areas. 

Insights from the recent REA annual Coal sector event65: 

The RFCS research projects have a significant impact on supporting the just transition to a low-carbon 
economy.  The  projects  help  to  create  new  economic  opportunities  and  promote  social  cohesion  in 
former  coal-producing  regions,  supporting  the  transition  to  a  low-carbon  economy.  For  example, 
projects such as GI-MINE, RECOVERY, and GreenJOBS aim to repurpose coal mines for new uses, 
such  as  renewable  energy  production,  carbon  capture  and  storage,  and  underground  storage  of 
hydrogen. These projects promote sustainable economic growth, create high-quality green jobs, and 
support the development of new industries and economic activities. Additionally, the RFCS projects 
provide  training  and  re-skilling  programmes  for  workers  previously  working  in  the  coal  sector, 
enabling them to transition to new roles in the clean energy sector. By preserving knowledge and data 
from active mining operations, the RFCS projects also empower post-mining planning and decision-
making, supporting the development of new forms of spatial and social management. 

Methane emission abatement and the EU Methane Regulation 

RFCS  has  made  significant  research  contributions  to  methane  emission  abatement,  supporting 
three projects: one pilot (ProVAM) and two demonstrators (REM and GI-mine). These projects aim to 
capture  methane  from  coal  mines,  reducing  emissions  and  enhancing  sustainability.  The  projects 
address methane-related challenges from multiple angles, including: 

•  Capturing  and  utilizing methane:  REM  focuses  on  capturing and utilizing Abandoned Mine 
Methane (AMM) from closing mines, while GI-mine focuses on both reducing and utilizing 
AMM, integrating it with solid waste management. 

•  Reducing Ventilation Air  Methane  (VAM):  ProVAM  focuses  on  reducing VAM  from  active 

mines, improving capture and utilization, but does not utilize methane. 

•  Enhancing  safety:  All  projects  prioritize  safety,  addressing  methane-related  risks,  and 

preventing uncontrolled methane leaks. 

The  projects  have  achieved  significant  methane  emission  reductions,  with  i)  ProVAM  +  GI-mine: 
140,121 t/year of methane captured and utilized (2022); ii) REM: 18,013 t/year of methane captured 
and used (2024), with a reduction target of 12,924 t/year (2025 

Insights from the recent REA annual Coal sector event65: 

The projects have scalability potential in the EU: 41 shafts of Polish and Romanian gassy coal mines 
(ProVAM), 13 mines across Poland, Slovenia, Romania, and Serbia (REM) and combined 
technologies applicable to mining waste dams and municipal sewage (GI-mine 

The  RFCS  research  projects  provide  significant  support  to  EU  policies  on  methane  abatement. The 
projects develop innovative technologies and methodologies to reduce methane emissions from coal 
mining operations, contributing to the implementation of the EU Methane Regulation while aligning 
with  the  Global  Methane  Pledge.  For  example,  projects  such  as  REM,  ProVAM,  MEMO,  and 
METH2GEN aim to minimize methane outflow, reduce VAM, establish reliable methods for creating 
methane  inventories,  and  convert  methane  into  hydrogen  for  cleaner  energy  production.  These 
projects  help  to  reduce  greenhouse  gas  emissions,  promote  sustainable  growth,  and  support  the 

50 

 
 
 
transition  to  a  climate-neutral  future.  By  providing  practical  tools  and  systems  for  operators  to 
substantially  reduce  methane  emissions,  the  RFCS  projects  also  help  to  avoid  penalties  for  non-
compliance with the EU Methane Regulation. 

10.1.2. F2P results for the Steel sector 
Industrial Decarbonization of Steelmaking and the European Green Deal 

The European Union’s commitment to climate neutrality by 2050, as outlined in the European Green 
Deal,  necessitates  the  transformation  of  high-emission  industrial  sectors,  including  steelmaking. 
RFCS plays a role in this transition by funding projects aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. 
REA evaluated the contribution of selected RFCS-funded projects to the decarbonisation of the steel 
industry, with a focus on their alignment with the objectives of the Clean Steel Partnership and their 
potential for scalability and impact.  

RFCS  has  funded  five  key  projects—four  pilots  and  one  demonstrator—focused  on  near-market 
decarbonization technologies. These projects collectively address various technological pathways and 
exhibit varying levels of technology readiness (TRL 3 to TRL 9). 

Table 2. How selected steel projects contribute to decarbonization policy objectives of the clean steel 
partnership and EGD 

Project 

Focus Area 

TRL  Estimated CO₂ Reduction 

ProSynteg 

Hydrogen-rich syngas for 
blast furnaces 

3–6 

14 kg CO₂/t steel; up to 9.86 Mt/year (EU-wide 
potential) 

HYDREAMS  Waste heat to clean 

4–7 

75 kg CO₂/t steel; 14,000 t/year (Ugine plant) 

hydrogen 

TWINGHY 

Hybrid H₂/NG burners 
and digital twin 

5–7 

85 kg CO₂/t steel; up to 351 t/year (100% H₂ 
scenario) 

MODIPLANT  Electrification of heating 
systems 

6–9 

5–16 kg CO₂/t steel; up to  

10,000 t/year for flat products (electrification) 

3,000 t/year for flat products (HDG line) 

7,969 t/year for long products 

BIOCODE 

Biomass substitution in 
coke production 

5–7 

400 kg CO₂/t coke; 0.24–0.48 Mt/year 

The combined direct emission abatement from four demonstration plants listed in Table 2 (excluding 
scaling  estimates  of the research  project  ProSynteg) is estimated at  approximately 35,000  tonnes  of 
CO₂  per  year  for  a  production  volume  of  1.5  million  tonnes  of  steel.  Extrapolated  to  the  EU  level, 
assuming moderate adoption, these technologies could contribute to a reduction of up to 10 million 
tonnes of CO₂ annually, which corresponds as well to the scaling estimate of ProSynteg technology. 
Key performance indicators for the projects include:  

•  Emission reduction per tonne of steel: Ranges from 5 kg (HDG steel) to 85 kg (TWINGHY). 
•  Annual  CO₂  savings:  Varies  by  project  and  implementation  scale,  with  MODIPLANT  and 

HYDREAMS demonstrating the highest site-specific reductions. 

51 

 
 
 
 
It  is  important  to  note  that  the  five  evaluated  projects  represent  only  6%  of  the  RFCS  portfolio. 
Another 78% of lower TRL research projects may yield to substantial decarbonisation benefits in the 
future. Therefore, the impact assessment estimates provided above are based only on some illustrative 
examples while RFCS’s total contribution is, with certainty, significantly higher.  

The  RFCS  steel  research  portfolio  demonstrates  a  strong  alignment  with  the  European  Green 
Deal  and  the  Clean  Steel  Partnership.  The  selected  pilot  and  demonstration  projects  provide 
tangible evidence of the sector’s capacity to innovate and reduce emissions.  

10.2. Success stories 
Successful projects have been presented in the annual dissemination events that take place gathering 
the steel and the coal community. Some selected projects that show potential to deliver high impact 
results  are  briefly  described  below.  These  “success  stories”,  are  going  to  be  published  soon  in  the 
Horizon Magazine66 to increase further the outreach of our dissemination measures. 

SmartCool,  aims to modernise the  transfer  bar cooling  process in  hot  strip mills, addressing  issues 
with asymmetric thermal profiles that affect strip flatness and mechanical properties, and is expected 
to  improve  efficiency,  quality,  and  sustainability  in  steel  production,  contributing  to  the  EU's 
competitiveness in the steel industry. 

The  DissHEAT  project is  advancing  knowledge  in  the  European  steel  industry  by  sharing  and 
promoting past EU research results and developing a strategic roadmap for future research in carbon 
direct  avoidance  technologies,  which  will  facilitate  technological  progress,  identify  promising 
technologies,  and  contribute  to  the  steel  industry's  efforts  to  reduce  CO2  emissions  and  improve 
efficiency, thus enhancing the EU's competitiveness. 

H2transBF2030 is working towards reducing CO2 emissions in the steel sector by 55% by 2030, by 
using hydrogen and direct reduced iron (DRI) to lower emissions and adapt to the growing  demand 
for  "green"  steel,  which  will  support  the  EU's  climate  goals  and  promote  a  more  sustainable  steel 
industry, boosting the region's competitiveness. 

The TWINGHY project is transforming the steel industry's reheating process with advanced hybrid 
burners that  combine  hydrogen  and  oxygen,  significantly reducing  carbon emissions and  enhancing 
energy efficiency, which will deliver major environmental benefits, reduce CO2 emissions, and keep 
nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions low, supporting the EU's competitiveness in the steel sector. 

10.3. The RFCS Technical Groups 

10.3.1. TGs: tasks and way of working 
The Technical Groups (TGs) are composed by high level experts having experience in specific sub-
areas of the Coal and Steel sectors. Information on the TGs (members, agenda of the meetings, etc.) is 
published  in  the  Register  of  Commission  Expert  Groups67.  The  management  of  these  groups  is 

66 Horizon, the EU Research & Innovation Magazine,  

https://projects.research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/en/horizon-magazine  

67 Register of Commission expert groups and other similar entities, 

https://ec.europa.eu/transparency/expert-groups-register/screen/home?lang=en  

52 

 
 
 
 
 
 
entrusted to REA, as mentioned in the Memorandum of Understanding between REA and DG RTD68. 
After the delegation of the implementation of the RFCS programme to the agency, REA begun putting 
in place a series of measures to align the project monitoring to standard REA practices and streamline 
and maximise the output of the Technical Groups69. As these constituted important changes to the TG 
way  of  working,  continuous  improvement  was,  and  remains,  an  important  consideration.  A  key 
development  was  also the renewal  of the TG members:  the  new TG members started  working  with 
their new TG tasks in mid-2023. More details are provided below. 

i) 

Project monitoring 

Until 2021, the TGs were entrusted with the task of project monitoring and corresponding advice for 
payments  at  project  level.  This  approach,  albeit  scientifically  acceptable,  resulted  in  unacceptable 
delays in the reporting and payments at individual project level, considering the important change in 
the programming of the RFCS implementation after the decision to implement two calls per year. 

REA has thus decided to decouple the feedback provided by the TGs from the payment process. 
Instead,  dedicated  expert  monitors,  were  assigned  per  project  following  standard  Horizon  Europe 
procedures and practices. In addition, selecting experts from a larger pool of expert monitors (i.e. not 
only  confined  to  the  limited  number  of  TG  members),  allows  for  a  better  fit  between  the 
scientific/technical background of the expert and the content of each project, thereby safeguarding the 
scientific quality of the assessment. 

ii) 

“New” TG output 

Instead of limiting their activities to project monitoring linked to payments, the TGs have started, as 
of  2022,  to  become  “feedback  to  policy”  hubs.  They  focussed  on  providing  portfolio  analysis, 
identifying technological gaps, following  the alignment  of  RFCS  with the  EGD,  the  Just Transition 
and other EU priorities, assessing the impact of the projects and their market readiness, giving advice 
for future calls, thinking about the RFCS D&E strategy etc. The final product of this work are two 
annual reports, one for Steel70 and one for Coal71, summarising the advice and findings of the TGs. 
The first published annual reports present the outputs of the 2023 TG meetings.  

iii) 

Continuous improvement 

The transformation of the role of the TGs, as described above, is an on-going process and every year 
the  approach  is  further  fine-tuned  and  improved.  During  the  first  years,  detailed  guidance  was 
provided  to  TG  members  and  to  project  coordinators.  For  example,  using  a  pre-defined  template, 
project coordinators were prompted to focus their presentations on issues relevant to the new way of 
working of the TGs, instead of presenting detailed results on deliverables etc. A novelty implemented 
in 2025 will be to further align the TG output to the F2P requests coming from DG RTD63, notably in 
the  areas  of  repurposing  and  methane  emissions  for  Coal,  and  decarbonisation  levels  and  EU-wide 
impact for Steel (see paragraph 10.1). Another idea, also to be implemented in 2025, is to ask all the 

68  MEMORANDUM  OF  UNDERSTANDING  between  the  European  Research  Executive  Agency  and  the 
Directorate General Research and Innovation on the management and implementation of the Research Fund 
for Coal and Steel (RFCS), Ares(2022)4299326. 

69 RFCS - New Technical Groups Coal and Steel – 2022, Ares(2022)876492  

70 Research Fund for Coal and Steel - A summary of the findings of the Steel Research Technical Groups : 2023, 

Research Fund for Coal and Steel - Publications Office of the EU 

71 Research Fund for Coal and Steel - A summary of the findings of the Coal Research Technical Groups : 2023, 

Research Fund for Coal and Steel - Publications Office of the EU. 

53 

 
 
 
 
projects to identify their contribution to the specific areas and sub-areas covered by the RFCS legal 
basis.  This  information  will  allow  to  identify  in  which  areas  the  RFCS  budget  is  spent,  and  which 
areas are under or over-represented (this will be done in a semi-automatic way, using the EU survey 
tool). It is expected that these new “outputs” will improve RFCS’s input to F2P. 

iv) 

Renewal of the membership 

The mandate of the previous TG members expired in December 2022. REA has published a call for 
applications to appoint new members on 30/08/2022. The new members were appointed in early 2023 
for a 5-year term, and the TGs have immediately started working with the new membership and the 
new “way of working”57. 

10.3.2. Feedback from the TGs 

The  TGs  analyse  each  year  a  portfolio  of  RFCS  projects  against  the  following  criteria  and  key 
questions: 

•  Extent that the TG portfolio projects contribute to the programme research objectives and in 

general to the objectives of the European Green Deal and Just Transition Fund  

•  Benefits for industry and for society 
•  Timeframe to scale-up high TRL project results and to enter into production  
•  Examples  of  collaboration with other  projects  in  the TG  portfolio  or  other  European and/or 

national funded programmes 

•  Technological, or other gaps, that the TG portfolio should fill in the future  
•  Contribution  to  the  KPIs  of  the  Clean  Steel  Partnership  (Steel  projects),  the  performance 
indicators of the Just Transition Fund (Coal projects), and those of the Innovation Fund  (all 
projects). 

The TGs  meet  on  an  annual  basis  to  discuss  and  analyse  selected  RFCS  projects  falling  within  the 
group’s portfolio. Each TG produces an annual report to highlight the most important outcomes of the 
project  analysis  identified. These  include  various  findings  related  to  the  status  of  projects  and  their 
potential  impact  on  the  industry’s  performance  (e.g.  synergies,  competitiveness)  and  regarding  EU 
policies  (e.g.  the  European  Green  Deal).  The  findings  of  the  individual  TGs  are  synthesised  and 
published in an annual publication. 

The  annual  analyses  of  the  RFCS  TGs  provide  essential  input  for  the  ongoing  review  and  further 
development of the RFCS. Their annual portfolio analyses are the most valuable source of details on 
how RFCS projects contribute not only to the programme research objectives, to the objectives of the 
European Green Deal and to the Just Transition Fund, but also how they positively contribute to the 
benefits for industry and society. 

At  the inaugural  meeting  of  the new  CAG  and  SAG Advisory  Boards in May  2025, their  members 
also  confirmed  the  role  of  the  reports  of  the  RFCS  Technology  Advisory  Groups  as  meaningful 
analyses and input for the future design of the RFCS. 

The Coal Technical Groups 

There are two Coal research technical groups (TGKs), namely TGK1 – Post-mining issues, safe and 
productive  coal  mining  operations;  and  TGK2 –  Environmental,  technical,  and  economic  issues 
related to coal treatment and use.  

54 

 
 
 
 
The  current  Coal-related  RFCS  portfolio  comprises  29  projects  focusing  on  areas  such  as  carbon 
capture,  utilisation  and  storage  (CCUS),  coal  mine  closure  and  repurposing,  and  low-carbon,  coal-
based power generation.  

Actually, the TGs propose the following prioritised research areas:  

•  Use  of  existing  infrastructures  of  power  plants  and  mines  to  support  an  accelerated  and 

effective implementation of the European Green Deal. 

•  Long-term  environmental  impact  assessment  and  risk  management  of  the  different  mining 

hazards and waste. 

•  Research  on  potentials  of  mine  areas  for  future  industrial  activities  incorporating  levelized 

economic and cost analysis and ensuring a complete life-cycle analysis.  

•  Development of new and economically feasible technologies in mine water reuse, related to 
mine  water  treatment  for  different  purposes  (reuse,  hydrogen  production,  mitigation  of 
droughts).  

•  Development  and  demonstration  of  the  use  of  CO2  as  feedstock  for  low-carbon  hydrogen 

derivates. 

•  Development of business models, based on existing knowledge, that promote the integration 

of the workforce and existing structures and infrastructures.  

TGs have also put forward a more general recommendation, related to commercialisation: 

•  Develop  and  prepare  guidelines  on  a  go-to-market  strategy  for  technological  solutions  that 
can be used in pilot and demonstration projects, which are the main outputs of the RFCS Big 
Ticket calls.  

The Steel Technical Groups  

There  are  five  steel  research  technical  groups  (TGAs),  namely  TGA1 –  Iron-  and  steelmaking; 
TGA2 –  Downstream  steel  processing;  TGA3 –  Conception  of  steel  products;  TGA4 –  Steel 
applications  and  solutions  for  existing  and  new  markets;  and  TGA5 –  Steel  factories –  smart  and 
human. 

The  results  provided  by  the  five  TGs  allow  an  assessment  of  the  state  of  play  in  the  field,  the 
identification of gaps in research efforts and proposals for the way forward for individual projects and 
for research in the sector as a whole. The TGs, in their meeting reports, provide recommendations that 
span from the introduction of novel techniques to quality improvement, resource savings and safety-
related issues. 

Newly identified recommendations include: 

•  With a clear and quantifiable benefit to the environmental sustainability and circularity, RFCS 
should  aim  to  continue  funding  highly  technical  projects  that  investigate  structural 
performance, integrity and safety of steel/composite structures, at all TRL levels.  

•  Projects exploiting Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning tools and technology rely on 
the availability of data including data already collected in previous projects. The availability 
and exchange between partners of data is the main issue to be encouraged.  

•  A better coverage of the TRL range for 4 to 6, starting from the RFCS call and/or encourage 
the follow-up of projects into a second pilot/demonstration stage and/or promote and increase 
of the number of pilot/demonstration projects in general. 

•  A quota of the available overall budget should be allocated to each TG, to ensure that projects 
from  every  specific  topic  R&D  will  be  granted  funding.  Additionally,  the  formulation  of 
priorities might help to boost topics of high relevance and necessity. 

55 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
•  Similar  to  the  European  Partnership  programmes  (e.g.  BluePartnership,  Clean  Energy 
Transition  Partnership),  RFCS  should  foster  the  participation  of  project  coordinators  in 
common jointly organised dissemination events. 

Furthermore, the TGs propose the following prioritised research areas: 

•  CCUS  topics  are  increasingly  considered  as  a  key  element  for  the  long  transition  towards 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

carbon neutrality.  
“Blast  Furnace (BF)  greening"  as  a  priority,  justified  by  its  significant  carbon  footprint  and 
the  need  for  R&D  on  topics  like  hearth,  fuel  injection,  and  process  optimization  to  reduce 
emissions and support a sustainable steel industry. 
“Casting" as a priority, justified by its challenges in fossil-free steel production, such as trace 
elements  affecting  castability,  and  the  need  for  research  on  new  casting  formats  and 
technologies to enable a low-carbon transition. 
"Advanced steel solutions for harsh environments" as a priority, justified by the need for new 
steels  and  products  that  can  withstand  high-  and  low-temperatures  and  aggressive 
environments,  supporting  clean  energy  initiatives  such  as  offshore  wind  and  tidal  wave 
energy. 
"Steel composites with bio-based materials" as a priority topic area, justified by current trends 
towards sustainability and circularity, with potential for lower embodied carbon and enhanced 
environmental sustainability, aligning with the European Green Deal objectives. 
“Cyber-security and trustful data sharing" as a priority topic area, justified by current trends 
towards digitalisation and Industry 5.0, with increasing reliance on AI, machine learning, and 
data-driven  solutions,  making  cyber-security  and  secure  data  sharing  crucial  for  the  steel 
industry's future resilience and sustainability. 

10.4. The RFCS Advisory Groups  
The Coal and Steel Advisory Groups (CAG and SAG) are composed by high level experts from the 
coal and steel sectors. Both groups have been meeting regularly since 2021 (the practice has been to 
organise  at least  2 meetings  per  group  per  year). The  minutes  of  each  meeting are  published  in  the 
Register of Commission Expert Groups72,  73, together with other information on the groups, such as 
the  list  of members. The  groups  are regularly  consulted  and  have  provided  advice  to  practically  all 
improvements  and  changes  that  have  led  to  the  modernisation  of  RFCS,  after  the  delegation  of  its 
implementation  to  REA.  The  management  of  these  groups  is  ensured  by  REA,  as  stipulated  in  the 
Memorandum  of  Understanding  between  REA  and  DG  RTD68.  The  membership  has  been  renewed 
recently  since  the  mandate  of  the  previous  groups  had  ended  (REA  has  published  a  call  for 
applications to appoint new members on 04/07/2024). The first meeting with the new members took 
place in May 2025. 

10.5. Scientific impact – Publications 
The  scientific  impact  of  the  programme  can  be  measured  by  the  number  and  quality  of  RFCS-
referenced publications. Although scientific publications in peer reviewed journals are encouraged in 
RFCS, it is not a mandatory requirement. This stems from the fact that for an industrial programme 
such  as  RFCS,  confidentiality  of  the  results  is  an  important  consideration.  However,  it  must  be 

72 Steel Advisory Group (X00808), Register of Commission expert groups and other similar entities 

73 Coal Advisory Group (X00807), Register of Commission expert groups and other similar entities 

56 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
possible to publish non-confidential results. In comparison, in Horizon Europe, publications and the 
requirement for open access are a crucial dissemination feature of the programme. 

The relevance of the RFCS actions to legislation is relatively high, as the transition and phase-out 
of the industrial coal sector is only limitedly addressed in other Commission instruments.  

The  ambitious  Methane  Regulation,  from  2024,  which  focuses  on  methane  leakages  of  operational 
and closed mines, will rely to a significant part on the development of Measurement Reporting and 
Verification  (MRV)  methodologies  resulting  from  RFCS  research  actions.  Similarly,  the  support  to 
increased competitiveness and decarbonisation of the industrial steel sector is historically addressed in 
RFCS. However, there were barely reports found that reference RFCS in policy documents, neither on 
European,  nor  international  levels.  From  this  background,  lessons  learnt  and  policy  advice  that 
originate from RFCS research results need to be better packaged, channelled and reported to European 
and International policy networks. 

57 

 
 
 
 
Annex Overview A: RFCS projects awarded in the period 2021 - 2024 

58 

STEELActivityCallYearProject IDProject AcronymN of ParticipantsTotal Costs EU ContributionAccompanying MeasureAnnual Call2021101057930DissHEAT5560,343560,3432022101112269ADVANCE12794,017794,0172023101155952METACAST5490,338490,338101156509Symbio-Steel5499,978499,9782024101216382SUPER8673,848673,848101216785STROBEPLUS5497,190497,190Pilot & Demonstration ProjectsAnnual Call2021101057274SmartCool61,854,874927,437101057965ProSynteg63,448,8971,724,4492022101112102iSteel-Expert61,845,686922,843101112264BIOCODE45,095,0192,547,509101112421DynReAct_PDP41,496,850748,425101112433RollOilFree II62,122,0431,061,0222023101156458OLACSKIN31,263,234631,617101156718SHELL-CRACK103,299,7251,649,863101156852VISMAIN31,371,043685,521101157368EdgerRolls62,648,4901,324,245101157601ANNEAL-LUS43,051,4731,525,737101157885SUNSHINE73,702,8641,851,4322024101216570THELMA76,178,9933,089,496101216572InduGasHeat65,632,7142,816,357101216757DigitalRollTOP52,634,1741,317,087Big Tickets Call2022101098480HYDREAMS108,545,4224,272,711101099118MODIPLANT615,947,4637,973,732101099132FULLH2REHEAT516,353,1878,176,593101099158TWINGHY118,575,3214,287,6612024101193261SLAG2BUILD89,100,4194,550,210101193354H2loop412,463,7606,231,880101193407CROSSCUT1010,004,1595,002,079101193416Hy4Smelt1050,507,95025,253,975101193563PRISMA1610,269,2445,134,622Research ProjectsAnnual Call2021101057239HELIX61,881,4211,128,853101057790H2transBF2030103,443,5762,066,146101057957CONSTRUCTADD122,877,3071,726,3842022101111547DreamFAB92,448,2591,468,955101111885SurfConInspect82,735,4151,641,249101112158GREENVESTS122,879,0561,727,433101112270INNOPick51,161,278696,767101112300CONNECT4C103,263,6201,958,172101112346SuPreAM72,608,9671,565,380101112371NewAIMS62,552,9261,531,756101112383BioReSteel103,420,7962,052,478101112392LIGHTFORGE51,777,2581,066,355101112398NanoWinTur72,601,3321,560,799101112414SMARTWELD73,220,1671,932,100101112425WarP-AHSS61,956,2931,173,776101112471FEATHER52,186,4171,311,850101112479HBI C-Flex102,385,7011,431,420101112485COOPHS71,868,8811,121,328101112488MultiSensEAF82,187,9311,312,759101112504STWIN133,495,5332,097,320101112516SILENCE51,737,8081,042,685101112518Si-Shift42,055,1551,233,093101112540Sup3rForm82,489,2531,493,552101112544ALCOAT82,547,0811,528,249101112571HYSCORE103,580,5422,148,325101112600TRANSinter52,753,2281,651,937101112601BioRECAST92,362,9621,417,777101112614IAMFat82,744,5161,646,710101112631ZincVal83,023,9791,814,387101112650SAFEH2PIPE72,808,1741,684,904101112665InSGeP134,458,0622,674,8372023101150482Safe H-DRI183,824,1402,294,484101155761HYDAM82,835,6361,701,382101155823HYSTORY62,557,5981,534,559101156140e-TRUCKS61,984,6681,190,801101156474MetConZero51,897,7151,138,629101156779ShotTempering51,964,3411,178,604101156908Duralink82,616,6741,570,004101157157H2II63,061,9701,837,182101157237H2FORM3G112,892,5411,735,524101157245Steel4Fatigue112,694,7921,616,875101157797DESSERT72,501,5161,500,910101157799TAPERFRAME52,504,2131,502,528101157943effiTUBE82,513,2321,507,9392024101216397RAVES82,853,5411,712,124101216402AUSNANITE92,613,7341,568,240101216407SAVERACK122,547,6781,528,607101216417TIMELESS122,962,0551,777,233101216419ReselScale52,316,3131,389,788101216420FatDED82,721,6741,633,004101216538SHIFT41,346,224807,735101216553DeepScheduling41,407,635844,581101216556superProDR62,476,0391,485,623101216575I-ROLLS51,912,6751,147,605101216579SUMMSEED72,714,8961,628,938101216643EnWaRec93,455,2662,073,160101216645SafeClean102,408,1721,444,903101216665REBRIDGE93,324,6201,994,772101216672THERMAX72,987,3251,792,395101216680STEEL-ALIVE84,299,9782,579,987101216702MITHRIL83,936,3582,361,815101216707OPTES52,419,5501,451,730101216801Winclusion52,129,8561,277,913Grand Total696357,124,235196,939,526 
 
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COALActivityCallYearProject IDProject AcronymN of ParticipantsTotal CostEU ContributionAccompanying MeasuresAnnual Call2021101057228WINTER3498,782498,7822022101112138CoalHeritage6947,671947,6712024101216335RAISING4460,861460,861101216750COFA6499,825499,825Pilot & Demonstration ProjectsAnnual Call2023101157792GI-mine72,544,4601,272,2302024101216790SEDAS113,470,3511,735,176Big Tickets Call2022101099061REM621,493,15410,746,5772023101140154MINE-TO-H2818,052,9269,026,4632024101193556PRIMI26,516,6613,258,330101193747METH2GEN725,632,93712,816,468101193769POSTEN613,732,7376,866,369Research ProjectsAnnual Call2021101057326POMHAZ71,758,6751,055,205101057789GreenJOBS82,202,6471,321,5882022101112380HESS52,226,7401,336,044101112386H2GEO72,549,5861,529,751101112618ProVAM82,817,3781,690,427101112629HydroMine72,864,5771,718,746101112657REECOL112,861,0491,716,6292023101155814CORAL93,985,0232,391,014101157379MidSafe112,797,2711,678,363101157400SIRIMA82,852,0621,711,237101157790GrEnMine103,551,7002,131,020101157810Waste2CRM52,454,3771,472,6262024101216495GeoSolar82,110,6191,266,371101216522DISTINCTION83,276,8761,966,125101216667FRAM72,420,3491,452,209101216677CRMsDataSpace83,966,8772,380,126101216769MEMO93,279,1431,967,486101216794HIGHWAY74,062,9542,437,773Grand Total209145,888,26679,351,492  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Annex Overview B: RFCS publications 

From 2010 up to 2025 a total 2169 Scopus registered documents have been published.  

The top cited article is a NATURE article from 2019: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-019-1798-7   

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