Horizon Europe
Horizon Europe is a 7-year European Union scientific research initiative, a successor of the recent Horizon 2020 programme and the earlier Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development. The European Commission drafted and approved a plan for Horizon Europe to raise EU science spending levels by 50% over the years 2021-2027. Budget. As of May 2021, the budget of €95.5 billion for Horizon Europe – due to launch in 2021 – is up from €77 billion for the current Horizon 2020. Independent observers predict the final approved funding will be much lower after lengthy negotiations with  the European Parliament and EU member states are completed. Over the past few years, EU commissioner Carlos Moedas, along with many advocacy groups, have tried to push for a more expansive EU science budget. In order to build political support for the budget increase, he intends to use American originated ideas of "moonshots" to focus research efforts and boost the public interest. Details. The proposal calls for €100 billion in research and innovation spending for years 2021-2027. Of that sum, €2.4 billion is earmarked for the Euratom nuclear research programme and €3.6 billion is put away  for an umbrella investment fund, called InvestEU. After accounting for 2% annual inflation, in 2018 euros the funding for Horizon Europe amounted to €86.6 billion. Wealthier EU members have expressed opposition to the increase in funding, with Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte saying the draft budget was "unacceptable". To pay for the €100 billion science spending, the Commission's plan calls for cuts to agriculture and cohesion funding by 5 per cent. Additionally, the plan seeks to tie funding to adherence to the rule of law in member states, including judicial independence. Compared to the previous framework programme  Horizon 2020, some changes in terms of cost reporting have been implemented with the objective to simplify the grant management process. Cooperation beyond the EU. Horizon Europe supports European partnerships in which the EU, national authorities and/or the private sector jointly commit to support the development and implementation of a programme of research and innovation activities. Horizon Europe expanded its partnerships beyond the 27 member states of the EU, this includes: