Science Europe statement on Horizon Europe budget for 2024

With political talks ongoing over the budget of Horizon Europe for 2024, Science Europe would like to stress the importance of adequate funding for research and innovation at the European level. In the current economic and geopolitical context, sustained support to fundamental research will allow for the development of proper evidence-based policymaking.

The proposed reduction of €166 million to the Horizon Europe budget, as recently put forward by the Council, is at odds with current political discourse over the need for a future-oriented, knowledge-based Europe. The European Parliament, on the other hand, is pushing for a budget that is €140 million higher than what the Commission has foreseen.

Currently, the already limited budget for Horizon Europe is preventing it from increasing success rates. As indicated in the Strategic Plan 2025-2027 analysis, the current programme has been unable to fund 71% of the high-quality proposals it has received, due to budget shortages. In parallel, debate around decommitments showed that budget allocated for R&I has been diverted for non-research purposes, putting at risk the long-term planning of ambitious R&I policies.

In the current economic and geopolitical context, Europe must preserve policy areas and programmes that encourage the advancement of knowledge. The European Research Council’s has a proven track record in fostering scientific excellence capable of delivering breakthroughs in all scientific areas; hence limiting its budget will fundamentally undermine its contributions to the EU’s global competitiveness.

Science Europe supports the European Parliament’s proposal and calls on the Council to reverse the budget cuts it proposed for the year 2024. These are necessary investments to safeguard the EU’s resilience and competitiveness, and to continue to build a robust basis for knowledge-based policymaking.