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Horizon 2020 Framework Programme for research and innovation 2014-2020: rules for participation and dissemination

2011/0399(COD)

Ministers took note of thestate of play on negotiations with the European Parliament concerning the different parts of the Horizon 2020 programme, following the presentation of a report by the Irish Presidency.

Significant progress has been made in the negotiations of Horizon 2020, including during the 6 informal trilogues and several technical meetings to date. However, in the informal trilogue meeting of 16 April, it became apparent that the negotiations have reached a point at which a number of critical issues stand in the way of reaching agreement.

To make progress, the Presidency prepared a policy paper on which it presented the Presidency’s assessment on the critical issues for the Parliament at this stage. These were classified in 3 categories, namely (i) issues related to the Horizon 2020 architecture; (ii) new objectives, activity lines and sub-activity lines, and ways for improving the participation of small businesses in the programme; and (iii) simplification and effectiveness, in particular of the future funding model for research projects.

The discussion at Coreper, on 8 May 2013 gave the Presidency some indication as to where the Member States position themselves on these major issues and where a possible way towards a bigger compromise package could be sought. Following that discussion, the Presidency produced compromise proposals for discussion at the Research Working Party and in technical meetings with the European Parliament.

At the end of the session, the Presidency summarised the outcome of the debate indicating that:

  • Ministers agreed with the Presidency's view that the negotiations with the Parliament on the overall package should be completed before the end of June;
  • there is a strong consensus that simplification is critical to ensuring that Horizon 2020 delivers on its potential to be a real driver for growth in Europe and that the funding model agreed by the Council last October is the key means to ensure simplification and should be the cornerstone of the package to be agreed with the Parliament;
  • in order to achieve this, Ministers are willing to be flexible on a number of issues such as widening participation, science for society, experimentation on a fast-track approach to innovation and budgetary targets or indications for energy, an SME instrument and possibly other elements.