The EU’s expanded budget envelope for Horizon Europe sends a strong political signal, underscoring Europe’s ambition to strengthen competitiveness and strategic autonomy.

The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) has welcomed the European Commission proposal for Horizon Europe, the EU’s flagship programme for funding research and innovation, underlining that science, research and innovation must remain central to the European project.

At a time of intensifying global competition and rapid technological change, a strong and well-governed EU research and innovation policy is essential to reinforcing Europe’s competitiveness, cohesion and strategic autonomy, while delivering tangible benefits for citizens across all Member States, the EESC stressed in an opinion adopted at its January plenary.

The EU’s commitment of EUR 175 billion to research and innovation for the 2028–2034 period – a substantial increase from EUR 95 billion under the previous cycle – is a major step forward.

‘The EU’s commitment of EUR 175 billion to research and innovation for the 2028–2034 period sends a strong signal in favour of scientific excellence, sound governance and strategic impact. In this context, the EESC has identified the priorities to improve the mechanisms currently under development’, said Christophe Lefèvre, rapporteur of the opinion.

However, the EESC stressed that this amount should serve only as a baseline for negotiations between the Council and the European Parliament. Any reduction below this level would represent a missed opportunity at a time when sustained investment in R&I is critical for Europe’s future. The EESC also warned that high inflation and rising costs risk diminishing the real value of the proposed funding envelope.

A central concern of the opinion was the need to strengthen oversight of how Horizon Europe funds are used, with effective monitoring systems essential for ensuring fair access and optimal use of EU resources. The EESC considered it imperative to identify obstacles to fund uptake and ascertain the factors behind underspending in certain countries. It cautioned against linking funding to 3% GDP targets, which could disproportionately affect countries with lower R&D capacities.

The Committee also recommended aligning Horizon Europe with the European Competitiveness Fund, and called for project assessment beyond scientific excellence to include commercial relevance and industrial impact, ensuring coherent governance across all EU instruments. (fb)

According to an EESC opinion adopted at the January plenary, the EU key funding instrument should be reinforced with EUR 20 billion to make the implementation of cross-border investments in energy and transport a reality. This is essential to urgently strengthen the EU’s resilience and increase security.

The opinion, drafted by Mateusz Szymański and Tomas Arvidsson, underlines that the funding planned for energy and transport in the new Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) is insufficient and should be increased to at least EUR 100 billion for the period 2028-2034.

In addition, the EESC points out that the CEF programme should prioritise investments in regions with significant infrastructure gaps both in transport and energy. The objective is to ensure territorial cohesion and full use of the single market.

In order to ensure equal access, transparency and predictability of the CEF programme, the new legislation should clarify which projects will be prioritised. On this matter, the Committee recommends introducing eligibility criteria which highlight projects enabling the urgent development of the EU’s capacity to build resilience and preparedness against threats, including from hostile countries.

CEF funding should be granted to projects which fulfil social and environmental criteria and create added value for the European Union. For geopolitical reasons, the EESC views shorter supply chains as a sensible goal to pursue. (mp)

The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) hosted a debate on how Europe can maintain its industrial edge amid rising energy costs, fragile supply chains and the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence.

The debate was organised by the EESC’s Consultative Commission on Industrial Change (CCMI), which examines how industrial transformation is reshaping Europe’s economy, jobs and communities. As its president Alain Coheur explained, the CCMI aims to act as a ‘laboratory for strategic foresight’, developing practical proposals to help European industry adapt to ongoing change.

EESC President, Séamus Boland, highlighted the stakes: ‘In these times of industrial change, geopolitical upheaval and shrinking civic space, the CCMI’s foresight mission has never been more vital’.

Former European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, Nicolas Schmit, said that Europe must be ready for economic, technological and geopolitical disruptions, and be deliberate in its investment choices. ‘Europe is operating in a world of uncertainty, where old assumptions no longer hold’, Mr Schmit said. ‘Industrial policy can no longer be business as usual. It must combine investment, innovation and quality jobs, if Europe wants to remain competitive and protect its social model’.

Mr Schmit also cautioned against reading Europe’s competitiveness gap solely through comparisons with the US, noting that their headline productivity figures are heavily shaped by the dominance of a small number of technology giants and do not necessarily reflect a more balanced or resilient economic model.

Digitalisation and AI featured prominently in the discussion, with speakers stressing that innovation without parallel investment in skills and fair working conditions risks widening social and economic gaps. The main takeaway was clear: Europe’s competitiveness has become one of the EU’s most urgent economic challenges, demanding long-term strategies rather than short-term fixes.

The proposals discussed will feed directly into the EESC’s work in the coming months, informing EU decisions on industrial policy, competitiveness, and jobs. (gb)