EU invests €7.3 billion from Horizon Europe to enhance its competitiveness and talent growth
The European Commission is investing over €7.3 billion through its newly adopted Horizon Europe work programme for 2025 to strengthen Europes research and innovation engine and global edge. This will drive cutting-edge science, accelerate the EUs green and digital transitions, and enhance Europes competitiveness.
The programme will help attract and retain top researchers in Europe and offer targeted support to those affected by war and displacement. As part of these efforts, the Commission is updating the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) 2023-25 work programme part to offer more support for Ukrainian scientists and to launch a new MSCA ‘Choose Europe for Science pilot, which will offer more support and opportunities for early-career researchers, including competitive allowances and longer contracts. This pilot is part of a €500 million package for 2025–2027 and the wider ‘Choose Europe initiative to make Europe a magnet for researchers, presented by President von der Leyen last week.
The work programme allocates 35% of the budget to climate action and 8.8% to biodiversity. This includes €1.14 billion for climate, energy and transport projects, and €833 million for food, bioeconomy, natural resources, agriculture and environment. 36% of its Horizon Europe funding supports the digital transition, with €1.6 billion earmarked for artificial intelligence development.
The Commission has started a simplification effort with the 2025 work programme to make it more accessible and user-friendly. Where appropriate, wider use of simplified cost options, such as lump sum grants, removes unnecessary financial reporting requirements for beneficiaries. 29 two-stage topics will allow applicants to first submit shorter proposals and only prepare full proposals if selected for the second stage. This will reduce the administrative burden for applicants.
You can find more details about the programme in the press release online.
(For more information: Thomas Regnier — Tel. +32 2 299 10 99; Nika Blazevic — Tel. +32 2 299 27 17)
Commission seeks views on new initiative to strengthen EU energy infrastructure
The Commission is inviting feedback from authorities, businesses, citizens and other stakeholders on the European Grid package. This initiative will contribute to completing the Energy Union and to boosting competitiveness by facilitating access to affordable, secure and clean energy.
Ensuring a well-integrated and optimised European energy grid is crucial to accelerating a cost-efficient, clean energy transition.
The call for evidence and open public consultation will feed into the Commissions policy work on measures to accelerate the upgrade, digitalisation and expansion of the European grid infrastructure. This initiative aims to remove bottlenecks and increase overall efficiency for a well-interconnected and resilient energy system. Expected by the end of the year, the Grid Package will focus on electricity, but cover other infrastructure categories including hydrogen.
The European Grid Package was announced as part of the Competitiveness Compass and the Clean Industrial Deal. The Action Plan for Affordable Energy underlines that an efficient network is an enabler of the energy transition, helping everyone to benefit from energy at affordable and competitive prices.
(For more information: Anna-Kaisa Itkonen – Tel.: +32 2 295 75 01; Giulia Bedini – Tel: +32 2 295 86 61)