Ehler says EP will need to fill "many blanks" in Commission’s Horizon Europe 2028-2034 proposal

Christian Ehler, the MEP responsible for the European Parliament's position on Horizon Europe 2028-2034, has said that the proposal of the Commission is "unfinished" and that "the co-legislator will have to fill in many blanks".

Ehler, a German centre-right MEP and rapporteur for the Horizon Europe and the European Competitiveness Fund proposals for the EU's Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), started the discussions for his report in a meeting of the Industry, Technology and Research committee (ITRE) on 28/01/2026.

"Generally speaking, the proposal is good. However, it is also unfinished," Ehler said. "Too many crucial points are unclear. The most glaring example is the connection to the European Competitiveness Fund (ECF) and how the ECF will be governed," he said.

He added: "Nobody seems to know how this should work. Astonishingly, you can't find any commissioner who could tell [you]. This proposal cannot be implemented as proposed. It needs clarification, adjustment and improvement to be made fit for purpose."

Ehler said that Pillar Two of Horizon, dedicated to applied…