The Guild opposes Commission's proposal to apply EU preference rules from ECF to research activities

The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities has expressed concern that the European Commission’s proposal to apply the European Competitiveness Fund’s EU preference rules to research activities will "distort international collaboration because of an unbalanced emphasis on security".

The statement, released on 01/04/2026, was in response to the Commission's proposal that rules including ones on European preference from the European Competitiveness Fund (ECF) regulation should apply to the next Horizon Europe Framework Programme (FP10). The proposal says that the FP10 work programmes or “the documents related to the award procedure” may “[require] participating entities to be established, use facilities or perform activities in the member states” to protect the economic interest and autonomy of the European Union.

"This approach is misguided, as it will weaken the EU’s knowledge base and, ultimately, its autonomy," the Guild stated.

According to the association, the EU's competitiveness relies heavily on producing and exploiting frontier knowledge. "Horizon Europe must empower…