Committee of the Regions calls for Horizon Europe to put regions at the core of EU innovation

The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) has adopted its position on the next Horizon Europe programme for 2028-2034 (FP10), calling for regions to be recognised as being at the heart of European innovation.

Anne Besnier, Vice-President of the Centre-Val de Loire region and rapporteur for the CoR’s position on FP10, received the support of her fellow CoR members during the plenary on 07/05/2026 for her calls to “involve local and regional authorities more closely in the governance and implementation of this programme”.

Speaking during the plenary session, Besnier said: "The regions are not on the periphery but at the heart of European innovation. It is our regions that shape ecosystems, support talent and ensure that innovation delivers tangible benefits to our citizens."

She also expressed regret that certain parts of the programme remain "too focused on a national approach", and therefore proposed "making better use of the regional innovation scoreboard to take action at local and regional level".

On the budget, Besnier said that the €175 billion proposed by the European…