Commission warns dual-use research rules may lead to non-EU countries' exclusion from Horizon projects

The European Commission has warned that non-EU countries that are part of the EU’s Horizon Europe programme stand a higher chance of being excluded from dual-use research projects.

In an internal document published on 30/04/2026, the Commission sets out its thinking on the rules for dual-use research, i.e. into technologies and devices that can have civilian and defence applications. The EU’s research programme Horizon Europe has not funded dual-use projects until now, but it will do so under the next programme, which runs from 2028 to 2034.

In the paper, the Commission stresses that it is not planning to introduce additional conditions for proposals for dual-use research and that the rules relating to ethics, security of information and international cooperation under the next Horizon Europe programme (FP10 The next Framework Programme for Research, currently referred to as FP10 ) will apply.

The Commission stressed that Horizon Europe will be primarily for civilian applications, although in some cases the European Innovation Council (EIC European innovation council ) may decide to fund some purely defence-related applications.

However, the link between the European Competitiveness Fund (ECF European Competitiveness Fund ), which is meant to turn the results of EU-funded research into viable business ventures, and Horizon Europe may lead to complications for non-EU countries that want to take part in dual-use research, the Commission admits.

“It is expected that for ‘dual use by design’ areas, the risk related to international cooperation will most often be higher than for other (civil) only calls,” the Commission writes. “International cooperation will have to reflect this, with implications for associated countries beyond the EEA European Economic Area ,” the paper continues.

Non-EU countries that are associated to Horizon Europe and other third countries “may be excluded from participating in calls/topics for ‘dual use by design’ actions” because of the link to the ECF, according to the Commission.

The paper also states that the issue of compliance with the EU’s rules on export controls will have to be taken into account.

Countries like the UK and Switzerland have expressed concern about being excluded from collaborating on projects funded by Horizon Europe because of greater sensitivity about security issues.