Ehler expresses concern about Council position on scientific freedom and use of ECF programming rules

Christian Ehler, the German centre-right MEP who drafted the European Parliament's position on Horizon Europe, has criticised parts of the Council's agreement on the Horizon Europe programme for 2028-2034, saying that the issues of scientific freedom and following the same programming rules for Horizon and the European Competitiveness Fund needed to be addressed in negotiations with member states.

EU ambassadors reached partial general agreement on the rules for Horizon on 24/06/2026 as part of the negotiations for the Union's budget, the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), for 2028-2034. It was formally approved by the Council on 26/06/2026.

Ehler wrote on LinkedIn that he welcomed the Council reaching a partial agreement on Horizon:
"The progress made in the Council is a good foundation for negotiations, except for two issues of major concern".

He said he was worried about the removal of references to the freedom of scientific research in the Council's position. "I would welcome a dialogue with the Council to understand its position, because as Rapporteur, I need confidence that…