Research-performing organisations call for "stable and protected" Horizon Europe budget of €200 billion

Higher education and R&I organisations call on the European Parliament and the member states to increase the Horizon Europe 2028-2034 budget to at least €200 billion and to make it "stable and protected".

In a joint statement published on 09/09/2026, The Guild, LERU, EUA, Yerun, CESAER, the Coimbra Group and EU-Life said that the European Commission's proposal of €175bn for Horizon Europe was below the level needed to meet Europe’s ambitions. The European Parliament, the Council and the Commission should start trilogues in December 2026 to continue negotiations on the next R&I programmes.

"While €175bn seems substantially larger than the budget of the current programme, inflation and rising research costs significantly reduce the increase in real terms," they said.

The seven organisations…