Horizon Europe: “We need to brace for more cuts", Commission’s Andreas Schwarz warned

Andreas Schwarz, Head of Cabinet for Commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva, warned of further cuts to the Horizon Europe budget at a conference in Brussels marking the 10^th anniversary of The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities on 15/10/2026. “We need to brace for more,” he said, speaking on behalf of the Commissioner.

“It’s already a gap of around 10%, and I fear it will be more,” Schwarz said, referring to the negotiating box presented by the Irish Presidency of the Council on 10/10/2026 and debated during the European Summit taking place on 15 and 16/10. It proposes €158.187 billion for Horizon Europe, 9.6% below the €175bn proposed by the European Commission in July 2025.

He added: "My experience is that if further cuts are requested by the net payers -and they are- they will…