Austria should advocate for a stronger Horizon Europe
The Negotiation Box presented by the Cypriot Council Presidency on 11 June 2026 marks the start of crucial budget negotiations for the EU’s next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2028–2034. It contains a proposal to reduce the budget of the Horizon Europe research framework programme from the European Commission’s draft of €175 billion to just under €168 billion, sending a worrying signal—particularly at a time when Europe is facing significant geopolitical, technological and economic pressure.
The Cypriot Presidency’s proposal includes a 4% cut to Horizon Europe compared to the Commission’s overall proposal. In contrast, the agriculture sector would be spared from cuts, and cohesion funds would even be increased. Helga Nowotny, Chair of the FORWIT Working Group on European Research Policy, sees a contradiction here: “We face the strategic challenge of strengthening our technological sovereignty, competitiveness and resilience in the face of geopolitical tensions and an overall volatile situation. It takes courage—and the necessary financial resources—to stay on this path.”
The commitment to a strong research framework programme—for which the Draghi report proposed a budget of €200 billion and the Heitor report even €220 billion—must continue to be taken into account in the budget negotiations now beginning. Horizon Europe is a vital complement to national research funding. “The desire for as frugal an EU budget as possible,” Nowotny continues, “should not result in cuts to the very area that has such significant positive impacts for Austria through financial returns, networking and knowledge building.”
This week, EU Member States—including Austria—are voicing their positions on the Cypriot proposal. Plans—following an initial exchange on 16 June 2026—call for a discussion at the European Council on 18-19 June 2026. FORWIT calls on the Austrian Federal Government to advocate in the upcoming negotiations for a strong 10th Research Framework Programme with a budget of at least €200 billion, as experts have long demanded and FORWIT has recommended. Finally, Helga Nowotny reiterates: “Despite Austria’s current savings and budget restrictions, in the ongoing budget negotiations in Brussels, it is essential to keep open as far as possible the lifeline of EU research funding that is so vital for Austria.”
