Horizon Europe plans becoming a ‘nightmare’

Mission and partnership plans cause high-level disquiet

The battle to shape radical changes in the EU’s flagship research funding scheme is leading to rising concern, with one influential MEP warning that the plans are in danger of becoming a “nightmare”.

Research commissioner Carlos Moedas has promoted ‘missions’ targeting specific societal challenges to boost the impact and public support of EU research spending. He is also pushing a revised partnerships framework to simplify the plethora of EU-backed public-public and public-private initiatives.