EU budget derailed as R&D row persists

Research groups and politicians at odds over Horizon Europe funding as prospect of delay rises

With just weeks remaining until the planned start of the EU’s next seven-year budget, a provisional deal agreed earlier this month has been thrown into disarray after being vetoed by Poland and Hungary.

While the row threatens to delay the start of the Horizon Europe R&D programme, unity between groups advocating higher overall spending on R&D has also been marred by a disagreement over where a bonus €4 billion for the programme should be routed.