Uncertainty over EU’s 2021 spending and seven-year budget threatens to scupper Horizon Europe launch
Research organisations are waiting nervously as national leaders meet in the last realistic chance to avoid delays to the start of the EU’s next R&D programme and its more than €80 billion of funding.
Member state leaders are meeting as the European Council on 10-11 December to try to resolve a disagreement on the bloc’s overall 2021-27 budget. Failure would likely delay R&D programme Horizon Europe, due to start in 2021, as well as the Erasmus+ academic mobility programme and spending on space, digitisation and defence.