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EERA – Secure Europe’s Innovation Continuity – From Science to Society, Position Paper on FP10

Policy Paper

A summary report capturing the key discussions, findings and follow-up actions from the INESC Brussels HUB’s 2026 Summer Meeting on European research infrastructure priorities.

Executive summary

In this position paper, the European Energy Research Alliance (EERA), the largest low-carbon energy research community in Europe and the research pillar of the SET Plan, sets out its recommendations for the next Framework Programme (FP10) and its relationship with the European Competitiveness Fund (ECF). EERA welcomes the Commission’s proposal to raise the FP10 budget to €175 billion, but calls for €200–220 billion, ring-fenced and matched by national and regional investment. It warns that the proposal reduces the relative share for clean energy research and collaborative research. EERA asks for clearer FP10–ECF governance built on the SET Plan, a balanced approach across TRLs and disciplines, and simpler, more open and inclusive EU research funding that also protects civilian research.

Key takeaways

  • FP10's budget should be raised to €200–220 billion and ring-fenced and complemented by national and regional funding rather than replacing it.
  • Clean energy research must stay central to FP10, since the proposal lowers its share of the budget from 16% under Horizon Europe to about 14.5%.
  • Collaborative research under Pillar II should represent at least 60% of FP10 (down to 43.4% in the proposal), with a balanced approach across TRLs from frontier research to demonstration.
  • How FP10 and the ECF interact must be clarified, using the SET Plan as the framework for alignment, with excellence and researcher autonomy at the core of governance.
  • FP10 should simplify rules and partnerships, improve access to research infrastructures, keep Widening as a dedicated sub-programme, and protect civilian research as attention to dual-use grows.

Authors & download

Authors: EERA Policy Team, including Ricardo Bessa as lead author from INESC TEC
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Last reviewed / validation

17/08/2026