03 december 2025
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On behalf of the Dutch knowledge community, Neth-ER presents its reaction to the next Framework Programme (FP) proposal: ‘a progressive Framework Programme (FP) to meet Europe’s strategic ambitions’. Neth-ER makes concrete recommendations for changes in the Commission’s proposal on five areas. The programme’s budget must be doubled to €200 billion. Excellent, bottom-up research should be protected and encouraged. The ECF should be clarified and have sufficient representation from involved actors. The program needs to be simplified for the participants and dual-use research needs to be carefully used
The EU needs to keep its competitive edge in research and innovation. Therefore, the Framework Programme (FP) budget needs to be doubled to €200 billion. Additionally, the FP should have a safeguard against reallocations without co-decision and independent impact assessment. Necessary balanced, predictable funding across the entire research and innovation (R&I) chain is a priority. Even decommitments should be used for the benefit of the research program.
The FP’s text needs to reflect the value of excellent, bottom-up research. Excellence and impact should stay key evaluation criteria for projects. For the ERC and the MSCA only excellence needs to be a requirement. Additionally, the geographical criteria must be limited to ‘widening participation and spreading excellence’. Finally, the evaluation committee should solely consist of independent, external experts. By including the protection of bottom-up, curiosity-driven research directly in the proposal, its validity and its research is ensured.
Excellent and impactful R&I is only possible when the actors are included in decisions. Therefore, the representation of the R&I sector in the Strategic Stakeholders Board of the ECF is vital. Additionally, it is important that the Commission observes its obligation to inform programme committees of the overall progress of both FP10 and the ECF. Additionally, ECF's priorities cannot sideline SSH and Health research in the FP.
The FP exists to support research and innovation. It needs to be simple to adequately do this. Firstly, the FP10 regulation should specify which rules of the 'single rulebook’ of the ECF proposal also apply to FP10. This helps applicants anticipate changes. Therefore, we suggest that documents relating to the award procedure are published before the end of 2026. Lastly, lump sum funding and personnel unit costs should be optional. It must not be the default and never be mandatory.
The inclusion of dual-use cannot come at the cost of independent or civil-focussed research. Research should be ‘as open as possible, as closed as necessary’, with open science and open access upheld. To ensure the researcher’s autonomy over their project’s dual-use potential, we suggest the FP have a primarily civil focus. Overall, it is also of priority that the dual-use debate continues before and during the FP’s implementation. In line with that, the establishment of a dual-use advisory platform can offer guidance on dual-use R&I. Lastly, association with Pillar 2 of Horizon Europe must be fully independent from association with the ECF.
Neth-ER provides more extensive recommendations in its reaction. The reaction was drafted in correspondence with Neth-ER’s members: KNAW, Nuffic, NWO, MBO Raad, VH, TNO, UNL and UMCNL. In the summer of 2025, the Commission published the proposed Multiannual Financial Framework Programme. At the time, Neth-ER issued a statement in response where it highlighted the need for a doubling of the budget. With the discussion of the proposal by the Council and Parliament, Neth-ER has now published a more detailed response. Negotiations are ongoing between the Council and Parliament with regards to the upcoming Multiannual Financial Framework.
Co-authored by Dagmar Coppens.
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Neth-ER reaction to the next Framework Programme proposal: A progressive Framework Programme to meet Europe’s strategic ambitions
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