The results of the public consultation on framework programs

The largest public consultation to date on the past and future of the Framework Programs for RDI has been open for 12 weeks.

In the consultation, the general public had the opportunity to share their experiences and opinions regarding the ex-post evaluation of Horizon 2020, the interim evaluation of the Horizon Europe program, and the formation of the Horizon Europe strategic program for the period 2025-2027. Insights from the public online consultation will also feed into the ongoing preparations of the next Framework Programme for R&I.

In total, 2788 respondents participated in the consultation. Out of these, 34 answers came from the Czech Republic.  The countries with the largest number of respondents are Italy (273), France (260), Germany (252) and Spain (232). In addition to questionnaires, the institutions were also able to express themselves through position papers, of which there were 265.

The consultation shows that the EU's investment in research and innovation should be in the coming years focused mainly on the fight against climate change, energy supply and biodiversity protection.

The results further point to insufficient synergies between individual parts of the program, but also with other European programs. In this context, the lack of clarity and lack of complementarity between European partnerships, Missions and the second pillar of Horizon Europe was also often mentioned.

On the structure of the Strategic Plan, some respondents indicated that the current structure is complex and called for simplifications. Others indicated that the plan is difficult to understand and that the document could be made more accessible.  

The whole report can be found on the European Commission website.