European Ministers discuss critical technologies and the future R&I Framework Programme in Copenhagen

On 16 and 17 July 2025, ministers responsible for research and innovation from EU Member States, along with their counterparts from Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, gathered in Copenhagen for an Informal Meeting hosted by the Danish Presidency of the Council of the EU. The two-day meeting focused on Europe's role in developing critical technologies and shaping future European research and innovation efforts in the context of the upcoming Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). The meeting was chaired by Christina Egelund, Danish Minister for Higher Education and Science. The European Commission delegation was led by Commissioner for Start-ups, Research and Innovation Ekaterina Zaharieva, and Director General of DG Research and Innovation Marc Lemaître.

On the first day, ministers explored the need for a joint European effort to advance critical technologies, acknowledging their importance for Europe's competitiveness, strategic autonomy, and the green and digital transitions. After a presentation by Rector David Dreyer Lassen (University Copenhagen) on the newly established National Centre for Artificial Intelligence in Society and other concrete cases from Copenhagen, discussions highlighted the role of public-private collaboration in scaling up key technologies such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, biotechnologies, and space technologies. Ministers also addressed how Europe can build world-leading research hubs through cross-border cooperation and a shared research capacity. To foster more dynamic exchanges, the political discussions were organised in smaller breakout groups, a format welcomed by the delegations, following plenary introductions and concluding with group reporting. Several ministers acted as rapporteurs, sharing key takeaways in the final plenary sessions.

A highlight of the first day was the site visit to the historic Niels Bohr Institute at the University of Copenhagen, a world-renowned centre for scientific breakthroughs in physics. The day concluded with a ministerial dinner at the University’s ceremonial hall.

The second day of the informal meeting turned to research and innovation funding under the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), with a particular focus on the standalone Framework Programme for R&I, which will continue to be called Horizon Europe. The proposal for the next Framework Programme was presented by Commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva before political discussions resumed again in smaller breakout groups.

As the Commission documents had been circulated only shortly before the meeting, delegations were naturally not yet in a position to comment on the proposal in detail. However, the overall tone was broadly positive: the Commission proposal foresees a standalone Framework Programme for Research and Innovation with a separate budget. The ‘question of all questions’ was how Pillar II will be linked to the European Competitiveness Fund (ECF), particularly with regard to governance and participation rules.

Like many other countries, Austria also welcomed the Commission proposal for a self-standing Framework Programme for R&I and the solid anchoring of the ERA in the text, emphasising the importance of strengthening research on Europe's geopolitical challenges and its role in various dimensions of peace and security.

The next official meeting of the EU Competitiveness Council (Research) is scheduled for 30 September 2025 in Brussels.

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Informal meeting of competitiveness ministers (research, internal market and industry)