Europe’s research and innovation strength relies on cross-border, collaborative work, yet current FP10 discussions risk weakening this by reducing the share of Pillar II, potentially leading to fragmentation and slower innovation uptake. EERA calls for collaborative research to remain central, representing at least 60% of the FP10 budget to sustain Europe’s competitiveness, cohesion, and innovation pipeline.

Under Horizon Europe, 16% of the budget went to climate, energy and mobility research. Under FP10, that share would drop to around 14.5%. EERA calls for stronger prioritisation of clean energy research within FP10, aligned with the ECF, and for a broader approach to sustainable competitiveness that supports Europe’s energy security and decarbonisation goals.

Europe’s clean energy transition is not only a technological challenge – it is a societal one. EERA calls for FP10 to further embed SSH alongside technological and industrial research to address societal, behavioural, economic, and governance dimensions.

Hydropower plays a key role as the backbone of system flexibility and storage. Yet, despite its importance for grid stability and competitiveness, it remains under-prioritised. JP Hydropower and ETIP Hydrowpower call for stronger EU support and targeted R&I to modernise assets, deploy new capacity where appropriate, and accelerate digital innovation in the FP10.