On 27 January 2026, an EERA delegation, led by President, Henk-Jan Vink, took part in an in-camera meeting of the European Parliament’s Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) Working Group on Horizon Europe, held under Chatham House rules. The meeting brought together Members of the European Parliament, senior European Commission officials and a select group of stakeholders for an open and informal exchange on the role of expert input in the programming of Horizon Europe.

During the discussion, EERA outlined how it provides structured, system-level expertise to EU research and innovation programmes and highlighted its capacity to translate project-level experience into evidence-based input for programme design, including contributions to various Strategic Research and Innovation Agendas and technology roadmaps under the EU Strategic Energy Technology (SET) Plan.

The exchange also touched upon ongoing discussions on the next EU Framework Programme, FP10. This provided an opportunity for EERA to share concrete reflections from the research community on how FP10 could better support long-term impact. In particular, we called for earlier and more continuous involvement of organised research communities in shaping priorities and calls, not only as applicants but as contributors to defining priorities and call structures.

Moreover, EERA stressed that EU funding should provide clearer continuity from fundamental research to demonstration and deployment, with instruments that allow knowledge generated in earlier phases to be carried forward. This includes flagship-style calls, a balanced coverage of technology readiness levels (TRLs), and stronger alignment between research priorities, industrial strategies and regulatory frameworks across EU and national levels.

Throughout the exchange, EERA underlined that scientific excellence must remain the primary selection criterion, and that FP10 will require an adequate and credible budget to deliver on Europe’s strategic ambitions.

EERA’s participation in this exchange reflects its ongoing commitment to supporting EU institutions with independent, science-based expertise, and its continued engagement in discussions shaping current and future European research and innovation programmes.