Canada Joins Horizon Europe Programme

Canada is now part of the expanding group of non-EU countries associated with Horizon Europe, the EU's research and innovation programme. This collaboration will enable joint efforts on large-scale projects addressing major global challenges.

Today, Iliana Ivanova, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education, and Youth, and François-Philippe Champagne, Canadian Minister of Innovation, Science, and Industry, are signing the agreement that allows Canadian researchers and organizations to participate in the programme on equal footing with their EU counterparts.

The conclusion of negotiations for Canada's association to Pillar II of Horizon Europe was announced by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the EU-Canada Summit on November 24, 2023. Today, they reaffirmed their commitment through a joint statement.

Canada's association with Pillar II of Horizon Europe enables Canadian entities to join and lead collaborative research projects across various domains. They will have the opportunity to receive direct funding from the programme, while Canada will contribute to its budget.

While awaiting the formal signature, a transitional arrangement allowed Canadian entities to apply and be evaluated as prospective beneficiaries in Horizon Europe proposals for all calls implementing Pillar II from the 2024 budget onwards.

Horizon Europe is the EU's flagship funding programme for research and innovation, with a budget of €93.5 billion for 2021-2027. It addresses climate change, supports the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, and enhances the EU's competitiveness and growth. Pillar II, the programme's largest collaborative component, has a budget of €52.4 billion and focuses on global challenges such as climate, energy, the digital economy, and health.

Other pillars of Horizon Europe, including Excellent Science and Innovative Europe, remain open to Canadian organizations and researchers. The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA), the EU's leading programme for doctoral education, postdoctoral training, and collaborative research, also continue to support projects between the EU and Canada.

Currently, Canadian entities participate in 155 projects under Horizon Europe, having received over €6 million in funding. Of this, €2.3 million comes from European Research Council grants, €1.9 million from projects under Pillar II, and €1.8 million from Research Infrastructures.

As of today, 19 countries are associated with Horizon Europe based on various criteria, including their membership in the European Economic Area (EEA), candidate status, and other economic, political, and research criteria. Formal negotiations for association were recently concluded with the Republic of Korea, and ongoing negotiations include Switzerland, with preparatory talks underway with Japan and Singapore.

Article source: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_24_3626

Photo attribution: Zacharycmango, Canada provinces and territories by population, CC BY-SA 4.0