Regulation 2021/2085 - Joint Undertakings under Horizon Europe - Main contents

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 427/17

In order to achieve the greatest possible impact of Union funding and the most effective contribution to the Union’s policy objectives, Regulation (EU) 2021/695 of the European Parliament and of the Council (3) (the ‘Horizon Europe Regulation’) established the policy and legal framework for European partnerships with private or public sector partners. European partnerships are a key element of the policy approach of Horizon Europe – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (‘Horizon Europe’). They are set up to deliver on Union priorities targeted by Horizon Europe and ensure a clear impact for the Union and its people, which can be achieved more effectively in partnership, through a strategic vision that is shared and committed to by partners, rather than by the Union alone.

In particular, European partnerships in the ‘Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness’ pillar of Horizon Europe play an important role in achieving strategic objectives such as accelerating the transitions towards sustainable development goals and a green and digital Europe, and should contribute to recovery from the unprecedented crisis brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. European partnerships address complex cross-border challenges that require an integrated approach. They make it possible to address the transformational, systemic and market failures described in the impact assessments accompanying this Regulation by bringing together a broad range of players across the value chains and ecosystems to work towards a common vision and translating it into concrete roadmaps and coordinated implementation of activities. Furthermore, they enable efforts and resources to be concentrated on common priorities to solve the complex challenges.

To deliver on priorities and impact, European partnerships should be developed through a broad involvement of relevant stakeholders across Europe including industry, research organisations, bodies with a public service mission at local, regional, national or international level, and civil society organisations such as foundations that support or carry out research and innovation. They should also be one of the measures to strengthen cooperation between private or public sector partners at the international level, including by joining up research and innovation programmes and cross-border investment in research and innovation, bringing mutual benefits to people and businesses while ensuring that the Union can uphold its interests in strategic areas.

The interim evaluation of Horizon 2020 established by Regulation (EU) No 1291/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (4) revealed that a considerable repertoire of partnership instruments and initiatives have been introduced over time, with seven forms of implementation and close to 120 partnership initiatives running under Horizon 2020. In addition to the complexity generated by the proliferation of instruments and initiatives, it has been assessed that their ability to contribute to related policies at Union and national level as a whole is not sufficient despite the fact...