The European Parliament has published two draft reports on the future of European research and innovation after 2027: MEP Christian Ehler's report on Framework Programme 10 (FP10) and the report on the European Competitiveness Fund (ECF) by MEPs Christian Ehler and Dan Nica. In response, EERA has published a set of recommendations on how both proposals could better support Europe's clean energy transition and long-term competitiveness. 

EERA welcomes the proposed increase in the FP10 budget and the report's recognition of the Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET Plan). At the same time, it recommends several improvements to ensure that collaborative research and innovation remain at the heart of the next Framework Programme. 

Furthermore, EERA calls for maintaining strong support for collaborative research, preserving research excellence and researchers' autonomy, and ensuring that FP10 and the European Competitiveness Fund work in a coordinated way. EERA also recommends building on existing governance structures, rather than creating new ones, to improve the coordination of Europe's research and innovation.  

In particular, EERA welcomes the explicit reference to the SET Plan in the draft report on the European Competitiveness Fund. As Europe's established framework for coordinating low-carbon energy research and innovation, the SET Plan already brings together the European Commission, Member States, industry and the research community. EERA, therefore, recommends that its role be fully reflected in the governance and implementation of both FP10 and the European Competitiveness Fund. 

Through these recommendations, EERA has the aim to support a research and innovation framework that better connects research, innovation and deployment while contributing to Europe's competitiveness and clean energy transition.