This month, the Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER), chaired by the Lithuanian Presidency, approved the agreement reached last month between the Presidency of the Council and the European Parliament representatives on Horizon 2020, the EU’s new framework programme for research and innovation for the next seven years (see ACA Newsletter – Education Europe, June 2013). The agreement paves the way for the formal adoption of the Horizon 2020 package by the European Parliament through a plenary vote in autumn this year.

The agreed upon package is made up of four legislative acts, consisting of:

• a regulation establishing the Horizon 2020 framework programme;
• a regulation laying down the rules for the participation and dissemination;
• a regulation laying down the implementation modalities of Horizon 2020, and
• a regulation establishing the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) and a decision setting out its strategic innovation agenda.

Horizon 2020, which will combine all research and innovation funding, will replace the current EU's 7th Research Framework Programme (FP7) as of 1 January 2014. It is part of the Europe 2020 strategy for growth and jobs and strives towards the creation of a European Research Area, where knowledge, technology and researchers circulate freely. It focuses on three priorities:

• generating excellent science;
• encouraging industrial leadership, and
• fighting societal challenges.