he European Commission has today adopted the Spring Package of the European Semester, including proposals for Country-Specific Recommendations (CSRs), in which Research and Innovation is covered for 26 out of 27 Member States.
These recommendations, presented by the Commission, signal a continued and strengthened commitment by the European Union to placing research and innovation at the heart of national economic strategies across Europe.
Broad coverage reflects shared priority
The comprehensive coverage of R&I in this year’s CSRs underlines the importance of R&I as a cornerstone of Europe’s competitiveness. Recommendations address a wide range of structural and investment challenges, from insufficient public R&D investment and weak academia-industry linkages, to underdeveloped regional innovation ecosystems and administrative barriers facing researchers and start-ups.
Key themes in the 2026 recommendations
Across the 26 Member States concerned, the R&I recommendations cluster around five key priorities:
- increasing the level and efficiency of public R&D investment and fostering private investment in R&D
- strengthening public research systems
- fostering stronger collaboration between universities, research institutions, and the private sector and fostering the commercialisation of research results
- enhancing startup and scaleup ecosystems
Next steps
The Commission proposals for the 2026 CSRs are to be discussed and adopted by the Council. The Commission looks forward to tracking progress as part of the ongoing Semester cycle and will engage actively and collaboratively with national authorities, the European Parliament, and stakeholders in the weeks ahead, working together to turn ambition into action.
More information
Spring Package of the European Semester
Recommendations for research and innovation policies at national level: European Semester
