The European Commission is calling on researchers, industry, Member States/Associated Countries and the wider public to help shape the future of European Partnerships in research and innovation.
To support this process, the Commission has launched a public consultation on the future Single Basic Act (SBA) for Joint Undertakings (JUs), Article 185 initiatives and thematic priorities for the European Partnership portfolio under Horizon Europe (HE) 28-34. Open to everyone, the consultation aims to collect views and evidence on how Treaty-based partnerships can be strengthened to boost EU competitiveness, mobilise investment and support the full innovation-to-investment journey. It also includes a set of questions on the partnership portfolio in HE 28-34, beyond JUs and Article 185 initiatives.
The consultation is being conducted in the context of the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), and in particular the next EU research and innovation programme 2028-2034 in which Treaty-based European Partnerships play a vital role.
The future SBA aims to make JUs more accessible and open, leverage private R&I investment, increase critical mass and target coordinated efforts at EU strategic priorities. Crucially, the initiative also seeks to align JUs with the European Competitiveness Fund (ECF), ensuring that EU R&I investment covers the entire journey from basic research to industrialisation and market uptake.
Your views matter
The consultation’s results will feed into the Commission’s impact assessment and shape the design of the future JU landscape. Stakeholders from national and regional administrations, academia, research institutions, industry associations, technology centres, SMEs, start-ups and civil society are all encouraged to participate.
The public consultation is published on the Have your say portal. It will be accessible in all EU official languages as soon as available. It will close on 16 October 2026. Replies may be submitted in any of the 24 official EU languages. A factual summary report will be published eight weeks after the consultation closes.
Background
European Partnerships are unique instruments in the EU research and innovation funding landscape. By bringing together industry, research-performing organisations, Member States/Associated countries and the EU, they pool public and private resources and expertise to foster research, development and the deployment of breakthrough technologies, achieving what no single actor could accomplish alone.
The Commission’s proposal for Horizon Europe 28-34 introduces important changes to how European Partnerships are set-up and implemented. Partnerships will be tripartite by default, bringing together the EU, Member States/Associated Countries and industry around shared strategic priorities. Treaty-based partnerships, such as Joint Undertakings and Article 185 initiatives, will only be allowed in exceptional cases, where the scale, complexity and strategic importance of the objectives justify the use of a more structured instrument.
The preparation of the SBA involves multiple steps, including a call for evidence, this 14-week public consultation, targeted consultations with Member States/Associated Countries, industry, existing Treaty-based partnerships and research-performing organisations, and a full impact assessment. The legislative proposal is expected at the end of 2026 or early 2027.
More information
Legislative Proposal for the 10th Framework Programme by the European Commission
