(Science|Business) Will EU Missions’ momentum carry them beyond 2030?

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Plans by the European Commission to stop financing the EU Missions through Horizon Europe in 2030 are not winning unanimous support. Some of those involved believe that their momentum will carry them forwards, but others now worry that discontinuing funding will undermine their progress.

“Ending funding in 2030 risks undermining progress just as many initiatives begin to deliver tangible results,” said Pirita Lindholm, director of the European Regions Research and Innovation Network (ERRIN). “Tackling societal challenges do not end in 2030; continued support is needed to maintain momentum.”

The five EU Missions were launched in 2021 as large-scale initiatives to tackle some of the EU’s greatest challenges, including climate change, cancer, ocean restoration, soil health and the development of climate-neutral and smart cities.

They were given clear goals, for example helping at least 150 communities adapt to climate risks, or creating 100 living labs and lighthouses fostering healthy soils. But they were also given a short timeframe, with funding through Horizon Europe ending in 2030. After that, they must attract additional public and private investments to deploy their outcomes.

Under the present Horizon Europe programme, €1.9 billion was set aside for the Missions, most of which has already been allocated. Further funding is foreseen under the next iteration of the programme, which begins in 2028, but the 2030 cut-off still holds.

“Up to 2030 is precisely when the Missions will require strong support, particularly for research and innovation, given the time needed for projects to deliver concrete results,” an EU official told Science|Business. “The proposal therefore ensures continuity of funding during the critical period when progress towards the Missions’ ambitious objectives must be secured.”

For Elina Bardram, manager for the Mission on adaptation to climate change, this is all part of the plan. “The Missions are purpose-built to achieve specific goals by 2030, after which their objectives should either be met or evolve into new frameworks,” she said.

Some Missions have already managed to obtain funding from other sources. For example, the Mission on climate-neutral and smart cities has garnered support from national sources and secured a €2-billion lending envelope from the European Investment Bank. But a full picture across all the Missions will only emerge after an evaluation planned for early 2026.

Only the beginning

Last year, an expert group set up by the Commission expert group found that while most European countries were showing interest in integrating the Missions into their policies, they were still “in the process of sense-making and exploring.” Hence Lindholm’s concern that 2030 is too soon to end Horizon Europe funding. 

She advocates long-term funding for the Missions in the next Framework Programme, not just to carry forward the present initiatives but to fill a gap in the programme. For example, while the Commission’s proposal to launch “moonshot” projects may look similar to EU Missions, in fact they will focus on technology-oriented areas more than on societal challenges.

“Missions empower regions to turn societal challenges into opportunities for sustainable growth, job creation and territorial competitiveness,” said Silvia Ghiretti, who coordinates ERRIN’s work on the EU Missions. “Continuity is key, not just in funding, but in ambition, collaboration and regional leadership.”

Time to move on

But according to Bardram, the Missions already provide a strong foundation for work to continue beyond 2030. This is particularly relevant to her Mission, as the need to increase the EU’s climate preparedness is unlikely to go away soon.

“The legacy of the adaptation Mission [. . .] will serve as foundational pillars for broader, more integrated policy frameworks,” she said. “As we proceed with taking climate resilience and adaptation action to the next level in the context of EU policies and programming, activities such as those financed by the adaptation Mission will be given priority independent of the label.”

Her Mission has already inspired action at the local and regional levels, she went on, such as a commitment by over 300 regions and local authorities to become climate resilient by 2030.

The Commission also sees a broader impact already. The Missions have set in motion “a new way of tackling complex challenges through public policy, with research and innovation organised around societal needs, and new frameworks for cross-sector, multi-level collaboration,” the EU official said. “Future efforts will build on their achievements, communities, and the momentum they created, and will find continuity and resonance in broader EU initiatives.” 

These initiatives include the Beating Cancer Plan, the Ocean Pact, the Climate Adaptation Strategy, the Vision for Agriculture and Food, the Soil Monitoring Law and the Policy Agenda for Cities.

After 2030, Bardram expects the EU Integrated Framework for Climate Resilience and Risk Management, scheduled for adoption in 2026, to provide “the natural evolution and elevation” of her Mission’s result. This will “shift from a strictly framed experimental set-up to one of mainstreaming adaptation and resilience-building by design in EU and national policies.”