Our statement on the dual use of Horizon Europe funding
As the ENCC, we are deeply concerned by the decision to redirect substantial Horizon resources towards military purposes. As European Commissioner for startups, research, and innovation Ekaterina Zaharieva has highlighted, now less than ever shall we overlook the essential contribution that research and innovation can make to building a safer and more cohesive Europe; in particular the social, cultural, and community-driven work that reinforces long-term human security. Continuing down well-worn paths will not meet today's challenges. It is timely to invest in genuine advancement, investigation, and vision.
Prioritising militarisation to the point of abruptly reallocating previously agreed-upon civilian-only research budgets – a move without precedent – signals a reactive, short-term logic that neglects what truly strengthens peace and societal resilience in Europe. It also departs from the EU's own values and the forward-looking way of life it strives to uphold. Furthermore, announcing such a shift without meaningful consultation risks harming promising sectors in innovation, sustainability, and culture, while weakening the scientific community's trust in policymakers and de-incentivising future collaboration.
As a trans-disciplinary and socially engaged European network committed to cultural democracy, participation, and freedom of expression, the ENCC is particularly concerned by measures that jeopardise the independence and innovation capabilities of the culture sector, as well as of the very spaces where diverse communities can imagine and co-create shared futures. Socio-cultural centres and grassroots cultural actors are vital democratic infrastructures; they foster resilience, community agency, and systemic understanding – capacities essential to Europe's long-term stability and peace.
Europe cannot afford to weaken these foundations. We call for transparency, dialogue, and a renewed commitment to research, arts, and culture as cornerstones of human security, democratic vitality, and sustainable development. At a time when civic space is shrinking and polarisation is rising, investment in socio-culture is not a luxury; it is a strategic necessity for Europe's future. We call for Horizon EU's research fund to remain a defence-free zone, preserving its role as a space for value-driven and future oriented research.