Horizon 2020 - EU investments for research and innovation in the field of energy

The Horizon 2020 programme (2013-2020) is the EU investment programme for research and innovation. It pursues three main priorities: generating excellent science, creating industrial leadership and tackling societal challenges. Out of a total budget of €70bn, investments in secure, clean and efficient energy represent around €5bn over the 7 years period. 

The Greens believe that the Horizon 2020 energy funds should support activities that will enable Europe to meet 2050 decarbonisation objectives, by developing and deploying sustainable energy technologies. This means ending fossil fuels subsidies and investing in renewable energy technologies, energy efficiency and intelligent energy systems.

The Greens advocated that 80% of the Horizon 2020 energy funds should go towards research in renewable energies and help people use less energy by improving energy efficiency of buildings, appliances, transport systems, etc. We also wished to enhance activities supporting the market uptake of renewable energy and energy efficiency, including support measure for policy implementation such as the EU Directive on the energy efficiency of buildings. 

The Greens have been instrumental in ensuring that at least 85 % of the energy funds under the Horizon 2020 will be allocated to renewable energy, end-user energy efficiency technologies, smart grids and energy storage. We have also successfully fought for the continuation of the market uptake and policy support activities, and increasing the overall budget share for the energy investments under Horizon 2020.

The Greens did not succeed to completely exclude public funding of research in fossils fuels technologies. The remaining 15% of the energy funds may be used to finance research in Carbon Capture and Storage technology, in CO2 re-use technologies, but also, to the will of the Member States, in gas technologies, meaning also possibly shale gas.