The debate on the future of Europe’s so-called Widening measures has entered a decisive phase. A new European Parliament study presented in January 2026, together with earlier proposals from the European Commission for the next Framework Programme, FP10, sends a clear signal: the current approach to supporting weaker research and innovation systems has reached its limits. Policymakers increasingly agree that uniform instruments applied across very different countries cannot deliver long-term convergence.
The study, prepared for the Parliament’s STOA panel by innovation economist Reinhilde Veugelers of KU Leuven, highlights the high degree of heterogeneity among the fifteen Widening countries. Each faces a different mix of structural barriers. In some cases, the challenge lies in infrastructure and equipment; in others, in human capital, links to industry, governance, or access to finance. As a result, long-standing instruments such as Teaming and Twinning tend to work only where a certain level of institutional maturity already exists. Where this baseline is missing, their impact remains limited.
This diagnosis aligns closely with the European Commission’s draft proposal for FP10, published in mid-2025.
Adamson Janny
While the Commission intends to keep Widening measures as part of the post-2027 Framework Programme, it also proposes a significant redesign. Central to this is the creation of two categories of eligible countries, separating those still lagging behind from a new group of so-called “transition countries” that have demonstrated progress in the EU Innovation Scoreboard and increased participation in Horizon Europe.
The stated ambition is to build a more cohesive and integrated European Research Area and to support progress towards the long-standing target of investing 3% of GDP in research and development. At the same time, concerns are growing that, without transparent criteria and continuous evaluation, this approach could unintentionally entrench a multi-speed Europe, leaving some countries permanently stuck in a catch-up position.
One of the most striking findings of the Parliament’s study is the persistent weakness of Widening countries in access to finance. Public R&D spending, private investment and venture capital remain areas where gaps have narrowed only marginally, if at all.
Even in countries that have improved, progress has often been too slow to meaningfully close the distance to Europe’s strongest innovation performers. This reinforces the conclusion that the challenge is systemic and cannot be solved by isolated instruments alone.
Against this backdrop
The Commission has floated the idea of introducing conditionality into parts of the Widening programme. From 2030 onwards, access to certain capacity-building measures could be restricted to countries that demonstrate an increase in national R&D expenditure. While some stakeholders see this as a necessary incentive for governments to take greater responsibility, others warn that it risks penalising research organisations and innovators for political or fiscal decisions beyond their control, potentially undermining international collaboration.
Despite these tensions, the overall direction of travel is clear. Widening is no longer viewed merely as a compensatory mechanism for weaker performance, but increasingly as a strategic tool for transforming national and regional innovation ecosystems. The real test for FP10 will not be whether Widening measures continue to exist, but whether they are embedded across the entire programme, adjusted dynamically to country-specific conditions, and designed to enable genuine progression rather than permanent dependence.
The future of Widening will therefore depend less on the number of instruments retained and more on Europe’s ability to move beyond uniform solutions towards targeted, adaptive and long-term support that reflects the realities on the ground.
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References
European Parliament (STOA Panel) (2026). Widening measures should differ for each country. Draft study by Reinhilde Veugelers (KU Leuven).
European Commission (2025). Draft FP10 proposal – Widening reforms and introduction of “transition countries”.
European Commission. EU Innovation Scoreboard (latest editions).
Science|Business (2025–2026). Coverage on Widening and FP10 reforms, including articles from 9 July 2025 and 28 January 2026.
