In order to achieve the greatest possible impact of Union funding and the most effective contribution to the Union’s policy objectives, Regulation (EU) 2021/695 of the European Parliament and of the Council (3) established Horizon Europe – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, which provides for the policy and legal framework for European Partnerships with private or public sector partners, or both. European Partnerships are a key element of the policy approach of Horizon Europe. They are set up to deliver on Union commitments and priorities targeted by Horizon Europe and to ensure a clear impact for the Union, its citizens and the environment, which can be achieved more effectively in a partnership, through a strategic vision that is shared and committed to by partners, rather than by the Union alone.
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In particular, European Partnerships under Horizon Europe’s Pillar II, ‘Global challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness’ (Pillar II), are expected to play an important role in achieving the strategic objectives of accelerating the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), the Union’s commitments under the Paris Agreement, adopted under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (4) (the ‘Paris Agreement’), as well as the transitions towards a green and digital Europe, while contributing to a socially, economically, and environmentally resilient recovery. European Partnerships are key to addressing complex cross-border challenges that require an integrated approach. They make it possible to address transformational, systematic and market failures by bringing together a broad range of players across value chains, research and innovation areas and industrial ecosystems to work towards a common vision and translate it into concrete roadmaps and a coordinated implementation of activities. Furthermore, they make it possible to concentrate efforts and resources on common priorities to solve the complex challenges ahead, in order to benefit society.
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In order to deliver on priorities and impact, European Partnerships should be developed through a broad involvement of relevant stakeholders across Europe, including industry, higher education institutions, research organisations, bodies with a public service mission at local, regional, national or international level, and civil society organisations, including foundations, that support or carry out research and innovation. European Partnerships should also be one of the measures to strengthen cooperation and synergies at international level, among private sector partners and public sector partners and between them, including by joining up research and innovation programmes and cross-border investment in research and innovation, bringing mutual benefits to people and businesses.
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A European Partnership on Metrology should be established. Such a partnership is intended to be a more effective means of delivery than traditional calls for proposals or co-funded partnerships under the work programmes prepared under the related clusters of Pillar II.
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The European Partnership on Metrology (the ‘Metrology Partnership’) should implement its mission and objectives in a clear, simple and flexible way in order to increase its attractiveness to industry, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and other relevant stakeholders.
(6)
The Metrology Partnership should promote and reward scientific excellence and support the uptake and systematic use of research and innovation results generated within the Union, including by ensuring that state-of-the-art science and fundamental research findings are taken into account in the implementation of its activities. It should also strive to ensure that the results of its actions are taken up and deployed by industry and innovators and, ultimately, in society.
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In order to guarantee scientific excellence and in line with Article 13 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, the Metrology Partnership should promote academic freedom in all of the Participating States, in particular the freedom to conduct scientific research, and promote the highest standards of scientific integrity.
(8)
In line with the objectives of Regulation (EU) 2021/695, any Member State and any third country associated to Horizon Europe should be entitled to participate in the Metrology Partnership. In order to ensure complementarity within the European Economic Area (EEA) and with other neighbouring countries, other third countries should be able to participate in the Metrology Partnership, subject to the conclusion of a relevant international agreement for scientific and technological cooperation with the Union and the agreement of the Participating States.
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Horizon Europe introduces a more strategic, coherent and impact-driven approach to European Partnerships, building on the lessons learned from the interim evaluation of Horizon 2020 - the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (2014-2020) established by Regulation (EU) No 1291/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (5). Regulation (EU) 2021/695 provides for the possibility to make more effective use of Institutionalised European Partnerships, in particular by focusing on clear objectives, outcomes and impacts that can be achieved by 2030, and by ensuring a clear contribution to related Union policy priorities and policies. Close collaboration, complementarity and synergies with other relevant programmes and initiatives at Union, national and regional level, including with the European Research Council and the European Innovation Council and in particular with other European Partnerships, will be key in fostering the innovation pipeline and research in other areas, achieving greater impact and ensuring that the results are used in all relevant areas where technological development is linked with metrology, such as digitalisation, artificial intelligence, energy, smart health, climate, autonomous traffic and the circular economy.
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By Decision No 555/2014/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council (6), the Union made a financial contribution to the European Metrology Programme for Innovation and Research (EMPIR) matching that of the states participating in EMPIR but not exceeding EUR 300 000 000, for the duration of Horizon 2020. The interim evaluation of EMPIR in July 2017 gave rise to a new initiative being suggested.
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The Union’s financial contribution to the Metrology Partnership should be subject to formal commitments by the Participating States to contribute financially to the implementation of the Metrology Partnership and to fulfil those commitments. The contributions from the Participating States should include a contribution to the administrative costs pertaining to the implementation of the Metrology Partnership, subject to a ceiling of 5 % of its budget. The Participating States should commit to increasing, if necessary, their contribution to the Metrology Partnership by establishing a reserve funding capability to ensure that they are able to fund their national entities, national metrology institutes (NMIs) and designated institutes (DIs) participating in the activities of the Metrology Partnership. The joint implementation of the Metrology Partnership requires an implementation structure. The Union’s financial contribution should be managed in accordance with the principle of sound financial management and with the relevant rules on indirect management laid down in Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 of the European Parliament and of the Council (7).
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The Metrology Partnership, which is aligned with the political priorities of the Union, including the European Green Deal, an economy that works for people, and a Europe Fit for the Digital Age, should be implemented over a period of 10 years, from 2021 to 2031. The Metrology Partnership should include new activities compared to EMPIR, and, in particular, the development of European metrology networks, which should be established in an open and transparent manner with the aim of responding to pressing societal and environmental challenges and metrology needs from emerging technologies and innovations. The metrology capacity provided through those networks should be equivalent and comparable to other world-leading metrology systems, demonstrating world-class excellence. Calls for proposals under the Metrology Partnership should be launched during the implementation of Horizon Europe and should be open, transparent and competitive. The Metrology Partnership should promote the circulation of talent and the development of skills, including by means of skilling and re-skilling opportunities.
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The activities of the Metrology Partnership should be carried out in line with the objectives and research and innovation priorities of Horizon Europe and in accordance with the general principles and conditions laid down in Article 10 of, and Annex III to, Regulation (EU) 2021/695, supporting, inter alia, the uptake of innovative solutions in European industry, in particular by SMEs and, ultimately, in society.
(14)
A ceiling should be established for the Union’s financial contribution in the Metrology Partnership for the duration of Horizon Europe. Within the limits of that ceiling, the Union’s financial contribution should be up to equal to the contributions from the Participating States in order to achieve a high leverage effect and ensure a stronger integration of Participating States’ programmes.
(15)
The Metrology Partnership should be financed by the Union programmes under the multiannual financial framework for the years 2021 to 2027 as laid down in Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093 (8). In accordance with Article 10(2) point (c) of Regulation (EU) 2021/695, the Metrology Partnership should have a clear life-cycle approach. In order to adequately protect the financial interests of the Union, the Metrology Partnership should be set up for a period ending on 31 December 2031 to allow it to exercise its responsibilities with regard to grant implementation until the last indirect actions launched have been completed.
(16)
In accordance with Article 3 of Regulation (EU) 2021/695, the general objective of Horizon Europe is to deliver scientific, technological, economic and societal impact from the Union’s investments in research and innovation so as to strengthen the scientific and technological bases of the Union and foster the competitiveness of the Union in all Member States, including in its industry, to deliver on the Union’s strategic priorities, to contribute to the realisation of the Union’s objectives and policies, to tackle global challenges, including the UN SDGs by following the principles of Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development and in line with the Paris Agreement, and to strengthen the European Research Area.
(17)
The Participating States have agreed upon the implementation structure for the predecessor initiatives, namely, the European Metrology Research Programme (EMRP) and EMPIR. In 2007, EURAMET e.V. (EURAMET), the European Regional Metrology Organisation and a non-profit association under German law, was set up to serve as this structure. EURAMET also has tasks and obligations related to the wider European and global harmonisation of metrology. Membership in EURAMET is open to all European NMIs, as members, and to European DIs, as associates. Membership in EURAMET is not conditional upon the existence of national metrology research programmes. Given that, according to EMPIR’s interim evaluation report, the governance structure of EURAMET has proved to be efficient and of high quality for the implementation of the EMRP and EMPIR, EURAMET should also be used to implement the Metrology Partnership. EURAMET should therefore manage the Union’s financial contribution.
(18)
The financial contributions to the Metrology Partnership should be managed centrally by EURAMET in accordance with Article 10(1) of Regulation (EU) 2021/695. This should be without prejudice to the possibility for the Participating States to provide direct financial contributions to designated NMIs on the basis of a coordinated approach through a metrology partnership committee.
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The Metrology Partnership should strive for the effective promotion of equal opportunities for all and, in particular, ensure, to the extent possible, gender balance in the relevant bodies of the Metrology Partnership, as well as in evaluation panels and in other relevant advisory bodies.
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Pursuant to Article 49(4) of Regulation (EU) 2021/695 and the relevant rules on Commission expert groups, the Commission should select the members of the Metrology Partnership’s Steering Group in particular by taking due account of the relevant disclosure of any conflict of interest.
(21)
In order to achieve the objectives of the Metrology Partnership, EURAMET should provide financial support mainly in the form of grants to participants in actions selected at the level of EURAMET. Those actions should be selected following open, transparent and competitive calls for proposals under the responsibility of EURAMET. The Metrology Partnership should use its best efforts to increase the visibility of the calls for proposals by publishing them on the Horizon Europe portal for participants in a timely manner and by promoting and advertising the calls for proposals widely, with a view to increasing participation of newcomers. The ranking list should be binding for the selection of proposals and the allocation of funding from the Union’s financial contribution and the financial contributions from the Participating States for research projects and related activities. In accordance with Article 28(3) of Regulation (EU) 2021/695, and the Horizon Europe work programme, the annual work programme should be able to include conditions concerning the involvement of SMEs, gender and geographical diversity among the rules for dealing with ex-aequo proposals. For the activities funded by the contributions from the Participating States to European metrology networks, the actions funded should also be under the responsibility of EURAMET.
(22)
Participation in indirect actions funded by the Metrology Partnership is subject to Regulation (EU) 2021/695. However, due to the specific operating needs of the Metrology Partnership, in particular building and managing future European metrology networks and facilitating adequate financial participation of the Participating States, it should be possible to provide that the coordinator role in indirect actions, from the submission of the proposal until the end of the project, be limited to the NMIs and the DIs of the Participating States, where strictly necessary, and taking into account the advice of the Steering Group, if any.
(23)
The contributions from the Participating States should be ensured through institutional funding from their NMIs and their DIs. The wide variety of underlying activities should contribute to the objectives of the Metrology Partnership and be laid out in the annual work programmes, with links to operational costs and expenditure. The contributions should cover, inter alia, the costs of services that directly deliver calibrations and other services traceable to the International System of Units. The contributions from the Participating States should also include a financial contribution to the administrative costs of the Metrology Partnership.
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In order to ensure the openness, transparency and accessibility of the Metrology Partnership, calls for proposals should also be published in a user-friendly manner on the single portal for participants as well as through other Horizon Europe electronic means of dissemination managed by the Commission. In order to engage with stakeholders and society and attract newcomers from a wide range of research and industry stakeholders, including SMEs, higher education institutions, research organisations and civil society organisations, the Metrology Partnership should carry out a wide range of outreach activities, including the dissemination and exploitation of results, promotional and awareness-raising activities and the promotion of the Metrology Partnership beyond the Union.
(25)
The functioning of the funding model with regard to the matching principle between Union and non-Union funds should be reassessed at the time of the interim evaluation of the Metrology Partnership in order to ensure that the matching principle for the financial contributions from the Participating States is respected.
(26)
The financial interests of the Union should be protected through proportionate measures throughout the expenditure cycle, including the prevention, detection and investigation of irregularities, the recovery of funds lost, wrongly paid or incorrectly used and, where appropriate, administrative and financial penalties.
(27)
In order to protect the Union’s financial interests, the Commission should have the right to terminate, proportionally reduce or suspend the Union’s financial contribution if the Metrology Partnership is implemented inadequately, only partially or late, or if a Participating State does not contribute, or contributes only partially or late, to the financing of the Metrology Partnership. Those rights should be provided for in the contribution agreement to be concluded between the Union and EURAMET.
(28)
For the purpose of simplification, the administrative burden of all concerned should be reduced. Double audits and disproportionate documentation and reporting should be avoided. When audits are conducted, the specific characteristics of the national programmes should be taken into account, as appropriate. Audits of recipients of Union funds provided in accordance with this Decision should ensure a reduction in the administrative burden, in accordance with Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046.
(29)
EURAMET and the Participating States should, upon a request from the Commission, the European Parliament, the Council or the Court of Auditors, provide any information that the Commission is required to include in its evaluation of the Metrology Partnership.
(30)
The Commission should conduct an interim evaluation not later than 2025, assessing in particular the quality and efficiency of the Metrology Partnership, the progress made towards achieving the objectives set and a final evaluation not later than 2030 and should publish and disseminate the results and conclusions of those evaluations. In accordance with Article 10(2), point (c), of Regulation (EU) 2021/695, the Metrology Partnership should have a clear life-cycle approach, be limited in time and include the conditions for phasing-out the funding under Horizon Europe. To that end, evaluations should assess the relevance and coherence of any possible renewal.
(31)
The objective of this Decision is the participation of the Union in the Metrology Partnership in order to support its general objectives. The requirements of metrology are of such a scale and complexity that investments that go beyond the core research budgets of NMIs and DIs are needed. The excellence required for research and the development of cutting-edge metrology solutions is spread across national borders and hence cannot be attained at national level. Since the objective of this Decision cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States, but can rather be better achieved at Union level by integrating national efforts into a consistent European approach, by bringing together compartmentalised national research programmes, by helping design common research and funding strategies across national borders, and by achieving the critical mass of actors and investments required, the Union may adopt measures, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity as set out in Article 5 of the Treaty on European Union. In accordance with the principle of proportionality as set out in that Article, this Decision does not go beyond what is necessary in order to achieve that objective.
(32)
In order to ensure continuity in providing support in the relevant policy areas, this Decision should enter into force as a matter of urgency,
