Brussels, Belgium. The European Parliament’s committee on defence and security approved an amendment on Tuesday to exclude Turkey from defence-related aspects of the European Union’s Horizon Europe 2028–2034 programme.
Committee vote and amendment sponsor
The amendment, put forward by Cypriot MEP Costas Mavrides, was adopted by a large majority, with 29 votes in favour, five against and one abstention.
Horizon Europe and defence eligibility
The proposal relates to the next phase of Horizon Europe, the EU’s largest funding framework for research and innovation, which for the first time is set to include defence among its eligible priorities.
Rationale and stated objectives
Mavrides said the objective was to ensure that participation in sensitive defence areas is limited to countries aligned with EU interests and principles. He said his priority was to ensure that only countries that do not go against the interests of the EU and the member states and that respect good neighbourly relations and international law can participate in defence matters.
Explicit exclusion of Turkey
Mavrides said the revised text explicitly excludes Turkey from such participation, adding that states considered hostile to the EU or its members should not be involved in a future European defence framework. He concluded that in a European defence union, countries that are hostile to the EU and the member states cannot participate.
How should the EU define which non-member countries can take part in defence-related research funding?