Horizon Europe funds allocated to Israeli activities

Subject: Horizon Europe funds allocated to Israeli activities

Over 42 000 Palestinians have been killed, and over 97 000 injured, since Israel began its military invasion of the Gaza Strip1. The UN believes there are clear signs that Israel is violating the Genocide Convention2.

Since 7 October 2024, the EU has continued to allocate funds to Israeli defence companies through its Horizon Europe programme. This includes Israel Aerospace Industries, Israel’s largest aerospace and defence company, which, since 7 October, has received funds for some of its dual-use projects3.

This is despite the fact that Horizon Europe funding must comply with human rights standards, international law and EU treaties, which prohibit the funding of ‘expenses arising from operations with military or defence implications’.

We know that programmes funded by the EU’s Horizon Europe programme prior to 7 October are now actively being used in Israel’s military activities in Gaza. This includes the Skylord drone programme, which is now being used by the Israel Defense Forces in its missions in Gaza4.

How will the Commission ensure that Horizon Europe funds are not allocated to Israeli universities or programmes located in occupied areas or involved in military activities that directly or indirectly contribute to human rights violations and breaches of international law?

Submitted: 16.1.2025

1 https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/seneste/over-42000-palaestinensere-meldes-draebt-siden-7-oktober-sidste-aar.

2 https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/udland/fn-rapport-rimelig-mistanke-om-israel-har-begaaet-folkedrabslignende-

handlinger-i.

3 https://euobserver.com/eu-and-the-world/ar108cf70a.

4 https://euobserver.com/eu-and-the-world/ar108cf70a.

Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission (23 April 2025)

Any research and innovation activities in projects carried out under Horizon Europe (1) must have an exclusive focus on civil applications. During the execution of the Horizon Europe projects, all beneficiaries must ensure that the activities under the action comply with that rule.

In addition, Horizon Europe beneficiaries must also comply with ethical principles and applicable EU and international law, and all Horizon Europe proposals go through an ethics screening during the evaluation process.

The projects, in which Israel Aerospace Industries participates, are of a purely civil nature as per Article 7 (1) of Regulation (EU) 2021/695 (2).

These include among other things projects to develop hybrid electric regional aircrafts, to revolutionise liquid hydrogen aircraft refuelling at airport scale, and to advance material science applications to reduce the generation of waste and enhance the safety of workers (3).

Furthermore, also within the scope of the implementation of Horizon Europe, the Commission applies specific measures with regard to the eligibility of Israeli entities and their activities in the territories occupied by Israel since June 1967 in line with the Commission Guidelines No 2013/C 205/05 (4).

All projects funded by Horizon Europe are being closely monitored by the Commission to verify compliance with the applicable legal framework (5). Any non-compliance by a beneficiary may trigger contractual measures as provided for in the Horizon Europe model grant agreement (6).

1 1https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/seneste/over-42000-palaestinensere-meldes-draebt-siden-7-oktober-sidste-aar.

2 2https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/udland/fn-rapport-rimelig-mistanke-om-israel-har-begaaet-folkedrabslignende-handlinger-i.

3 3https://euobserver.com/eu-and-the-world/ar108cf70a.

4 4https://euobserver.com/eu-and-the-world/ar108cf70a.

1 ∙ ⸱ https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-open-calls/horizon-europe_en

2 ∙ ⸱ https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2021/695/oj/eng

3 ∙ ⸱ For information on the projects please consult the CORDIS website https://cordis.europa.eu/search?q=frameworkProgramme%3D%27HORIZON

%27%20AND%20(%27israel%20aerospace%20industries%27)&p=1&num=10&srt=Relevance:decreasing or the HE Dashboard https://dashboard.tech.ec.europa.eu/qs_digit_dashboard_mt/public/sense/app/dc5f6f40-c9de-4c40-8648-015d6ff21342/sheet/3bcd6df0-d32a-4593-b4fa- 0f9529c8ffb0/state/analysis/select/Organisation%20PIC/999969315 4 ∙ ⸱

OJ C 205, 19/07/2013. 5 ∙ ⸱

Including with the ethical principles and the relevant EU, national and international law. See Article 19 of Regulation (EU) 2021/695, OJ L170, 12/05/2021. 6 ∙ ⸱ E.g. the recovery of EU funding or even termination of the participation.