When one project calendar year is turning to the end soon, another is on the horizon! The Horizon Europe Work Programmes for 2026-2027 are in the making and for the first time the draft versions are publicly available. We took a look at the recent draft documents which are available under the European Commission's Comitology Register. In this short blog, we will explore the published draft versions of the Work Programmes for 2026–2027 with a particular attention to Pillar II of Horizon Europe, especially Cluster 6. "The final versions of the programme are expected towards the end of this year".
Pillar II of Horizon Europe: Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness
The Horizon Europe is built on three main Pillars of which Pillar II aims to "boosting key technologies and solutions underpinning EU policies & Sustainable Development" and each of the six Clusters in the respective Pillar contributes towards numerous Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs). At SPOTTERON we truly believe that Citizen Science plays an important role in supporting SDGs, and we are proud to support with interactive Citizen Science Apps numerous projects who contribute in reaching those goals from local to global scale.
Cluster 1: Health.
More information: Draft Implementing Decision – Work Programme 2026-2027 – Part 4 – Health - version 4
Cluster 2: Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society.
More information: Draft Implementing Decision – Work Programme 2026-2027 Part 5. Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society - version 3
Cluster 3: Civil Security for Society.
More information: Draft Implementing Decision - Work Programme 2026-2027 - Part 6 - Civil Security for Society - version 5
Cluster 4: Digital Industry and Space.
More information: Draft Work Programme 2026-27 - Part 7. Digital, Industry and Space - version 4
Cluster 5: Climate, Energy and Mobility.
More information: Draft Work programme 2026-2027 - Part 8. Climate, Energy and Mobility - version 4
Cluster 6: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment.
More information: Draft Implementing Decision – Work Programme 2026-2027 – Part 9. Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment - version 4
DESTINATION - BIODIVERSITY AND ECOSYSTEM SERVICES
- HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-BIODIV-01: Understanding and tackling the decline of insects.
- HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-BIODIV-02: Developing methods to assess the presence, functions and sensitivity of groundwater ecosystems.
- HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-BIODIV-03: Pushing the frontier of knowledge and conservation action for deep sea ecosystems.
- HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-BIODIV-04: Ensuring continuous effectiveness of protected areas in conserving habitats and species while facing intensifying drivers of biodiversity loss.
- HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-BIODIV-05: Advancing integrated scenarios and prediction models for informing transition to a nature positive society.
- HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-BIODIV-06: Boosting agrobiodiversity for food security and sustainable competitiveness.
- HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-BIODIV-01-two-stage: Living labs for co-creating solutions for the restoration of ecosystems.
- HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-BIODIV-02-two-stage: Open topic: Uncovering the causes of specific species' rapid decline and exploring actionable solutions.
- HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-BIODIV-03-two-stage: Unlocking the potential of citizen action for nature protection and restoration.
- HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-BIODIV-04-two-stage: Mainstreaming and scaling-up evidence-based Nature-Based Solutions towards a nature positive and climate-resilient economy.
DESTIONATION - FAIR, HEALTHY AND ENVIRONMENT-FRIENDLY FOOD SYSTEMS FROM PRIMARY PRODUCTION TO CONSUMPTION
- HORIZON-CL6-2026-02-FARM2FORK-01: Developing innovative phytosanitary treatments for regulated plant pests to support safe international trade.
- HORIZON-CL6-2026-02-FARM2FORK-02: Tackling pesticide resistance: early detection, management strategies, and foresight.
- HORIZON-CL6-2026-02-FARM2FORK-03: Boosting the competitiveness of protein crops in Europe.
- HORIZON-CL6-2026-02-FARM2FORK-04: Accelerating the development of breeding tools for perennial crops, specifically fruits and nuts.
- HORIZON-CL6-2026-02-FARM2FORK-05: Boosting circularity and diversification strategies of terrestrial livestock production systems.
- HORIZON-CL6-2026-02-FARM2FORK-06: Advanced innovative solutions for improved competitiveness and sustainability in controlled environment agriculture (CEA).
- HORIZON-CL6-2026-02-FARM2FORK-07: Strengthening the EU plant protection ecosystem for a future-proof agriculture.
- HORIZON-CL6-2026-02-FARM2FORK-08: Advancing basic knowledge and developing tools for sustainable management of key migratory fish species.
- HORIZON-CL6-2026-02-FARM2FORK-09: Sustainable and healthy diets for cardiovascular diseases prevention with the support of digital applications.
- HORIZON-CL6-2026-02-FARM2FORK-10: Sustainable and healthy diets based on health status and socio-economic risk factors of ageing population.
- HORIZON-CL6-2026-02-FARM2FORK-11: Integrating a holistic perspective in microbiome research for resilient, competitive and sustainable food systems.
- HORIZON-CL6-2026-02-FARM2FORK-12: Leveraging R&I knowledge on microbiome.
- HORIZON-CL6-2026-02-FARM2FORK-13: Boosting plant health and reducing losses on farm and during storage for sustainable growth in Africa (FNSSA).
- HORIZON-CL6-2026-02-FARM2FORK-14: Green Transition Food Processing Africa.
- HORIZON-CL6-2026-02-FARM2FORK-01-two-stage: Open topic: Improving the competitiveness of the agricultural sector by enhancing the efficient and sustainable use of agricultural production factors.
- HORIZON-CL6-2026-02-FARM2FORK-02-two-stage: Open topic: Boosting organic farming for a competitive, sustainable and resilient farming sector.
DESTINATION - CIRCULAR ECONOMY AND BIOECONOMY SECTORS
- HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-CIRCBIO-01: Improving circularity of multilayer flexible plastic food contact packaging.
- HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-CIRCBIO-02: Advancing recycling technologies for mixed post-consumer textiles waste from blended products.
- HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-CIRCBIO-03: Advanced recovery of critical raw materials from Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE).
- HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-CIRCBIO-04: Demonstrating and deploying innovative collection, sorting-for-reuse and repair systems for textiles at city/region level (Circular Cities and Regions Initiative topic).
- HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-CIRCBIO-05: Understanding biomass flows in Europe.
- HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-CIRCBIO-06: Bioeconomy policy support hub for Member States, regions and sectors.
- HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-CIRCBIO-07: Advancing the European bio-based innovation enabled by biotechnology and biomanufacturing concepts.
- HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-CIRCBIO-08: Supporting pre-normative research for standardization of the bio-based products.
- HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-CIRCBIO-09: Balancing food security, bioeconomy, climate and biodiversity objectives to unlock sustainable value chains.
- HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-CIRCBIO-10: Bio-based innovation in society: supporting the sustainable way of living.
- HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-CIRCBIO-11: Harnessing the unique properties of marine organisms to deliver sustainable blue bio-based products.
- HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-CIRCBIO-01-two-stage: Deploying circular systemic solutions through living labs in cities and regions (Circular Cities and Regions Initiative topic).
- HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-CIRCBIO-02-two-stage: Open topic: Using the Circular Cities and Regions Initiative to strengthen urban manufacturing in support of the Clean Industrial Deal.
DESTINATION - CLEAN ENVIRONMENT AND ZERO POLLUTION
- HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-01: Toward a comprehensive assessment of the disturbance of marine ecosystems by anthropogenic underwater noise.
- HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-02: Bioremediation of Ukraine's ecosystems contaminated by conflicts.
- HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-03: Developing managed aquifer recharge techniques (MAR) in a rural context.
- HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-01-two-stage: Decontaminate and bioremediate aquatic pollution.
DESTINATION - LAND, OCEAN AND WATER FOR CLIMATE ACTION
- HORIZON-CL6-2026-02-CLIMATE-01: Towards more effective, fair and coherent policies for climate change mitigation and adaptation in agriculture and forestry.
- HORIZON-CL6-2026-02-CLIMATE-02: Towards the water infrastructures of the future.
DESTINATION - RESILIENT, INCLUSIVE, HEALTHY AND GREEN RURAL, COASTAL AND URBAN COMMUNITIES
- HORIZON-CL6-2026-02-COMMUNITIES-01: Boosting sustainable competitiveness in rural areas through innovation.
DESTINATION - INNOVATIVE GOVERNANCE, ENVIRONMENTAL OBSERVATIONS AND DIGITAL SOLUTIONS IN SUPPORT OF THE GREEN DEAL
- HORIZON-CL6-2026-03-GOVERNANCE-01: Additional activities for the Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership (SBEP).
- HORIZON-CL6-2026-03-GOVERNANCE-02: Improving analytical capacity and understanding of social drivers in agriculture to better assess social sustainability in the sector.
- HORIZON-CL6-2026-03-GOVERNANCE-03: Empowering the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.
- HORIZON-CL6-2026-03-GOVERNANCE-04: Supporting All-Atlantic Ocean Research and Innovation Alliance.
- HORIZON-CL6-2026-03-GOVERNANCE-05: Coordinated European contribution to the WMO Global Greenhouse Gas Watch and its international governance.
- HORIZON-CL6-2026-03-GOVERNANCE-06: A services and business incubator for geospatial open-source developments.
- HORIZON-CL6-2026-03-GOVERNANCE-07: Interconnect Earth Observation research for addressing environmental policies.
- HORIZON-CL6-2026-03-GOVERNANCE-08: Boosting data availability and AI solutions in food for consumers and food service professionals.
- HORIZON-CL6-2026-03-GOVERNANCE-09: Increasing knowledge flows to practice within AKIS via EU thematic knowledge hubs.
- HORIZON-CL6-2026-03-GOVERNANCE-10: Embracing innovation in agriculture by peer-to-peer learning via on farm-demonstrations and cost-benefit analysis.
- HORIZON-CL6-2026-03-GOVERNANCE-01-two-stage: Open topic: Develop Earth Intelligence solutions using environmental observations and state-of-the-art AI for sustainable competitiveness and policy making.
- HORIZON-CL6-2026-04-GOVERNANCE-01: Additional activities for the European Partnership of Agriculture of Data.
Other Areas
EU Missions: Adaptation to Climate Change; Cancer; Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities; A Soil Deal for Europe; Restore our Ocean and Waters.
More information: Draft Implementing Decision - Horizon Europe 'main' work programme 2026/2027 - Part 12 Missions - version 4
New European Bauhaus.
More information: Draft Implementing Decision – Horizon Europe 'main' work programme 2026-2027 - Part 13 New European Bauhaus Facility (NEB) - version 4
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