The European Union and Australia signed an agreement in Brussels on 12 November 2026 that paves the way for Australian researchers and organisations to join and lead Horizon Europe projects, according to the European Commission press release of that date. The association covers Pillar II, and Australian entities can apply to Pillar II calls from January 2027 under transitional arrangements, with the formal association process expected to complete by mid-2027.
What was signed on 12 November 2026
The Commission states that the agreement was signed in Brussels by Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation Ekaterina Zaharieva and by Tim Ayres, Australia’s Minister for Industry and Innovation and Minister for Science. It is the signature step that follows the conclusion of negotiations in June 2026, which the EU delegation to Australia announced on 9 June 2026. The Commission release says Australia officially becomes the 24th country associated with Horizon Europe.
The release is also clear about what is still to come. The association process is expected to be formally completed by mid-2027, following parliamentary scrutiny in Australia. Until then, the transitional arrangements described below apply.
Which parts of Horizon Europe are covered
Australia’s association covers Pillar II, which the Commission describes as a 52.4 billion euro pillar funding collaborative research projects in areas including health, climate, energy and digital technologies. The EU delegation’s June 2026 announcement lists the Pillar II clusters as digital, industry and space; climate, energy and mobility; and food, bioeconomy and agriculture.
Pillar II is not the whole programme. The release says Australian participants will also retain access to the parts of Horizon Europe that are open to non-EU countries under the Excellent Science pillar, including the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, and under the Innovative Europe pillar, subject to the conditions of each call. That is a different footing from association: those access routes depend on each call’s own rules, while the association concerns Pillar II.
From when Australian entities can take part
According to the Commission, transitional arrangements from January 2027 will allow Australian entities to apply to Pillar II calls and be evaluated as prospective beneficiaries. Once association applies, the agreement will enable Australian researchers and organisations to join and lead international consortia and to access funding on similar terms to their EU counterparts.
| Question | What the Commission release states |
|---|---|
| What happened on 12 November 2026 | Agreement signed in Brussels by Commissioner Zaharieva and Minister Ayres |
| Pillar covered by association | Pillar II (52.4 billion euro) |
| Other access | Excellent Science (including Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions) and Innovative Europe, subject to each call |
| Applying from | January 2027, under transitional arrangements, evaluated as prospective beneficiaries |
| Formal completion | Expected by mid-2027, following parliamentary scrutiny in Australia |
| Financial contribution | Not stated in the release |
What the release does not say
The Commission release does not state Australia’s financial contribution to Horizon Europe, so this article does not give a figure. It also does not set out how a grant to an Australian beneficiary is handled if the formal association is not yet complete when a grant is prepared. Research offices should treat that as an open question to confirm against the text of each call and with the relevant national contact point, rather than assume an answer.
What research offices can do before the first calls
The points below are editorial interpretation of the release, not rules set by the Commission or the Australian Government.
- Read each call’s eligibility text for the exact wording. The release speaks in general terms; what counts as an eligible participant in a given topic is set in the call documents. The Horizon Europe funding overview explains how calls and work programmes are structured.
- Plan consortium roles now. Because Australian entities will be able to lead as well as join consortia, European coordinators may want to discuss Australian partners at the proposal-design stage, and Australian teams may consider coordinating where the topic fits. The consortium agreement is where roles, IP and decision-making between partners are settled.
- Understand the grant mechanics early. Beneficiaries sign on to the funding rules through the Horizon Europe grant agreement, which carries obligations for finance, reporting and audit that an Australian research office will be managing for the first time.
- Separate fellowship routes from Pillar II. Marie Skłodowska-Curie schemes sit under Excellent Science, where the release says access continues subject to call conditions. See the entry on the MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship for how one such scheme works.
- Check domestic funding questions separately. Whether and how Australian participants are supported domestically is a matter for the Australian Government and institutions; this article has not drawn on any such statement and makes no claim about it.
Context: other associations in progress
The Commission release notes that the EU has also concluded negotiations with India on association to Horizon Europe, on 6 November 2026. Together with Australia’s signature, this shows how the list of associated countries is changing in the final period of the 2021 to 2027 programme, which the release describes as a 93.5 billion euro research and innovation programme. For funders and research offices in the associated countries, see also the EU and Wellcome climate-health funder initiative announced the same week.
Sources
- European Commission press release IP/26/2418, “EU and Australia deepen science and innovation ties with Horizon Europe Agreement”, 12 November 2026 (checked 2026-11-14)
- EU delegation to Australia, “European Union and Australia successfully conclude Horizon Europe negotiations”, 9 June 2026 (checked 2026-11-14)
