The Commission has adopted an amendment to the Horizon Europe work programme for 2021-2022, increasing the total budget to €15.4 billion: that is an increase of €723 million compared to the original budget of €14.7 billion.

This new budget includes €673.24 million dedicated to the roll-out of EU Missions, which were launched in September to tackle big challenges and achieve ambitious goals in health, climate and the environment by 2030.

The Commission also announced today 19 new calls that are dedicated to the five EU Missions. The first round of these calls will open on 22 December 2021 and the second will open on 11 January 2022.

The amendment to the EU Missions work programme follows the Communication on EU missions, which was adopted on 29 September 2021, and the adoption of the main work programme of Horizon Europe for the period 2021-2022, announced in June 2021.

Horizon Europe is the EU's €95.5 billion research and innovation programme for 2021-2027 and the successor of Horizon 2020. Missions are a novelty of Horizon Europe and also an original concept in EU policy, bringing together several Commission services under the authority of nine College members. Missions will support research to deliver on the Commission's main priorities and find responses to some of the greatest challenges we are facing today: fighting cancer, adapting to climate change, protecting the ocean, seas and waters, living in greener cities and ensuring healthy soil and food. They are a new tool that includes a set of actions, such as research and innovation projects, policy measures and legislative initiatives, to achieve concrete goals with large societal impact and within a specified timeline.