The European Council Has Lifted the Restrictions on the Participation of Certain Hungarian Entities in Horizon Europe

For the attention of Horizon Europe future applications!

Horizon Europe Office in Ukraine, NRFU, informs that on October 13, 2026, the Council adopted the Implementing Decision lifting the measures that had prohibited the European Commission from entering into new legal commitments involving European Union funding with certain Hungarian entities, namely public interest trusts established on the basis of Hungarian Act IX of 2021 and entities maintained by such trusts.

The decision enters into effect on its date of notification to Hungary, 14 October 2026. As a result, new legal commitments involving Union funding may again be concluded with the entities concerned as from the date of entry into effect of the lifting decision (14 October 2026).

1. Impact on ongoing signed grants

For grant agreements that have been already signed and are ongoing, the entities concerned may in principle now receive EU funding in any eligible role, subject to the applicable eligibility conditions. This would require a consortium-requested amendment to the grant agreement. Such amendments cannot take effect retroactively before the date on which the lifting Decision entered into effect. In addition, the maximum EU grant amount of an already signed grant agreement cannot be increased for the purpose of covering the eligible costs of the formerly concerned Hungarian entities; any support for such entities would therefore need to come from a redistribution within the existing maximum EU contribution of the grant concerned.

2. Impact on proposals in Grant Agreement Preparation (GAP)

For proposals currently under grant agreement preparation, entities that had been included as associated partners without funding may now participate as beneficiaries and receive funding. Coordinators of proposals under grant agreement preparation including concerned Hungarian entities as associated partners should contact their project officer in the responsible EU implementing body (Executive Agency, Joint Undertaking, European Commission).

3. Proposals under preparation

The potential applicants should pay their attention to the fact that the concerned Hungarian entities are now eligible to participate as beneficiaries and receive funding.

4. Further guidance

A set of FAQs will be available shortly on the Funding & Tenders Portal, once the Council Implementing Decision lifting these measures is published in the EU Official Journal.