Prevention and mitigation of misuse of synthetic biology for bioterrorism purposes

The proliferation of do-it-yourself biohacking and community laboratories, including gene editing and sequencing technology, dropping costs of equipment and increased simplicity of use may inadvertently facilitate knowledge and skills dissemination about biological threats and open new pathways for bioterrorism. Challenges in detection, particularly the lengthy incubation periods of biological agents, underscore the urgent need for improved identification technologies to allow for timely intervention and reduce potential mass casualties, considering both characterization through advanced tools by expert labs and simple deployable methods. Given that properly weaponized biological agents can be more lethal than nuclear weapons, their cross-border implications warrant focused attention. Recent incidents involving biotoxins across various European countries illustrate the feasibility of biological attacks. The increasing weaponisation of drones highlights an alarming trend that could extend to biological agents, further complicating threat landscapes. The potential economic and social consequences of biological attacks necessitate robust prevention and preparedness measures to mitigate overwhelming impacts on healthcare systems and society at large. Proposals are expected to address, in a lawful manner, the emerging threats of bioterrorism in Europe, particularly in the context of synthetic biology. Recognising bioterrorism as a low-probability but high-impact event, consortia should review current and future risks, flag areas requiring reinforced monitoring, as well as identify missing regulatory frameworks necessary for ensuring public security and safety. Furthermore, proposals should bring together diverse consortia to enhance our understanding, prevention, preparedness, and response to bioterrorism and create a comprehensive approach to this pressing issue. Coordination among the successful proposals from this topic should be envisaged to avoid duplication and to exploit complementarities as well as opportunities for increased impact. In this topic the integration of the gender dimension (sex and gender analysis) in research and innovation content should be addressed only if relevant in relation to the objectives of the research effort. Proposals funded under this topic are expected to provide ideas on how they would engage with the Europol Innovation Lab during the lifetime of the project. Similarly, if the proposals concern drug-related issues, they are expected to engage with the EU Drugs Agency during the lifetime of the project, including validating the outcomes. Finally, proposals are expected to address all applicable considerations expressed in the Introduction of the Fighting Crime and Terrorism Destination. Technology Readiness Level - Technology readiness level expected from completed projects Activities are expected to achieve TRL 4-5 by the end of the project – see General Annex B.

Eligibility and submission conditions

"> General conditions 1. Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layout described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes. Proposal page limits and layout: described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System. 2. Eligible Countries described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects. See the information in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide . 3. Other Eligible Conditions If projects use satellite-based earth observation, positioning, navigation and/or related timing data and services, beneficiaries must make use of Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS (other data and services may additionally be used). described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. 4. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes. 5a. Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes. 5b. Evaluation and award: Submission and evaluation processes are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual . 5c. Evaluation and award: Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes. 6. Legal and financial set-up of the grants The granting authority may, up to 4 years after the end of the action, object to a transfer of ownership or to the exclusive licensing of results, as set out in the specific provision of Annex 5. Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021 authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (2021-2027) – and in actions under the Research and Training Programme of the European Atomic Energy Community (2021-2025) [This [decision is available on the Funding and Tenders Portal, in the reference documents section for Horizon Europe, under ‘Simplified costs decisions’ or through this link: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/guidance/ls-decision_he_en.pdf ]]. described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes. Specific conditions described in the [specific topic of the Work Programme] Some activities resulting from this topic may involve using classified background and/or producing of security sensitive results (EUCI and SEN). Please refer to the related provisions in section B Security — EU classified and sensitive information of the General Annexes. Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA): Application form templates — the application form specific to this call is available in the Submission System Standard application form (HE RIA, IA) Evaluation form templates — will be used with the necessary adaptations Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA) HE Programme Guide Model Grant Agreements (MGA) Lump Sum MGA Call-specific instructions Detailed budget table (HE LS) Information on financial support to third parties (HE) Guidance: "Lump sums - what do I need to know?" Additional documents: HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 1. General Introduction HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 6. Civil Security for Society HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 15. General Annexes HE Programme Guide HE Framework Programme 2021/695 HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764 EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509 Decision authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement

Programme context

As underlined in the Horizon Europe strategic plan 2025-2027, this Destination will support the Commission’s priorities by addressing new, upcoming or unforeseen challenges and/or creative or disruptive solutions for improving the prevention, detection and deterrence of various forms of crime or terrorism/radicalisation through an enhanced understanding of the related societal issues. In doing so, research and innovation projects funded under cluster 3 will contribute to safeguarding, sustaining, and improving the Union’s unique quality of life, by improving the Union’s ability to prevent, detect, and deter various forms of crime and terrorism, including the different forms of hybrid threats and gender-based violence, in a proportional and human rights-compliant manner. Research under this Destination will contribute to the forthcoming Internal Security Strategy and Counter-Terrorism Agenda. This destination will support the implementation of the European Commission political guidelines 2024-2029 for a ‘Safer and more secure Europe’ as well as of ProtectEU [1] – a European Internal Security Strategy to support Member States and bolster the EU's ability to guarantee security for its citizens, and the Preparedness Union Strategy to support Member States and enhance Europe's capability to prevent and respond to emerging threats. Overall, research under this Cluster should continue to focus on preserving and ensuring citizens’ basic right to feel secure. This destination will also support the European Commission efforts towards a new Counter-Terrorism Agenda to address new and emerging threats, and a united approach to security, centred around a new European Critical Communication System to be used by public authorities in charge of security and safety. To this end, proposals should contribute to the achievement of one or more of the following impacts: Modern information analysis for Police Authorities, allowing them to efficiently fight criminals and terrorists who use novel technologies; Improved forensics and lawful evidence collection, increasing the capabilities to apprehend criminals and terrorists and bring them to the court; Enhanced prevention, detection and deterrence of societal issues related to various forms of crime, including cybercrime, and terrorism, such as violent radicalisation, as well as domestic sexual violence, and gender-based violence, with a particular emphasis on protecting populations in a vulnerable situation and victims at increased risk of violence, including those affected by child sexual abuse and juvenile delinquency; Increased security of citizens against terrorism, including in public spaces (while preserving their quality and openness); Improved intelligence picture and enhanced prevention, detection and deterrence of various forms of organised crime; More secure cyberspace for citizens, especially children and elderly people, through a robust prevention, detection, and protection from cybercriminal activities. More specifically, in the rapidly evolving technological and societal landscape, with climate change and environmental aspects increasingly seen as security issues, and with growing threats to citizens in a vulnerable situation, various forthcoming challenges that European society faces deserve dedicated research and innovation actions in the scope of this Destination. Some of them are: challenges regarding prevention, detection and deterrence of various forms of crime and terrorism through an enhanced understanding of the related societal issues, such as tackling the nexus between disinformation, hate speech and radicalisation, countering gender-based violence, or fighting violence-as-a-service. challenges related to counterterrorism, protection of public spaces, such as improving detection of remote explosives and explosives in closed spaces and urban environments, or use and countering of unmanned systems, including neutralisation of commercial drone attacks. Research and innovation funded under this Destination will contribute to policy objectives such as those of the: Police cooperation package [2] (information exchange [3] , automated data exchange for police cooperation - “Prüm II” [4] , operational cross-border police cooperation [5] ); Counter-Terrorism Agenda for the EU [6] (incl. Regulation 2021/784/EU on addressing dissemination of terrorist content online & Directive 2017/541/EU on combating terrorism); EU C-UAS Strategy [7] (counter-drone policy); EU Strategy to Tackle Organised crime [8] ; EU Strategy on combatting Trafficking in Human Beings [9] (the modified Directive on preventing and combating trafficking in human being and protecting its victims), and the Proposal to strengthen EU legislation to prevent and fight migrant smuggling [10] (notably its aspect of reinforcing Europol’s role in the fight against migrant smuggling and trafficking in human beings); EU drugs measures (Strategy [11] , Action Plan [12] and Roadmap to fight Drugs Trafficking and Organised Crime [13] ); EU Action Plan on firearms trafficking (COM(2020) 608 final); Roadmap for lawful and effective access to data for law enforcement (COM/2025/349 final); EU environmental crime measures [14] (review of the Directive 2008/99/EC on protection of the environment through criminal law); EU anti-corruption measures (Communication [15] , proposal for a Directive [16] ); Directive (EU) 2019/713 on non-cash means of payment; EU strategy on a more effective fight against child sexual abuse [17] (incl. Proposal for a regulation to prevent and combat child sexual abuse [18] ); EU Regulation (2022/2371) on serious cross-border threats to health; Directive (EU) 2024/1385 on combating violence against women and domestic violence. This Destination will also support, whenever appropriate and applicable, proposals with: a clear strategy on how they will adapt to the fast-evolving environment in the area of fight against crime and terrorism (evolution of related technologies, evolution of criminal modi operandi and business models related to these technologies, etc.); the involvement of Police Authorities in their core; the involvement of other law enforcement authorities including customs and border guards; the active role for Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs); the active involvement of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs); a minimum-needed platform, i.e., tools that are modular and can be easily plugged into another platform (in order to avoid platform multiplication); tools that are developed and validated against practitioners’ needs and requirements; tools following existing or new standards for data exchange, including cybersecurity best-practices; a robust plan on how they will build on the relevant predecessor projects; education and training aspects, especially for Police Authorities and other relevant practitioners, as well as information sharing and citizen awareness raising; a clear strategy on the uptake and sustainability of the project results, with special attention to the access at little or no cost to created tools and methodologies by Police Authorities involved in the project; a well-developed plan both on how research data for training and testing will be obtained, in order to reach the requested Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs), and on how the specific TRL will be measured. For Police Authorities’ training-related aspects, cooperation of successful proposals with CEPOL is expected, provided that the Agency opts out from applying for funding. Where possible and relevant, synergy-building and clustering initiatives with successful proposals in the same area should be considered, in coordination with the Community for European Research and Innovation for Security (CERIS) [19] . Legal entities established in China are not eligible to participate in both Research and Innovation Actions (RIAs) and Innovation Actions (IAs) falling under this destination. For additional information please see “Restrictions on the participation of legal entities established in China” found in General Annex B of the General Annexes. [1] COM/2025/148 final. [2] COM/2021/782 final, COM/2021/784 final, ST/8720/2022/INIT. [3] Directive (EU) 2023/977. [4] Regulation (EU) 2024/982. [5] Council Recommendation (EU) 2022/915. [6] COM/2020/795 final. [7] COM/2023/659 final.COM/2023/659 final. [8] COM/2021/170 final. [9] COM/2021/171 final; Directive (EU) 2024/1712; COM/2023/755 final. [10] COM/2023/754 final. [11] 14178/20. [12] ST/9819/2021/INIT. [13] COM/2023/641 final. [14] Directive (EU) 2024/1203. [15] JOIN(2023) 12 final. [16] COM/2023/234 final. [17] COM/2020/607 final. [18] COM/2022/209 final. [19] https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/networks/ceris-community-european-research-and-innovation-security_en

Hivatkozott dokumentumok

Annex A Horizon Europe Programme Guide Online Manual [This [decision Standard application form (HE RIA, IA) Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA) Lump Sum MGA Detailed budget table (HE LS) Information on financial support to third parties (HE) Guidance: "Lump sums - what do I need to know?" HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 1. General Introduction HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 6. Civil Security for Society Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions