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Rolls-Royce

Rolls-Royce develops complex power and propulsion solutions for safety-critical applications in air, sea and land transport.

Lobbying Activity

Meeting with Jörgen Warborn (Member of the European Parliament)

23 Jan 2026 · Small Modular Reactors

Meeting with Christian Ehler (Member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur) and WWF European Policy Programme and European Centre for International Political Economy

13 Jan 2026 · European Competitiveness Fund

Meeting with Tobias Cremer (Member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur) and DASSAULT AVIATION and

10 Dec 2025 · European Defense

Rolls-Royce Urges EU to Recognize Sustainable Fuels in Taxonomy

4 Dec 2025
Topic — The initiative reviews technical screening criteria for the EU taxonomy environmental act.
Message — Rolls-Royce requests that the taxonomy recognize sustainable fuels and align with international aviation standards. They advocate for simplified criteria reflecting actual technology pathways rather than just zero-tailpipe emissions. The company also seeks alignment of pollution rules with existing chemical regulations.123
Why — Updates would ensure the company's fuel-efficient engines qualify for green investment without new restrictions.4
Impact — Environmental groups lose strict mandates for immediate zero-tailpipe emissions in the transport sector.5
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Meeting with Ondřej Krutílek (Member of the European Parliament) and CEZ, a.s.

21 Nov 2025 · SMRs

Response to EU’s next long-term budget (MFF) – EU funding for competitiveness

6 Nov 2025

Rolls-Royce develops and delivers complex power and propulsion solutions for safety-critical applications in the air, at sea and on land. Our products and service packages enable our customers to connect and protect people, societies, cultures, and economies together and they meet the growing need for power generation across multiple industries. Rolls-Royce provides high skill jobs, supports a diversified supply chain, and is recognised as a flagship of European exports. World-leading technology is developed and manufactured at our European sites, such as Dahlewitz and Friedrichshafen in Germany. Rolls-Royce is investing in the next generation of sustainable and innovative aviation, maritime and energy solutions, such as the UltraFan® aero engine demonstrator programme, advanced propulsion for autonomous defence aircraft, engines certified for sustainable fuels, hybrid-electric propulsion systems, battery storage, and Small and Advanced Modular Reactors. Maintaining European technology leadership and global competitiveness in these fields is essential to securing strategic autonomy. Like never before, the European economy is being put to the test, and so is its industrial base. Delivering the EUs 2050 sustainability goals needs to go hand in hand with maintaining and strengthening a competitive and innovative industrial base. However, European companies are often at a disadvantage compared to other world regions in terms of government funding, supportive regulatory frameworks, and investment opportunities. EU research framework programmes are an instrument to overcome that disadvantage. With a strong focus on technical excellence and impact at scale they strengthen European research, development, and innovation (R&D&I), which generates growth and prosperity within the EU and delivers significant increases in European GDP. Horizon Europe (HEU) is therefore essential for a competitive, sustainable, resilient and innovative Europe, especially for strategic sectors such as aviation, maritime, energy and defence. These inherently global sectors involve extremely complex technologies, and the industries, SMEs, research centres, and universities rely on effective cross-border R&D&I cooperation. Rolls-Royce has been participating in European research framework programmes and coordinating research with leading academic institutions and industry partners across Europe for over 30 years. R&D&I are core to our activities. Rolls-Royce would therefore like to contribute its expert views to the next HEU. Rolls-Royce recommendations for the EUs next Horizon Europe programme, in support of a competitive, innovative, and sustainable Europe and European industrial base: 1. Budget increase for Horizon Europe and appropriate funding rates for strategic sectors 2. Moonshots should enhance coordination and cooperation under Horizon Europe 3. Enhance dual-use potential and clarify defence research under Horizon Europe 4. Continue public-private partnerships with demonstrated value and success 5. Avoid arbitrary flexibility and over-simplification - improve transparency and predictability 6. Cooperation with partner/associated countries must be maintained The attached paper lays out the rationale for our recommendations and details our priorities for the next Horizon Europe programme.
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Rolls-Royce urges predictable funding and UK role in EU budget

6 Nov 2025
Topic — The European Commission is consulting on the post-2027 budget and the European Competitiveness Fund.
Message — The company requests continuous funding from early research to final market deployment for strategic sectors. They argue for protecting intellectual property rights and maintaining close research ties with the United Kingdom. Stable budgets for aviation and defense are essential to ensure long-term industrial planning.123
Why — This would provide secure subsidies for expensive late-stage development and protect proprietary technology.4
Impact — Competitors face disadvantages if 'accelerated' rules allow for preferential funding without open calls.5
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Rolls-Royce urges EU to prioritize energy resilience for AI

5 Nov 2025
Topic — EU roadmap for leveraging AI and digital technologies in the energy sector.
Message — Rolls-Royce recommends that the roadmap include resilient backup infrastructures for digital systems. They propose tax benefits for sustainable fuels and mandatory power supply standards for data centers.123
Why — This would drive demand for the company’s specialized emergency generators and backup power systems.4
Impact — Data center operators would face higher costs to meet strict mandatory power autonomy standards.5
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Meeting with Ditte Juul-Joergensen (Director-General Energy)

16 Oct 2025 · Industry challenges and The European Grids Package

Meeting with Bart Groothuis (Member of the European Parliament)

16 Oct 2025 · EU's defense industry

Meeting with Antti Timonen (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen), Sanna Laaksonen (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen)

15 Oct 2025 · Exchange of views on the EU's AI Continent Action Plan and upcoming defence policies

Meeting with Lucie Šestáková (Cabinet of Commissioner Jozef Síkela)

15 Oct 2025 · Opportunities for Rolls-Royce within Global Gateway

Meeting with Anna Panagopoulou (Cabinet of Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas), Pierpaolo Settembri (Cabinet of Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas)

15 Oct 2025 · Sustainable Transport Investment Plan

Rolls-Royce urges decentralized power for EU energy security

13 Oct 2025
Topic — The EU is updating its energy security rules to handle geopolitical risks and decarbonization goals.
Message — Rolls-Royce recommends anchoring decentralised generation and storage as system-critical building blocks for resilience. They propose risk-based protection for data centers and better market access for flexible gas plants.12
Why — Policy shifts would expand the market for the company's specialized backup power and storage technologies.3
Impact — Foreign fossil fuel exporters lose influence as the EU prioritizes domestic sustainable fuels for backup systems.4
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Rolls-Royce urges EU support for data center heating systems

9 Oct 2025
Topic — The European Commission is developing a strategy to decarbonise heating and cooling across the EU.
Message — Rolls-Royce recommends integrating Combined Heat and Power (CHP) as a core technology for the energy transition. They request targeted investment frameworks and funding for CHP and cooling systems in data centers. They also call for simplified approval procedures to connect these facilities to district networks.123
Why — These policies would increase demand for their mtu brand engines and energy systems.45
Impact — Companies focused exclusively on electrification may lose out to technology-neutral funding frameworks.6
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Rolls-Royce urges technology neutrality in EU Electrification Action Plan

9 Oct 2025
Topic — The plan aims to switch energy demand to electricity to meet decarbonisation targets.
Message — Rolls-Royce requests a technology-neutral framework that supports alternative fuels for heavy-duty applications. They argue that application-specific assessments are necessary to find the best decarbonisation solutions.12
Why — This would preserve their core business in combustion engines for aviation and maritime sectors.3
Impact — Climate advocates lose when the plan promotes the continued use of gas-based power generation systems.4
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Meeting with Matthieu Moulonguet (Cabinet of Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra)

5 Oct 2025 · Clean transition in transport

Meeting with François Kalfon (Member of the European Parliament)

25 Sept 2025 · Priorités transports

Response to European Innovation Act

23 Sept 2025

Rolls-Royce develops and delivers complex power and propulsion solutions for safety-critical applications in the air, at sea and on land. Our products and service packages enable our customers to connect people, societies, cultures, and economies together and they meet the growing need for power generation across multiple industries. Rolls-Royce provides high skill jobs, supports a diversified supply chain, and is recognized as a flagship of European exports. World-leading technology is developed and manufactured at our European sites, such as Dahlewitz and Friedrichshafen in Germany. Rolls-Royce currently works on the next generation of sustainable and innovative aviation, maritime and energy solutions, such as the UltraFan® aero engine demonstrator programme, engines certified for sustainable fuels, hybrid-electric propulsion systems, battery storage, and Small Modular Reactors. Maintaining European technology leadership and global competitiveness in these fields is essential to securing strategic autonomy and meeting our sustainability goals. Rolls-Royce has been participating in European research framework programmes and coordinating research with leading academic institutions and industry partners across Europe for over 30 years. Research, development, and innovation (R&D&I) is core to its activities. We would therefore like to take the opportunity to contribute our expert insights into R&D&I activities, programmes and processes on EU- and national level to comment on the planned European Innovation Act (the Act). European and non-European companies do not always compete on a level playing field. However, delivering on the EUs policy objectives, such as the 2050 climate goals or maintaining technology leadership in key technologies is only going to be achieved with a competitive and innovative industrial base, as innovative industries add an incremental economic spillover effect, thereby improving the EUs overall economic performance and addressing societal challenges. European companies would benefit from government funding with increased frequency of application against clear strategic roadmaps, funding rates that enable effective support towards the highest TRLs, access to world-class European research infrastructures, and reductions in administrative complexity. Therefore, the European Innovation Act is an important initiative to strengthen Europes innovation capabilities and sustainably secure the competitiveness and resilience of European industry and economy. It is crucial that the Act creates better conditions for innovation and provides a focused, transparent and predictable framework for all European companies. It should make a tangible contribution to the development of a dynamic innovation and investment ecosystem in Europe. It is essential to systematically address key growth barriers for innovative companies across Europe. In that regard, we recommend to: 1. Reduce administrative burden; 2. Increase coherence between different funding opportunities; 3. Bridge the innovation gap; 4. Improve access to financing; 5. Cooperate with relevant partner countries; 6. Attract and increase cooperation between different actors of the innovation ecosystem. The attached paper lays out the rationale for and gives more detailed insights into our recommendations.
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Meeting with Christian Ehler (Member of the European Parliament)

22 Sept 2025 · FP10

Rolls-Royce urges EU to fund sustainable fuel business cases

4 Sept 2025
Topic — This consultation seeks roadmaps for the energy transition in aviation and waterborne transport.
Message — Rolls-Royce calls for creating credible business cases for sustainable fuel production and use. They request continued investment support for transport technology development and a coherent framework.123
Why — Public funding would reduce the financial risk of developing next-generation engine technologies.4
Impact — International regions could lose investment as the plan creates a pull factor toward Europe.5
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Meeting with Jan Farský (Member of the European Parliament) and CEZ, a.s.

3 Sept 2025 · Support to the small modular nuclear reactors

Meeting with Alexandr Vondra (Member of the European Parliament)

3 Sept 2025 · SMR

Response to EU industrial maritime strategy

28 Jul 2025

Rolls-Royce welcomes opportunities to contribute its expert views to the EUs decision-making process. Rolls-Royce recommendations for the EU Industrial Maritime Strategy, in support of a competitive, innovative, and sustainable Europe and European industrial base Global competition, the digital transformation, and the drive towards net-zero emissions combined with an extensive regulatory landscape pose considerable challenges for the European maritime sector. A coherent Industrial Maritime Strategy that sets clear policy objectives and priorities can provide a comprehensible framework to foster innovation and enhance the competitiveness of European maritime stakeholders. The following key aspects should be considered from our perspective. International level playing field and international competition The maritime industry is truly global. Establishing an international level playing field is essential for enabling the European maritime sector to address upcoming challenges. A central element in achieving this should be the harmonization of regulations, for example aligning European rules on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions like FuelEU Maritime and ETS for Shipping with the International Maritime Organization (IMO). IMO recently formulated its mid-term measures and is expected to finally adopt the regulatory framework in autumn of this year. Ambitious measures for rapid decarbonization and green innovation can serve as cornerstones in transforming entire industries. However, it is important to remember the highly competitive global context of the maritime sector so as not to place an undue burden on European industry and operators. Therefore, an internationally aligned level playing field is essential. Predictability of regulation Consistent and predictable regulations are vital for the European maritime industry. As highlighted in the call for evidence for the EU Industrial Maritime Strategy, shipping and all related industrial activities are capital-intensive and investments in new products and low-emission technologies depend on a reliable pay-back period. Therefore, it is crucial that chosen strategies offer long-term stability and foreseeable pathways. All resources financial, human, or technological in the European maritime industry depend on regulatory predictability. Sudden regulatory changes can ultimately penalize innovators and early adopters, which would make achieving EU objectives more challenging and slow down innovative progress. Sustainable fuels Sustainable fuels from zero or low-carbon sources are essential for decarbonizing shipping. The shipping sector is highly heterogenic and varies in requirements on power, speed, operational conditions and range. Hence, different fuels and propulsion technologies need to be assessed in a technology-neutral approach to find the optimal propulsion solution for a sustainable future. Most high-power engines of Rolls-Royce Power Systems can already utilize fuels compliant with the European standard for paraffinic diesel fuels from synthetic or renewable sources EN 15940, such as HVO, ensuring their safe use in diesel engines. These fuels can reduce GHG emissions by up to 90%. These existing solutions can play a significant role in supporting the European Unions net-zero strategy. The EU Industrial Maritime Strategy should align with the upcoming Sustainable Transport Investment Plan (STIP) and emphasize increasing the availability of sustainable fuels as a crucial step in reducing GHG emissions today. Please feel free to contact us, should you wish to discuss in more depth the above recommendations.
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Rolls-Royce urges global alignment for maritime and aviation emissions

8 Jul 2025
Topic — Evaluation of the EU emissions trading system for aviation, maritime and stationary installations.
Message — Rolls-Royce recommends using carbon revenues for industry decarbonization and aligning maritime rules with international standards. They suggest putting EU shipping regulations on hold from 2028 to avoid double-regulation. The company also opposes expanding the system's scope to smaller thermal installations.123
Why — Global alignment would prevent double regulation and reduce administrative costs for the company.4
Impact — Environmental groups lose more stringent regional controls as EU rules are put on hold.5
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Rolls-Royce calls for flexible EU Innovation Fund award criteria

3 Jul 2025
Topic — This consultation evaluates the effectiveness and award criteria of the EU Innovation Fund.
Message — Rolls-Royce requests adapted criteria and dedicated funding calls that account for the long development cycles in aviation and maritime transport. They propose supporting technologies that show progressive emission improvements rather than just final net-zero results.123
Why — Tailored rules would reduce bidding uncertainty and help the company secure funding for complex projects.4
Impact — Sectors with faster innovation cycles would lose their relative advantage in the current evaluation process.5
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Meeting with Engin Eroglu (Member of the European Parliament)

24 Jun 2025 · Defence industry

Meeting with Ramunas Stanionis (Cabinet of Commissioner Andrius Kubilius)

23 Jun 2025 · Support for Ukraine

Meeting with Valérie Devaux (Member of the European Parliament)

8 Apr 2025 · Aviation

Rolls-Royce urges aligned chemical rules and flexible aviation deadlines

26 Mar 2025
Topic — Simplifying EU taxonomy reporting requirements to balance environmental goals and competitiveness.
Message — Rolls-Royce wants environmental reporting rules to match existing chemical regulations to ensure compliant substances remain eligible. They also seek flexibility on strict deadlines for aircraft certification and sustainable fuel compatibility.12
Why — This would lower compliance risks and prevent product disqualification due to rigid certification timelines.3
Impact — Environmental groups may see these changes as weakening strict timelines for transitioning to greener aviation.4
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Meeting with Andrius Kubilius (Commissioner) and

5 Mar 2025 · European defence industry development

Meeting with Nikolina Brnjac (Member of the European Parliament)

7 Feb 2025 · Rolls-Royce priorities for the transport sector

Meeting with Jan-Christoph Oetjen (Member of the European Parliament) and DASSAULT AVIATION and

17 Dec 2024 · general exchange on the current challenges for innovative aviation

Meeting with Christian Ehler (Member of the European Parliament) and EPIA SolarPower Europe and

13 Dec 2024 · Energy policy

Meeting with Jan-Christoph Oetjen (Member of the European Parliament)

22 Nov 2024 · general exchange on the current topics in aviation

Meeting with Angelika Niebler (Member of the European Parliament)

30 Sept 2024 · EU competition policy

Meeting with Nina Carberry (Member of the European Parliament)

30 Sept 2024 · EU Transport Policy

Rolls-Royce calls for phased approach to non-CO2 monitoring

29 Jul 2024
Topic — The consultation updates EU ETS rules for monitoring and reporting non-CO2 aviation emissions.
Message — Rolls-Royce requests a phased implementation that prioritizes reporting flight data over calculating carbon equivalents. They recommend making this data available to scientists and involving industry experts in tool development.12
Why — A phased approach avoids the risks of using inaccurate climate models for regulatory reporting.34
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Meeting with Aleksandra Baranska (Cabinet of Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič), Dino Toljan (Cabinet of Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič) and

24 May 2024 · Book and claim system for Sustainable Aviation Fuels

Response to Options for support for R&D of dual-use technologies

25 Apr 2024

As an experienced actor in civil, defence and dual-use R&D, we would like to take the opportunity to comment on the call for feedback on R&D dual-use technologies and the different options for support presented in the Commission White Paper on options for enhancing support for research and development involving technologies with dual-use potential. We welcome the call for feedback, as we believe that the start of discussions around the next MFF, FP10 and the successor of the European Defence Fund (EDF) is an important opportunity to reflect on the functionality of the current EU funding landscape and the opportunities that exist for the cross-fertilisation of civil and defence technologies, contributing to European technology leadership and international competitiveness of European companies. We appreciate that, at the moment, there is an exclusive focus on civil R&D in Horizon Europe and an exclusive focus on defence-related R&D in the EDF. Despite this clear separation, results from funded projects that can have dual-use potential and synergies between Horizon Europe and the EDF are recognised. Our experience with both, Horizon Europe and the EDF, shows us that this set-up has important benefits for programme participants that might be at risk with changes to the purely civil or purely defence nature of the programmes. These considerations inform our analysis of White Paper Options 1, 2 and 3. Indeed, supporting dual-use technology development based on the current set-up of separated defence and civil funding programmes (Option 1) allows cross-fertilisation between civil and defence technologies to a certain extent, as results of Horizon Europe can have dual-use potential, enabling projects to apply for either civil or defence funding and harnessing the dual-use potential after the funding period. That set-up also enables a maximum of flexibility for civil R&D, as well as an adequate treatment of defence R&D results to protect European interests, and it offers predictable rules of participation, eligibility and IP. It allows to maintain a higher success rate for funding applicants compared to Options 2 and 3 and will ensure an adequate budget for both, civil and defence R&D, more easily. In contrast, creating a dual-use part within FP10 or a separate dual-use fund brings risks and unclarity for participation, including third countries, budget, purpose, and IP management. These options are therefore not preferable. Option 1 on the contrary maintains the advantages of the current set-up and envisages incremental changes that can allow better harnessing of dual-use potential without bringing additional risk into the funding landscape. We therefore recommend to the Commission to enhance their dual-use work based on the current funding set-up and to build on Option 1 of the White Paper. Please find our detailed argumentation in the attached position paper.
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Meeting with Jens Geier (Member of the European Parliament)

21 Mar 2024 · Exchange on decarbonising the transport sector

Response to Enhancing research security in Europe

22 Dec 2023

Rolls-Royce develops and delivers complex power and propulsion solutions for safety-critical applications in the air, at sea and on land. Our products and service packages enable our customers to connect people, societies, cultures and economies together and they meet the growing need for power generation across multiple industries. As a company with strong European imprint, we are a significant contributor to jobs, the supply chain, innovation and export at our European sites. It is important for us to maintain technology leadership and high-quality jobs in Europe and to remain internationally competitive, while contributing to addressing key global challenges such as climate change. Therefore, it is our goal to develop cutting-edge technologies that deliver clean, safe and competitive solutions. We aim at delivering the next generation of sustainable and innovative aviation, maritime and energy solutions. In that regard, research, development and innovation (R, D&I) are key for us, and we have been coordinating research with leading academic institutions and industry partners for over 25 years. We are for example, with Rolls-Royce Deutschland, a founding member of Clean Aviation. We would therefore like to take the opportunity to comment on the call for evidence on boosting research security in the EU. We welcome the call for evidence, as especially for research, an inherently cooperative area, consultation of the stakeholders that are already involved in EU research programmes and have experience in the matter is crucial. We share the Commissions assessment that openness and international collaboration are key for a successful EU R&D ecosystem and world-class research in the region. We encourage cooperation with and the association of third countries that support European values and policy priorities such as the UK. According to our experience with various EU funding programmes and as leaders of many and various successful consortia, the current approach to research security within the context and countries in which we operate in and cooperate with is broadly proportionate to the risks of international research cooperation. We understand the endeavour to harmonise approaches by different Member States throughout the EU. It is important that this approach strikes the balance of allowing for the necessary openness of research to deliver excellence, retain talent and to contribute to EU policy objectives, while protecting and ringfencing research results as needed to avoid jeopardizing competition, IP rights and to achieve the strategic policy, economic and societal objectives. In our view, an essential element to research security are well-funded research programmes with options for exploitation based on global market conditions. Such programmes allow the EU (and national governments for national programmes) to maintain a level of control over important strategic elements such technology development, IP and public use of research results. If they are well-funded, the EU can increase its control over research outputs and hence its research security, as more excellent projects are attracted and can be funded in the controlled framework. We acknowledge that dynamics with regards to research security can change over time and approaches to the matter might need re-definition. We would encourage the EU to seek cooperation with trusted research stakeholders. Please find more details in our position paper attached.
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Meeting with Erik Bergkvist (Member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur) and SAFRAN

28 Sept 2023 · Möte (APA level)

Meeting with Robert Roos (Member of the European Parliament, Shadow rapporteur)

6 Sept 2023 · Meeting on SMR's development

Meeting with Christian Ehler (Member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur)

14 Jul 2023 · NZIA