Lord Frost gives update on UK’s participation in Horizon Europe
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It comes as the Brexit Minister and the European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic meet today to continue their negotiations. And the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at Lancaster University appear to be hopeful about the meeting. They wrote on Twitter: “Word on the ground in Brussels is that both the Government and the Commission fully expect that the UK will associate to Horizon Europe in line with the Protocol so it’s looking very positive for the UK in terms of its involvement in the seven-year programme.“
Horizon Europe is the EU’s key multi-billion research and innovation project.
The UK was banned due to the ongoing Brexit disputes, with EU ministers insisting that the issue of the Northern Ireland Protocol be resolved first.
This also comes after fears that the UK could have been permanently excluded from the project if the negotiations turn sour and Article 16 is triggered.
Lord Frost had said that that triggering Article 16 was “still on the table”, which Mr Sefcovic warned would have “serious consequences”.
But Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday that the UK would prefer to reach a mutual agreement with the EU over the Northern Ireland Protocol.
And now the two issues have been tipped to be resolved in the coming weeks.
And while it may appear that the UK is scrambling to re-join Horizon Europe, FASS pointed out that the UK is just one of 11 countries still awaiting formal association.
They noted that only Iceland, Norway, Ukraine, Turkey and Armenia have been formally associated with the programme so far.
And certain experts think that the UK is still in a strong position as it continues its negations in the hope to re-join the project.
Jan Palmowski, from the University of Warwick, wrote: “Europe’s research and innovation sector has been vocal in calling on the EU to fulfil its treaty obligations and activate UK association.
“But in doing so, is it complicit in allowing the UK to cherry-pick, opting for collaboration when it suits and non-compliance at other times?”
And certain experts think that the UK is still in a strong position as it continues its negations in the hope to re-join the project.
Jan Palmowski, from the University of Warwick, wrote: “Europe’s research and innovation sector has been vocal in calling on the EU to fulfil its treaty obligations and activate UK association.
“But in doing so, is it complicit in allowing the UK to cherry-pick, opting for collaboration when it suits and non-compliance at other times?”
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Prof Palmowski suggested that the EU should be keen for the UK to re-join too, as previous collaboration has resulted in impressive and important innovations.
He wrote: “Both sides have an interest in UK association to Horizon Europe. Past funding from research and innovation programmes, including from the European Research Council, underpins the research that led to the breakthrough BioNTech and Oxford vaccines that have helped both sides of the Channel return to some semblance of normality.
“Funding from European Framework Programmes has been instrumental in addressing global crises, from the Covid pandemic to the Ebola virus. “
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