Despite Brexit, the United Kingdom is not leaving Horizon Europe, as was previously feared. Scientists are relieved that European research collaboration is being maintained.
“The EU and the UK are important strategic partners and allies, and today’s agreement proves that,” says Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission. “We will continue to lead in the fields of science and research.”
Negotiators from Brussels and London reached an agreement on Wednesday. With this, the UK is once again joining the Horizon Europe program and the joint Copernicus space program.
In total, the British are estimated to contribute nearly 2.6 billion euros per year for participation in the European research program until 2027.
“It is very good news,” says Kurt Deketelaere, relieved. He is the Secretary-General of LERU, the consortium of ‘research-intensive’ European universities. British institutions such as Oxford and Cambridge are part of it, as well as institutions like the University of Amsterdam and the University of Utrecht. “It means that Great Britain will not chart its own course with an international research program that develops separately from the European counterpart.”
After Brexit in 2020, the future of the UK in the European research world remained uncertain for a long time. But negotiations gained momentum this spring after a deal was reached on border controls between the EU and Northern Ireland.
Since the current Horizon program started more than two years ago, British institutions were only eligible for European funding if the UK rejoined the program. The British government has since advanced conditionally allocated research subsidies. “It was not certain whether London would continue to do so,” says Deketelaere.
Now that the UK is being ‘associated’ again, it can once again claim research funding from the EU. However, the country has no say in the direction of Horizon Europe; only the member states are allowed to decide on that.
