The United Kingdom returns to the European Horizon and Copernicus projects – Economics

The understanding announced on Thursday comes after months of negotiations, allowing British researchers to apply for grants and participate in projects under the Horizonte programme.

Under this agreement, as an associate member, the United Kingdom must make a financial contribution to the European Union (EU) budget with an average of almost 2.6 billion euros per year.

From 1 January 2024, UK researchers and organizations will be able to compete on an equal footing with EU member states. The government sought access to Horizon Europe, “the world’s largest research collaboration programme”, through a “customised contract with excellent financial conditions”.

According to London, British taxpayers will no longer pay for time taken out of the programs from 2021, and an automatic repayment mechanism is in place if British scientists receive significantly less money than UK scientists put into the program.

The UK’s participation in the Horizon program was negotiated in 2020, but London has complained of continued delays due to disagreements over post-Brexit trade arrangements in Northern Ireland. “This mutually agreed solution follows in-depth discussions between the EU and the UK to the benefit of both parties,” the social executive highlighted.

“The EU and the UK are strategic partners and key partners, and today’s agreement demonstrates this. We will continue to be at the forefront of global research and innovation,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement.

This political agreement must be ratified by the European Council before it can be formally adopted by the EU-UK Special Committee on Participation in EU Programs. In addition to the Horizon project, the United Kingdom will also be an associate member of Copernicus, a European Earth observation project that provides information from satellites and other sources for future weather forecasts.