LONDON: Britain is to rejoin the Horizon Europe science research programme under a new bespoke deal, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s office and the EU said on Thursday.
“As part of the new deal negotiated over the last six months, the Prime Minister has secured improved financial terms of association to Horizon Europe that are right for the UK,” a statement said.
Horizon is a European Union scheme that funds research projects which the UK says it has been excluded from for the past three years, following Brexit.
The deal follows a call between Sunak and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday.
“The EU and UK are key strategic partners and allies, and today’s agreement proves that point. We will continue to be at the forefront of global science and research,” von der Leyen said in a statement.
The deal means that UK researchers can apply immediately for grants and bid to take part in projects under the Horizon programme, the UK government statement said.
“Horizon will give UK companies and research institutions unrivalled opportunities to lead global work to develop new technologies and research projects, in areas from health to AI,” it added.
Britain previously said it had been excluded from the EU’s flagship Horizon Europe programme that funds research, nuclear regulator Euratom and the Copernicus satellite monitoring group.
London said it considered the delay to be a breach of the post-Brexit deal.
Just over a year ago, it launched dispute procedures with the EU over the exclusion, using a mechanism set out in a post-Brexit deal.
The British government said that its inability to participate in science and technology programmes was causing “serious damage” both in the UK and EU countries.
The EU responded by saying there were “serious difficulties” since the post-Brexit trading accord did not oblige the EU to make the UK an associate on such programmes.
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