Industry, academic and research organisations have joined forces to urge rapid association of the UK to Horizon Europe following the agreement of the Windsor Framework.
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said when she struck the deal with British prime minister Rishi Sunak that Brussels would “start immediately” working on the UK’s participation in the research funding programme once the agreement on trade rules in Northern Ireland was finalised.
Sector organisations have issued a joint statement calling for both sides to follow through on this, saying that the UK and the European Union “must now put renewed efforts into constructive dialogue to get association swiftly over the line, finally ending the damaging impasse that has lasted over two years”.
“Securing the UK’s place in EU programmes is crucial for shoring up the future of world-leading research, sustainable growth and high-level skills. Failure to do so now will be a second-best outcome for both the UK and the EU, undermining our collective efforts to tackle the big challenges of our time,” the statement says.
