Delays to the UK’s membership of Horizon Europe could stretch into years if ministers seek to negotiate a bespoke deal regarding the different parts of the €95 billion (£84 billion) research scheme, say science experts who have warned that “incomprehensible dithering” is costing British science millions of pounds a day.
While the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, has raised hopes that the UK might join Europe’s flagship research initiative within a few months, having stated that negotiations would “start immediately” once an agreement on Northern Irish trade rules was finalised, doubts have now been cast on this timeline.
Among the issues that could require talks is the overall price paid by the UK for joining Horizon Europe two years into the seven-year framework, with the European Union likely to want recompense for the administrative costs of evaluating the UK’s Horizon bids since 2021.
A bigger sticking point might concern reports that the UK is seeking to opt out of certain “pillars” of Horizon Europe where its involvement and funding might be limited and thus pay a reduced annual contribution.
