European Commission and UK reached political agreement on UK participation in Horizon Europe

As a result of the recent agreement reached between the European Union and UK, researchers and organisations in the UK will be able to participate in Horizon Europe at the same level with their counterparts in EU Member States and will have access to Horizon Europe funding. This welcome change comes into force as of 1^st of January 2024. 

This political agreement will reinforce the opportunity of the UK to be part of a worldwide network of researchers and innovators aimed at tackling global challenges in climate, energy, mobility, digital, industry and space, health, and more.

Our Principal Consultant Magnus Andersson, who is based in our Gothenburg office in Sweden and has a wide professional network in the UK, is delighted about this agreement. “This is great news for both Europe and the UK. The Horizon Europe projects will excel further through the collaboration with leading UK experts, academia, and spearhead companies. These additional resources will be crucial for us to meet the climate targets and strengthen the European competitiveness together. UK - welcome back! You have been greatly missed.”

The agreement, announced on the 7^th September, remains in line with the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement. The UK will be required to contribute financially to the EU budget and is subject to all the safeguards of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement. Overall, it is estimated that the UK will contribute an average of almost 2.6 B€ annually for its participation to both Horizon Europe and the Copernicus component of the Space programme, which is also included in the agreement.

Today's political agreement must now be approved by the Council before being formally adopted in the EU-UK Specialised Committee on Participation in Union Programmes.

Read more: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_23_4374