The House of Lords European Affairs
Committee has today (Thursday 3 March) written to the Foreign
Secretary, , the European Commission, and the European
Parliament to express its deep concerns about delays to the UK’s
participation in the EU’s flagship funding programme, Horizon
Europe and the detrimental impact this is having on UK and EU
research.
The Committee recently heard evidence from
representatives of both the UK and the EU science and research
communities, including the Royal Society and Universities UK, and
also received a written submission from the Russell Group of UK
universities.
In its letters, the Committee strongly endorses the witnesses’
view that securing the UK’s association to Horizon Europe is
critical for the UK’s science and research community.
The Committee stresses that the benefits of Horizon Europe go
beyond the direct funding opportunities: it also represents a
long-standing and prestigious evolution of programmes, which
unlocks opportunities for research collaboration and wider
commercial, scientific, and cultural benefits.
The Committee further agrees that securing association
would be a genuine ‘win-win’ for both the UK and the EU, and that
the apparent politicisation of mutually beneficial scientific
cooperation is a deeply regrettable development.
The Committee urges the UK Government and European Commission to
work together to unblock the current impasse as soon as possible,
in the interests of both sides, and regardless of ongoing
disputes in separate areas of the UK-EU relationship.
Read the Committees’ letters in full on its
website: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/516/european-affairs-committee/news/161457/delay-to-horizon-europe-association-damaging-to-uk-and-eu-research/
The Committee has asked the Foreign Secretary to respond to its
questions by 17 March 2022.
Notes to Editors
- The full letter is available to read on the Committee’s
website: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/516/european-affairs-committee/news/161457/delay-to-horizon-europe-association-damaging-to-uk-and-eu-research/
- The Transcript of the Committee’s recent evidence session on
Horizon Europe is available on the Committee’s website:
https://committees.parliament.uk/oralevidence/3408/pdf/
