Progress to date: Horizon Europe
The UK has now rejoined Horizon, a key recommendation of the Commission.
Read the recommendation in full here.
The Government has secured a deal for the UK which will open up doors to broader scientific cooperation and collaboration, while also offering important funding options to UK scientists.
News
Today the Irish government confirmed that they will provide permanent funding to allow students in Northern Ireland to access the Erasmus+ scheme.
This week, the UK Trade and Business Commission sent a letter to the Government urging them to restart negotiations for the UK to rejoin the EU’s Horizon Europe research programme without delay.
Research experts and charities working with people with serious and often terminal illnesses have said that delays to research and clinical trials from Brexit could mean the difference between ‘life or death’ for patients.
Evidence
Globally the main barriers to trade are no longer tariffs but differing regulations between countries. Exporters have to meet the varying requirements in different countries, which is likely to mean extra costs. However, countries may choose to vary regulations for many good domestic reasons, such as responding to consumer pressures or reduce the cost of domestic production. Finding a balance is difficult for all countries. For the UK, having just left the EU regulatory bloc, it presents a particular challenge.
The UK is a services trade superpower and the second largest exporter in the world at the time of this session. Its strengths are diverse, from educating international students to hosting film production, financing major infrastructure to supplying architects and skilled engineers to turn a plan to reality. These are delivered by companies of all sizes, including major multinationals, historic institutions like universities, small consultancy firms, and the self-employed.
Science, research, and innovation are increasingly seen as crucial ingredients to a country’s economic performance. They are also at the centre of the response to global challenges as immediate as covid or tackling climate change, and unsurprisingly therefore require international collaboration. There are broad policy challenges involved from attracting and retaining the best researchers, through to seeking commercial exploitation of the innovations. These continue to be hugely important to the UK’s future prosperity.