UK scientists dismayed over lack of progress on Horizon Europe membership

Scientists have expressed their disappointment at the lack of progress in negotiations over the UK re-joining the €95bn Horizon Europe research programme. Reports last week had suggested that UK and European Union negotiators had agreed a draft deal that could be signed this week. But a final deal has failed to materialize, leaving British membership of the programme, which it had previously played a strong part of, still uncertain.

The UK government has long maintained that it wishes to re-join Horizon Europe, which began in 2021. Britain had been a full and highly successful member of previous EU research programmes for decades. Its ongoing participation was agreed at the end of 2020 as part of the post-Brexit trade deal between the UK and EU. Membership stalled, however, and became a bargaining chip in disagreements over Northern Ireland, which have now been resolved.

There were expectations that UK prime minister Rishi Sunak would confirm the agreement during a meeting with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen on the fringes of the NATO summit in Vilnius in Lithuania, which took place on 11–12 July. On the way to Vilnius, Sunak reiterated the government’s preference to associate to Horizon, but added that it must be “on terms that work for the UK and are in the UK’s best interests”.

Despite Sunak and von der Leyen meeting, no deal was announced, with von der Leyen taking to Twitter to note that the pair had discussed Ukraine as well as “broader geopolitical challenges, including China, and bilateral issues”. She did not, however, mention Horizon Europe. The EU did announce, though, that New Zealand has now joined Horizon Europe as an associate member.

No progress

As part of a statement released by European Movement – a cross-party group campaigning to reverse Brexit – Martin Rees, UK Astronomer Royal, outlined the danger of further delays. “We cannot waste any more time. New Zealand is now on board and we should be too,” says Rees. “Sunak may think he’s securing greater value via protracted negotiations, but prolonging the delay leads to further missed opportunities and will make it harder for UK science to restore its standing and its collaborations.”

That view is echoed by Carsten Welsch, an accelerator physicist from the University of Liverpool. “If we want to be serious about being a science superpower, we need a scheme like Horizon Europe – not just for the funding, but to support collaboration and knowledge exchange across borders,” he told Physics World. “It is disappointing to see that not more progress has already been made, given that the importance of full association of the UK with Horizon Europe”.

Welsch notes that non-association is damaging UK science, adding that he had been awarded a major grant “only to subsequently see it being transferred to another institution” – an experience he described as “heartbreaking”. “We have seen outstanding researchers leave the UK and transfer their prestigious [European Research Council] grants to other countries,” says Welsch. “This loss of talent will be very difficult to turn around.”