Lords hear evidence on the UK’s participation in Horizon Europe

The evidence session will take place at 4.00pm on Tuesday 1 February in Committee Room 4 and can be viewed live on Parliament TV.

Witnesses:

4pm

• Professor Kurt Deketelaere, Secretary-General at the League of European Research Universities
• Professor Robin Grimes, Foreign Secretary at the Royal Society
• Peter Mason, Head of International Engagement at Universities UK

Background

Horizon Europe is the EU’s key funding programme for research and innovation, with a budget of €95.5bn until 2027. Despite agreement in principle alongside the Trade and Cooperation Agreement that the UK would associate to Horizon Europe, this is yet to be finalised over a year later.

Topics likely to be covered in the session include:

• The importance of finalising the UK’s association with Horizon Europe to the UK and EU science and research sectors;
• The differences between association with Horizon Europe under the terms of the Joint Declaration and the position when the UK was a member of the EU;
• The implications to date of the delay to association for the UK and EU science and research communities;
• Whether Horizon Europe is being treated as a bargaining chip for negotiations over other matters;
• The implications of further delay, or of non-association, for the UK and EU science and research sectors;
• The steps the UK Government could or should take to resolve the impasse;
• The potential opportunities for the UK science and research sectors post-Brexit.