EU-UK: Political agreement on participation in Horizon Europe and Copernicus

The European Commission and the United Kingdom have reached a political agreement that will deepen relations in research, innovation and space. At stake is the UK's participation in Horizon Europe, the EU's research and innovation programme, and Copernicus, the EU's world-leading Earth observation programme. The political agreement must now be endorsed by the Council before it is formally adopted in the EU-UK Technical Committee for participation in Union programmes.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said: "The EU and the UK are important strategic partners and allies, and today's agreement is proof of that. We will continue to be at the forefront of global science and research."

UK makes financial contribution to EU budget

This amicable solution is the result of in-depth discussions between the EU and the UK and will be mutually beneficial. The agreement is in line with the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement. The UK is committed to contribute financially to the EU budget and is subject to all the safeguard provisions of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement. Overall, the UK is expected to contribute an average of almost €2.6 billion per year for its participation in Horizon Europe and Copernicus.

UK researchers and organisations participate fully

From 1 January 2024, researchers and organisations in the UK will be able to participate in Horizon Europe in the same way as their counterparts in EU Member States and will have access to Horizon Europe funding. This strengthens the opportunity to be part of a worldwide network of researchers and innovators tackling global challenges in climate, energy, mobility, digital, industry and space, health and more.

The association with Copernicus enables the UK's contribution to a strategically important space programme with state-of-the-art capabilities to monitor the Earth and access its services. Copernicus makes a significant contribution to achieving our European Green Deal and net zero emissions targets.

The UK will also have access to the services of EU Space Surveillance and Tracking, a component of the EU Space Programme.

Source: EU Commission