RISHI Sunak has been urged to secure an agreement for the UK to join a top European research programme “over the line” after reports emerged the Prime Minister had not signed off on the deal.
SNP MP Alyn Smith wrote to the Prime Minister on Thursday after an expected announcement on the UK rejoining the scheme did not come.
He insisted that the UK joining the scheme would “go a long way to repair some of the damage and uncertainty” put on universities and researchers post-Brexit.
On Tuesday, Sunak met with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the Nato summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, earlier this week, but the pair did not come to an agreement.
Scientists had hoped that Sunak would use the occasion to announce his approval of a renegotiated agreement for the UK to join the Horizon Europe research programme.
A renegotiated deal for the UK to associate with the EU’s €100bn (£85bn) innovation and research programme was drafted at the beginning of July and is reportedly awaiting the PM’s sign-off.
According to the BBC, Sunak was given two options for associate membership to consider.
Stirling MP Smith wrote to the PM on Thursday, setting out the benefits of the programme and making the case that associate membership would be beneficial to universities and researchers.
“Last week reports emerged that a draft agreement on the UK’s membership of Horizon Europe had been agreed with the European Union,” Smith wrote.
“I welcomed the news at the time with the caveat that it still represented Brexit damage control given the inability to participate in the first few years of the scheme and the ongoing uncertainty for our academics and researchers caused by the UK’s refusal to associate.
“You can imagine then my frustration then upon hearing that despite meeting with the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen this week, the UK Government has still not approved the agreement.
"This is despite there being a willingness in Brussels, across these islands, as well as cross-party consensus in Westminster for such a deal.”
Smith added that Stirling University, in his constituency, ranks among the top 50 universities in the UK and that 87% of the research conducted has “an outstanding or very considerable impact on society”.
“Yet, when faced with an incredible opportunity to associate with the world’s leading R&D programme in Horizon Europe, your Government continues to delay and dither,” he added.
Horizon Europe is the successor to the research and innovation programme Horizon 2020, which ran from 2014 to 2020, and that period saw 1.5 million collaborations from more than 150 countries.
Scottish Universities, Smith said, received nearly €900 million in funding over the life cycle of the programme.
The scheme also directed €48.2 million to coronavirus research just seven days after the first EU case was reported.
Its successor Horizon Europe intends to promote scientific breakthroughs on some of the biggest issues facing the world, such as the climate crisis, treating cancer, and restoring the degradation of nature on land and at sea.
While Sunak did not agree to a deal on Tuesday, New Zealand signed a deal with the EU to take part in the programme.
Association will cost the New Zealand Government €2m this year, rising to €5m by the end of the programme, with researchers already applying for more than €7m in funding.
It is the first time a country so far away from the continent has been allowed to join the programme, part of a drive to open up the scheme to include distant, but democratic, rich nations.
“On Sunday, it was announced that New Zealand would be the latest country to join Horizon Europe,” Smith wrote in his letter to the PM.
“Reportedly, the likes of Canada, Japan and South Korea have also been exploring membership.
“Surely, then it makes sense for the UK to associate with such a burgeoning and global network instead of remaining isolated on the outside?
“Membership of Horizon Europe would go a long way to repair some of the damage and uncertainty Brexit has done to our universities and researchers.
“The loss of funds and leadership of key research programmes has been a hammer blow to their aspirations and producing innovations which benefit all of us.
“It’s time for the needless delaying and dithering to stop and I would urge you to take advantage of the goodwill that exists and get this deal over the line.”
Previously, First Minister Humza Yousaf urged the PM to join the programme and “show the necessary leadership required” to secure an agreement as opposed to employing a “narrow, political calculation”.
