LONDON (Reuters) – The British government announced on Tuesday the launch of a dispute resolution procedure with the European Union in order to obtain access to the scientific research programs of the Community bloc, as agreed in the framework of a agreement governing their post-Brexit commercial relations.
Under the terms of this agreement, signed at the end of 2020, London negotiated access to a range of European research and innovation programs, including Horizon Europe, which allows researchers to benefit from grants and take part in projects, Copernic , the earth observation program for climate change, and Euratom, the nuclear research programme.
But, according to Britain, the EU has still not finalized these accesses, eighteen months after the conclusion of the agreement, which also concerns services such as Space surveillance and tracking system.
London and Brussels had both highlighted the mutual benefits of research cooperation, but bilateral relations have become strained over other measures of the post-Brexit agreement, such as the Northern Ireland protocol. .
British Foreign Minister Liz Truss said “the EU is in clear breach of our agreement, regularly seeking to politicize vital scientific cooperation by refusing to finalize access to these important programmes”.
“We cannot allow this to continue,” added in a press release the one who bricks the succession of Boris Johnson at the head of the British government next month. “That’s why the UK has now launched formal consultations and will do everything necessary to protect the scientific community.”
Earlier today, a spokesperson for the European Commission said it had not yet received a formal notification. He reiterated Brussels’ position on the importance of cooperation in scientific research, innovation, nuclear and space research.
“However, it is important to remember the political context: there are significant difficulties in implementing the withdrawal agreement and parts of the trade agreement,” said Daniel Ferrie.
The EU launched infringement procedures against Britain in June after it unilaterally amended certain measures of the Northern Ireland protocol.
(Report Elizabeth Piper in London and John Chalmers in Brussels; French version Jean Terzian)