The United Kingdom has officially rejoined Horizon Europe, the European Union’s flagship science research program, effective January 1, 2024. This decision marks a pivotal moment in UK-EU relations post-Brexit and is expected to bolster research and innovation across Europe.
The announcement followed the political agreement’s adoption to reintegrate the UK into Horizon Europe and Copernicus, the EU’s Earth observation segment of its space program. The UK’s re-entry entails an annual contribution of €2.43 billion to the Horizon Europe budget, with an additional €154 million for Copernicus.
Iliana Ivanova, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education, and Youth, hailed this as “a clear win-win for both sides and for global scientific progress.” Meanwhile, UK Science, Innovation, and Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan noted this as a significant gain for the UK’s scientific community, promising economic growth and job creation.
The deal includes a “new automatic clawback” for the UK, allowing compensation if UK scientists receive substantially less funding than contributed. Additionally, an “overperformance indicator” will enable the UK to draw out more funds than it puts in, up to 8% for two years consecutively.
The UK was a major recipient of EU grants under Horizon before Brexit. Its absence raised concerns about the potential undermining of British universities’ academic leadership. Rejoining as an associate country, the UK will not have voting rights, but it will continue to be an influential partner in the program, which is now globally extensive.
Vivienne Stern MBE, chief executive of Universities UK, and Professor Julia Black, President of the British Academy, both celebrated the agreement, emphasizing the mutual benefits for the UK and the global scientific community. The UK’s contribution extends to 2027, at which point it will need to be renegotiated.
