Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
The European Commission and the United Kingdom on Thursday reached a political agreement on the UK's participation in Horizon Europe, the EU's research and innovation programme, and the Copernicus programme, the EU's world-leading Earth observation programme. In a European statement issued by the Commission's headquarters in Brussels, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said: "The EU and the UK are key strategic partners and allies, and today's agreement proves that point. We will continue to be at the forefront of global science and research."
This mutually agreed solution follows in-depth discussions between the EU and the UK and will be beneficial to both. It will allow the EU and the UK to deepen their relationship in research, innovation and space, bringing together the research and space communities.
Today's agreement remains fully compatible with the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement. The UK will be required to contribute financially to the EU budget and be subject to all the trade and cooperation agreement guarantees. Overall, it is estimated that the UK will contribute around €2.6 billion annually on average for its participation in both Project Horizon Europe and the Copernicus component of the space programme.

From 1 January 2024, researchers and organizations in the UK will be able to participate in Horizon Europe on an equal footing with their counterparts in EU member states and will have access to Horizon Europe funding. This will enhance the opportunity to be part of a global network of researchers and innovators who aim to address global challenges in climate, energy, mobility, digital, industry, space, health and more.

Linking up with Copernicus will enable the UK to contribute to a strategically important space programme, with a modern capacity to observe and obtain services from Earth. Copernicus makes a fundamental contribution to reaching the European Green Deal and net zero emissions goals.

The UK will also have access to services provided by the European Union Space Monitoring and Tracking, a component of the European Space Programme.
Today's political agreement must now be approved by the Council before it can be formally adopted by the EU-UK Specialized Committee on Participation in Union Programmes.
The UK's engagement with some EU programs is governed by the Trade and Cooperation Agreement. The agreement on the Windsor Framework earlier this year allowed the EU and the UK to open a new chapter in their partnership, based on mutual trust and full cooperation.