Negotiations between the UK and European Union over access to its international science programs are continuing and not yet resolved, the UK said in response to a report that the two sides had struck a draft agreement.
(Bloomberg) — Negotiations between the UK and European Union over access to its international science programs are continuing and not yet resolved, the UK said in response to a report that the two sides had struck a draft agreement.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s government has been seeking a deal with the EU to be included in the Horizon Europe research fund, Copernicus earth observation project and the nuclear regulator Euratom, since signing an agreement on Northern Ireland in February. The so-called Windsor Framework, which helped the UK and EU to reset ties, unlocked progress on several stalled issues, including the recent signing of a financial services pact.
Politico reported on Wednesday that negotiators have agreed a draft deal on the UK’s re-entry to Horizon. Sunak will meet European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during the North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit next week in Vilnius, Lithuania.
“Talks are ongoing and therefore we have not yet agreed a deal,” the government said in a statement.
A spokesman for the European Commission in Brussels declined to comment.
–With assistance from Alex Wickham, Jorge Valero and Alberto Nardelli.
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