The EU wants to allow Britain to join Horizon Europe after it was banned from participating due to Brexit fishing disputes and the Northern Ireland Protocol row. If Article 16 is triggered, Britain's relationship with the EU will be put into question. Beth Thompson, a large charitable science foundation, said: We are united in our call for the UK's association to Horizon Europe to be formalised as soon as possible.
This uncertainty could affect future research partnerships, and time is running out. Catherine Guinard, a policy advisor from Wellcometrust, said that Wellcometrust could join this powerful statement, calling for a swift UK association to Horizon Europe. She shared a document that was shared by some of the biggest health companies in the EU. Their group joined scores of other health companies in signing a document calling for the participation of the UK to be formalised as soon as possible. The document, signed by the European Health Stakeholder Group, reads: We have all reaped the mutual health benefits of these collaborations. We have improved the lives of citizens across Europe because of the advances in health care.
Clinical trials, particularly on diseases with limited patient populations, have been heavily reliant on EU-UK collaboration, while close research and innovation partnerships continue to accelerate life-changing medical research. We must work together in order to meet the challenges of our rapidly changing world. We are urging the European Commission to formalise the UK's association with Horizon Europe without further delay, as well as our colleagues in the EU research and innovation community. They are not the only ones who want to see the UK join. In November, 25 groups representing the European Commission's academic and research sector wrote to the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, voicing their fury over the delay to the UK participation in the project. READ MORE: Greece blows top at EU and warns Russia's gas reliance is 'unavoidable'