Horizon research deal with EU awaits Sunak's signature

BBC News understands a woody for the UK's relation with the EU's €100bn (£85bn) Horizon probe and innovation programme has been negotiated.

The projected statement is awaiting support from the premier minister.

If Rishi Sunak agrees, an announcement is expected connected Tuesday aft his talks with the European Commission main Ursula von der Leyen.

The authoritative authorities presumption is that talks are inactive ongoing and that nary woody has been agreed.

But highly placed sources person present told BBC News that a sticking constituent implicit however overmuch probe backing the UK is expected to person has been resolved and that 2 abstracted options for subordinate rank await the premier minister's consideration.

Mr Sunak has been said to beryllium enthusiastic astir an alternative, UK-led, planetary collaborative probe programme, drawn up by the Science Minister, George Freeman. But the UK probe assemblage has perpetually and unanimously argued for rank of the European Horizon programme.

If Mr Sunak rejects the options connected his table the choler from the technological constitution volition beryllium ''unimaginable", according to a elder technological leader.

Should events spell arsenic expected, the woody volition travel arsenic a immense alleviation to the technological community. Many of the UK's starring researchers person been near successful limbo implicit the aboriginal of their world-leading probe projects and successful immoderate cases their ain jobs and those of their teams.

Associate rank had been agreed arsenic portion of the withdrawal statement erstwhile the UK formally near the EU astatine the extremity of January 2020. But the statement was not activated due to the fact that of a disagreement implicit the Northern Ireland protocol. This was resolved successful February of this twelvemonth and it had been hoped that a woody for Horizon would swiftly follow.

The EU waived the UK's joining interest for the clip it had not been a member, but it stuck to the statement agreed with erstwhile Prime Minister Boris Johnson's authorities astir the backing the UK would beryllium expected to receive.

The authorities had agreed that if UK researchers received little than 12% of what than the UK enactment in, Britain could terminate the arrangement. The fig for different subordinate members of Horizon is 8%, but it was thought to beryllium a terms worthy paying for continuing to beryllium portion of the programme by the authorities astatine the time.

Talks since the Windsor statement person focussed mostly connected renegotiating this fig to beryllium much successful enactment with that of different subordinate members. It is understood that 2 formulae person present been agreed betwixt the UK and EU, which await the premier minister's signature.

The stand-off has bemused UK researchers due to the fact that pre-Brexit the UK received astir £500m much than the £1.5bn a twelvemonth it enactment in. For Horizon the authorities has agreed to wage astir £2bn a twelvemonth and fixed the prime of British science, the probe assemblage believes it would get astatine slightest the aforesaid magnitude back. Many consciousness that months person been mislaid haggling implicit a hypothetical point.

News that a draught statement had been reached was reported connected Wednesday day by Politico, but was greeted by a terse connection from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

"Talks are ongoing and therefore, we person not yet agreed a deal."

The connection went connected to accidental that the study did not "reflect existent authorities of negotiations", and that "UK information successful EU programmes indispensable beryllium just for UK researchers, businesses and taxpayers, and we person acceptable retired our bold, ambitious alternative, Pioneer, if we're not capable to unafraid relation connected that basis".

James Wilsdon, a prof of subject argumentation astatine University College London, told BBC News what portion this was "wonderful news" the uncertainty implicit the past 3 years had "blighted" UK-EU technological collaboration.

"In haggling implicit the budget, the UK was successful information of being penny omniscient but lb foolish — emphasising short-term costs implicit the immense semipermanent gains that volition travel from UK participation.

"Hopefully a compromise has present been reached and the probe assemblage tin determination guardant with the clarity and committedness that it has been crying retired for."

Professor Lord Krebs, a long-serving and respected technological advisor to the authorities from the University of Oxford, said: "Delays implicit 2 years person caused superior and lasting harm to UK R&D."

Nobel prize victor Sir Paul Nurse said the premier curate should finalise the woody "without further delay", a presumption echoed by Prof Sarah Main, enforcement manager of Campaign for Science and Engineering.

"I impulse the premier curate and President of the European Commission to unafraid this agreement, enabling researchers to get connected with the captious relation they play successful improving people's lives and livelihoods," she said.

The UK is besides seeking to rejoin the Copernicus Earth reflection programme.