The European Commisson has just announced the current status of third countries’ Association Agreements to Horizon Europe. As of December 2021, Georgia, Iceland, Israel, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia and Turkey have applicable association agreements in place. Association agreements have also been signed with Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Ukraine. They are currently undergoing national ratification procedures and are expected to enter into force shortly. These Association Agreements have a retroactive effect from 1 January 2021.
Association negotiations have been concluded with Albania, the Faroe Islands and Tunisia. The agreements are yet to be signed. And association negotiations with Morocco and exploratory talks with Canada are progressing.
Regarding UK, while the government’s priority remains association to Horizon Europe, as both the UK and the EU agreed under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) last year, ongoing delays have led to uncertainty for researchers, businesses and innovators based in the UK.
The British government guaranteed funding for the first wave of eligible, successful applicants to Horizon Europe, but who have been unable to sign grant agreements with the EU. UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has now published further technical details on how the guarantee would be implemented.
