A fresh Brexit row has opened with Brussels David Frostow Accused the European Union of being close to breaking the trade deal reached last Christmas.
He said the UK was becoming “considerably concerned” about the delay in ratification of the UK participation in Brussels for €80bn Horizon Europe Research ProgramBritish scientists had to pay the price for their place in pan-European research programs.
He said the UK “didn’t make a big deal out of it” but that patience was running out.
“It’s not a very happy place,” he said. “We are actually getting quite concerned about it. There is an obligation in Article 710 of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement to finalize our partnership. The word ‘will’ is used in it. It is an obligation. If If the EU does not meet this obligation, it would clearly be in violation of the treaty.”
The UK committed £2bn of gross funding per year for the program last December, but this is no longer being paid because British scientists cannot be formal participants in the programme, despite historically leading the way on many projects Huh.
Earlier on Monday, the House of Commons European Committee of Inquiry suggested a delay in ratifying this part of the trade deal. punishment was To row over the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Lord Frost said he had asked his EU counterpart, Maros ovič several times, why there were delays in ratifying membership of other countries, including Norway and Iceland. He told lawmakers that although he could “guess” it, he did not get a response.
The science sector struggled hard to maintain Horizon’s membership Europe The program went on to argue last year that it was not just funding but that collaboration with peers across Europe was important.
Being part of the seven-year program will help the UK maintain a thriving science ecosystem that serves as a magnet for foreign talent, along with jobs in universities and laboratories.
A scientist at the University of Ulster told the Guardian he was on tenterhooks to bid £7m for a project on the impact of Covid on the mental health of children and adolescents.
It came as Germany’s ambassador to London, Andreas Michaelis, warned that Berlin would lose confidence in Britain if Berlin’s negotiators rejected the role of the European Court of Justice in mediating the Northern Ireland Protocol.
He added that Germany had invested a great deal of political capital in persuading the European Commission to change its approach to the protocol and the result was “the most flexible interpretation of an agreement signed by us on the European side”.
He added: “If those proposals will not be the basis for negotiating a working protocol, but will be rejected, pointing to the European Court of Justice for example, then we know all parties that trust in the relationship will be very important.” will affect.”
He said that the commission has made a huge effort to reduce 50% paperwork and 80% hurdles.