Government outlines future scientific relationships after Brexit

The government has released a paper outlining its future plans for continued scientific collaboration with the EU after Brexit.

Although there is no mention of financial commitments, the paper, Collaboration on science and innovations sets out future relationships with the EU after March 2019. These include the Europe-wide funding framework project such as Horizon 2020 and its successor, provisionally named Framework Nine, in addition to a number of European space and nuclear programmes.

David Davis, Secretary of State, said: “This paper sends a clear message to the research and innovation community that we value their work and we feel it is crucial that we maintain collaboration with our European partners after we exit.”

The paper lists a number of European, non-EU mechanisms that the UK can still be involved in such as EUREKA, CERN, the ESA and the European Bioinformatics Institute. The government has committed to continue support for Horizon 2020 projects while the UK is still part of the EU.

Dr Sarah Main, Executive Director at the Campaign for Science and Engineering, said: “It is welcome that the Government are indicating that all options are on the table for continued scientific collaboration, including the potential for a bespoke agreement as an associated country. This softer approach to mutually beneficial arrangements beyond Brexit is made possible because of the high regard in which UK science is held and its strong research networks across Europe.”

Currently, the UK is one of the biggest beneficiaries of EU research funds – between 2007-13 the UK contributed £4.7bn to the research budget, and received £7.7bn in grants. It has also contributed almost 20% of total research work carried out within EU health programmes between 2007 and 2016.

Venki Ramakrishnan, President of the Royal Society, said: “The paper is very encouraging in both its tone and aspirations for an ambitious agreement to continue our close relationship with EU science and is very welcome.

“However, this is just a first step and much work needs to be done to work out the conditions that ensure our continued close collaboration with the EU. That is necessary to dispel the uncertainty that continues to pose a threat to our position as a global scientific power.”

Other organisations such as the BMA, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) and BioIndustry Association (BIA) also responded to the paper's release.

Professor Michael Rees, BMA Medical Academic Staff Committee co-chair, said: "Continued partnership working is not just of benefit to the UK, but also to our partners in the rest of Europe and to the patients and public that we all seek to help and serve.

"True collaboration, however, can only be achieved if research staff are still free to work, learn and teach in institutions across the EU – something which today’s home office leak throws into question. The government need to urgently set out the specifics of the immigration policy to end the uncertainty around this.”

In a joint statement, Mike Thompson, ABPI CEO and Steve Bates, BIA CEO, said: "As the paper recognises, “drug development is a global business” and with timeframes getting tighter by the day, it’s essential that progress is delivered through negotiations with the EU to give industry confidence that UK and Europe will continue to be one of the best places in the word for developing and delivering the very best breakthroughs in medicine."

This policy paper is the latest in a number from the government that set out the UK’s position for after Brexit. The paper can be accessed here.