THE GUARDIAN: Talks on returning as an associate member after Brexit row are close to agreement, say diplomatic sources
The UK is on the brink of doing a deal to return to the EU’s £85bn science research programme Horizon Europe.
Diplomatic sources say negotiations to become an associate member will continue over the weekend and the two sides are close to agreement after three months of talks, largely over the cost of re-entry.
The UK was locked out of Horizon in 2020 in a tit-for-tat dispute over the failure to implement the Northern Ireland protocol trade arrangements in the original Brexit withdrawal agreement.
But the door to associate membership was reopened when the replacement Windsor framework was sealed in March, with the European Commission chief, Ursula von der Leyen, declaring a deal could be done “swiftly”. » | Lisa O'Carroll and Ian Sample | Wednesday, July 5, 2023
Meno male! But if it hadn't been for the donkeys, asses, fools and clowns in the Tory Party, we wouldn't have left the programme in the first place. This is one step closer to sanity, I suppose. Many more steps to go, though. What we really need to do is REVERSE BREXIT itself! We Brits are Europeans and our destiny lies in Europe. – © Mark Alexander
