BREXIT

On 24 December 2020, after intensive negotiations, the representatives of the European Commission and the United Kingdom reached an agreement on the conditions of future partnership between the UK and the EU following Brexit, which occurred on 31 December 2020.

On 31 December 2020, the transition period, during which the UK was still subject to European law, expired. As of 1 January 2021, the UK´s rights and obligations, the country had as an EU Member State, lapsed.

For science and research, this means that the UK is no longer a country that can, among other things, fully participate in EU framework programmes or the EURATOM programme under the conditions enjoyed by EU Member States. The agreement between the EU and the UK commits both parties to further negotiations on the UK's association to the framework programme (currently Horizon Europe) in the form of an association agreement. This means that UK-based researchers will be able to participate in the programme in the same way as their EU counterparts – e.g., to apply for prestigious ERC, MSCA and most EIC grants (with the exception of the Equity fund of EIC Accelerator). Also, the association agreement will establish whether British partners will be allowed to serve as coordinators of Horizon Europe projects, and whether British partners will be able to act as project evaluators. A related condition is the UK’s obligation to pay a financial contribution to the European budget for the possible participation of British partners in the framework programmes. Ongoing cooperation between the EU and British partners, where an agreement was signed before 1 January 2021, is permitted to continue. However, for participation in Horizon Europe, the UK will now be subject to the conditions that will be set forth in the association agreement.

The terms of the more than 1200-page original agreement are briefly described on the Science-Business website.

Association Agreement

After more than two years of negotiations, first on the Northern Ireland Protocol and then on how much the UK will pay to Horizon Europe, the talks have reached an impasse. The British government says the delay is due to the EU's stance. In August 2022, the UK government even asked for international arbitration over alleged delays and politicisation of the association by the EU.

The Science/Business explains that "according to the original UK-EU research deal agreed in December 2020, the UK has to pay into Horizon Europe a sum in proportion to its GDP. But, if for two consecutive years, the UK takes out more than it puts into the programme by an amount that exceeds 8% of its contribution, it will have to reimburse the EU to cover the difference. In turn, the UK can terminate its participation in Horizon Europe if its financial contribution increases by 15% or if UK researchers are excluded from more than 10% of the programme." As a result, "if financial models predict the UK would get less money out than it puts in", the UK association to HEU is less probable.

The BBC reports that "While some aspects of Horizon are attractive to the Prime Minister, such as grants for individual scientists, he believes that larger institutional grants favour France and Germany and (affiliation) may not represent good value for money."

In April 2023, the UK government has launched an alternative programme Pioneer. However, it is uncertain whether it will be run simultaneously, because its reception by the science and research community has been ambiguous.

Residing and working permit options for Czech scientists in the UK and for British scientists in the EU

The free movement of persons between the EU and UK ended on 31 December 2020. Generally speaking, EU nationals that come to the UK for study or work will be subject to new immigration rules. According to the exit agreement, there will be different rules for those residing in the UK as of 31 December 2020. These individuals can apply for “EU settled status/pre-settled status” until 30 June 2021, which enables them to continue enjoying the rights of EU nationals in the same extent as during the UK’s membership in the EU. UK nationals working in the EU will require a visa (for more information, please refer to the website of the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs).

Similarly, British scientists that come to the EU for more than 90 days will now require a visa.

Studying in the UK after Brexit

At the end of the transition period on 31 December 2020, EU and UK nationals who, up until that date, were living in the UK or the EU for the purpose of university study will retain their existing rights related to their stay in the EU or the UK. However, the rules will change for EU students planning to begin university studies in the UK in the 2021/2022 academic year. Among other things, EU nationals will have to pay higher university tuition and will lose many other benefits they enjoyed while the UK belonged to the EU. This all depends on whether the students began their studies in the UK prior to 31 December 2020 or enrolled in university there after this date (for more information, please refer to the website of the Czech Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports). With regard to the international exchange programmes, the UK will no longer participate in the Erasmus+ programme as of January 2021. Beginning in September 2021, the UK will launch its own programme for students called the Turing Scheme, which is an initiative in the amount of £100 million. According to the British government, the scope of this new programme will be global and will also focus on students from disadvantaged areas. (Homepage of the Turing Scheme).

Further information regarding travelling, staying, studying or working in the UK:

• Travel or do business in Europe: Brexit guidance - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
• Vztahy se Spojeným královstvím (europa.eu)

last update 23 August 2023