The Foreign Secretary has launched dispute proceedings over the exclusion from the systems, which Brussels has linked to UK threats to break the Northern Ireland protocol. A letter has been delivered to the European Commission by the UK’s ambassador to the EU, in a move that could lead to immediate legal action if the dispute is not resolved. The series focuses on access to the £80bn Horizon Europe programme, as well as the Copernicus initiative on climate change and the Euratom nuclear research programme. Ms Truss said: “The EU is in clear breach of our agreement by repeatedly seeking to politicize vital scientific cooperation by refusing to finalize access to these important programmes. We cannot allow this to continue.” But Labor accused the favorite in the Tory leadership race of wooing party members into “picking up fights with the EU”, while the Lib Dems warned of a full-blown trade war. “The Tories’ reckless and transgressive approach to protocol is helping to prevent Britain joining Europe’s Horizon programme,” said David Lammy, the shadow foreign secretary. “Instead of continuing the pattern of initial spats with the EU to appeal to the Tory base, the next Prime Minister should sit down with all parties to defuse tensions and find a deal in the national interest.” And Leila Moran, the Lib Dems’ foreign affairs spokeswoman, said: “This latest escalation offers a glimpse into life under a future Trump administration, where a trade war with our biggest trading partner is sadly a serious prospect. “The decision to put Conservative Party doctrine above what is in the nation’s interest is a terrible decision at best – to do so in the midst of this cost of living crisis would be inexcusable.” The 2020 Christmas Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) was intended to save participation in the programs even as the UK withdrew from other joint programs. However, the EU put the brakes on the talks in protest at the UK’s intention to break international law by bypassing the Brexit deal for Northern Ireland. It launched infringement proceedings and reignited a case first filed in March 2021 over the UK’s failure to implement promised Irish Sea border controls. Desperate scientists and researchers have pleaded with both sides not to allow science to fall victim to “irrelevant political disputes”, warning projects are already biting the dust. The UK was poised to launch a domestic alternative to Horizon – considered inferior by scientists – but pulled out last month. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said the launch of “formal consultations”, a mechanism in the TCA, would put pressure on the EU “to live up to its obligations”.
