Brussels, 04/06/2014 (Agence Europe) - Turkey will benefit from “full” access to the EU's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, under the conditions contained in the agreement signed in Istanbul on Wednesday 4 June.
Turkey is the third non-EU country to participate in the EUROPE 2020 Horizon programme, after Iceland and Norway (see EUROPE 11082). According to a European Commission press release, the EU is currently negotiating similar partnerships with “enlargement countries from the Western Balkans and other neighbouring countries”. Maire Geoghegan-Quinn, Commissioner for Research, described Turkey as a “much valued partner” in this area particularly because of its “dynamic business environment”. Under the previous programme, 1,000 participants from public and private institutions in Turkey (including 200 SMEs) in around 950 projects benefited from EU funding of around €200 million. (MB)