Brussels, 05/12/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Friday 5 September, the EU and Switzerland took Swiss participation in the EU's framework programme for research and innovation ('Horizon 2020') off ice, as well as the country's involvement with the Euratom research programme and the ITER project, at least until the end of 2016.
This cooperation came to a halt after the referendum of 9 February on the reintroduction of quotas for European workers by 2017. Although the agreement in principle on resuming cooperation was reached in late July 2014 (EUROPE 11130), clarifications on the mode and limits of the move were not announced until today.
This allows Switzerland to rejoin these programmes - in which it is participating once again on an equal footing with the member states of the EU, whilst making a financial contribution of €400 million - retroactively, from 15 September of this year until 31 December 2016. Switzerland's status of associated country in Horizon 2020 does not, however, cover the whole of the framework programme, whilst the country will be a full participant in Euratom and ITER. This means that Switzerland is associated with just one of the three pillars of Horizon 2020, “Excellent Science” (31.73% of the total budget of the framework programme). This means that Swiss researchers will be able to return to the European Research Council, the “Future and Emerging Technologies” programme, the “Marie Curie” actions and the “Research Infrastructures” projects. Switzerland is also involved in specific “Spreading Excellence and Widening Participation” actions.
The decision to allow Switzerland to rejoin the programmes only until the end of 2016 is a deliberate one. It allows the EU to reserve the right to review the cooperation on the basis of the measures to be introduced regarding European workers. “If Switzerland resolves the issue of the free movement of persons by February 2017, the association will expand to the whole of Horizon 2020, including the parts not yet covered. Otherwise, the whole agreement will be automatically terminated”, the European Commission states in a press release. (JK)