The ambassadors of the Member States to the European Union (Coreper 1) met on Wednesday 28 September, as part of the negotiations on the association of Canada and New Zealand to the Horizon Europe research framework programme.
They approved a reply to a letter sent by Christian-Silviu Buşoi, Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Industry (ITRE), to the Czech Minister of Education, Youth and Sport, Vladimír Balaš, and to the European Commission.
MEPs said that they would not be able to approve the draft agreements if the outcome of the negotiations aligned with two specific provisions of the negotiating proposals. These provide, on the one hand, that the envisaged associations take the form of individual protocols attached to the agreement and that these protocols are adopted by a body established by each agreement and, on the other hand, that the protocol on participation in Horizon Europe grants specific conditions for the participation of the two third States in Pillar 2 of Horizon Europe.
The EU Council replied that on 13 July the Ambassadors had agreed to authorise the Commission to negotiate the agreements on the conditions for the participation of Canada and New Zealand in any EU programme and in Horizon Europe. These conditions are contained in a protocol attached to the main agreements and not decided by a body established by the agreements.
The EU Council assures that the Parliament will be fully involved as co-legislator in defining the conditions of the associations. For the EU Council, the Treaties do not prohibit the determination of essential aspects of the association with a third State by means of the simplified procedure permitted by Article 218(9) TFEU.
However, the EU Council hopes that the approach chosen with Canada to negotiate both the conditions for participation in Horizon Europe and the framework agreement will remain exceptional.
It reiterates its wish to continue the negotiations in accordance with the procedure permitted by Article 218 TFEU.
Link to the letter: https://aeur.eu/f/3b0 (Original version in French by Emilie Vanderhulst)