London on Monday demanded that Brussels open up access to European scientific research programs to British researchers, as foreseen in the post-Brexit trade deal. That is the message that the UK Secretary of State for Europe, Leo Docherty, has to convey to the Parliamentary Assembly of the European Union-UK partnership, which is being held in London today.
This assembly brings together elected members of the European Parliament and the UK whose job it is to oversee the application of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, which sets the rules for relations between the two parties post-Brexit.
‘Britain can’t wait any longer’
“The UK’s participation would be a win-win for the UK and the EU, but the UK cannot wait any longer,” Leo Docherty said, excerpted from his speech sent to the press. “The European approach creates unbearable uncertainty for our researchers and our companies,” he insists.
London sees the delay as a violation of the post-Brexit deal and has entered into formal consultations with Brussels under the deal’s dispute settlement provisions. Conversely, Leo Docherty’s speech was intended to welcome EU-UK cooperation in response to Russia’s war in Ukraine.