Universities urge EU to speed up Horizon association deals

Dutch group says collaboration and consortia are suffering from stalemate on UK and Switzerland

Dutch universities have urged the EU to finalise association agreements with the UK and Switzerland to allow both countries to participate in its research funding programme Horizon Europe.

The slow progress of these agreements is damaging European and Dutch research, especially in terms of cooperation and consortia, the UNL association of Dutch universities said. Collaborations are falling through and consortia are coming apart, it said in a joint statement with the Netherlands Federation of University Medical Centres and university groups from five other European countries.