Swiss fear Horizon Europe exclusion ‘will last years’

Science|Business 28 August 2021

Switzerland will be excluded from Horizon Europe for at least two years, fears Yves Flückiger, president of the country’s university association, swissuniversities, and rector of the University of Geneva, reports David Matthews for Science|Business.

The European Union barred Swiss-based researchers from Horizon Europe in June, after Bern walked away from a wider, long-running negotiation to consolidate ties with the bloc into a single framework agreement. With the rift between Switzerland and the EU still unresolved and the European Commission’s in-tray overflowing with association talks, Flückiger believes Switzerland will suffer a longer period in the wilderness than from 2014 to 2016, when it was excluded from full association after a referendum vote in favour of immigration quotas on EU citizens.

“I’m afraid it will at least last for two years,” Flückiger said of the current freeze. “It will take time,” he added. “The EU has many other things to do.”
Full story on the Science|Business site

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