Britain threatens new legal war with the EU as Brussels ‘blocks UK access to scientific programmes agreed under Brexit deal’ amid row over Northern Ireland

• UK agreed to participate in Copernicus, Horizon Europe and Euratom after Brexit
• Will cost £15bn over seven years under Trade and Cooperation Agreement
• Ministers have accused Brussels of blocking access due to Northern Ireland row

Britain is to lodge a formal complaint with the EU after being frozen out of three science research programmes despite access being agreed under the Brexit deal.

The UK agreed continued participation in the Copernicus earth observation project, Horizon Europe, which funds research, and nuclear regulator Euratom, at a cost of £15billion.

But access has yet to be approved and according to Bloomberg, Boris Johnson’s government is to trigger ‘formal consultations’ under the grievance process of the deal.

It is to argue that the inaction in unfair and if the situation is not resolved it could mean a new front in the legal battle with Brussels over the UK’s secession. 

It is the latest row over the UK;s attempts to maintain roles in science programmes funded or run by the EU.

Last year ministers threatened to walk away from the programmes and set up domestic alternatives as part of the long-running row over the customs status of Northern Ireland.

The UK agreed continued participation in the Copernicus earth observation project (pictured), Horizon Europe, which funds research, and nuclear regulator Euratom, at a cost of £15billion.

A Copernicus satellite captured this nearly cloudless image of the United Kingdom suffering from a lack of rainfall last week

British taxpayers are set to pay £2.1billion a year to stay in the seven-year programme as agreed under the Brexit deal.

Funds are then used for research projects at British universities.

But entry to the programmes have been stalled by Brussels, in comparison to non-member states like Norway.

A leaked document revealed last November that ministers think that the delay is a deliberate tactic by Brussels to create leverage in the talks over Northern Ireland.

The Telegraph said at the time that government departments have been advised to prepare ‘alternatives to each programme in case association should not prove possible to a satisfactory timeline’.

It added ‘programme benefits cannot be fully replicated in domestic alternatives’ and withdrawing ‘would impact the ambition to become a science superpower’. 

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