The UK is working out a deal with the EU as part of its Brexit negotiations to keep in place the funding and collaborative relationships that British researchers have with their European counterparts, but the possibility of a “no deal Brexit” is also looming. The government has underwritten the nation’s participation in the EU-based Horizon 2020 program until the program is over; in a no deal situation, the UK would be classified as a third country, a category including a few non-EU countries, such as Norway and Switzerland. The UK government is now stating that UK researchers and businesses may be able to apply to Horizon 2020 programs as a third country. However, the UK has not yet discussed its possible participation in the program under that status with the European Commission. Moreover, the UK would not be able to meet all the requirements for the Horizon 2020 initiatives it currently participates in as a third country.

Without a deal with the EU, the UK will become ineligible for many programs under Horizon 2020 that it has benefitted from until now. These include grants from the European Research Council, the Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions, and the small- and medium-enterprise program for small businesses. The UK has received €2.1 billion ($2.5 billion) of Horizon 2020 grants awarded across the continent, which equals 45% of the approximately €5 billion ($5.8 billion) in total grants.

Without a deal, the UK will no longer be part of the EU’s regulatory framework that determines the safety and efficacy of medicines, and data sharing will cease. Instead, the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulation Agency (MHRA) will be required to serve as the regulatory body for all medicines in the UK, which will require legislative changes that are in process. While the MHRA is already the main regulator for many approvals for the European Medicines Agency (EMA), it is not well-equipped for regulating pediatric and rare disease medications, which are currently handled by the EMA.

Source: Chemistry World