By SHARON UDASIN for The Jerusalem Post
The agreement, once ratified by Israel, will allow eligible Israeli researchers to actively participate in all of the new program's activities.
Science Technology and Space Minister Yaakov Peri and EU Delegation to Israel Ambassador Lars Faaborg-Andersen signed an agreement on Sunday in Jerusalem, officially associating Israel with the European Commission’s €77 billion Horizon 2020 research and innovation program.
The agreement, once ratified by Israel, will allow eligible Israeli researchers to actively participate in all of the new program’s activities, alongside EU and international partners, a statement from the European Commission said on Monday. As a full participant in the program, Israel will also be contributing to the Horizon 2020 budget, the EU statement said.
“Israel is a strong player in research and innovation and for this reason an important partner for the EU to address societal challenges of common concern, such as aging, food safety, environment protection or cleaner energy, and to strengthen the competitiveness of our industries,” said European Commission President José Manuel Barroso, who attended the signing alongside Peri, Faaborg-Andersen and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.
“I am pleased that we are signing the agreement today since it reflects the mutual importance we attach to cooperation and partnership in research and innovation,” Barroso continued.
Israel first announced its intentions to become an official participant in the program in February, following several obstacles associated with EU guidelines in July.
These guidelines stipulated that no funding would go to Israeli projects located beyond the pre-1967 armistice lines, including in east Jerusalem and on the Golan Heights. Ultimately, the two sides “agreed to disagree,” with Israel publishing its qualms in an appendix.
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