Update 15/02/2021: The Commission has adopted a proposal for a Council Decision regarding the extension until 30 April 2021 of the provisional application of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA). The decision was taken to allow all documents to be translated and ready for the scrutiny of the European Parliament. 

The month of December 2020 announced the end of the Brexit Transition Period with high uncertainty for the future of EU – UK relationship, in particular in the field of scientific cooperation. A glimpse of hope loomed on the horizon during the last days of 2020 with the signing by the two parts of an EU – UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement and its provisional application as of January 1, 2021, pending the consent of the European Parliament. The agreement creates a path for the UK to keep a close research collaboration with the EU and, if turned into law, it will guarantee a continued cooperation in areas including science and climate change. 

Recognizing the critical contribution of the British Scientific Community, and in anticipation of the context of political uncertainty, the latest EERA Extraordinary General Assembly (12 November 12th, 2020) empowered the EERA Executive Committee to allow existing members to retain their membership, even in case they would not comply anymore with the EERA membership criteria, as would have been the case for UK members in a No Deal situation.  

The strong involvement and contribution within EERA of the British Scientific Community which, since the Brexit Referendum vote in 2016, relentlessly advocated for the continuation of a strong collaboration at a European level, has driven EERA’s Executive Committee to further reflect on the status of the EERA members based in the UK.  

As a result, EERA has agreed to allow all existing UK members to retain their membership, with the same rights and obligations as in previous years. The decision has already entered into force and will remain applicable until otherwise decided by the Executive Committee. It will be re-assessed in order to take into consideration the evolution of the political context and the entering into force of the EU – UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, notably in the field of scientific cooperation.