Britain can work with EU on space research in Brexit reset victory
Britain can pitch for lucrative EU space research projects after Brussels agreed to stop freezing the UK out of the competitive sector as part of the Brexit reset deal.
The UK secured access to the Horizon Europe research programme in the Brexit negotiations as a fee-paying associate member of a fund worth about £80 billion.
But the EU barred British companies and scientists from bidding for projects in the sensitive and competitive space and quantum sectors.
Those restrictions were dropped after what the UK government called a 'period of constructive collaboration' between British and European negotiators.
The breakthrough comes before a UK-EU summit in London on May 19, where the reset deal will be launched and will build expectations that agreement is close.
European sources confirmed to the Telegraph that the decision was to build positive momentum behind the reset and help sell the expected deal in Britain.
But they ruled out a wholesale negotiation of the Brexit trade deal, which would require a fresh mandate from EU capitals happy with an agreement weighted in their favour.
The UK rejoined Horizon in January last year. It had negotiated continued membership of the programme during the Brexit negotiations before Britain left the EU.
But the Commission blocked the associate membership of the programme for about three years during a long-running row with London over Northern Ireland's Brexit deal.
Once the then-Conservative government shelved its threats to tear up the treaty, negotiations resumed.
At the time, the commission said it was limiting space and quantum projects to EU members only out of fears trade secrets could be passed to non EU powers.
The move also protected European firms from having to compete with world-leading British space-tech firms for tenders.
The UK space sector employs 52,000 people and generates £18.9 billion each year. Since 2015, the UK has attracted more private investment in space than any other country outside of the United States.
The hardline stance, which was opposed by many member states and European universities, was driven by France's then EU Commissioner Thierry Breton.
Paris continues to insist that the UK must not be allowed to cherry-pick the benefits of EU membership from outside of the bloc.
It has also warned that Britain must do a deal continuing EU access to its fishing waters in exchange for the defence pact, which is the cornerstone of the reset.
Ending the Horizon restrictions suggests a deal on defence, which is seen by London and Brussels as a sign of unity in response to Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine, is close. Space and quantum, which involves superfast computers, have uses in security and defence.
A leaked copy of the draft defence agreement, obtained by the Telegraph, states the UK and EU will 'develop cooperation on space-related security issues.'
'The EU and the UK will therefore establish regular exchanges on space security to discuss, inter alia, threats and respective policy frameworks with a view to strengthening cooperation in areas of shared interest.'
Tory Brexiteers fear that Sir Keir Starmer's reset could take Britain back into the EU through the backdoor.
The Government insists it has no plans to rejoin the EU's Single Market or Customs Union but is focused on economic growth.
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