During a meeting of EU ambassadors in Brussels on Tuesday, a proposal by the European Commission to deny Israel partial access to the EU’s €95 billion Horizon Europe research fund did not receive the required qualified majority approval.
If approved, Israel would no longer be eligible for grants and investments totaling €200 million in the future from Horizon’s European Investment Council (EIC), which focuses on so-called disruptive technologies. However, officials from Rome and Berlin stated that they must further review the Commission’s proposal. Germany’s or Italy’s population weight is necessary for a qualified majority vote to pass.
According to two reliable sources, Germany and Italy both stated that they wanted more time and would notify the EU if they changed their minds in the upcoming weeks. According to the reports, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Czechia were against any action.
According to the sources, the Commission’s plan was endorsed by the Netherlands, Ireland, France, Luxembourg, Slovenia, Portugal, Malta, and Spain. A number of these countries also pledged to press the EU for more severe sanctions, possibly in the trade sector.
In reaction to an EU study that concluded Israel had violated its human rights commitments under the EU-Israel Association Agreement, the Commission moved to suspend Israel’s involvement in Horizon.
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