BICOM

Senior Israeli officials met yesterday to discuss the implications of new European Union (EU) funding guidelines on Israel’s participation in the EU’s flagship Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.

Head of Israel’s National Security Council, Ya’akov Amidror met yesterday with representatives from the Education Ministry, Economy Ministry and Science and Technology Ministry in order to formulate a policy recommendation for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who is set to meet with political leaders to discuss the issue later this week.

Horizon 2020 is expected to provide €72 billion in research funding from 2014 to 2020. Israel is the only non-EU country invited to be a full participant in the programme. Although Israel would invest some €600 million in Horizon 2020 over the next seven years, it is expected to receive significantly more in research funds and other inbound investments. However, Israel’s participation has been thrown into question after the EU last month adopted new funding guidelines that specify that all future EU grants and prizes should exclude Israeli entities based in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights.

Although relatively few Israeli institutions that might receive Horizon 2020 funding are based in these areas, the new guidelines also stipulate that the agreement between Israel and the EU should explicitly state that it is not applicable to the territories captured in 1967. It is thought that the major objection of Israeli officials is against signing such a clause, which could contradict the status of some of these areas under Israeli law, and that they are searching for a formula acceptable to both sides.

Haaretz claims this morning that Economy Minister Naftali Bennett opposes cooperation with the EU given the new funding regulations. However, Yesh Atid’s Science and Technology Minister Ya’akov Peri has apparently urged continued cooperation over Horizon 2020. The report says that the Education Ministry position remains unknown.