BICOM

Following a meeting yesterday in Jerusalem between top Israeli and European Union (EU) officials, both sides agreed to continue discussions over new controversial EU funding guidelines

In July, the EU adopted the new guidelines which specify that all future EU grants and prizes should exclude Israeli entities based in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights. The terms also stipulate that such agreements between Israel and the EU should explicitly state that it is not applicable to the territories captured in 1967, which could contradict the status of some of these areas under Israeli law. This has thrown Israel’s participation in the EU’s flagship Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme into doubt. Horizon 2020 aims to create jobs and fuel economic growth and Israel is the only non-EU country to be a full participant in the programme.

Yesterday, an EU delegation led by Pierre Vimont, secretary-general of the European External Action Service (EEAS) and also including Lars Faaborg- Andersen, the EU’s ambassador-designate to Israel, met with a thirteen-strong Israeli team headed by Foreign Ministry Director-General Rafi Barak and Deputy Director-General Ran Curiel. Following yesterday’s meeting, according to the Jerusalem Post the EU delegation said that “talks will continue in Brussels on Thursday in the framework of negotiations on Israel’s participation in the Horizon 2020 project.” The same source added, “There were fruitful discussions today between Israel and the EU on the issue of the EU guidelines.” Sources on the Israeli side were similarly upbeat, describing the talks as having taken place in a “good, positive atmosphere.”

Last weekend, US Secretary of State John Kerry urged the EU to show some flexibility on the new guidelines. EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton indicated that this might be possible, saying that they would be implemented “sensitively.” The guidelines are set to take effect on 1 January 2014.