Faroe Islands and European Commission finalise draft agreement on Faroese association to Horizon 2020

Representatives from the Mission of the Faroes to the EU and the European Commission (DG Research and Innovation) have today initialled the text of the proposed new research cooperation agreement, which will make the Faroe Islands an associate country to Horizon 2020 with effect from 2014.

The draft agreement will now be forwarded by the European Commission to the EU Council for formal approval, after which it will be formally signed on a ministerial level by the Parties. This is expected to be concluded soon after the summer break.

Today’s finalisation of the proposed agreement text confirms the Commission’s intention that the agreement shall be effective retroactively from 1 January 2014, allowing Faroese researchers and companies to participate in Horizon 2020 already this year on the same basis as their counterparts in the EU, as well in Iceland and Norway, which have also recently become formally associated to Horizon 2020.

Direct participation in EU research programmes is of great importance to the Faroese research community. The new agreement will ensure that the excellent cooperation the Faroes have had with the EU through the FP7 framework programme will continue until 2020, to the mutual benefit of both parties.

The Faroe Islands have been associated to the EU FP7 since 2010, and already a range of projects have involved Faroese researchers in research areas, such as environment, climate change, ecosystems, stock assessment and fisheries management.

The Faroes bring to Horizon 2020 and to the EU a strong science base with clear strengths and possibilities in specific fields.

For further information, please contact:

Kate Sanderson, Head of Mission of the Faroes to the EU, +32 2 280 0478 or mobile +32 477 250 160, email: kates@tinganes.fo

The text was initialled today, 6 June, at the Mission of the Faroes to the EU by Kate Sanderson, Head of Mission, on behalf of the Government of the Faroes and Konstantinos Glinos from the European Commission (DG Research and Innovation).