Late last month, European Union member states did not reach a qualified majority needed to exclude Israel from a significant research and innovation fund. Germany and Italy said that they needed to examine the Commission’s plan further.
The proposal from the European Commission failed to garner the necessary support as European ambassadors engaged in a meticulous discussion in Brussels. It remains to be seen if Germany and Italy are going to change their position on Israel in the coming days.
Suspending Israel’s access to a component of Horizon Europe
During the meeting of European ambassadors in Brussels last month, Hungary, Bulgaria and Czechia opposed to taking action against Israel, according to media reports.
On the other hand, the Netherlands, Ireland, France, Spain, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia and Luxembourg supported the measures.
Earlier, the Foreign Ministry of Israel had raised concerns as European commissioners made a recommendation to suspend Israel’s access to a component of Horizon Europe – Brussels’s flagship financial program for research and innovation.
The European Union has been concerned about the humanitarian situation in Gaza and seeks more efforts to address the crisis. Gaza is facing hunger, malnutrition and a lot of bombings, amid multiple Israeli hostages still in Hamas’ control.
Understanding Horizon Europe, the EU’s key research fund
Horizon Europe is the European Union’s key funding program for research and innovation. It tackles climate change, helps meet the UN’s SDGs and boosts the bloc’s competitiveness in the global landscape.
The program is meant to facilitate collaboration and strengthen the impact of research and innovation. It consistently supports and implements EU policies. Horizon Europe supports creating and better dispersing of information and technologies.
