UK will not have to pay for last two years if it rejoins Horizon scheme, EU says

Confirmation by officials makes it more likely Britain will be re-admitted to 95.5bn European scientific research programme

The UK will not have to pay for the two years it has been out of the EU's 95.5bn (84bn) Horizon scientific research programme, EU officials have said, in a significant move that opens the door to British scientists.

The European Commission statement that the UK was not required to pay for 2021 and 2022 when British membership of Horizon was frozen because of a dispute over the Northern Ireland protocol should in theory hasten a deal on British participation.