Faroe Islands sign Horizon 2020 association agreement

The European Research Commissioner and the Faroe Islands Prime Minister have signed a deal in Brussels permitting the country to participate in Horizon 2020.

The deal allows the archipelago to take part in the framework programme on an equal footing with EU member states from 1 January 2015. The ceremony took place in Brussels and saw European Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation Carlos Moedas, Italian Deputy Permanent Representative Marco Peronaci and Faroe Islands Prime Minister Kaj Leo Holm Johannesen sign the agreement.

The autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark will now contribute to the Horizon 2020 budget, and it is expected there will be a particular interest in calls relating to the sustainability of the marine environment.

Twelve countries are now associated to Horizon 2020, in addition to the 28 EU member states. The Faroe Islands were associated to the Seventh Framework Programme between 2010 and the end of 2013.