Source: European Parliament
1. The Agreement associating Canada to Pillar II, ‘Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness’, of the Horizon Europe Programme[1], was signed on 3 July 2024 and published in the Official Journal on 26 July 2024[2]. The European Parliament Committee on Industry, Research and Energy was regularly informed on the negotiations. Reciprocity and the possibility for legal entities established in the EU to participate in projects, programmes and activities of Canada equivalent to those under Pillar II is expressly provided for in Article 3 of the Protocol to the Agreement and is thus one of the conditions for the association of Canada to Horizon Europe.
2. Canadian entities participating in Horizon Europe must abide by the requirements set out in the calls for proposals and in the grant agreements. In addition, in line with Article 22(5) of the Horizon Europe Regulation[3], the EU can put restrictions on the participation of Canadian entities (or of any third country’s entities) in Horizon Europe actions related to EU strategic assets, interests, autonomy or security ( Article 2 of the Protocol to the Agreement) . Furthermore,the Commission may request specific information or assurances in this regard, including whether reciprocal access to equivalent Canadian projects, programmes and activities has been or will be granted to EU entities, before deciding on whether Canadian entities can be considered eligible to participate in such restricted actions.
3. A non-exhaustive list of the existing equivalent Canadian projects, programmes and activities which are reciprocally open to the participation of EU entities is set out in Annex II of the Protocol.