Skip to content
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION (2023/3018(RSP))

On association agreements for the participation of third countries in Union programmes

B-9-2024-0096

on behalf of the Committee on Foreign Affairs · Rapporteur: JeanLin Lacapelle

Official HTML ↗ PDF DOCX
✦ In shortFull text
✦ In short · AI summary of this text, generated 26 Sept 2026

Written by a language model from the full text only; every figure comes from the text. The paragraph links open the paragraph a statement rests on — check the text itself before relying on it.

Parliament's resolution on association agreements for third countries joining Union programmes. It supports associating New Zealand and other like-minded countries to Horizon Europe, but objects to the new agreement structure that lets a Joint Committee decide association details without Parliament's consent. It asks the Commission and Council to respect Parliament's role under the Treaties, to keep Parliament informed at all stages, and to negotiate an interinstitutional agreement on democratic scrutiny. It calls for regular reports on implementation, including milestones, success rates, contributions, budget execution and audits, and raises concern about the UK's Horizon Europe rebate.

Key points

  1. Acknowledges that cooperation with third countries sharing democratic values can enrich Union programmes, and recognises Horizon Europe as the world's biggest collaborative research and innovation programme for 2021-2027.
  2. Supports associating third countries with good science, technology and innovation capacity to Horizon Europe, encourages more such agreements, and stresses that they must uphold Horizon Europe climate targets.
  3. Underlines that association is a political decision, not a technical act, and questions the Commission's approach because it hinders Parliament's prerogatives in concluding international agreements.
  4. Urges the Commission and Council to fully consider Parliament's role in concluding association agreements, and says Parliament's consent is impeded because the agreements lack a structure guaranteeing parliamentary scrutiny.
  5. Recognises strong EU-New Zealand ties and cooperation, including on trade, foreign policy, research and multilateral forums, and New Zealand's alignment with the EU on condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
  6. Welcomes New Zealand's association to Horizon Europe, noting its 77 funded projects in Horizon 2020 and participation in FP7 and Horizon 2020, but notes the lack of provisions for parliamentary scrutiny.
  7. Objects that the Joint Committee can adopt protocols associating New Zealand to any Union programme and amend association protocols, including on reviews, audits and financial irregularities, without further parliamentary involvement.
  8. Says essential aspects of a third country's involvement in Horizon Europe should not be delegated to such a body, and that the new structure does not let Parliament exercise its powers under Article 218(6)(a) TFEU.
  9. Recalls that Article 218(10) TFEU requires Parliament to be immediately and fully informed at all stages, and that the CJEU has said Parliament's involvement reflects the democratic principle of people participating through a representative assembly.
  10. Notes the agreements are without precedent, covering all Union programmes through a general agreement, and that Parliament lacks data to assess their impact on current or future programmes.
  11. Regrets that the Faroe Islands draft agreement and the proposed associations of Canada, the Republic of Korea and Japan follow the same structure, and asks the Commission not to prevent Parliament's right of consent.
  12. Calls on the Commission to report regularly on implementation, to launch negotiations on an interinstitutional agreement on democratic scrutiny, and to answer Parliament's question so consent can be given.

Who is affected

  • New Zealand: its association to Horizon Europe is welcomed, but Parliament notes the lack of scrutiny provisions.
  • The Commission and Council: urged to respect Parliament's role and to negotiate an interinstitutional agreement on scrutiny.
  • The Faroe Islands, Canada, the Republic of Korea and Japan: their draft or proposed associations follow the same structure Parliament regrets.
  • The Joint Committee under the New Zealand agreement: it can adopt and amend association protocols without further parliamentary involvement.

Figures and deadlines

  • 77 projects funded: New Zealand's record of participation in Horizon 2020.
  • 2021-2027: the period of Horizon Europe, the world's biggest collaborative research and innovation programme.

Legal basis: Article 218 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union