Part 4 – Thematic Cooperation

The agreement provides for future cooperation between the UK and EU on emerging challenges, including health and cyber security. The UK and EU have also agreed a joint declaration noting the importance of effectively managing migratory flows, and the UK’s intention to engage in bilateral discussion with key EU Member States to discuss suitable practical arrangements on asylum, returns, family reunion for unaccompanied minors and illegal migration.

Title I – Health Security

The Agreement supports effective arrangements and information sharing between the UK and the EU in the event of a serious cross border threat to health, which is particularly important in the context of Covid-19. The agreement enables the UK to request access to the EU’s Early Warning and Response System in respect of a serious cross-border health threat so that the UK, the EU institutions and EU Member States can exchange information and coordinate measures to protect public health.

The Agreement provides that the EU may invite the UK to participate in the EU Health Security Committee to support the exchange of information and facilitate coordination in relation to specific serious cross-border threats to health. It also makes provision for cooperation on scientific and technical matters between the UK and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), including by concluding an MoU similar to those ECDC has with other third countries such as Canada.

Title II – Cyber Security

The Agreement provides a framework for UK-EU cooperation in the field of cyber security, an area where cooperation is mutually beneficial given the cross-border nature of cyber threats and challenges.

The Agreement includes arrangements to support the exchange of information and cooperation in international bodies and fora to strengthen global cyber resilience where we believe it is in our mutual interest to do so. It also facilitates the UK’s voluntary participation in the activities of expert bodies including the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) and the Network and Information Systems (NIS) Cooperation Group as well as voluntary cooperation with the EU’s Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-EU).

Part 5 – Participation in Union Programmes

This Part sets out the arrangements for the UK’s participation in Union programmes and access to programme services. These terms provide for a fair and appropriate financial contribution towards the programmes, fair treatment of UK participants, balanced provisions to ensure the sound financial management of programme funds, and appropriate governance arrangements.

The additional detail on the individual programmes the UK is intending to participate in – Horizon Europe, Euratom Research and Training, and Copernicus – will be included in a protocol to the main Agreement, once the regulations establishing the programmes are settled, a draft of which has been published alongside the main Agreement.

Chapter 1 – General conditions for participation in Union programmes

This Chapter covers the general terms of participation in programmes, including the treatment of UK entities and UK involvement in the governance of the programmes such as committees and working groups. It also sets out how the UK’s financial contribution will be calculated and how the UK will be reimbursed if its participants are excluded from a part of the programme. It also sets out the grounds on which the UK and EU may review, suspend or terminate the UK’s participation.

Chapter 2 – Sound financial management

This Chapter sets out how the UK and EU ensure programme funds are properly managed and includes provisions on communication and exchange of information to implement EU programmes, and statistical cooperation between the respective UK and EU bodies.

Chapter 3 – Access of the United Kingdom to services under Union programmes

This Chapter sets out the terms for the UK to access programme services without participating in programmes. A protocol to the Agreement will set out the UK’s access to services from the EU Space Surveillance and Tracking programme on these terms and will be adopted by the Specialised Committee when the relevant Union regulations are finalised, a draft of which has also been published alongside this Agreement.

Chapter 4 – Reviews

This Chapter states that there will be a review of the UK’s participation in EU programmes and that either Party may request that changes affecting the terms of participation be considered following the outcome of the review.

Chapter 5 – Participation fee in the years 2021-2026

The UK will pay a participation fee towards the administration costs of the Programmes, which will be introduced gradually.