Neasa Hourigan (Dublin Central, Green Party)
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1976.To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the position Ireland is taking regarding the inclusion of Israel in any successors to Horizon Europe; and if he will make a statement on the matter.[34731/24]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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I am deeply concerned by the desperate situation of civilians in Gaza. This remains a central priority for the Government, including at EU level, where Ireland is consistently calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire.

Horizon Europe - the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation - is the European Union’s largest research and innovation programme and includes all European Member States as well as 18 Associated Countries from around the world. Israel became associated to Horizon Europe on 6 December 2021 by signing an agreement with the European Commission. This agreement references the EU-Israel Association Agreement established in 2000 as providing the underlying general principles for Israel’s participation.

The successor programme to Horizon Europe will operate under the next EU Multi-annual Financial Framework, beginning in 2028. I expect that the Commission will release their initial proposal for this programme over the summer of 2025, after which the negotiations with the Member States will begin. Officials within my Department have engaged with national research and innovation stakeholders regarding the future structure of the Framework Programme, with the aim of developing a national position on FP10. This will take into account the feedback from across the research and innovation system.

Currently the negotiation process for incorporating new Associated Countries to Horizon Europe is the sole competence of the European Commission. EU Member States and the European Parliament have no formal role in these negotiations and are not required to approve the agreements. Member States also have no legal capacity to suspend or alter these Association Agreements. The regulations governing these Association Agreements will be updated for the next Framework Programme.

The Horizon Europe agreement signed with Israel includes Article 9.8 which limits participation to the areas within Israel’s pre-1967 borders, in line with general EU policy. Israel has been associated to every one of the EU's research and innovation framework programmes since 1996.

On 14 February, the Taoiseach and the Spanish Prime Minister sent a joint letter to the President of the European Commission, requesting an urgent review of the EU-Israel Association Agreement in light of the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza. This comprehensive agreement establishes the basic principles of co-operation between the EU and Israel on a wide range of issues, including a framework for participation in European programmes.

The need for a review remains a priority for the Government and was underlined again by the Tánaiste when he met his EU counterparts in Brussels in late August. It will also be important that the European Union gives detailed consideration to the Advisory Opinion issued by the International Court of Justice on 19 July. This Advisory Opinion, which was requested by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2022, related to “Legal Consequences arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem”.