EU offers UK option of participating in 2020 budget programs

The European Commission today proposed a regulation which would allow the U.K. to continue benefiting from EU-funded programs in 2020 even if it leaves the bloc without a deal.

The offer is contingent upon the U.K. continuing to pay into the bloc’s coffers.

“The proposed contingency framework provides for the possibility to maintain throughout 2020 the eligibility to benefit from Union financing for the United Kingdom and United Kingdom entities under legal commitments entered into before the withdrawal date or between the withdrawal date and the end of 2019,” the Commission wrote, adding that this would be “subject to the condition that the United Kingdom makes a written commitment to contribute to the financing of the budget for 2020.”

Britain is currently a major participant in EU programs, in particular when it comes to research and education.

The U.K. would also need to “commit in writing to accept the controls and audits which cover the entire implementation period of the programmes or the actions.”

The new proposal mirrors an earlier regulation which would have allowed the U.K. to continue participating in the 2019 EU budget.