Brexit: A ban on European research centers

Lobbying the European Commission to stay with the European research agencies and centers currently based in the UK has already started. Following the Brexit decision, an appetizing opportunity has opened up, and although Article 50 of the EU Treaty has not yet been activated and the situation is unclear, states and cities are trying to lobby and position themselves for potential moves. This has been verified by the former president of the European Commission Romano Prodi in statements to Observer.

The London-based European Medicines Agency (EMA) is surely the most appetizing piece with close to 900 employees and a position of knowledge hub for the pharmaceutical sector. Over the past few weeks, the government and several cities in the state have been seen declaring their intention to host the EMA, and the lobbying efforts to position themselves have also started in Copenhagen, Stockholm, Warsaw, Dublin, Milan, Strasbourg and Lyon. However, the situation will continue to be one of uncertainty until a new relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union is established and new bilateral agreements are defined.

As uncertainty continues, UK-based European organisations, and their professionals, must grapple with a lack of clarity to continue their work and performance. Leaders of the EMA or the Joint European Torus – the largest magnetic fusion experiment at the Culham Center – express concern about the post-Brexit future to The Guardian. Among the important issues at stake: the impact on the economy and on the British research fabric, foreign investment, or the mobility of professionals and researchers with scholarships.