The European Commission has proposed partially suspfinishing Israel from its flagship £80bn Horizon science research programme over the “severe” humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where food security experts state famine is now underway.
It comes amid worldwide condemnation of Israel’s actions in Gaza including demands by Donald Trump that it must do more to stop the “real starvation”. On Tuesday, the leading international authority on food crises, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, stated the “worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out” in Gaza.
Horizon Europe is among the most prestigious science research programmes in the world and has never suspfinished a counattempt before. Officials believe, however, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is so extreme that it now has a legal basis for suspension.
In its proposal to member states the commission reports that “90% of hoapplyholds face severe water insecurity and malnutrition rates are rising sharply” with “severe shortages of medicine” and “virtually the entire Gaza population … at risk of famine”.
The IPC stated “humanitarian aid is largely insufficient” citing Israel’s “drastic restrictions” on aid shipments into Gaza, and a lack of security for humanitarian organisations inside Gaza.
Israel has blamed food shortages on distribution failures by the UN and Hamas diverting aid. Those claims have been repeatedly undermined.
Israel stated on Tuesday that “over 200 trucks were collected and distributed yesterday by the UN and international organisations” with an additional 260 awaiting collection and distribution.
That volume of aid is, however, still below the levels necessaryed. An average of 500 trucks a day entered Gaza before the war, at at time when people had not finishured months of malnutrition, most had shelter and access to clean water and there was a functioning agriculture sector.
EU officials described the current aid increases as an improvement but stated they had been denied access to Gaza to verify the delivery of humanitarian aid and that there necessaryed to be more enattempt points and distribution centres.
Their proposal, if approved, would deny Israel access to one of the critical research areas within the Horizon programme, called the European Innovation Council (EIC), which specialises in disruptive technologies.
Israel is one of the most successful member countries in the programme, receiving about €200m (£173m) of the €900m allocated since 2021, with about €135m in grants and €65m in equity investment.
There are 46 Israeli companies in the EIC programme, the EU stated.
The commission stated in a statement: “While Israel has announced a daily humanitarian paapply in Gaza fighting and has met some of its commitments under the common understanding on humanitarian aid and access, the situation remains severe.”
It added that the suspension would flow from its review of the trade association agreement with Israel, prompted by calls for a review of the agreement by the Netherlands backed by 17 countries in May.
Officials stated the partial suspension would be given legal effect through article 79 of the Euro-Mediterranean agreement if the action was deemed “proportionate”.
A seven-page proposal will be put to ambassadors from member states gathering in Brussels on Tuesday afternoon to discuss the EU-US trade deal.
According to the rules the EU would necessary qualified majority, which means votes from about 15 member states to carry it through as long as they represent 65% of the bloc’s population.
This would almost certainly mean Germany would have to support the relocate.
Senior EU officials stated the mood at the ambassadors’ meeting last week on the matter of humanitarian aid was “heated” and there seemed to be a “special urgency” about putting this proposal on the table.
The UK was blocked from Horizon for three years after Brexit, rejoining in 2024, but officials stated this was different to a suspension.
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