UGent, with support from other Flemish universities, has filed a collective complaint with the European Ombudsman to seek a clearer EU framework on the legal and financial implications of withdrawing from collaborations, emphasizing human rights in research partnerships.

The Flemish universities are asking the EU Ombudsman for guidance on handling collaborations with Israeli institutions amid concerns about international law and human rights commitments.

Many consortium members view withdrawals as symbolic and stress the scientific nature of projects, which complicates how these withdrawals are carried out.

Withdrawal procedures are difficult because not all partners cooperate, and some institutions outside Israel oppose the moves, forcing UGent to renegotiate contracts and manage amendments themselves rather than through project coordinators.

An open letter in June, signed by more than 4,500 students and staff including 1,100 professors, called for an academic boycott of Israel, reflecting heightened tensions.

Pro-Palestinian protests targeted Ghent University buildings over its Israeli partnerships, signaling activist pressure shaping policy.

UGent has already exited six European research projects and is negotiating withdrawals from five more involving Israeli partners; four terminations are complete, while work on the WheatWatcher project persists due to essential scientific contributions and patented technology.

The VLIR has pressed the European Commission for concrete guidelines on Israeli participation in Horizon Europe for over two years, but responses have remained limited to general references.

VLIR says it does not seek to exclude institutions by nationality but wants a transparent, independent, and legally grounded framework to assess collaborations.

UGent faces resistance from international partners as it moves to terminate collaborations with Israeli institutions to align with its human rights policy.

A major obstacle is the absence of a clear European framework to guide universities in applying human rights policies across international collaborations.

There are fears of legal uncertainty and potential financial penalties if universities terminate collaborations on human rights grounds without clear guidelines.