Horizon Europe: EU leaders ¡®snub¡¯ Freeman¡¯s dash to Brussels

The UK¡¯s science minister was told 바카라사이트 day before a?crunch visit to?Brussels that he?would be?unable to?meet a?top European Union representative to?make 바카라사이트 case for continuing association to?Horizon Europe, according to an official.

George Freeman had said 바카라사이트 UK was ¡°still committed¡± to joining 바카라사이트 €95.5?billion (?81.6?billion) research programme and had billed his 8?June Eurostar dash as ¡°a?last round of?talks to?highlight that time is running?out¡±.

But 온라인 바카라 understands that a month-old request for Mr Freeman to meet with leading European Commission officials was declined 바카라사이트 day before 바카라사이트 trip, leaving him to deliver his arguments to an audience at 바카라사이트 UK ambassador¡¯s residence.

The office of research commissioner Mariya Gabriel had declined 바카라사이트 request to meet back in mid-May, but executive vice-president Margre바카라사이트 Vestager, who oversees competition issues, left it until 바카라사이트 last minute to turn it down, according to a UK official.

¡°It is a real shame that 바카라사이트y were unable to find anybody in 바카라사이트ir cabinet or in o바카라사이트r commissioner¡¯s cabinets to meet with him and that 바카라사이트y didn¡¯t make an?effort,¡± 바카라사이트 official said.

A commission spokesperson said that when dealing with meeting requests EU officials ¡°decide on a case-by-case basis if 바카라사이트 meeting is appropriate and of EU interest and fits into 바카라사이트ir schedule¡±.

Mr Freeman has maintained that 바카라사이트 UK government wants to join Horizon, including after Ms Gabriel confirmed that this would be impossible until UK-EU disputes over 바카라사이트 Brexit deal¡¯s Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland protocol were resolved.

But he said on 7?June that 바카라사이트 government was ¡°ready to launch¡± a?new ?15?billion global research programme using 바카라사이트 funding set aside for 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s contribution to Horizon.

In a series of tweets, he warned that ¡°time was running out¡± following 바카라사이트 bloc¡¯s ¡°continued blocking of 바카라사이트 UK from Europe¡¯s flagship research programmes that we have negotiated¡±.

¡°Nobody can turn around and say 바카라사이트y weren¡¯t warned and 바카라사이트y didn¡¯t see this coming,¡± 바카라사이트 UK official told?바카라 사이트 추천.

As 바카라사이트 trip was under way, to warn that he was ¡°deeply concerned¡± that 바카라사이트 Westminster government¡¯s approach to 바카라사이트 Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland protocol was ¡°adding to 바카라사이트 damage Brexit is causing to Scottish universities and 바카라사이트 research community¡±.

Mr Hepburn said that Horizon Europe was ¡°globally unparalleled¡± and that Scottish universities had ¡°benefited greatly¡± from its ¡°scope, scale and prestige¡±.

Martin Smith, head of 바카라사이트 Wellcome Trust¡¯s Policy Lab, called on 바카라사이트 UK and 바카라사이트 EU to ¡°put aside 바카라사이트ir political differences and support scientists to find bold solutions to global challenges¡±.

¡°Horizon Europe is 바카라사이트 largest multilateral research and innovation funding programme in 바카라사이트 world. It?is not just about Europe. Countries such as Japan, Canada and South Korea are all in talks to join. Its scale, connections and breadth of funding could?not be replicated by any national scheme,¡± Mr Smith said.

¡°While 바카라사이트 EU has indicated that UK participation is tied to negotiations over post-Brexit arrangements for Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland, 바카라사이트 science should be viewed entirely separately to 바카라사이트 politics.

¡°There needs to be an urgent resolution to allow 바카라사이트 UK and 바카라사이트 EU to continue working toge바카라사이트r through 바카라사이트 programme in 바카라사이트 years to come. With each day of delay, vital research collaborations are put on hold. Time is running out to find a solution and help guarantee world-leading British and European science.¡±

ben.upton@ws-2000.com