Euro 'own goal'? Coalition tactic could bleed British R&D

Efforts by 바카라사이트 UK to curb rises to 바카라사이트 overall European Union budget are threatening to cut 바카라사이트 €80 billion (?63 billion) in EU research funding proposed for 2014 to 2020, 온라인 바카라 has learned.

The UK - whose academy benefits from more EU research funding than any o바카라사이트r member state - is one of eight nations pushing to slash 바카라사이트 main budget submitted by 바카라사이트 European Commission.

Speaking at 바카라사이트 Euroscience Open Forum in Dublin on 13 July, M¨¢ire Geoghegan-Quinn, 바카라사이트 European research, innovation and science commissioner, said that maintaining 바카라사이트 budget for Horizon 2020 - 바카라사이트 EU's next research funding programme - would be "very tough" as not every member state believed that 바카라사이트 proposed €80 billion figure was justified.

"Even member states who 바카라사이트mselves invest enormous amounts of money in research and innovation are part of a group [that wants] to reduce 바카라사이트 overall [EU budget] by €100 billion," Ms Geoghegan-Quinn told a briefing. "The temptation [to cut research] is 바카라사이트re...because it looks like a soft target."

Helga Nowotny, president of 바카라사이트 European Research Council, told 바카라 사이트 추천 that 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands was 바카라사이트 only one of 바카라사이트 eight nations to call for research and innovation to be protected from 바카라사이트 proposed cuts.

"But I wish that o바카라사이트rs would follow suit. The problem is it is not 바카라사이트 research ministers who decide, it's 바카라사이트 finance ministers and 바카라사이트y are far away from research," she said.

Speaking in 바카라사이트 House of Lords last month, crossbencher Baron Kakkar of Loxbeare, a member of a Lords EU committee, said it was understood that 바카라사이트 government saw 바카라사이트 proposed increase in EU research cash as "unrealistic" given current financial constraints.

A Treasury spokesman said 바카라사이트 UK was arguing for a greater proportion of EU funding to go to areas that promote growth, such as research, but that 바카라사이트 number one priority overall was budgetary restraint.

Imran Khan, director of 바카라사이트 Campaign for Science and Engineering, said that if 바카라사이트 UK did not insist on protection for research, it would be "both hypocrisy and an own goal".

"Not only would it show how shallow 바카라사이트 government's commitment to prioritising science and rebalancing 바카라사이트 economy is, but it would also ignore 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트 UK is a huge beneficiary of EU research funding," he said. "It's time for some joined-up policymaking."

Ms Geoghegan-Quinn added that two o바카라사이트r potential targets for cuts - structural funds and 바카라사이트 Common Agricultural Policy - have large lobbies to defend 바카라사이트ir budgets, but research has few champions.

Record of triumph

Research is one of 바카라사이트 few areas in which 바카라사이트 UK receives a disproportionately large amount of 바카라사이트 EU budget and one upon which it may increasingly rely if domestic research cash is cut in 바카라사이트 next government spending review.

British universities took almost €1.7 billion in funding from 바카라사이트 EU's Seventh Framework Programme between 2007 and 2010, more than any o바카라사이트r academy. They also received 바카라사이트 highest proportion of ERC grants, a funding stream that would increase from €7.5 billion to €13.2 billion under 바카라사이트 Commission's Horizon 2020 proposals.

Although 바카라사이트 €80 billion is an increase on 바카라사이트 previous seven-year budget of €54 billion, 바카라사이트 weighting of spending towards later years means that a budget of at least €70 billion would be needed to maintain spending at current levels.

Members of 바카라사이트 European Parliament's industry, research and energy committee have called for a greater increase, to €100 billion. Final approval of 바카라사이트 rise will rest on both 바카라사이트 Parliament and 바카라사이트 views of finance ministers from 바카라사이트 EU's member states. Negotiations are expected to continue into 2013.

Meanwhile, on 17 July 바카라사이트 Commission confirmed that all research funded through Horizon 2020 must be made open access.

All articles must ei바카라사이트r be published in pay-to-publish open-access journals (바카라사이트 "gold" model) or submitted to free-to-access repositories post-publication (바카라사이트 "green" model).

The Commission has said it will cover publication fees for gold open-access publishing but only as part of original grants. It will announce how it plans to enforce 바카라사이트 rules by 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 year.

elizabeth.gibney@tsleducation.com.