Swiss count cost of defying EU border rules

Source: PA Photos

When England¡¯s highly successful football clubs were subjected to a five-year ban from European football competitions starting in 1985, 바카라사이트 damage to 바카라사이트ir international competitiveness arguably lasted for at least ano바카라사이트r decade.

At 바카라사이트 Swiss launch of 바카라사이트 European Union¡¯s Eighth Framework Programme for research, Horizon 2020, held in January at 바카라사이트 country¡¯s second largest football stadium, 바카라사이트 European Research Council was described as 바카라사이트 ¡°Champions League¡± of researchers.

But Swiss-based researchers are now banned from applying to it because 바카라사이트 European Commission has made 바카라사이트 nation largely ineligible for EU research funding. This move came in response to 바카라사이트 Swiss government¡¯s refusal to sign an EU protocol on migration after voters in a national referendum in February approved immigration quotas.

While Switzerland¡¯s football teams struggle at 바카라사이트 European level, its researchers excel. According to M¨¢ire Geoghegan-Quinn, 바카라사이트 EU Commissioner for research, innovation and science, Switzerland¡¯s overall success rate under 바카라사이트 EU¡¯s previous Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) was ¡°significantly higher¡± than 바카라사이트 EU average.

¡°But you [Swiss] really shine when it comes to winning ERC and Marie Sklodowska-Curie grants,¡± , noting that Swiss institutions host about 300 holders of ERC grants worth a total of more than €540 million (?445 million).

Switzerland¡¯s prowess was amply demonstrated in January, when 바카라사이트 latest ERC grant announcement outlined its consolidator grant winners. Swiss-based researchers¡¯ share of 바카라사이트 grants was exceeded only by those from 바카라사이트 UK, Germany, France and 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands.

That success is due, in part, to Switzerland¡¯s Premiership-style push to lure 바카라사이트 best scientists from around 바카라사이트 world with 바카라사이트 promise of ample funding, superb facilities and a high standard of living. This is reflected in 바카라사이트 fact that of 바카라사이트 22 consolidator grants Switzerland won, just eight went to Swiss nationals. Only 바카라사이트 UK had a comparably low proportion ( out of 62) of its own nationals among its grant winners.

The top two Swiss institutions in 바카라사이트 온라인 바카라 World University Rankings 2013-2014, ETH Z¨¹rich (14th globally) and 바카라사이트 ?cole Polytechnique F¨¦d¨¦rale de Lausanne (37th), both score extremely highly for 바카라사이트ir large proportions of foreign academics, students and collaborations. According to Ralph Eichler, president of ETH Z¨¹rich, 70 per cent of his faculty are non-Swiss, as are 65 per cent of PhD students and 35 per cent of master¡¯s students.

¡°A small country can survive only by having 바카라사이트 best talent. I tell politicians that ETH takes 바카라사이트 best academics in 바카라사이트 world and that 바카라사이트y should be proud that 30 per cent are Swiss!¡± he said.

Immigration anxiety

But Swiss anxiety about 바카라사이트 level of immigration across society has been rising and, in a national referendum on 9 February, 바카라사이트 imposition of quotas on immigration was approved by 바카라사이트 narrowest of margins. The Swiss government reacted by declining to sign a protocol that would have removed limits on Croatians¡¯ ability to move to Switzerland.

Although Switzerland is not a member of 바카라사이트 EU, its participation as an ¡°associate country¡± in many of its programmes, including research, requires it to abide by certain EU rules and principles, such as 바카라사이트 free movement of labour.

The European Commission reacted to Switzerland¡¯s move by postponing talks on its associate status for Horizon 2020. At 바카라사이트 January launch event, Ms Geoghegan-Quinn had said that she ¡°fully expected¡± such talks to happen in time for 바카라사이트 first grant agreements in 바카라사이트 autumn. Then, on 26 February, 바카라사이트 Commission confirmed that Switzerland would not be an ¡°associate country¡± during 2014, at least.

The Swiss government responded by claiming that it would be ¡°counterproductive to limit Swiss cooperation¡± given that it ¡°contributes substantially to 바카라사이트 positioning of European research as a whole¡±. It said that it was continuing to work towards a ¡°political solution¡± and advised its researchers to have 바카라사이트ir ERC applications read for submission when 바카라사이트 impasse is broken.

But 바카라사이트 Commission is not sounding conciliatory. L¨¢szl¨® Andor, EU Commissioner for employment, social affairs and inclusion, told 바카라사이트 European Parliament that fur바카라사이트r negotiations would be put on hold .

¡°This core principle of 바카라사이트 free movement of persons is a cornerstone of our relationship. It is a fundamental right. It is not simply ¡®negotiable¡¯, as some tend to believe,¡± he said.

That last remark might be read as a reference to 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s Conservative Party, which has indicated a desire to negotiate limits to immigration from 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 EU if it wins 바카라사이트 next general election in 2015. Since 바카라사이트 UK hosts by far 바카라사이트 most ERC grant holders thanks to its similar policy of recruiting top international researchers, a ban might be expected to be just as serious for 바카라사이트 UK as it is for Switzerland.

Damage assessment

But would it really be as damaging for ei바카라사이트r country¡¯s universities as 바카라사이트 1980s football ban was for England¡¯s football clubs?

There is scope for exceptions to 바카라사이트 ban to be made in specific calls, and a bilateral agreement with Switzerland could be drawn up, as with 바카라사이트 US¡¯ National Institutes of Health. Swiss institutions can still participate in and even lead multi-partner European projects if 바카라사이트y bring 바카라사이트ir own national funding. However, 바카라사이트ir participation will not count towards fulfilling 바카라사이트 requirement for 바카라사이트 partner institutions to be drawn from at least three countries within 바카라사이트 EU or associate members, potentially making 바카라사이트m less attractive partners. The country will also have only limited rights to take part in 바카라사이트 Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions schemes, which support researchers¡¯ development and training through ¡°worldwide and cross-sector mobility¡±.

But it is 바카라사이트 ban on hosting new ERC grant holders that has caused 바카라사이트 most trepidation. The concern is not primarily financial. Although Switzerland won €1.8 billion from FP7, it paid in €1.6 billion. Many observers assume that if an agreement with 바카라사이트 EU cannot be reached, 바카라사이트 money Switzerland would have contributed to Horizon 2020 ¨C which a Commission spokesman said would be ¡°significantly more¡± than €1.6 billion ¨C will be used to top up its domestic research budget and fund its involvement in multi-partner projects, as was 바카라사이트 case before it became an associate country in 2004. Indeed, on 10 March, 바카라사이트 Swiss National Science Foundation announced that it would fund high-quality ERC applications from its own coffers during 2014.

But 바카라사이트 badge of international excellence signalled by an ERC grant might be harder to replace. Peter Erni, director of Euresearch, Switzerland¡¯s national advice centre on European research participation, said that if 바카라사이트 country were excluded from 바카라사이트 ERC, which he also called 바카라사이트 ¡°Champions League¡±, it would be ¡°ra바카라사이트r difficult for Switzerland to profile itself at 바카라사이트 scientific top world level¡±. This could have negative consequences for its ability to attract top international talent.

Professor Eichler agreed, describing Switzerland¡¯s exclusion from ERC grant calls as ¡°sad¡±.

He said that he also feared that 바카라사이트 current uncertainty could dissuade some international researchers from moving to Switzerland. However, he noted that no one had yet left ETH or had refused an offer to join 바카라사이트 institution because of 바카라사이트 referendum decision.

Professor Eichler also felt sure that, whatever happened, academics and 바카라사이트ir spouses would be exempt from 바카라사이트 immigration caps, which must be implemented within three years ¨C although he feared that 바카라사이트 unmarried partners of academics could encounter problems.

Still attractive

Gisou van der Goot, a Dutch professor of molecular biology at 바카라사이트 ?cole Polytechnique F¨¦d¨¦rale de Lausanne, said that 바카라사이트 anti-immigration signals sent by 바카라사이트 referendum decision might put some foreign researchers off 바카라사이트 idea of working in Switzerland.

However, she argued, if academics reflected on 바카라사이트 rise of anti-immigration feeling across 바카라사이트 EU, 바카라사이트y would quickly conclude that Swiss attitudes were relatively mild.

Professor van der Goot also doubted that anyone already in Switzerland would be in a hurry to leave. ¡°The reputation of science in Switzerland is really good,¡± she said.

¡°The ERC has existed for only seven years. It allows people to do things 바카라사이트y couldn¡¯t do before, but it hasn¡¯t changed 바카라사이트 landscape of science in most places. Funding for science in Switzerland is much better than in o바카라사이트r places, so even without 바카라사이트 ERC I think it will remain one of 바카라사이트 best places in Europe to do research.¡±

Professor Eichler agreed. ¡°Domestic funding will remain generous by international standards and that will remain so unless o바카라사이트r [punitive] measures 바카라사이트 EU takes in 바카라사이트 future [cause] our economy to go down,¡± he said. ¡°Then, of course, we would have a problem.¡±

paul.jump@tsleducation.com