Dr. Nicholas Walton, Astrophysicist, University of Cambridge, Funded as part of the EU’s £ 80 billion flagship and innovation program. He is one of the few British scientists to promise funding through Horizon Europe. This is a program intended for the UK to participate, as negotiated in the 2020 Trade Cooperation Agreement, where British scientists can work with European partners and receive prestigious EU grants. I can do it.
However, when Britain warned of a fierce Brexit feud with the EU, Brock blamed him violently and told Britain that he would not be able to join Horizon until the dispute over the Northern Ireland Protocol was resolved.
Now, Dr. Walton and many others who have won Horizon grants are faced with losing their money as the ferocious Brexit intensifies over and over again.
And after telling many of these researchers that their money would be cut unless they moved to a country related to Horizon, Brock stepped up bullying tactics.
The EU threat to Dr. Walton arose just three weeks after he was awarded funding to study the Milky Way.
He said the grant group had promised him that the funds would need to “remove the UK partner from the proposal and hand over the leadership of the project to EU country-based universities.”
Dr. Walton added: “There is a lot of uncertainty and it’s not clear how it works.
“It really is a question of how bad it gets.
“In the worst case, we could lose access altogether, and I think science leadership will lead to and affect job creation in the industry.”
Despite the EU’s ban on the UK from the project, the Block EU has subsidized 150 applicants under the Horizon 2021 Working Program, which must be signed by December 2022. It looked like it was offering.
However, the European Research Council (ERC), Horizon’s main funding agency, has warned that it will replace these UK-based researchers if it does not move to the EU or Horizon-related countries.
Read more: China launches a third aircraft carrier with a cold warning
An ERC spokesman said he needed to “get a little deeper” on the backup list, adding that he “will not fund bad proposals for this.”
In an exclusive interview with Express.co.uk, Science Minister George Freeman warned the EU that bullying tactics would result in a “defeat.”
He is angry at Brock for violating TCA’s terms and is confused about why Brock is taking science hostage because he has nothing to do with Brexit’s feud.
Freeman told Express.co.uk: “Importantly, there is a set of legal remedies within the Northern Ireland Protocol. This is a bespoke stand-alone contract.
“As for Horizon, the EU’s clear intention is that pressure on Horizon … will lead to a change in the bargaining stance at Horizon. I’ll make it clear, but it’s definitely not because it’s not linked.
Do not miss it
Brexit’s revenge! EU punishes British scientists who refuse to resign … [REPORT]
EU researchers turn on VDL with a ferocious letter [INSIGHT]
Minister warns EU that bullying tactics will be “losing” because of the block [REVEAL]
“And there is no case or legal basis for the EU to use scientific funding and use Horizon membership … as a leverage tool for the Northern Ireland Protocol negotiations that they are doing.”
He continued. “They are at the worst of all the world, that is, Britain is doing what it needs to be for Britain’s integrity.
“And the EU has kicked us out of the European research program. Then I start Global Plan B. They [the EU] Looking down on the losing barrel. “
The Minister of Science has now signaled that Britain is ready to do it alone with his £ 15 billion master plan.
The £ 15 billion that the UK intended to use at Horizon (if the UK cannot rejoin) will instead be used in his global program, which includes strong partnerships with scientific powers around the world.
This comes as the second reading of the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill, which allows the UK to unilaterally invalidate the section of the Protocol passed by Parliament this week.
EU Deputy Commissioner Maroš Šefchovic has called the bill “illegal”, raising concerns that Britain may be permanently banned from Horizon.