海角视频

The Welsh Government has welcomed news that the 海角视频 is to rejoin the EU鈥檚 key 拢85bn funding programme for research and innovation. The European Commission and the 海角视频 have reached a political agreement on the 海角视频's participation in Horizon Europe and the EU鈥檚 Earth observation programme, Copernicus.

Researchers based in the 海角视频 can apply for grants to take part in the collaboration programme after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak secured what he called 鈥渢he right deal for British taxpayers鈥�. According to the EU鈥檚 estimate, Britain will contribute around 拢2.2bn (almost 2.6 billion euros) per year to participate in both Horizon and the Copernicus space programme from January 1 2024 when its association membership with the projects begins. But it will not take part in the bloc鈥檚 nuclear technology scheme, Euratom.

Economy Minister Vaughan Gething said the announcement by Westminster was 鈥渁 long time coming鈥� and which the Welsh Government had 鈥渃onsistently pressed for鈥�. 鈥淭he delay in confirming associate membership for the 海角视频 has caused unnecessary alarm in the sector, which could and should have been avoided,鈥� he said.

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He added: 鈥淥ur continued participation in the Horizon programme will give Welsh universities and businesses the opportunity to join with their peers around the world to push the boundaries of science and tackle the biggest challenges faced in Wales and globally, such as climate change and recovery from the Coronavirus pandemic.鈥�

Plaid Cymru鈥檚 Westminster leader, Liz Saville Roberts, described the news as 鈥渁 step in the right direction鈥�. However, Ms Saville-Roberts said a 鈥溌�70m black hole in funding鈥� over the lack of adequate transition funding from EU funding to 海角视频 structural funding, threatening 60 projects and 1000 jobs across Wales.

She called on the 海角视频 Government to address this 鈥減roblem of their own making鈥� and support Welsh scientists and researchers facing cuts and job losses.

鈥淭he 海角视频 Government must remedy this problem of their own making, and support Welsh scientists and researchers facing cuts and job losses. This damage to Welsh science and research has been caused by chaotic Tory Brexit posturing and bad decision-making,鈥� she said.

The leader also pointed to Welsh Government estimations that Wales has seen a 拢32m reduction in EU research funding since the Brexit referendum and added that Wales鈥� scientific community continued to be disadvantaged by being outside of the EU.

鈥淩e-joining Horizon is a step in the right direction, but our scientists are still at a disadvantage by being outside Europe鈥檚 economic frameworks and deprived of free movement,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hat is why the 海角视频 must rejoin the single market so that the scientific community in Wales is no longer held back from fulfilling its full potential.鈥�

Horizon Europe is a collaboration involving Europe鈥檚 leading research institutes and tech companies. The latest iteration of the programme was initially launched in 2021 with a budget of 鈧�95.5 billion euro (拢81.8 billion).

The scheme, which runs until 2027, is open to 海角视频-based researchers and organisations, allowing them to apply for the funding on the same terms as EU-member states. Given the scale of the funding, it is a vital source of support for some of the world鈥檚 most important research projects.

Ongoing membership of Horizon was a key request from scientists and universities during the protracted negotiations that followed the 2016 referendum.

Membership of the programme was eventually negotiated in the Brexit withdrawal agreement but the 海角视频 was frozen out of the scheme amid disputes between London and Brussels over the Northern Ireland Protocol, leaving many universities seeing their funding plunge. However, the 海角视频鈥檚 return to Horizon follows the establishment of the Windsor Framework in February this year.

Horizon 2020, Horizon Europe鈥檚 predecessor,provided a platform for Welsh researchers and businesses to take part in projects worth over 鈧�2.5 billion, involving 81 countries and bringing grants worth 鈧�153 million to Wales to date.

The Welsh Government, which advocated for the 海角视频 Government to negotiate full access to Horizon Europe during the Brexit negotiations, said the programme provides a major opportunity for Wales to remain an active and influential partner internationally, while 鈥渋ncreasing the nation鈥檚 attractiveness to talent, and the effectiveness of its research鈥�.

Chief Scientific Adviser for Wales Professor Jas Pal Badyal FRS said: 鈥淭his flagship EU programme offers an important platform to demonstrate Wales鈥� position as an outward-looking scientific nation which is committed to the highest level of research and innovation, working in close collaboration with partners across Europe and the rest of the world.鈥�

He added: 鈥淔ollowing today鈥檚 welcome news, I strongly encourage organisations in Wales to renew their relationships with their international networks with a view to bidding into Horizon Europe. Our European partners can be reassured by the eligibility of 海角视频 partners and coordinators.

鈥淲ales has unique expertise in many domains of research and innovation and there is much to be gained by working together on shared challenges.鈥�