Brexit London wants to pay the same subsidies that the EU – Le Figaro

Hoping to stem the fears born of the vote in favor of Brexit June 23, the British government announced that it wanted to replace the financial aid granted by the EU to agriculture and research.

the total amount could amount to about 4.5 billion pounds (5.2 billion euros) per year. The British government announced Saturday it had paid to farmers, researchers and infrastructure projects the same subsidies as those granted by the European Union (EU), hoping to stem the fears born of these sectors the favorable vote Brexit June 23 The measure presented by Philip Hammond, Minister of Finance, the agricultural sector until 2020, infrastructure projects approved before the amended budget last fall, as well as academic research projects covered by 2020, a European program for research and innovation.

During the referendum campaign, the proponents of maintaining the UK in the EU had specifically highlighted the financial benefits accruing from key sectors such as agriculture and scientific research of their country to the block. “We recognize that, throughout the UK, many organizations benefiting from European funds or who are about to benefit wish to have guarantees as to the flow of financing they will benefit,” said Philip Hammond in a communicated. Among the projects covered by the measure of London face a new Manchester University complex, north-west England, devoted to research on graphene a very promising material including electronic equipment for normal consumption, and which has a budget of 5 million pounds ($ 5.78 million) paid by the European Fund for economic and Regional development. “We are committed to providing stability and certainty in our pending EU departure,” added Philip Hammond.

London remains the master calendar to activate Article 50 of European treaties EU output modalities. Once filed, the negotiations should be completed within two years, which makes possible a departure from the UK on the horizon 2019. The CLA association, representing more than 32,000 rural farmers and owners , described the government’s announcement of “vital”. “It will reassure the agricultural and rural areas in the country. We were very clear from the beginning of the campaign for the referendum on the EU that it was the first decision that the government had to take in case of pro-Brexit vote, “responded the president of the CLA, Ross Murray . The Royal Society, the British Academy of Sciences, also praised “a welcome step” while British participation in several European programs has been called into question, according to its president Venki Ramakrishnan. “We have received testimony relating a desire not associate the British employees of the projects to the uncertainty about the duration of their commitment. That is why this announcement is so important, “he told the BBC.