Scientists, meet politicians

By her own admission, Melissa Bateson has spent most of her research career knowing very little about how the European Union sets science policy. Any scraps she did pick up were routinely distorted by the snide lens of the UK's tabloid newspapers.So when Britain's Royal Society offered her the opportunity to join in a partnering scheme with her local representative in the European Parliament (her "MEP" in Euro-speak) she jumped at the chance. "I was interested to see whether there was another side of it," explains Bateson, an ethologist from the University of Newcastle. "And to find out more about what it could do for science."Bateson and six other scientists from England and Wales arrived in Brussels early on the morning of May 30 and spent some time being introduced to the many different EU bodies. The next day was spent shadowing their MEPs as they went about their daily chores. "We sat in on a meeting of the Committee on Industry, Research, and Energy," recalls participant Hazel Mottram, a chemist from Bristol University, "where they were discussing the 7th Framework Programme [Europe's research funding system] ... and they started talking about how research scientists want this or that. I was surprised at how clued up they actually were."The politicians, from across the EU's member states, really did seem to have a sense of what was important for researchers, Bateson agrees. On the other hand, when discussion turned to how the European Union could keep a tab on the way money is being spent, signs of ignorance emerged. One committee member suggested that EU funds be given only to scientists who had published a set number of papers, she recalls. "I was quite struck by how poorly informed some of them were about how science works. They didn't seem to have a grasp on how to measure the output of science and assess how valuable it is." Over the next two days, the scientists visited the European Commission, which proposes new EU policy, and the European Council, which jointly decides with the parliament on setting new laws. They also looked in on a nongovernmental organization to get a sense of how it lobbies for change.In the course of the week, Bateson developed a new appreciation for the challenges MEPs face when making decisions about science. Her local representative, Fiona Hall from the Liberal Democrat party, seemed to be constantly on the move. "They have so little time when they're being briefed by experts on science," Bateson says. In the course of a ten-minute expert briefing, the politician has to grasp the subject and formulate a position, she marvels. "I suppose we all theoretically knew that, but seeing how they do their work really rams it home."Eluned Morgan, a Welsh MEP from the Labour Party, thinks the biggest surprise for the scientists was to see the importance of human interaction in policy setting. "It's not just about science," she says. "It's about winning people over to your point of view."In that context, she says, having a contact such as her scientist partner Helen Coxall from the University of Cardiff (whose research interest is climate change) can be vital. "It's not as if we don't have contact with people who represent universities, for example," she says. "But they're not the people generally who get their hands dirty, so to speak. Sometimes it's nice to get underneath the skin of something you're working on, and you can do that by making personal contacts."By all accounts, the two days the scientists spent in Brussels were an eye-opening experience. "It was absolutely fascinating," says Mottram. "I really enjoyed it." Over the next few months, the politicians will be visiting the labs of their scientist partners to get a glimpse into the lives of researchers. "I'm looking forward to it," says Morgan.

Scientists, meet politicians

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