re: Europe's own Mars rover plans
But work with JPL in what way?
Buy the technology off them? Not going to happen for political reasons on both sides of the pond. ITAR is a big show stopper, and in the same way that the US tax payer wouldnt much like the idea of a NASA budget being spent on buying in say, European technology, the opposite is also true.
Exo Mars is a chance for European scientists and engineers to do this for themselves, not just try and copy someone else.
Frankly - building the rover is a cake walk compared to EDL - that's the challenge.