As of Monday 9 November, 583 scientists had already signed a letter calling on the President of the European Commission to ensure that sufficient resources are allocated to research in the EU budget for 2021-2027.
Last July, EU leaders’ negotiations on the Recovery Plan and the future Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) resulted in cuts of €13.5 billion in the promised budget for research and innovation (R&I) (see EUROPE 12532/6).
“The drastic cuts to European research will have devastating effects on our ability to address major challenges of our times – including climate change, pandemics, quantum technology, artificial intelligence or personal medicine”, the signatories are concerned.
The time has come to listen, they argue, pointing out that many European scientists are now considering relocating their laboratories “to places where outstanding research is encouraged and matched with ambitious funding schemes”.
A few weeks ago, the president of the European Research Council had already expressed his concerns to MEPs, stressing that a budget of less than €120 billion for Horizon Europe would not be “in line with the political objectives” of the EU (see EUROPE 12566/11).
To consult the letter: https://bit.ly/35dR7fe (Original version in French by Agathe Cherki)