On Wednesday 29 November, members of the European Parliament’s Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) adopted by a very large majority (43 votes in favour, 3 against and 8 abstentions) a draft resolution by Christian Ehler calling for a legislative initiative at European level to protect academic freedom (see EUROPE 13252/12).
A meeting of the European Parliament Forum for Academic Freedom was also held on the same day, attended by the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, the European Commissioner for Research and Innovation, Iliana Ivanova, and Sabine Döring, German Secretary of State for Education and Research.
Christian Ehler would like the Commission to work on a legislative proposal to create an appropriate legal basis to protect academic freedom (see EUROPE 13252/12).
But in the opinion of Anna Panagopoulou, Director at the Commission’s Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, further analysis is needed to determine whether such an initiative is an appropriate response. Parliament’s position thus provides food for thought. The European official also stressed the need to maintain a research environment that is “as open as possible and as closed as necessary”.
Ms Ivanova also announced that the Commission was working with experts on an initial report on the threats to freedom of research in Europe, which will be published before the end of next year.
The event provided an opportunity to discuss the 2023 edition of the EP Academic Freedom Monitor, an instrument which, according to MEP Ehler, is not a political tool, but an empirical measurement tool designed by stakeholders.
According to the rapporteur on the resolution, the European average level of academic freedom is still high, but the trend is downwards. Levels are particularly low in the Member States, which already have scores below the European average.
Finally, Christian Ehler pointed out that, on the policy agenda of the European Research Area (ERA), action to protect the freedom of research is mainly focused on a new threat: foreign interference. However, according to the MEP, this runs counter to the facts brought to light by the Monitor. Although new threats are emerging, the traditional threats to academic freedom remain the main ones, in particular those linked to interference from politics and the State at national level.
Links to the draft resolution: https://aeur.eu/f/9ul
Link to amendments: https://aeur.eu/f/9um (Original version in French by Émilie Vanderhulst)