Representatives of the ChallengeEU Alliance took part in the “Choose Europe for Science” forum held in Paris. At the historic Sorbonne University, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that the European Union will launch a €500 million package for the years 2025–2027 aimed at “making Europe a magnet for researchers“. The funding will be directed to the European Research Council (ERC).
European Commission plans to introduce legislation that will guarantee academic freedom as a fundamental right and simplify visa and residence procedures for science professionals. President von der Leyen further pledged increased support for early-career researchers, who will be able to benefit from additional funding through the pilot phase of the Choose Europe initiative under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions.
“We want Europe to continue to be at the forefront of fundamental research. We want Europe to be a leader in priority technologies from AI to quantum, from space, semiconductors and microelectronics to digital health, genomics and biotechnology. We want scientists, researchers, academics and highly skilled workers to choose Europe. And this is why today I am presenting the first elements of our Choose Europe Initiative” – said Ursula von der Leyen and she emphasized that “science has no passport, no gender, no ethnic origin, and no political affiliation“.
French President Emmanuel Macron also announced that France will provide an additional €100 million from the France 2030 programme to attract researchers and make Europe a “safe haven” for science.
“The message is simple. If you like freedom, come and help us to remain free, to do research here, to help us become better, to invest in our future” – said president Macron and added: “There can be no lasting democracy without free and open science“.
Let us recall that a month ago, Ekaterina Zaharieva, the EU Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation spoke on a similar topic. She said then: “I believe that Europe can and should be the best place to do science and research in the world. A place that attracts and retains researchers, both international and European. In particular, those who are in search of a safe and supportive research environment. To ensure that Europe can be that place, we must enhance our pull factor. We must offer the best opportunities for scientists and researchers“.
The Paris conference brought together European Commissioners, scientists, researchers, and ministers responsible for research from EU member states, as well as representatives from non-EU countries (Norway, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland).
