About one month before the European Parliament's elections in June, the national science academies of the EU member states are speaking out. In an open letter to the candidates, the academies appeal to "preserve the open and internationally cooperative nature of scientific endeavors, invest in the full range of science and ensure that scientific findings are taken into account in political measures".
The President of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Heinz Faßmann, has also signed the letter. He says, "The freedom of science and research as well as the autonomy of scientific institutions cannot be taken for granted. With our open letter, we want to draw attention to the fact that this great asset of the European Union must be preserved, even if the balance of power should change in favor of the political margins after the EU elections. Sufficient funding is also a necessity in order to secure Europe's leading role in science and research."
The signatories of the open letter are in favor of investing at least 3% of GDP in science and research, as the ratio is lower in most EU countries. With a research ratio of 3.34% estimated by Statistik Austria for 2024, Austria is among the European leaders.
Another demand of the national academies deals with the inclusion of scientific evidence in political measures. "The challenges we face - such as climate change and the loss of biodiversity, international migration, food security and the energy transition, to name but a few - are so complex and urgent that they cannot be tackled effectively without science and a trusting dialogue between science, politics, civil society and economy," it concludes.
