The European Union plans to offer a “new €500 million package” for 2025-2027 to make Europe an attractive hub for researchers, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Monday.
She emphasised the crucial role of science, lamenting the doubts currently cast on fundamental, free, and open research, describing such scepticism as a major misjudgement. “Science is the key to our future here in Europe,” she declared at the conclusion of the “Choose Europe for Science” conference.
This conference, held in Paris and initiated by French President Emmanuel Macron, aims to attract scientists based in the United States, where their research efforts are threatened by the policies of the Trump administration.
Highlighting Europe’s "stable and sustained investments" and favourable "infrastructure" for research, Ursula von der Leyen unveiled measures to address its "shortcomings," including a new seven-year "super-grant" and doubling the "supplementary amount" for research grants by 2027.
In the medium and long-term, she stated: "With our Member States, we aim to reach the target of 3% of GDP for investment in research and development by 2030."
She reiterated her commitment to "enshrine the freedom of scientific research in law through a new legislative act on the European Research Area."
To facilitate researchers’ arrival, "we want to help public and private institutions better connect with highly qualified workers and researchers" and "accelerate and simplify the entry of top-level researchers" into the European Union.
"Bringing in the best researchers from around the world is about bringing out the best in Europe," she asserted.
