As EU leaders met on 19 June to discuss the EU’s long-term budget and COVID-19 recovery fund, Science Europe published a statement stating that Europe and the European Research Area (ERA) have an important role to keep leading the global response to COVID-19.

In its statement, Science Europe calls for a strategic and co-ordinated approach to long-term research and innovation is needed to address the pandemic and its consequences.

Science Europe supports the First ‘ERAvsCorona’ Action Plan, as a good set of actions to leverage the research capacities of EU Member States’ and Associated Countries under the ERA framework and Horizon Europe, the upcoming framework programme for research and innovation (R&I).

More specifically, Science Europe stresses seven key issues, for consideration by the European Commission, the Member States and Associated Countries:

  • Stronger long-term investment in R&I, as the main means to prepare the future to cope with viral diseases.
  • A co-funded partnership for long-term research, development, and innovation on biomedical solutions, that does not only not provide funds for R&I on economic and societal responses, but also include assistance to third countries.
  • Aworldwide co-ordinated approach, contributing with larger-scale, multi-country clinical trials to assess interventions like therapeutics and vaccines.
  • A rich and diverse research ecosystem including all socio-economic and cultural fields is the best investment towards a resilient society.
  • Further communication sharing and exchange with citizens during the crisis and fight fake news.
  • Further support the efforts by research actors (research performers, research funders, scholarly publishers) in publishing research results, ensuring immediate open access to research results and data.
  • Promotion and application of best practices in sharing research data including data from clinical trials and other COVID-19-related research (e.g. omics practices, epidemiology and social sciences) for rapid response and informed decision-making

In another statement, Science Europe urges EU decision-makers to secure an ambitious budget for research in the Multiannual Framework Programme for 2021-2027. This budget needs to be substantial, in line with the European Parliament’s position, calling for €120 billion to be allocated to Horizon Europe.

Science Europe argues that it is essential to capitalise on the whole spectrum of Europe’s world-leading research, if  it is to address global challenges and lead the transition to sustainable and resilient societies. Research, in particular, will be crucial to develop solutions to current and future health, environmental, social, and economic challenges, but also to better understand and address their root causes.

For all previous statements, visit the website: http://www.scienceeurope.org/what-s-going-on/