The letter of 44 European Nobel Laureates and 6 Fields Medallists

In an Open Letter to the EU Heads of States and Governments, 44 Nobel Laureates and 6 Fields Medallists have stated their grave concern that the upcoming negotations on the overall EU budget from 2014-2020 will disproportionally hit the research and innovation budget. Read the open letter in your language:

On 23 October and the following days, the letter was published in leading newspapers across Europe, such as:

Financial Times (UK), Le Monde (FR), Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (DE), Der Standard (AT), Corriere della Sera (IT), Irish Times (IE), El Páis (ES), Público (PT), Postimees (EE), Le Temps (CH), Jurnalul National (RO),  Berlingske (DK), Svenska Dagbladet (SE), Népszabadság (HU), …

Reports were also given in Nature (UK), Guardian (UK), LaLibre (BE),  Volkskrant (NL), Prensa Latina, El Financiero, Lettera43,…

Meeting with the three EU Presidents

On 15 November 2012,  Herman van Rompuy, President of the European Council, Martin Schulz, President of the European Parliament and José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission received a delegation of science representatives and Nobel laureates to deliver the open letter and inform about the success of the petition. A press conference was held jointly with MEP Amelia Sartori, chair of the ITRE Committee and MEP Maria da Graca Carvalho, rapporteur for the specific programme of Horizon 2020.

Statements of stakeholders in support of the petition and the EU research budget

• Euroscience
• Science Europe (umbrella of the main European research funding and performing organisations)
• European University Association (EUA)
• League of European Research Universities (LERU)
• Joint statement of the three European Academy Organisations: Academia Europeae, ALLEA, EASAC
• Directors-General of Europe’s eight largest research infrastructures
• Young Academy of Europe
• Joint statement of four young academies in Europe
• ScienceBusiness