Top EC officials underline commitment to academic freedom

Top European Commission officials have issued a statement underlining the importance of academic freedom to innovation and democracy and restating the European Union’s strong commitment to defending it.

But they combined their appeal with an open pitch to researchers facing restrictions on their autonomy, highlighting the advantages of relating to Europe.

The officials said academic freedom, the right to question, discover, teach, learn and debate without fear or censorship, intimidation or undue interference, is under growing pressure. Disinformation and suppression of intellectual dissent erode trust in science, and scholars worldwide face mounting threats.

“When academic freedom is limited, societies lose access to independent knowledge, critical thinking weakens, innovation suffers, and democratic debate becomes poorer and less informed.”

They said the EU’s response is clear. “We will always defend academic freedom as a cornerstone of democratic society, as recognised in the European Democracy Shield. This is why education systems must remain places where knowledge is built on evidence, debate is encouraged, and young people are prepared to think independently.”

Invitation to global researchers

But they used the warning to appeal to global researchers to choose Europe, quoting the words of President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen: “Europe will always choose science.
And Europe will always make the case for the world’s scientists to Choose Europe.”

Choose Europe, which offers more than 100 national and regional funding and support schemes designed to “attract, retain and develop research talent”, is “open to outstanding researchers from Europe and around the world”, they said.

The joint statement was made on 20 May by the commission’s Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy Henna Virkkunen; Executive Vice-President for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness Roxana Minzatu; Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation Ekaterina Zaharieva and Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection Michael McGrath.

They said freedom of scientific research is already recognised as one of the core values and principles of the 2021 Pact for Research and Innovation in Europe, placing it at the heart of the European Research Area (ERA).

Support for scientific evidence

The commission is preparing a recommendation on supporting scientific evidence and its use in public policymaking. This commitment builds on the 2020 Bonn Declaration on Freedom of Scientific Research and is firmly anchored in Article 13 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, which states that scientific research shall be free of constraint and that academic freedom shall be respected.

The commissioners said the ERA Act will embed this principle into action by providing additional safeguards for the freedom of scientific research.

“It will ensure that research remains independent and that no political agenda can dictate truth. It will guarantee open collaboration, protect intellectual independence, and reinforce Europe as a global leader in free, ethical, and excellence-driven science.”

It is not clear if this will entail going as far as the Guild of European Research-intensive Universities has urged.

It wants the EU to codify the Bonn Declaration’s definition of the freedom of scientific research into EU law and establish a European Ombudsperson to monitor breaches of the freedom of scientific research to admonish corrective action where breaches have occurred.

Through Horizon Europe, the world's largest international research programme, the EU already provides a supportive environment where ideas can thrive without restriction, the EC officials argued.

“We are offering researchers not just funding but a community where ideas are welcomed, not suppressed. For those escaping conflict, persecution, or systemic censorship, Europe provides both opportunity and protection. We offer a safe haven to researchers under threat.”

They said academic freedom and freedom of scientific research are also key strengths of the EU and a vital part of Europe's offer to the world's best researchers.

“By protecting open, independent and excellence-driven science, Europe strengthens its global attractiveness as a place where researchers can pursue bold ideas without political interference.”

Funding instruments

Choose Europe presents the EU as a global destination for research talent, supported by concrete measures such as the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA), Choose Europe for Science, and the planned European Research Council (ERC) Plus Grants.

On its homepage it highlights the experience of Anne-Marie Jeannet, a US researcher at the University of Milan, Italy, who said: “The way that Europeans reconcile work and life is really different. I've felt it much easier to live in this balanced way. Research is done but family life, friends and socialising are a really important part of European life.”

But it also quotes Marius Gilbert, a Belgian researcher at the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Belgium, saying: “One of the traits we have here is freedom of research. Academic freedom is absolutely essential to protect the development of knowledge and is something that I really value.”

In their joint statement, the EC officials said one practical way to uphold freedom of scientific research is to invest in funding instruments that trust researchers to set the direction of discovery.

This is why, in the next Horizon Europe programme, the EC is proposing to double the support for the ERC and to substantially increase the MSCA budget.

“Through their bottom-up, excellence-based approach, the ERC and MSCA give researchers the freedom to follow their scientific curiosity, develop independent careers, collaborate across borders and break new ground,” they said.

“Yet significant challenges remain. Attacks on university autonomy, the politicisation of research, and the targeting of academics for their views pose serious threats to academic freedom.”

They said the EU will continue to address these risks head-on, supporting scholars at risk, promoting open scientific collaboration, and advocating for environments in which research can flourish without undue interference.