EU announces 500m euro package to attract researchers

The European Union plans to offer a new 500 million euro package for 2025-2027 to make Europe a "magnet for researchers", European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen announced on Monday.

Stressing the crucial role of science, Von der Leyen lamented the doubts currently being cast on fundamental, free and open research, describing such scepticism as a gigantic miscalculation. "I believe that science holds the key to our future here in Europe," she said at the end of the Choose Europe for Science conference.

The conference, held in Paris and initiated by French president Emmanuel Macron, aimed to attract scientists from the US, whose research efforts are threatened by the Trump administration's policies.

Super grant

Von der Leyen highlighted Europe's "stable and sustained investments" and favourable infrastructure for research, and unveiled measures to address its shortcomings, including a seven-year "super grant" and a doubling of the top-up for research grants by 2027.

The EU aims to invest 3 per cent of GDP in research and development by 2030, Von der Leyen said. She reiterated her commitment to "enshrine freedom of scientific research into law in a new European Research Area Act".

To facilitate the arrival of researchers, the EU wants to "support public and private institutions to better link up to highly skilled workers and researchers" and "speed up and simplify the entry for top researchers" into the EU. "Because bringing the best from across the world is about bringing out the best of Europe," she said.

 

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen delivers a speech during the Choose Europe for Science conference in Paris, 5 May 2025 © GONZALO FUENTES / POOL / AFP


Related news

Website preview
UGent warns of possible academic risks in cooperating with US under Trump
Ghent University (UGent) has raised concerns about the growing risks associated with academic cooperation with the United States under Donald...
belganewsagency.eu
Website preview
Trump’s first 100 days: Brazen moves and global tensions
During the first 100 days of his second term, US president Donald Trump has dominated international headlines. His attempts at rapprochement with...
belganewsagency.eu

Share

Get updates in your mailbox

By clicking "Subscribe" I confirm I have read and agree to the Privacy Policy.

About belganewsagency.eu

Belga News Agency delivers dependable, rapid and high-quality information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, from Belgium and abroad to all Belgian media. The information covers all sectors, from politics, economics and finance to social affairs, sports and culture, not to mention entertainment and lifestyle.

Every day, our journalists and press photographers produce hundreds of photos and news stories, dozens of online information items, plus audio and video bulletins, all in both national languages. Since the end of March 2022 English has been added as a language.

For public institutions, businesses and various organisations that need reliable information, Belga News Agency also offers a comprehensive range of corporate services to meet all their communication needs.

Contact

Arduinkaai 29 1000 Brussels

www.belganewsagency.eu