European Physics Society expresses Investment Plan concern

The president of the European Physics Society has written to Jean-Claude Juncker urging him to reconsider budget cuts to Horizon 2020.

In an open letter to the European Commission President, John Dudley and EPS president-elect Christopher Rossel say that whilst they realise the complexities in moving towards new EU initiatives, the reduction in Horizon 2020 funding “ignores the importance of research and development as key drivers of prosperity”. The leaders describe that such a move, which particularly affects the European Research Council, “sends the wrong message to the scientific communities who are essential for Europe’s future”.

Writing to Juncker, the EPS says: “Weakening Europe’s potential to finance frontier research jeopardises its ability to develop the future technology that will be important for economic growth, job creation, and addressing societal challenges. The proposed cuts to the H2020 and ERC budgets would lead to the loss of approximately 150 ERC grants, directly removing support for 150 leading European scientists proposing revolutionary research. This loss of support will lead to a decline in Europe’s capacity to attract top rank researchers and compete on global scale.”

Dudley and Rossel conclude the open letter urging the Commission President to signal his “support [for] scientific research and co-operation in Europe”, and consequently securing funding to Horizon 2020 and the ERC. The EPS comprises 42 member societies and represents more than 130,000 physicists across Europe.