Changes from plenary report to adopted text

– having regard to Articles 12 and 13 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union,

– having regard to the Bonn Declaration on Freedom of Scientific Research adopted at the Ministerial Conference on the European Research Area on 20 October 2020 in Bonn (the ‘Bonn Declaration'),

– having regard to Commission communication of 30 September 2020, entitled ‘A new ERA for Research and Innovation’,

– having regard to Commission communication of 18 May 2021 on the Global Approach to Research and Innovation, entitled 'Europe's strategy for international cooperation in a changing world',

– having regard to the European Research Area Policy Agenda, Action 6,

– having regard to Commission communication of 3 December 2020 on the European Democracy Action Plan,

– having regard to recital 72 of Regulation (EU) 2021/695 of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing Horizon Europe – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, laying down its rules for participation and dissemination, and repealing Regulations (EU) No 1290/2013 and (EU) No 1291/2013,

– having regard to the 2023 European Added Value Assessment on Promotion of the freedom of scientific research presented by the European Added Value Unit to the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy on 18 September 2023,

– having regard to Rome Ministerial Communiqué of 19 November 2020 by the European ministers responsible for higher education, in the framework of the European Higher Education Area, in particular Annex I on Academic Freedom,

– having regard to the UNESCO Recommendation on Science and Scientific Researchers (2017),

– having regard to the Recommendation Concerning the Status of Higher Education Teaching Personnel, adopted by the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), at its 29th session from 21 October to 12 November 1997,

– having regard to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,

– having regard to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights,

– having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,

– having regard to Rules 47 and 54 of its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the recommendations of Strategic Forum for International S&T Cooperation,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (A9-0393/2023),

A. whereas the freedom of scientific research, which is an essential element of democracy and one of the constituent parts of academic freedom, is under pressure in the Union and is gradually eroding, which is exemplified by the fact that on the Academic Freedom Index all Member States had a score above 0,85 on the index in 2008 while in 2022 some Member States have dropped significantly, the lowest score for 2022 being 0,34;

B. whereas restrictions to the freedom of scientific research have negative impacts for the Union economy by stifling innovation, slowing scientific progress, and reducing Europe's global competitiveness;

C. whereas erosion of the freedom of scientific research contributes to brain drain of top researchers, self-censorship among academics, less critical analysis on social and political issues, less interdisciplinary collaboration, less public discourse and debate;

D. whereas job insecurity affects the ability to fully enjoy the freedom of scientific research; whereas thousands of researchers work with limited-duration project funding, by way of individual or project research grants, fixed-term employment contracts or by performing specific tasks as self-employed persons, and have poor job security and labour protection;

E. whereas the Bonn Declaration includes a definition of the freedom of scientific research and recognises the responsibilities for both governments and research organisations to promote the freedom of scientific research;

F. whereas defending the freedom of scientific research ensures that scientific research contributes to the public interest and contributes to development and improved living conditions for people;

G. whereas the Bonn Declaration lacks implementation instruments at European level;

H. whereas a solid body of case-law of the European Court of Human Rights on academic freedom, including the freedom of scientific research, exists which sets out a number of legal standards and principles for the protection and promotion of academic freedom;

I. whereas, in its judgement of 6 October 2020 in Case C-66/18, the Court of Justice found that Hungarian Law on national higher education deprived the affected organisations of the organisational structure that is necessary for conducting their academic research, illustrating the erosion of academic freedom in Hungary;

J. whereas specific Union legislative acts limit the freedom of scientific research by submitting the academic sector to regimes primarily designed for regulating the internal market;

K. whereas Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, prior to her confirmation by Parliament, pledged in the Political Guidelines for the next European Commission 2019-2024 to support a right of initiative for Parliament and committed to respond with a legislative act when Parliament adopts resolutions requesting that the Commission submit legislative proposals;

1. Reaffirms the Union's commitment to upholding fundamental rights, including the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, academic freedom as well as the freedom of scientific research in all scientific disciplines and the arts as enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union;

2. Acknowledges the fundamental importance of freedom of scientific research in advancing our knowledge of natural and social phenomena, thereby contributing to the promotion of innovation, societal progress, and enhancing the overall wellbeing of Union citizens, both within and outside of the Union, and recalls that freedom of scientific research is a universal right and public good, to be applied to all scientific disciplines; underlines that in the global competition of research, development and innovation, freedom of scientific research is a prerequisite for attracting talent with competitive new ideas; regrets in that regard that the Bonn Declaration lacks concrete implementation at European level;

3. Acknowledges the profound impact of precariousness on the freedom of scientific research while precariousness in the sector persists; defends the labour rights of scientific researchers, enhancement of their careers, stable job contracts and access to comprehensive social protection systems; believes scientific researchers should be provided with quality jobs, decent working conditions, decent wages and healthy work places, including good work-life balance;

4. Highlights that equal opportunities, in particular those fostered by gender equality, are essential for the promotion of the freedom of scientific research as well as for ensuring that solutions to various challenges for advancing sustainable and equitable development incorporate diverse perspectives;

5. Emphasises the particularly precarious situation for early-career researchers and that, in order to increase the number of early-career researchers, clearer and more structured career opportunities should be established; stresses that this should also be guaranteed through fostering transparent recruitment procedures, free from any biases, and providing appropriate social security coverage to all researchers, including doctoral candidates who are engaged in remunerated research activity;

14. Is concerned about the recent backsliding of this fundamental right in the Union, which is essential for political freedom and social participation and threatens to undermine the development of a functioning and competitive European Research Area (ERA);

15. Notes that the Commission's communication of 30 September 2020, entitled ‘A new ERA for Research and Innovation' confirms that the completion of the ERA requires the full respect of the freedom of scientific research, which includes, but is not limited to, non-interference in research agendas, institutional autonomy, and adequate funding as well as the means needed for disseminating research results;

16. Is deeply concerned that the Commission, despite its strong words in that communication, is failing to use its legal authority to protect this freedom in the Union; reaffirms the Union's commitment to upholding fundamental rights, including the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, academic freedom as well as the freedom of scientific research and the arts as enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union; is deeply concerned about the fact that freedom of research is under pressure to adhere to moral and political reservations;

17. Urges the Commission to take all steps within its power to protect and promote the freedom of scientific research in the Union and to ensure that research ethics and integrity are not compromised, including using its legal authority to prevent any further backsliding regarding this fundamental right; calls upon the Commission to actively promote and fund scientific pluralism by supporting projects across the full spectrum of scientific research;

18. Calls on the Member States to fully respect and uphold the freedom of scientific research, and to ensure that any measures taken in the name of public interest, for example in the interest of national security, territorial integrity or public safety, for the prevention of disorder or crime, for the protection of health or morals, for the protection of the reputation or rights of others, for preventing the disclosure of information received in confidence, or for maintaining the authority and impartiality of the judiciary, do not unduly restrict the freedom of scientific research;

19. Stresses that the completion of the ERA requires the due respect and active promotion of the freedom of scientific research throughout the Union, and believes that any attempts to undermine or failure to actively promote this freedom negatively impacts the development of a competitive and innovative ERA; calls on the Member States and the Commission to further empower the scientific research community in their access, use and dissemination of any information relevant for its activity, including by leveraging open source digital tools;

20. Expresses its concern with regard to the Commission's failure to use its legal authority under the Treaties to protect the freedom of scientific research as one of the fundamental rights of Union citizens, which represent a serious abdication of its responsibility to uphold the rule of law in the Union, and calls on the Commission to take immediate action to remedy that situation;

21. Calls on the European Council to support the protection and promotion of the freedom of scientific research, and to ensure that this fundamental right is duly respected in all Member States;