Changes from report parliamentary committee draft to plenary report

Change 6

Changed10. CallsTakes onnote of the Europeandefinition Councilof tothe supportfreedom theof protectionscientific andresearch promotionin Annex II, point (2) of the freedomCommission proposal of scientific13. research,July and2023. tofor ensurea thatCouncil thisRecommendation fundamentalon righta isEuropean fullyframework respectedto inattract alland Memberretain States;research, innovation and entrepreneurial talents in Europe;

Change 7

Removed11. Requests that the Commission submit, on the basis of Article 182(5), in conjunction with the Article 179(1), of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, a proposal for an act on the freedom of scientific research, following the principles and aims set out in the Annex hereto;

Added11. Believes that freedom of scientific research must come with the responsibility to respect highest ethical standards and integrity in scientific research and should foster Open Science; emphasises that integrity of scientific research requires transparency of funding, and that the freedom of scientific research brings a responsibility towards society to provide this transparency; strongly supports, therefore, the common practice of transparent communication on sources of funding for research activities and calls on the scientific sector to safeguard this practice;

Removed12. Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council, the Commission and the national parliaments.

Added12. Emphasises the decisive role of a properly designed and well implemented enabling framework to effectively protect and promote freedom of scientific research throughout the Union, taking into utmost account of available public support to facilitate production, sharing and spreading of knowledge, as a public good, and to avoid any risk of interference or undermining of independence of scientific research;

Added13. Insists on the relevance of open knowledge to ensure the freedom of scientific research; calls for efficient and transparent creation of knowledge without artificial barriers hindering the access to information and its dissemination; estimates that sharing results of scientific research for non-commercial purposes must be protected by Union law and actively promoted; stresses that publicly funded scientific results shall be published in open-access academic journals and the results shall be accessible for everyone in an easily accessible way;

Added14. 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);

Added15. 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;

Added16. 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;

Added17. 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;

Added18. 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;

Added19. 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;

Added20. 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;

Added21. 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;

Added22. Calls for the recognition of the need to mobilise additional public funds in order to finance independent scientific research, avoiding undue interference that could drive its ends or influence its methods or results;

Added23. Calls on the Commission and Member States to promote public awareness of the importance of freedom of scientific research through education, public outreach, and support for science journalism;

Added24. Requests that the Commission submit, on the basis of Article 182(5), in conjunction with the Article 179(1), of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, a proposal for an act on the freedom of scientific research, following the principles and aims set out in the Annex hereto to guarantee, protect and promote this freedom at the level of research organisations and of researchers all along their careers;

Added25. Instructs its President to forward this resolution and the accompanying recommendations to the Commission and the Council, and to the national parliaments.