Paris (Reuters) – The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, alongside Emmanuel Macron, announced on Monday a plan of 500 million euros in order to stimulate scientific research in the community block, as part of the conference “Chose Europe for Science”.

This initiative also aims to attract American scientists dissatisfied with Donald Trump’s policy on the old continent as the American administration threatens to reduce federal funding from Harvard and other American universities.

“Science is an investment, and we must offer adequate incentives. This is why I can announce that we will propose a new plan of 500 million euros for 2025-2027 in order to make Europe a pole of attraction for researchers,” said Ursula von der Leyen, in a speech delivered to the Sorbonne in Paris, alongside the French head of state.

By 2030, the EU intends to devote 3% of the gross domestic product (GDP) of the member states in research and development, she added.

Emmanuel Macron and Ursula von der Leyen announced last month their intention to invite scientists and researchers from around the world in Europe to carry out their work while many of them are now threatened across the Atlantic.

“We want to include freedom of scientific research in the law, in a new European law on the European Research Area Act. Because in the face of growing threats around the world, Europe will not compare its principles. Europe must remain the cradle of university and scientific freedom,” said Ursula von der Leyen, believing that this is the essential element of the project.

“We want to create a new ‘super scholarship’ of seven years as part of the ERC (European Research Council) in order to offer a longer -term perspective to the best researchers,” continued the president of the European Commission, adding that the financial component is the second pillar of the plan.

“Thanks to the ERC, we already support the researchers who settle in Europe by paying them additional aid beyond their scholarship. We now double the amount they can receive this year. I want to extend this support for 2026 and 2027,” she added.

The third part of “Choose Europe” relates to the need to accelerate the process, she developed, ranging from the most important scientific advances to transformer innovation through commercial opportunities.

“This is the reason why we will propose a European law on innovation, the very first, as well as a strategy for start-ups and SCALE-UP (a young growth growing),” she said, stressing that the objective consists in removing regulatory obstacles and facilitating access to venture capital.

(Written by Sudip Kar-Gupta; Claude Chendjou, edited by Blandine Hénault)

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