The current argument over the European Union's budget for 2007-2013 might seem to be bad news for science, but there could be a silver lining. The immediate concern is that plans to spend €73bn on the EU's Seventh Framework programme for research - which would have an annual expenditure more than double that of the current programme - are likely to be delayed or derailed until the budget can be agreed. Failure to agree the budget will also hamper plans to set up a European Research Council (ERC) to support the best fundamental research in Europe, now called "frontier research" by Brussels. However, the debate that seems to be brewing about the future of the EU - albeit reluctantly in some member states - could result in a much higher profile for science and innovation across the union.
The fact that the EU spends about 40% of its budget on agriculture – a sector that only employs about 5% of its workers – is plainly crazy. The fact that India produces more science graduates than Europe should also be a cause for concern. The arguments for shifting resources from agriculture into science and innovation seem so self-evident that it is surprising that no-one kicked up a fuss about this a long time ago.
The UK, which is advancing this line of reasoning, has already indicated that it is willing to renegotiate its notorious rebate – which is currently worth about €5bn per year – as part of a wider package of budget reforms. France and other countries that benefit excessively from the common agricultural policy need to make a similar gesture. Germany is more likely to make such a concession if Angela Merkel, the physicist who heads the Christian Democrat party, replaces Gerhard Schröder as Chancellor later this year. No-one expects change to happen overnight, but planning for change needs to start now.
Similarly, no-one is saying that the Framework programmes are perfect and that they do not need to be reformed as well. Indeed, it should be embarrassing for the EU’s research directorate that, just as discussions about the Seventh Framework start in earnest, there are still complaints about the rules changing and about the increase in bureaucracy.
There are signs that things are moving in the right direction with plans for the ERC. This body will fund individual teams, who will be selected on the basis of scientific excellence through peer review in what the EU promises will be an “essentially bottom-up approach”. However, scientists should wait for the details – including the names of the 20 members of the governing council, which are due to be announced about now – before uncorking the virtual champagne. The real stuff will have to wait until Europe’s leaders finally come to their budgetary senses.
