Call to Action: EC to Remove "Research" and "Education" from the “Education, Research, Innovation and Youth” Commissioner Position

Many of you are aware of the "Freedom of Research" petition which asks the European Commission to revise the position title for Commissioner Mariya Gabriel from "Youth and Innovation" to “Education, Research, Innovation and Youth”, and calling upon the European Parliament to request this change before confirming the nominees for this position.  If no changes are made, this would be the first time in European Commission history that the word “research” disappears from this vital oversight position.

By removing “Education and Research” from the title of this commissioner position, we run the risk of prioritising these crucial areas of focus within the larger EU agenda. 

The time to raise awareness is almost over: on Monday, September 30th, the European Parliament's ITRE and CULT committees will audit Commissioner Gabriel about her mandate and programme.

It is important to raise awareness among members of your national Parliaments as well as MEPs in the EP's ITRE and CULT committees, in order to suggest they discuss the issue during Commissioner Gabriel's audition.

It is critical for members of the scientific community across Europe to inform our representatives of National Parliaments and our MEPs about the possible negative outcomes of the elimination of the words "Research" and "Education" from the European Commission's portfolios. 

EuroStemCell and our associated members fully support this action in our ongoing commitment to raising the profile of research and education as a public good.