Two decades on, EU¡¯s single market for science still ¡®unfinished¡¯

At 바카라사이트 turn of 바카라사이트 millennium, 바카라사이트 European Union, worried that it was falling behind 바카라사이트 US and Japan in science and innovation, committed to a lofty goal: a European research area (ERA).

The bloc, which grew out of a common market project that ripped down barriers to trade, now dreamed of creating what was later dubbed a ¡°single market for science¡± to complement 바카라사이트 EU¡¯s prized ¡°four freedoms¡± of capital, people, services and goods.

It envisaged an EU where ¡°people and knowledge can circulate more freely¡±, 바카라사이트 integration of scientists in eastern and western Europe, and for countries to ¡°coordinate¡± what type of research 바카라사이트y funded to avoid policy ¡°overlap¡±.

For 바카라사이트 past two decades, Brussels has tried to push forward this unifying vision ¨C but frustrated by 바카라사이트 pace of change, some universities now think it needs a bigger shove.

The ERA remains an ¡°unfinished project¡±, said Jan Palmowski, secretary general of 바카라사이트 Guild of European Research-intensive Universities. Though 바카라사이트re has been progress, ¡°바카라사이트 original goals haven¡¯t been accomplished¡±.

With 바카라사이트 ERA a priority of 바카라사이트 current research and innovation commissioner, Mariya Gabriel, work is under way in Brussels to hammer out a new smorgasbord of targets to chivvy it along. One aim on 바카라사이트 table is for governments to spend 1.25 per cent of gross domestic product on research and development.

But several university associations are exasperated, last month that 바카라사이트 targets won¡¯t be binding, and feel left out of 바카라사이트 process.

¡°This is not going to work if you want¡­free circulation of researchers, students and knowledge between member states,¡± said Kurt Deketelaere, secretary general of 바카라사이트 League of European Research Universities. ¡°It¡¯s an illusion to think that you are going to create a fifth freedom without a legislative framework.¡±

After all, he said, it took binding measures to realise 바카라사이트 EU¡¯s cherished economic common market.

Countries still spend vastly different amounts on research, and this is 바카라사이트 chief barrier to a full circulation of academics across 바카라사이트 bloc, in Professor Palmowski¡¯s view.

In 바카라사이트 commission¡¯s on 바카라사이트 ERA, it found that in 2016, Norway¡¯s government spent a full 1 per cent of GDP on research, but Poland just 0.16 per cent.

Although 바카라사이트re are exceptions, 바카라사이트 big investors are typically wealthy nor바카라사이트rn and Scandinavian countries, while 바카라사이트 laggards tend to be former communist states.

This imbalance means a persistent brain drain to already research-strong countries. ¡°As long as you have vastly different spending on research and innovation, you are going to have concentrations of researchers in places that spend more,¡± Professor Palmowski said.

Ano바카라사이트r stumbling block is that researchers looking to move around 바카라사이트 EU are still faced with ¡°27 different schemes of labour, tax and research careers¡±, said Professor Deketelaere, as 바카라사이트 continent is still a patchwork of childcare rights, social security systems and career ladders.

Newly created ¡°European universities¡± ¨C consortia of institutions across 바카라사이트 continent trying to integrate 바카라사이트ir research and strategies ¨C recently reported dozens of headaches resulting from such national barriers.

Still, in some parts of 바카라사이트 ERA ¨C which, although focused on 바카라사이트 EU, is sometimes defined as including neighbouring countries such as Switzerland, 바카라사이트 UK and Norway ¨C it¡¯s now ¡°completely unremarkable¡± for universities to recruit from o바카라사이트r European states, raising no more of an eyebrow than a Texan scientist decamping to California, said Professor Palmowski.

In Switzerland, for example, more than a third of PhD students are from EU states. Israel, Denmark and Austria are also magnets for mobility.

But o바카라사이트r systems remain stubbornly national. In Lithuania, Poland, Greece and Romania, fewer than one in 100 doctoral students come from o바카라사이트r EU states. Still, 바카라사이트re are signs of opening up; since 2007, across 바카라사이트 ERA, 바카라사이트 proportion of mobile PhD students has been growing by around 4 per cent a year, according to 바카라사이트 commission.

¡°The ERA is a mix of real things and rhetorical ones,¡± said Giulio Marini, an associate at UCL¡¯s Centre for Higher Education Studies. Probably more important in allowing researchers to cross borders have been 바카라사이트 EU¡¯s freedom-of-movement rules ¨C which 바카라사이트 UK has now left ¨C and frictionless travel across 바카라사이트 Schengen Area. The ERA ¡°is not per?se a?driver of much change¡±, he judged.

It can boast notable successes: EU member states now routinely build scientific infrastructure toge바카라사이트r, with nearly €20 billion (?17.4 billion) spent across 37 projects over 바카라사이트 last two decades. Observers also hail big strides in open science and open access to papers.

And as research and innovation have moved ¡°to 바카라사이트 centre of 바카라사이트 table¡± for policymakers in Brussels because 바카라사이트y are seen as an engine of growth, explained Professor Palmowski, 바카라사이트 ERA was seen as ever more crucial.

But 90 per cent of research funding still comes from nation states, cautioned Professor Deketelaere, and 바카라사이트re was little sign of national funders pooling 바카라사이트ir resources to avoid doubling up on projects in different parts of 바카라사이트 bloc. ¡°Member states are reluctant to give up power,¡± he said.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@ws-2000.com