Cardiff University leads EU science advice project
13 December 2016
Cardiff University will represent the UK in a major new project set up to provide evidence-based scientific advice for EU policymaking.
Launched today at a ceremony in Brussels, a new consortium of five European academies will provide qualified, peer-reviewed and timely scientific evidence to support the work of the European Commission (EC).
The project is entitled “Science Advice for Policy by European Academies” (SAPEA) and is funded through the EU’s Horizon 2020 Programme, bringing in €6m over four years.
The contribution of one of the five key academies, Academia Europaea, will be provided by Cardiff University, whose recently-launched Knowledge Hub is the UK’s official and direct link to the EC’s activities surrounding scientific advice, also known as the Scientific Advice Mechanism (SAM).
Cardiff University’s Professor Ole Petersen FRS, Director of the Academia Europaea Cardiff Knowledge Hub and Vice-President of Academia Europaea, said: "This is a unique opportunity for Cardiff University to play a key role in providing the European Commission with scientific evidence for policy advice..."
"Irrespective of the UK's future formal relationship with the European Union, decisions made by the European Commission will have consequences for the UK and, of course, Wales. Therefore, Cardiff University’s role in the European Scientific Advice Mechanism, via the Cardiff Knowledge Hub, will be of the greatest importance."
The participating European academy networks include Academia Europaea, ALLEA, EASAC, Euro-CASE, and FEAM, which will aggregate their existing structures to increase transdisciplinary cooperation among over 100 other academies in more than 40 European countries.
The Presidents of the five European academies joined the EC Director-General for Research and Innovation, Dr Robert-Jan Smits, at a launch ceremony in Brussels on 13 December 2016.
SAPEA Chairman and ALLEA President Professor Günter Stock voiced his appreciation that “the Commission has established a comprehensive system for providing independent and evidence-based scientific advice for EU policymaking. The five European academy organisations look forward to constructively working together with the SAM’s High Level Group”.
