Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Science in Europe: siloed and silenced

Europe's efforts to build a knowledge-based society are doomed because of its inability to embrace innovation. Instead, according to Brussels-based scientific public affairs consultant David Zaruk, we are building an "influence-based society", in which policy is determined not by scientific considerations but by "eco-religious fundamentalists".

Zaruk sets out his stall in an extensive and stimulating interview with EuroActiv. He sees the European Commission's silo-based approach to policy as part of the problem - while DG Research is actively promoting scientific research, DG Sanco is actively hampering it through an overly zealous embrace of the precautionary principle.

Speaking at the World Conference of Science Journalists in London back in July, the UK's chief scientific adviser John Beddington was also critical of the absence of a scientific input into the European Union's policy-making process. The European Commission has scientific committees that speak when they are spoken to, he says. But neither the president of the Commission nor any individual commissioners has an independent scientific adviser. "We see real problems there," says Beddington.

But the problem extends beyond Brussels. Ireland and the UK are, he says, the only EU member states with a chief scientific adviser. The contrast between the EU and the USA couldn't be stronger. Barack Obama's administration is packed with heavy hitters, such as Steven Chu, Steve Koonin, Harold Varmus and John Holdren. Where - or, heaven help us, who - are their European counterparts?


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