32 Amendments of Francesca DONATO related to 2023/2184(INL)
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 a (new)
Citation 8 a (new)
– having regard to European Food Safety Authority's Policy on independence,
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 17 a (new)
Citation 17 a (new)
– having regard to the European Parliament resolution of 12 July 2023 on the COVID-19 pandemic: lessons learned and recommendations for the future (2022/2076(INI)),
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the freedom and independence of scientific research is one of theare the main constituent parts of academic freedom and isare under pressure in the Union2 ; _________________ 2 STOA study: State of play of academic freedom in the EU member states: Overview of de facto trends and developments
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the Bonn Declaration includes a definition of the freedom of scientific research, expressing reference to the need to safeguard its integrity and independence, as well as a recognition of the responsibilities for both governments and research organisations to promote the freedom of scientific research, integrity and independence;
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. Whereas the Bonn Declaration includes in the definition of freedom of scientific research the right to critical debate, the protection of plurality of voices, the ‘right to freely define questions, choose and develop theories, collect empirical material and use sound academic research methods to challenge recognised knowledge and advance new ideas’; the “right to share, disseminate and publish its results openly, including through training and teaching”; “the freedom of researchers to express their views without being penalised by the system in which they work or by government or government censorship or discrimination”;
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D b (new)
Recital D b (new)
Db. Whereas protecting the freedom of research necessarily implies the need to safeguard the integrity and responsibility of researchers and ethical limits to research, through the inclusion of transparent, fair and excellence based procedures for academic progress and the competitive allocation of funding, including by creating rules, incentives and reward mechanisms that promote the independence, integrity and transparency of research, as well as providing support and guidance for researchers’ professional development;
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
Fa. Whereas any restriction on the freedom of scientific research must be compatible with its nature and its possible impact, with careful assessment of any risks, while respecting the rule of law procedures, and whereas the exercise of scientists’ freedom of scientific research must take into account the rights of the community, in particular fundamental human rights;
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F b (new)
Recital F b (new)
Fb. Whereas European Parliament Resolution 2022/2076 calls for further investment in research and development activities geared towards achieving public interest objectives (Article 296) and ‘calls on the Commission to use industrial, intellectual property and pharmaceutical strategies to encourage public funding for research and development projects in order to comply with the principle of open science and to close the persistent gap in research and production of medicines through partnerships, technology transfer and the creation of open research centres’ (Article 590);
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F c (new)
Recital F c (new)
Fc. Whereas, according to the widely prevailing opinion in the international scientific community following numerous peer review studies proving it, the COVID-19 pandemic probably originated from a laboratory leak of the Sars-Cov2 virus, of a synthetic nature, obtained through functional research, which clearly demonstrates the enormous danger posed by this type of research, from war/military purposes, which has already been banned in several countries precisely because of the unacceptable risks to public health in the event of accidents;
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Acknowledges the fundamental importance of freedom, integrity and independence of scientific research in promoting innovation, progress, and wellbeing in the Union;
Amendment 40 #
2. Is concerned about the recent backsliding of thisese fundamentals rights/obligations in the Union, which threatens to undermine the development of a functioning and competitive European Research Area (ERA);
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Is deeply concerned that the Commission, despite its strong words in the ERA Communication, is failing to use its legal authority to protect thisese rights and freedom in the Union;
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Urges the Commission to take all necessary steps to protect and promote the freedom, integrity and independence of scientific research in the Union, including using its legal authority to prevent any further backsliding with regard to this fundamental right; , in particular: a) making mandatory the full, detailed and up-to-date exhibition of procurers and funders of all types of scientific research carried out and published or otherwise disseminated in the scientific community, with express mention of the relevant conflicts of interest on any occasion of statements or comments made publicly, via each media channel; b) including in any public agency or institution active in the field of scientific research, medicine or other scientific disciplines transparency models already adopted by agencies such as EFSA for the management of conflicts of interest; c) introducing a prohibition for scientific researchers or senior officials, administrators or managers of research centres to take up positions or positions in public or private companies or institutions in the sector in which they carried out their work, with appropriate sanctions for infringements; d) introducing a ban on public or private institutions operating in the scientific, medical or research fields from recruiting their staff or, in any event, within five years of the end of the research project, former employees, advisers or collaborators of private companies operating or having an interest in these fields; e) introducing a prohibition in the Member States on adopting any measure that has the purpose or effect of discriminating, cending or marginalising from scientific debate those who support theories or conduct studies aimed at calling into question recognised knowledge and advancing new ideas, while at all events promoting open research, inclusive debate and the free rebuttal of the prevailing views by all members of the scientific community, without exception; f) fully and clearly defining and strengthening the responsibility of researchers and the ethical limits to research, consisting of the mandatory respect for human life and health and fundamental human rights as enshrined in the ECHR and the precautionary principle; (g) affirming an absolute ban on carrying out research with a profit in all laboratories located in the EU, for whatever purpose or reason, making such research a crime against humanity and promoting the introduction of the same ban in all third countries with which the EU has relations;
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls on the Member States to fully respect and uphold the freedom, integrity and independence of scientific research, and to ensure that any measures taken in the name of public interest do not unduly restrict the freedom of scientific researchse aspects;
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Expresses its concern with regard to the Commission's failure to use its legal authority to protect the freedom, integrity and independence of scientific research is a serious abdication of its responsibility, and calls on the Commission to take immediate action to remedy that situation, through the actions outlined in this proposal;
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Calls for recognition of the need to mobilise additional public funds in order to finance independent scientific research, avoiding private interference that could drive its ends or influence its methods or results;
Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Requests that the Commission submit, on the basis of Article 182(5), in conjunction with the Article 179(1), of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, a proposal for an act on the freedom, integrity and independence of scientific research, following the principles and aims set out in the Annex hereto;
Amendment 65 #
Motion for a resolution
Annex I – point 2
Annex I – point 2
2. The freedom of scientific research provides rights - obligations for who working within public bodies - to individual scientific researchers, rights and obligations for scientific research organisations, and obligations for public authorities.
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution
Annex I – point 3
Annex I – point 3
3. The proposal should build on the definition of the freedom of scientific research as set out in the Bonn Declaration, which includes in the definition of freedom of scientific research the right to critical debate, the protection of plurality of voices, the "right to freely define questions, choose and develop theories, collect empirical material and use sound academic research methods to challenge recognised knowledge and advance new ideas"; the “right to share, disseminate and publish its results openly, including through training and teaching”; “the freedom of researchers to express their views without being penalised by the system in which they work or by government or government censorship or discrimination”.
Amendment 69 #
Motion for a resolution
Annex I – point 4
Annex I – point 4
4. Scientific researchers should be defined broadly in line with the Council Recommendation on a European framework to attract and retain research, innovation and entrepreneurial talents in Europe. It should not extend to researchers performing research in circumstances where the freedom of scientific research can clearly not apply, such as scientific research for a private, for-profit company undertakings for direct or indirect profit, where such research is conducted to give the company a legitimate competitive advantage compared to its competitors.
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution
Annex I – point 6 – point d
Annex I – point 6 – point d
(d) the right to publish, share, disseminate and communicate openly, both intramural and extramural, the results and data of their research, without thereby incurring disciplinary measures, censorship, discrimination or pressure of any kind to discredit them or to restrict the freedom, integrity and independence of any individual researcher.
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution
Annex I – point 6 – point d a (new)
Annex I – point 6 – point d a (new)
(da) The right to freely define research topics, to choose, develop and collect empirical material and to interact with other researchers, in order to safeguard the principle of freedom, integrity and independence.
Amendment 84 #
Motion for a resolution
Annex I – point 7
Annex I – point 7
7. Individual researchers should be able to enjoy these individual rights without fear of reprisal. The exercise of those rights since it carries with it duties and responsibilities, may be subject to such formalities, conditions, restrictions or penalties as are expressly prescribed by law and are necesswhere they arye in a democratic society, in the interests of national security, territorial integrity or public safety, for the prevention of disorder or crime, for the protection of health or morals, for the protection of the reputation or rights of others, fdispensable and properly codified, in order to protect national security, health, privacy and the authority and impartiality of the judiciary. No limitation or restriction may be imposed for ideological, political or preventing the disclosure of information received in confidence, or for maintaining the authority and impartiality of the judiciaryligious reasons, nor shall it consist of measures affecting the fundamental human rights of the individuals concerned.
Amendment 98 #
Motion for a resolution
Annex I – point 13
Annex I – point 13
13. Governmental bodies in the Union, at all levels of government including the Union level, should have the obligation to respect, protect, promote and ensure the freedom, integrity and independence of scientific research.
Amendment 101 #
Motion for a resolution
Annex I – point 14
Annex I – point 14
14. Respect for the freedom of scientific research means that governmental bodies refrain from arbitrary interferences in and imposing undue restrictions on the freedom of scientific research, integrity and independence of scientific research, other than those resulting from respect for the fundamental principles enshrined in the constitutional systems and human rights enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights.
Amendment 102 #
Motion for a resolution
Annex I – point 15
Annex I – point 15
15. Protecting the freedom of scientific research means that governmental bodies have an obligation to take active measures to protect against third parties, in particular private and multinational lobbies, which unduly interfering with any dimension of the freedom, integrity and independence of scientific research.
Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution
Annex I – point 16
Annex I – point 16
16. Ensuring the freedom, integrity and independence of scientific research means that governmental bodies have to actively create all the preconditions needed for the exercise all aspects of the freedom. This includes policies for sustainable research careers.
Amendment 108 #
Motion for a resolution
Annex I – point 17
Annex I – point 17
17. Promoting the freedom, integrity and independence of scientific research means that governmental bodies have to engage actively with third parties to advocate for the respect, protection and ensuring of the freedom, integrity and independence of scientific research.
Amendment 109 #
Motion for a resolution
Annex I – point 18
Annex I – point 18
18. The legislative proposal should reflect that the freedom of scientific research has to be considered as a negative (free from interference) as well as a positive (ensure that enabling framework conditions exist) freedom. Scientific research should be free from undue government interference and tThere should a strong scientific community as well as a civic body receptive to scientific knowledge for the exercise of the freedom of scientific research.
Amendment 115 #
Motion for a resolution
Annex I – point 19
Annex I – point 19
19. The legislative proposal has to recognise that there are cases where scientific research and education overlap, such as in the work of a university professor or in the management of a department of a university. Given the legal basis of the proposal, as well as the very limited competences of the Union to legislate on education, the proposal should aim to protect the freedom of scientific researchintegrity and independence of scientific research, even more so when it overlaps with teaching and education.
Amendment 117 #
Motion for a resolution
Annex I – point 20
Annex I – point 20
20. The proposed act should be legally binding across the Union. The proposal should aim to create a legal framework which offers sufficient flexibility to balance the rights and obligations on a case-by-case basis and can be applied throughout the Union despite the vast diversity in the national and regional scientific research systems. It should create a starting point for the development of legal minimum standards for the freedom, integrity and independence of scientific research through case-law from European courts, including the Court of Justice of the European Union.
Amendment 118 #
Motion for a resolution
Annex I a (new)
Annex I a (new)
Obligations of scientific researchers of public bodies Independence should be one of the crucial values for scientific researchers of public bodies.In this regard, the proposal should introduce standards of transparency in order to protect the principles of freedom and integrity and guarantee the independence of the scientific work carried out by researchers in order to avoid conflicts of interest that could guide their ends or characterise their results, without hampering the principle of scientific excellence. The obligations of scientific researchers should include at least: a) the detailed presentation of the Curriculum vitae; b) the publication of a Declaration of Interest formally committing each scientific researcher to avoid any current direct, indirect or potential link likely to impair his or her ability to act impartially.Where necessary, in the case of activities already carried out for public or private bodies operating in the same field as the research project, the Declaration of Interest should indicate the area in which the activity was carried out, clarify the exact interest and role of the relevant body or organisation for each, specifying their role within that body or organisation.The Statement shall also include information that is relevant for calculating the impact of each interest in the financial sphere; c) the publication of an annual declaration of interest updating the position of each researcher or confirming his/her status; d) a prohibition – once the research project has been completed and for the next five years – to accept positions or positions in public or private companies or institutions in the sector in which they have carried out their work, with appropriate penalties for infringements; The Commission should oversee the obligations of scientific researchers through the introduction of a supervisory mechanism in order to protect the compliance of these operations – through ex-ante screening to assess the effective suitability of the scientific researcher in relation to potential conflicts of interest - to identify any shortcomings and to ensure that action is taken in good time for them, without hampering the principle of scientific excellence.