“It is absolutely vital that investment in our scientific resources – both human and technical – is sustained, at a time when a return to growth is the most pressing policy priority across Europe,” declared the heads of CERN, EFDA-JET, EMBL, ESA, ESO, ESRF, European XFEL and ILL in an open letter to Heads of State or Government of the EU Member States and the Presidents of the European Council, the European Parliament and the European Commission, ahead of the European Union budget summit of 7-8 February.

Member States’ failure to provide essential support for science threatens to undermine Europe’s capacity to achieve a sustained economic recovery.