Universities sound alarm over ‘worrying’ lack of support for academic freedom

Concerns raised over low backing among EU governments for European Research Area action

University groups have voiced concern over a lack of support from EU member states for academic freedom, after a major policy initiative received only just enough backing to be taken forward. 

Over the summer, member state governments were asked to consider whether to support 18 “priority actions” designed to reinvigorate the European Research Area (ERA), a decades-old EU-led policy package to improve European research.