At the centre of European debate is scientific innovation, as a goal, but also as a major competitive gap with other areas of the world. Scientific progress is not just a matter of economy, investments and education policies, but also of freedom and limits of scientific research, which raises ethical and political problems that need to be faced. The European Union is already dealing with some of those problems, and it will do so more and more in the future.

Giving the importance of the issue, the ELDR group has decided to convene a "Forum on freedom of scientific research in the European Union - preparatory meeting for the Rome World Congress". The forum is scheduled to be held on November 9 (from 3 PM to 6.30 PM) and 10 (from 9 AM to 12.30 AM) at the European Parliament. Scientists, political representatives, research foundations and ill-people associations all over Europe will be invited.

The forum at the European Parliament intends to promote a confrontation on the status of the relationship between science and society, in particular between science and politics, and on the possible initiatives to undertake in the various European countries. The purpose is trying to understand which factors in the various geopolitical contexts are at the origin of the spreading of a perception of science as a threat to man and the environment, and how politics intervenes.

A confrontation should involve both the political and scientific world towards the role of science and politics, on a local or international level, in order to re-launch the function of the first as an indispensable resource for the latter in the governing the human problems as well as those of the environment. MEPs could benefit from this debate, that will involve as speakers scientists and representatives of scientific academies from EU Countries, political and institutional representatives from parliaments and governments, representatives of research foundations and ill-people associations. Diplomatic representatives in Brussels will also be invited to deal especially the issue of transnational cooperation, scientifically “poor vs. rich” Countries conflict (but also possible synergies and mutual understanding).

Sessions and themes will be:

1- Science, society and politics

2- Science, ethics and the ethics of scientific research

3- Science, technology and economy

Any session will have wide time opportunity for open debates with MEPs and other participants.