More than just money

A hardline stance on the EU budget is national self-harm, says Wim van Saarloos

The Netherlands, a small country with huge scientific expertise, benefits greatly from scientific cooperation across Europe. Collaboration provides budgets, staff numbers and expertise that Dutch scientists on their own could neither access nor exploit.

But as EU member states negotiate the budget for Horizon Europe, the bloc’s 2021-27 research funding programme, Dutch policymakers have taken an inflexible stance on spending, which could result in a significantly lower European budget. In taking this approach, the Netherlands is shooting itself in the foot, says Wim van Saarloos, who recently stepped down as president of the KNAW science academy.