The European Court of Auditors criticised the EU for "shortcomings" in its system to protect industrial designs, trademarks, and unique agricultural products  - and, the auditors added, appears to charge too much for the service.  

The European Commission has suspended payments to Russian institutions involved in EU-funded research and innovation projects. In addition, the EU will not launch any new cooperation projects with Russian universities, research institutes and companies.

Governments, universities and individual academics across Europe over are being forced to choose whether to cut research ties with Russia after Moscow shocked the scientific community with its assault on Ukraine. Germany, Russia's second biggest research collaborator after the US, has said it will halt all scientific cooperation, while the UK is reviewing its links.

Slovenian universities and research stakeholders are decrying government interference in the appointment of a new head of the Slovenian Research Agency (ARRS). The agency's management board appointed cardiologist Mitja Lainščak as acting director on Saturday 28 January, a few days after the government replaced four members of the board who disagreed with that decision, and had instead twice proposed economist Lidija Tičar Padar for the job.

Start-ups and SMEs promised equity funding by the European Innovation Council (EIC) will have to wait "a number of months into 2022" for the financing, as the European Commission struggles with setting up the fund under Horizon Europe.

Europe needs to build eleven new international research labs at a cost of €4.16 billion, according to the latest roadmap from the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI), published on 7 Dec., as the European Commission called for a review of funding sources for the shared facilities.

The European Commission and the European Investment Bank (EIB) are to join the Bill Gates Breakthrough Energy initiative, in a €820 million deal intended to put some impetus behind the scale-up of critical climate technologies developed in the EU and create markets for them.

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Sixteen research and higher education organisations have written an open letter calling on the European Commission to allow them to appoint representatives to the European Research Area (ERA) forum, the body that will establish the governance and policy agenda of the EU's revamped single market for research.

Switzerland's ETH Domain call on the government to regain access to EU's Horizon Europe research collaborations.

A new Eurobarometer survey on ‘European citizens' knowledge and attitudes towards science and technology' shows that 9 in 10 EU citizens (86%) think that the overall influence of science and technology is positive.

New research points to growing participation of Western Balkans researchers in EU academic exchange programmes, as the EU takes steps to welcome countries in the region as associate members of the Horizon Europe.

EU officials are urging Australia and New Zealand to associate to Horizon Europe, publicly telling them how welcome they would be - but it's not clear if the feeling is mutual.

The 2020-2021 EUA Open Science Survey results provides a comprehensive picture of the challenges and achievements in Open Science at Europe’s universities.

The pact for research and innovation should give stakeholders a greater say over the implementation of the European Research Area (ERA), says Science Europe.

Launched two decades ago, the European Research Area (ERA) has made limited progress. The ERC Scientific Council fully supports renewed efforts for further development.

The long wait for a new ERC president is finally over, with the head of the European Molecular Biology Organisation, Maria Leptin appointed as president.

New head of Science Advice for Policy by European Academies is the President of ALLEA, and a fellow of the Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences.

Science Europe launches its 2021-2026 strategy in order to support its Member Organisation in their mission to create world-class scientific knowledge, delivering more benefit for our societies.

Parliamentary resolution seen as culmination of a campaign against gender, race and migration scholarship.

The annual European Research and Innovation Days bring together policymakers, researchers, entrepreneurs and citizens to debate and shape the future of research and innovation in Europe and beyond.

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