EU bid to stop the brain drain
A £1bn (€1.56bn) plan to plug the European brain drain was today launched by the Brussels Commission.
Eurocrats are pouring money into keeping valuable scientists in the EU by making jobs more attractive and deterring the home-grown ‘‘brains’’ from taking more lucrative jobs in America.
The aim is to match the higher salaries and better research facilities that attract boffins away from EU countries.
The Commission money to promote ‘‘human resources’’ in scientific research will be spent on removing legal and administrative red tape impeding the movement of researchers around the EU and on co-ordinating national policies on scientific research.
Another aim is to improve EU information networks to ease the work of researchers, particularly on the Internet.
‘‘The European brain drain is difficult to measure but it is a reality,’’ said EU research commissioner Philippe Busquin.
‘‘Many of the best European researchers seem keen to move elsewhere, particularly to the United States.
‘‘This loss of human and intellectual wealth robs European science of valuable resources.’’
