Academies Encourage the European Commission to Adopt a Careful and Ethical Approach to AI in European Crisis Management

A group of leading scientists nominated by the Academy Networks of SAPEA has provided advice to the European Commission on artificial intelligence in emergency and crisis management, through the Scientific Advice Mechanism. This advice underscores that artificial intelligence can significantly enhance emergency and crisis management across Europe through applications like early warning systems, damage assessment, and decision support, but requires careful ethical oversight, human control, standardized data frameworks, and recognition of its limitations in novel or morally complex situations.

Published on 11 December 2025, the Rapid Evidence Review Report was coordinated by ALLEA, on behalf of SAPEA.

“Over the past decade, the development and deployment of Artificial Intelligence have accelerated significantly. What was once confined largely to some research and industry sectors has now entered almost every aspect of our lives, thus becoming a societal, economic and political priority. Important debates and questions accompany the growing use of AI. One of those most pressing questions is how we can benefit from the full potential of these technologies, while also understanding and managing the risks that come with them”, said Prof. Paweł Rowiński, President of ALLEA, and Prof. Donald Dingwell, Chair of the SAPEA board.

Evidence suggests that AI performs best on standardised, data-intensive tasks typical in frequent disasters such as floods, wildfires, and droughts. It excels at repetitive monitoring tasks important for early warning systems and can process social media and assess damage at scales and speeds beyond the reach of human analysts. However, AI is not well suited to interpreting highly heterogeneous contexts or new situations where appropriate training data is lacking. Moreover, morally challenging decisions and trade-offs should not be referred to an AI tool.

The development and implementation of benchmarks, practical guidelines, codes of conduct and sandbox environments for AI in crisis management would allow the testing of AI under supervision and with ethical oversight, before full deployment. A new European crisis management data preparedness framework, with common standards and agreed sharing protocols, could help fill data gaps and promote data harmonisation between Member States, enabling the training of EU-wide AI for relevant EU contexts, and helping deliver better EU crisis management tools.

“Crises cross borders, but data is managed at the national level, leading to different standards. This diversity can lead to fragmentation in the data landscape that AI cannot easily bridge. Data preparedness is an important step to connecting these data systems that provide the necessary foundation for AI to provide effective decision support in European crisis management,” explained Professor Tina Comes, chair of the SAPEA working group on Artificial Intelligence in Emergency and Crisis Management.

The Scientific Advice Mechanism provides independent scientific evidence and policy recommendations to the European institutions by request of the College of Commissioners. It includes the Science Advice for Policy by European Academies (SAPEA) consortium, which gathers expertise from more than 100 institutions across Europe, and the Group of Chief Scientific Advisors (GSCA), who provide independent guidance informed by the evidence.

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Artificial Intelligence in Emergency and Crisis Management

 

 

ALLEA Welcomes Provisional EU Agreement on New Genomic Techniques

ALLEA welcomes the provisional agreement reached between the European Parliament and the Council of the EU on the regulation of plants obtained through New Genomic Techniques (NGTs). The agreement provides a more up-to-date and differentiated framework that reflects scientific advancements in the field and offers clearer conditions for research and innovation in Europe.

This development closely reflects to ALLEA’s long-standing work and positions on sustainable agriculture and food systems, where we have emphasised the importance of evidence-based policymaking and the need to support more sustainable and resilient agricultural practices. New genomic techniques may contribute to these aims by enabling the development of plant characteristics that help reduce environmental pressures or support adaptation to changing climatic conditions.

In our publications on genome editing, ALLEA has highlighted both the scientific potential of these techniques and the need for clarity, proportionate regulation, and transparency, including in relation to intellectual-property aspects. The new framework’s distinction between different categories of NGT plants, as well as its provisions for greater clarity around IP issues, reflect several of these considerations.

As the agreement moves towards formal adoption, ALLEA will continue to follow the process and contribute scientific perspectives to ongoing discussions on how new genomic techniques may support the transition to more sustainable agriculture and food systems in Europe.

 

ALLEA Affirms Solidarity with the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts in Light of the Planned Discontinuation of Structural Funding

The Flemish government has announced its intention to discontinue the structural funding of the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts (KVAB) as of 2026. In response to this development, KVAB, a long-standing member academy of ALLEA, has released an open letter addressed to the Flemish government outlining the anticipated implications of this decision and requesting its reconsideration.

The open letter sets out the importance of sustained institutional support for independent academies in enabling them to carry out their public missions, including the advancement of scientific excellence, the facilitation of exchange between science and the arts, and the contribution to informed public discourse.

Given these considerations, ALLEA expresses its full solidarity with the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts. ALLEA President Paweł Rowiński has signed the open letter, thereby joining the appeal urging the Flemish government to reconsider its funding decision and to preserve the conditions that allow KVAB to continue fulfilling its mission.

ALLEA encourages members of the academic, scientific, artistic and wider societal communities to consult the open letter and consider supporting this initiative.

Read and sign the open letter.

ALLEA Welcomes Joint Proposal by Universities and Research Institutes in Europe: Shared Vision, Unified Voice for FP10 Amendments

On December 1, 2025, leading organisations representing Europe’s research and innovation community presented a coordinated set of amendments to the European Commission’s proposals for the 10th EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (FP10). ALLEA welcomes and fully supports this joint initiative.

United by a simple and urgent call, the signatory organisations emphasise the need for Europe to act at the speed and scale the moment demands. The decisions taken in the coming period must demonstrate a clear and ambitious step change in Europe’s capacity to lead globally in cutting-edge research and innovation, accelerating both technological and societal progress underpinned by scientific excellence.

To this end, CESAER, the Coimbra Group, the European University Association (EUA), EU-LIFE, the Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities, the League of European Research Universities (LERU), and the Young European Research Universities Network (YERUN) have released:

● A cover note that provides a concise overview of our shared objectives and key proposals for the future of Horizon Europe (2028-2034).
● A full list of the jointly proposed amendments to the FP10 legal texts.

Together, these organisations represent more than 900 universities and research institutes across Europe. Their message is clear: FP10 must be equipped to strengthen Europe’s capacity to generate excellent research, attract world-leading talent, and translate knowledge into meaningful societal and economic impact. The proposed amendments aim to ensure that the final FP10 legal framework aligns with the needs of the research and innovation community and maximises the programme’s contribution to Europe’s resilience, competitiveness, and long-term prosperity.

ALLEA commends this collective effort and shares the commitment to a strong and ambitious FP10 that reinforces Europe’s scientific leadership.

The next chapter of Horizon Europe presents a unique opportunity to strengthen Europe’s research and innovation ecosystem. ALLEA will continue to advocate for a framework that empowers the scientific community and fully unlocks Europe’s talent and potential.

The ALLEA Science-Policy Standing Committee Holds Its Inaugural Meeting in Berlin

On 24 November 2025, the ALLEA Science-Policy Standing Committee (SC) held its inaugural meeting at the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences, marking an important step in strengthening ALLEA’s science-policy engagement and fostering collaboration among Europe’s leading academies.

The Committee is ALLEA’s central body guiding engagement in science-policy matters. Established to respond to the dynamically changing European research and innovation landscape, the Committee ensures that ALLEA’s activities remain timely, transparent, and strategically aligned with its mission to foster a scientific culture of inclusivity, responsibility, sustainability, and quality while delivering science-based solutions to the pressing challenges of our time for the benefit of society, therewith reinforcing Europe’s leadership in research and innovation.

The Committee brings together leading experts from across Europe to provide a platform for identifying and addressing key challenges at the interface of science, policy, and society. By coordinating ALLEA’s science-policy work and shaping the development of dedicated Task Forces, the SC strengthens the collective voice of the academies in European research policy debates.

Chaired by Prof. Godelieve Laureys (President of the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts, KVAB), the inaugural meeting focused on defining the purpose and tasks of the Science-Policy Standing Committee. Participants engaged in breakout group discussions exploring questions such as how to coordinate and monitor Task Forces effectively and how to enhance multilateral cooperation among member academies in a functional and goal-oriented way. They also discussed current ALLEA activities and explored priority areas for European academies over the next three years.

For more information on the Committee and its composition, please click here.

ALLEA Co-Hosted An Academy Executive Round Table on Funding for Cross-Border Collaboration at Falling Walls 2025

On 9 November 2025, the Falling Walls Science House in Berlin hosted an Academy Executive Round Table co-organised by ALLEA, the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences (BBAW), and the German Union of Academies (Akademienunion). The meeting brought together leaders from European science and humanities academies to discuss funding mechanisms and strategies for cross-border scientific cooperation.

The discussion focused on how European and national funding instruments can best support collaboration between academies, and how Horizon Europe could extend its impact beyond traditional project-based funding. Participants highlighted the need for sustained investment, stronger coordination across the European Research Area, and enhanced support for early-career researchers, including mobility and networking opportunities.

Beyond funding, the round table emphasised the broader role of academies in safeguarding academic freedom, promoting research integrity, fostering interdisciplinarity, and strengthening dialogue between science, policy, and society. The importance of supporting the next generation of researchers and building international networks was also underscored, alongside the value of humanities and social sciences in contextualising research and communicating its societal impact.

The round table was moderated by Prof. Dr. Christoph Markschies, President of the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences, and attended by ALLEA Vice-President Annette Grüters-Kieslich; Godelieve Laureys, President of the KVAB – Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts; Mark Walport, Vice-President of The Royal Society; Beate Wagner, Managing Director of the Global Young Academy; Joachim von Braun, President of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences; Mircea Dumitru, Vice-President of the Romanian Academy; Marileen Dogterom, President of the KNAW – Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen; and Yadin Dudai, Head of the Science Section at the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities.

The meeting concluded with agreement that strengthening collaboration, supporting researchers, and renewing the role of academies are essential for Europe’s ability to innovate and respond to global scientific and societal challenges.

ALLEA Celebrates the 200th Anniversary of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences

From 4-5 November, ALLEA participated in an International Conference celebrating the 200th anniversary of one of its most prolific members, the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (MTA).

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ALLEA Co-Organises Flagship Conference on Research Security

From 28-30 October, ALLEA co-organised the European Flagship Conference on Research Security in Brussels, together with the European Commission and 11 other partners.

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ALLEA Madame de Staël Prize 2025 – Thank You for Your Nominations! 

The nomination process for the ALLEA Madame de Staël Prize 2025 has concluded.  We would like to thank all ALLEA member academies for nominating their candidates! 

Nominations were received by 30 September 2025. In October and November of the same year, the Prize Jury will evaluate the nominations and select the laureate. The laureate’s name will be announced in December, with a Prize handover ceremony planned for the upcoming ALLEA General Assembly in Warsaw, Poland on 27–28 May 2026. 

The ALLEA Madame de Staël Prize is awarded annually. It is a part of the larger mission of ALLEA to promote the rich and diverse intellectual, scientific, and cultural heritage of Europe. It is awarded to eminent individuals whose work represents a significant contribution to integrity and development of Europe, thereby promoting and strengthening an understanding of Europe as multifaceted, intellectual, open, and vibrant.    

Read more about the Prize here.

 

ALLEA Responds to the Call for Evidence on the ERA Act

ALLEA, representing the European Academies of Sciences and Humanities, welcomes the European Commission’s proposal for an ERA Act as a major step toward a fully integrated single market for research, knowledge, and technology. The Act should build on existing initiatives, legally anchor the 3% R&D investment target, and address persistent disparities across Member States and regions. This requires transparent national plans, measurable milestones, and targeted capacity-building measures for smaller and less-developed regions to strengthen infrastructures, avoid brain drain, and enhance participation in ERA priorities.

The ERA Act must improve framework conditions for researchers by creating stable and attractive career pathways, particularly for early- and mid-career researchers, including portable and flexible funding schemes such as starter and smaller grants. It should harmonise recognition of qualifications, simplify mobility procedures, and institutionalise family-friendly provisions. The Act should also advance Open Science through sustainable and equitable mechanisms, strengthen the resilience of research infrastructures, and reduce unnecessary bureaucracy in funding while safeguarding the integrity of peer review.

Fundamental values must be at the heart of the ERA Act: academic freedom should be legally anchored, research integrity and ethics promoted (including for emerging technologies such as AI), and equality, diversity, and inclusion systematically strengthened. Excellence-driven, investigator-led research, including the ERC, must be preserved and reinforced. At the same time, the ERA Act should foster responsible openness to global collaboration, ensure proportionate research security, and explicitly integrate the social sciences, humanities, and arts into European research strategies. By embedding these principles, the ERA Act can deliver a truly inclusive, open, and competitive ERA that supports trust in science and benefits society across Europe and beyond.

The ERA Act is a historic opportunity to create an integrated and competitive single market for research and innovation. To succeed, it must: legally anchor investments, align EU and national priorities, improve framework conditions, safeguard fundamental values, ensure inclusivity across disciplines and regions, and reduce unnecessary bureaucracy.

ALLEA and its Member Academies are ready to contribute expertise and support in shaping and implementing the ERA Act.

Read ALLEA’s full response to the Call for Evidence on the ERA Act here.