Congress approves the reform of the science law without votes against

The Congress of Deputies has approved today, with the votes in favor of the main parliamentary groups —including the PP—, the reform of the Law of Science, Technology and Innovation.

The new regulation aims to ensure a continued increase in public investment in research until Spain reaches the objectives recommended by the European Union in 2030, set at 1.25% of GDP —the current level is around 0.58%—, as and as announced to EL PAÍS in February by the Minister of Science, Diana Morant.

The norm has been approved with 279 votes in favor, 62 abstentions —including those of the Vox group and the Basque Nationalist Party— and no votes against.

In his speech before the vote, Morant said: “Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for your constructive work.

Today the policy responds to the demands of the scientific community”.

This reform modifies the science law approved in 2011 by the socialist executive of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero.

The minister at that time was Cristina Garmendia and the objectives of the regulation were very similar to those of the current reform: to provide job stability for young researchers and streamline the operation of research centers, where bureaucracy has reached unsuspected limits , like scientists can't even buy chairs.

The reform approved today creates several types of more stable contracts for researchers and technologists at different points in their careers.

The indefinite contract for researchers aims to put an end to a problem that the R+D+i system has dragged on for decades: the chain of temporary contracts until well past 40 years.

The version approved today in Congress also contemplates measures to match the merits of researchers who have worked abroad to those who have developed most of their career in Spain, as well as those who have done it in universities, and not only in public research organizations.

Young scientists will be eligible for a new contract to access the public R&D&i system.

It will last between three and six years and will be applied in public universities and organizations, foundations and consortiums of the public sector.

The beneficiaries will be entitled to compensation, something that was not given before.

Likewise, the regulation provides that contracted predoctoral researchers have the right to compensation when their contract expires.

The text also defines the new career for technical staff and health research staff in hospitals and foundations linked to them.

The modification of the norm also tries to alleviate the enormous bureaucratic obstacles that still afflict some research centers, to the paradoxical limit that they cannot spend the funds they obtain and must return them.

The new regulation promoted by the Government simplifies the justification of expenses with public funds and reformulates their inspection, which will be done by sampling.

The new text includes the amendments defended by different groups, such as health researchers or unions, who claimed that the stability guaranteed by the labor reform be applied to the entire public science system without distinction.

This measure will reduce temporary employment by half, according to the CC OO union.

For example, in the CSIC, the largest public research body with 13,500 workers, it is expected to go from 45% temporary to 20%, according to the calculations of this organization.

The Government has taken advantage of the reform to create the Spanish Space Agency, which will depend on the Ministry of Science and will materialize "without an increase in public spending".

The objective of the agency will be "the promotion, execution and development of research, technological development and innovation in the field of space, state and international coordination of Spanish space policy".

The Executive undertakes to create a statute for the agency within a maximum period of one year.

You can follow