To help promote a culture of evidence-informed policymaking and encourage stronger science-policy partnerships, the European Geosciences Union (EGU) will sponsor two scientists to work alongside a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for up to a week in November or early December 2023. The pairing scheme will enable the two selected EGU members to experience the daily work of an MEP, learn more about the role of science in policymaking, and potentially provide expertise on a science-policy issue.

We are pleased to announce that this year’s pairing will be with MEPs Martin Hojsík and Petros Kokkalis.

Martin Hojsík represents Slovakia and the Renew Europe Group. He is a member of the European Parliament’s Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety and a substitute member of the Committee on Budgets and Committee on Industry, Research and Energy. He is also the vice chairman of the political party Progressive Slovakia, and over the past 30 years has worked in a number of international organisations and led national and international campaigns focused on the environment. His current areas of work focus on soil science, chemical pollution, climate change and biodiversity, and protection of pollinators. We therefore strongly encourage scientists working in these or related topics to apply.

Petros Kokkalis represents Greece and he is a member of The Left political group. He is a member of the European Parliament’s Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety as well as a substitute member of the Committee on Budgets, Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development, Committee on Fisheries, and Special Committee on the COVID-19 pandemic: lessons learned and recommendations for the future. He is also the Secretary General of Organization Earth, an environmental education NGO and the Vice-President of the Kokkalis Foundation, a non-profit organisation that promotes education and training, culture and social welfare, medical research and information technology, and athletics.

Successful applicants will join the MEPs in Brussels and may be asked to participate in various aspects of policymaking, which may include:

• Receiving an introduction to the work of the European Parliament from the MEP or their assistants;
• Sharing your research and expertise where relevant;
• Joining privileged meetings or events that involve European Parliament staff (depending on scheduling and meeting sensitivity).

The pairing scheme will likely take place in November or early December 2023 and this opportunity is open to all EGU members who are EU citizens living in or outside of Europe, as well as EGU members who are EU residents at the time of application and the pairing scheme period itself. As a part of the pairing scheme, EGU will cover the scientist’s travel and accommodation expenses (within a specific budget – please enquire for more details). To apply, please fill in our application form, attaching a CV (max 1-page) and a cover letter outlining your motivation for participating in the pairing scheme, by midnight CEST 15 September 2023.

For more information about the pairing scheme, please email EGU’s Policy Manager Chloe Hill at policy@egu.eu.

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