The Young Academy of Europe joins several national young academies in an open letter to Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission. The letter criticises the decision to abolish the position of Chief Scientific Adviser (CSA). The initiative of the Young Academy of Sweden is being supported by the YAE as well as the young academies of Poland and Scotland. The signatories stress that the establishment of the post of CSA by President Barroso in 2012 was an important step forward to augment the quality of the European Commission’s decision-making process. Consideration of scientific results and thinking plays a pivotal role in identifying threats and creating policies that improve people’s lives. The academies also express concern that disbanding the office of the CSA followed an intense campaign from interest groups whose opinions were disfavoured by scientific assessments made by the CSA. Finally, the academies emphasise the importance of EU policy being informed by independent scientific advice, and asks President Juncker to reinstall the CSA or a corresponding function as soon as possible. In November 2014 Juncker announced that a new centre – European Political Strategy Centre (EPSC) – would replace the Bureau of European Policy Advisers (BEPA) of which the CSA Anne Glover has been part. The new policy-oriented centre does not include a CSA, a fact which the academies consider a significant degradation. See the open letter for more information.