Cheers to a new solar system – and EU investment strategy. CEPS Commentary, 7 March 2017

Rinaldi, David and Núñez Ferrer, Jorge (2017) Cheers to a new solar system – and EU investment strategy. CEPS Commentary, 7 March 2017. [Policy Paper]

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Abstract

It is the archetypal tragedy of the ‘Union’: if something doesn't work, the EU is to blame, if something does work, nobody knows about it. No credit goes to the Union. Nobody notices the million great things that the EU budget concretely supports, unless... unless a new planet is discovered. Well, seven planets, to be precise. No, in fact, nobody noticed this either – not even this. But it is now high time to give credit to the EU’s innovation policy and its financial arm, as well as to Belgium and its researchers, who are responsible for the discovery of the new solar system, TRAPPIST-1. Of course, reports that "Nasa discovers new solar system TRAPPIST-1 - where life may have evolved" did appear in the news, since it was NASA that made the announcement and also co-funded the project.

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