Europe Seeks to Strengthen Its Environmental and Health Data Systems in Anticipation of a U.S. Withdrawal from Scientific Research

SadaNews - More than 12 European countries have revealed plans to protect essential data in the fields of climate, environment, health, and others by reviewing their reliance on previously available U.S. databases, and even inviting affected American scientists to join European institutions.

European officials confirmed that the continent seeks to enhance its data collection systems in the fields of climate, extreme weather phenomena, and health due to fears of what they described as a "general U.S. withdrawal from scientific research."

Adrian Lima, director of the National Center for Climate Research at the Danish Meteorological Institute, stated, "Reliable data supports warnings for extreme weather and climate predictions, and ultimately saves lives."

He also explained that his institution relies on data from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to measure sea surface temperatures and sea ice in the Arctic, among other data.

At the beginning of his second term, President Donald Trump withdrew from the Paris Climate Agreement and enacted significant cuts to the budgets of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Institutes of Health, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other agencies.

He also worked to dismantle programs conducting research in the fields of climate, weather, geographic data, and health, and disrupted some public databases, amid a broader retreat from previous climate and environmental policies.

The White House's 2026 budget plan seeks to further reduce the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's size by proposing a $1.8 billion cut, equivalent to 27% of the budget, along with a 20% reduction in staffing.

The plan includes the elimination of the Oceanic and Atmospheric Research Office, which is the primary research arm of the administration, responsible for ocean monitoring systems, coastal surveillance networks, satellite sensors, and climate modeling laboratories.

NOAA has also announced that between April and June, it will discontinue operation of 20 datasets or products related to earthquakes and marine sciences.

European officials believe that if access to U.S.-supported weather and climate data does not continue, governments and companies will face significant challenges in planning for and identifying extreme weather phenomena and making long-term investments in infrastructure, according to their statements to Reuters.

Last March, over 12 European countries urged the European Commission to move quickly to employ American scientists who would lose their jobs due to these cuts in the U.S.

When asked for comments from the White House’s Office of Management and Budget concerning the NOAA cuts and the EU’s moves to expand its scientific database, it stated that the budget cuts proposed by Trump for the agency in 2026 target programs that disseminate what he described as "fake new green science," referring to climate change research and policies.

Rachel Caulfield, a spokesperson for the office, stated via email: "Under President Trump's leadership, the United States has resumed funding real science."

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The Reuters agency interviewed officials from 8 European countries, who reported that their governments are reviewing the extent of their reliance on U.S. data related to climate, oceans, and weather.

Officials from 7 countries, which include Denmark, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, and Sweden, confirmed that joint efforts are in their early stages to protect health and climate data, and fundamental research programs.

A senior official in the European Commission stated that the EU prioritizes expanding its access to ocean monitoring data, which are vital to the shipping and energy sectors, in addition to early warning systems for storms.

The official explained that over the next two years, the EU plans to expand the European marine monitoring and data network, which collects and hosts information about shipping routes, seabed habitats, marine waste, and other environmental concerns. The initiative aims to "simulate and possibly replace the services available in the United States."

Another EU official told Reuters that Europe is particularly concerned about the impact of U.S. funding cuts to the NOAA's research arm, which is a crucial element of the global ocean monitoring system that supports navigation services, shipping routes, and storm forecasting.

Insurance companies rely on disaster records within this system to model risks, and coastal planners use shoreline data, sea level, and environmental risks to direct infrastructure investments. The energy sector also depends on oceanic and seismic data to assess the feasibility of offshore drilling projects or the construction of wind farms.

The official added that the EU is also considering increasing its funding for the "Argo" program, which is part of the global ocean monitoring system, managing a network of buoys to monitor the world’s oceans, track global warming phenomena, extreme weather events, and rising sea levels.

NOAA had described the program, which has been running for over 25 years, as the "crown jewel in ocean sciences," providing its data for free to the oil and gas, cruise tourism, and other sectors.

The U.S. funds 57% of the annual operational costs of the Argo program ($40 million), while the EU funds 23%. The White House and NOAA have not responded to inquiries regarding future support for the program.

European scientists acknowledge the leading role the U.S. has played in scientific research and data collection globally, while also affirming that European countries have become overly dependent on this role.

Catherine Bonning-Jaiss, scientific director of the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research in Germany, stated, "It's somewhat like defense: we rely heavily on the U.S. in this area as well. They are pioneers and role models, but that also makes us at their mercy."

Several European governments are currently taking measures to reduce this dependence. Norway's Minister of Research and Higher Education, Sigrun Asland, stated that the Nordic countries met in March to coordinate data storage efforts, and European science ministers discussed U.S. cuts at a meeting held in Paris in May.

Asland noted that Norway allocated 2 million dollars to support and store U.S. data to ensure stable access to it, and the Danish Meteorological Institute started downloading historical U.S. climate data in February in anticipation of it being deleted by the U.S. government.

The German government has also tasked scientific organizations, including the "Helmholtz" Center, with reviewing its reliance on U.S. databases.

Source: Reuters