Discussion journal for the Ion Beam Community

["Nagy, Denes Lajos" <nagy.denes AT wigner.mta.hu>]

Hungary has been member of Europe's most poweful synchrotron light source, 
the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility in Grenoble ((ESRF, 
http://www.esrf.eu/) since 2000. The research infrastructure serving, in 
the first line, material structure and analytical studies is being used by 
about 20 groups from Hungarian universities and research institutes mainly 
in the field of engineering and physical sciences as well as life 
sciences. The annual membership fee of Hungary to ESRF is 245 thousand 
euros for which, however, presently no funding body can be identified. 
This practically means that, after 15 most successful years, Hungary will 
leave the organisation of ESRF, thereby closing the possibility of using 
this unique large facility by Hungarian scientists.

The Hungarian Synchrotron Committee is petitioning the Government of 
Hungary and the Hungarian Academy of Sciences to find a way for continuing 
Hungary's membership in ESRF. The petition can be accessed at

https://www.change.org/p/government-of-hungary-hungarian-academy-of-sciences-stop-hungary-s-withdrawal-from-the-european-synchrotron-radiation-facility

For further details please consult the petition.

If it is important to you that Hungary retains in ESRF - whether you are 
from Hungary, from any other ESRF Member State or from the rest of the 
world - please confirm this fact by signing our petition and encourage 
your colleagues and cooperation partners doing so, as well.

It is only the clear stand of the science community that may hinder 
Hungary's leaving ESRF.

Budapest, 28 June 2015.

                    Hungarian Synchrotron Committee