A key initiative in the package announced by the European Commission is the Proposal for a Council Recommendation on enhancing research security, which sets the scene for EU Member States to establish measures and practices in their respective countries through a common European approach. It also announces complementary actions that could be implemented at the European level.
We believe The Guild’s statement on Responsible Internationalisation, published in November 2023, offers a positive vision for enhancing research security effectively, and we are pleased to see how the Commission’s proposal aligns with our own vision.
The proposal should guide the eventual co-creation of national action plans that can ultimately foster cultures of responsible internationalisation whilst enabling coherence at institutional and European levels.
A European approach for research security built by Member States and stakeholders for a level-playing field in R&I must consider fully and appropriately the risks of collaboration alongside the risks of non-collaboration. Research security can only be effective if researchers and institutions are entrusted to bear this responsibility with autonomy and academic freedom. Nevertheless, a commitment from the Member States to allocate investments to build capacity in research performing organisations should also be ensured in the final Council Recommendation and elaborated upon during any subsequent discussions between governments and R&I stakeholders. The cost and administration of novel measures without additional resources can hinder secure international collaboration and robust screening.
This proposal also envisages a European Centre of Expertise on Research Security at the EU level to support the policy actions of Member States. Resources made available for this support structure should not detract from much-needed investments in excellent research and innovation.
Finally, policymakers’ focus on what is ostensibly the most research-relevant initiative must not lead to losing sight of the other four initiatives for economic security. Boosting dual-use technologies in Europe, export controls, outbound investment and screening foreign investment consider a wide variety of activities across the economy. These initiatives prioritise critical technologies that are often inextricably linked to the talent, facilities, and expertise of academic institutions for more stringent monitoring. Thus, they could have a disproportionate impact on the R&I sector and undermine the objectives of building trust and effective practices as proposed in the Council Recommendation. Due attention to the principles and values embedded in our statement on Responsible Internationalisation is needed to mitigate this risk when Member States seek to enhance research security through a whole-of-government approach.
Ole Petter Ottersen, Acting Secretary-General of The Guild: “The European Commission has recently announced a package of new initiatives to strengthen economic security. There is a risk that measures taken to enhance economic security could inadvertently impact international academic collaborations. We should be aware of this risk. If there was ever any doubt, the lesson learned from COVID-19 is that security depends very much on the open exchange of ideas and information between academic partners worldwide.”
6 February 2024