On Wednesday 24 January, the European Commission announced a major package on European economic security (see other article), following the publication in June 2023 of its communication on a strategy based on three pillars: promoting European competitiveness, protecting European economic security and building relationships with partners on the world stage. Two texts in the package concern research: a ‘white paper’ to promote dual-use technologies and a draft recommendation to improve the safety of research.
Dual-use technologies. The Commission has adopted a ‘white paper’ to support a consultation, open until 30 April, on support for research and development (R&D) into dual-use technologies in the EU. These technologies can have both civilian and military applications. This text forms part of the ‘promotion’ pillar of the economic security strategy.
The Commission believes that the current framework separates the two technologies, and that this affects the ability to promote these technologies. During negotiations on the Horizon Europe framework programme, the Commission wanted to open the door to funding for research with military applications. The co-legislators decided that Horizon Europe would only fund R&D for civilian purposes. Defence R&D activities are supported by the European Defence Fund.
However, the institution believes that cross-fertilisation between civil and defence research could be beneficial, contributing to Europe’s strategic autonomy and opening up opportunities for business.
Three options for moving forward. The Commission wishes to consult interested parties on three proposed options. The first would be to build on the current legislative framework and make improvements to it, such as pursuing synergies between civil and defence R&D or exploiting R&D projects and results to develop them for dual-use applications.
The second would be to move away, in certain parts of the next European R&I framework programme, from the current approach where only civil applications are envisaged by removing the exclusive focus on such applications in certain parts of the next framework programme. However, the Commission believes that it would be appropriate to assess the possible impact on other programmes, depending on the areas chosen.
Finally, the third option would be to create a specific R&D-focused instrument with dual-use potential, its own budget and its own decision-making and participation rules. However, the Commission considers that, although this choice is likely to bring visibility to these technologies, it includes risks, in particular of increased complexity, rigidity in the allocation of resources, and duplication.
Search security. The Commission has also adopted a draft recommendation on research security aimed at providing guidance to Member States and the R&I sector on how to address risks to research security by following the principle of ‘as open as possible, as closed as necessary’, maintaining academic freedom, the proportionality of measures (by adopting a due diligence approach, in particular) and the principle of self-governance in the research sector.
In an environment of heightened global tensions, the sector is considered particularly vulnerable to hostile interference and hybrid threats because of its intrinsically open and internationalised nature. The document sets out the principles for responsible internationalisation.
The draft recommendation sets out guidelines for initiatives that the Member States can undertake in a coherent approach and in dialogue with the R&I sector, such as the creation of advice centres for researchers or the communication by security and intelligence agencies of threat analyses specific to the R&I sector. The Member States are also invited to contribute proactively to the EU’s one-stop-shop platform for combating foreign interference in R&I.
The document also outlines avenues for the research sector. These include setting up in-house risk assessment procedures when entering into international cooperation, setting up awareness-raising and training activities, taking risk into account when recruiting new researchers, and protecting sensitive knowledge and infrastructures.
Finally, the document provides advice for research funding bodies.
In addition, the European Commission has announced the establishment of a European Centre of Expertise on Research Security, linked to its one-stop-shop platform for combating foreign interference in R&I.
The Commission has also announced that it will develop tools to support research organisations in making an informed choice of their potential partners and in interpreting the applicable European legislation.
The European Commissioner for Competition, Margrethe Vestager, hopes that an agreement will be reached by the time of the EU Council meeting on 23 May, and has emphasised the willingness of the Belgian Presidency of the EU Council to work towards this goal.
Link to the white paper: https://aeur.eu/f/ajg
Link to the draft recommendation: https://aeur.eu/f/ajf (Original version in French by Émilie Vanderhulst)