Enhancing Research Security
02INTRODUCTION
ERA Action 15 in the ERA Policy Agenda (2025-2027)
Given how knowledge flows across the ERA and the strong international connections in the R&I sector, it is not possible to tackle research security through national efforts alone. Coordinated national and EU-efforts will provide a framework to share best practices and ensure consistency. In the first year, Member States will be able to assess their state of play and plan next steps to help each other achieve a base level of research security.
Objectives
- Improve research security in the EU to maintain a strong and open academic environment, taking the Council Recommendation on research security as a basis;
- provide a cooperation space for policy makers to share experiences and implement and develop a national approach to mitigate risks, while respecting academic freedom and institutional autonomy;
- empower the European R&I sector to optimise the opportunities and mitigate the risks of international collaboration, and to keep international cooperation open and safe.
Expected outcomes
The action will implement the framework of the Council Recommendation on research security in the following way:
- work towards a European cooperation space on research security by structural cooperation among Member State experts, research funders and EU-level research and innovation stakeholder organisations, as well as explore and assess options for more structural support in this respect, such as through a European centre of expertise on research security, taking into account existing structures and linking it to the one-stop-shop platform;
- convene policymakers, experts and practitioners around the theme of research security in a biennial European Flagship Conference on Research Security (2025, 2027);
- map, monitor and analyse national and EU level research security measures and initiatives, including through a biennial Research Security Monitor (2025, 2027);
- support information sharing, peer learning and capacity building, notably for the development of national approaches to research security;
- develop guidance and tools for safeguards in national and EU level research funding programmes, as well as for risk management and due diligence processes in research performing organisations (i.e: one-stop-shop platform on tackling foreign interference in R&I);
- closer cooperation with international partners on research security approaches and measures.
Given the sensitive nature of the topic, which often involves sensitive or classified information, participation will generally be restricted to Member States' experts.
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