EC launches Call for Evidence on European Framework for Science Diplomacy

The European Commission has launched a Call for Evidence on the upcoming European Framework for Science Diplomacy. The call was launched on 6 October and will remain open until 3 November 2025. The initiative aims to improve the coordination and synergies in science diplomacy efforts in Europe building on an EU-wide approach. This is important to avoid vulnerabilities against the background of a rapidly changing geopolitical and scientific-technological environment, with global competitors using science diplomacy more strategically.

Since the Council in its Conclusions on the Global Approach to Research and Innovation (2021) highlighted the importance of integrating the Global Approach into the EU’s external action and called on the Commission and the European External Action Service to develop a European science diplomacy agenda, the need to link research and innovation (R&I) policy and foreign and security policy has become ever more evident and pressing.

This is reflected in the recent Draghi report, which clearly identified three major challenges for Europe: a. closing the innovation gap with the US and China, especially in advanced technologies; b. decarbonising the economy while boosting competitiveness; c. increasing security and reducing dependencies. The recent report on the interim evaluation of Horizon Europe led by Manuel Heitor pointed out that countries can be partners, competitors or systemic rivals at the same time, and the same country could be all of these in different domains of R&I. This requires a holistic and balanced approach, which can be delivered through the envisaged Council recommendation.

At their meeting in July 2023, EU research ministers expressed their support for the development of a European framework for science diplomacy. In 2024, the Commission tasked 130 science and diplomacy experts from across the EU and beyond to develop relevant recommendations, leading to the publication in February 2025 of the expert report 'A European Framework for Science Diplomacy – Recommendations of the EU Science Diplomacy Working Groups'. Following the report’s publication, there have been extensive discussions about the next steps with EU Member States and key stakeholders such as the EU Science Diplomacy Alliance and the Network of Science Advisers and Science Diplomacy Coordinators in EU Ministries of Foreign Affairs. In March 2025, the European Research Area (ERA) Subgroup on the Global Approach to Research and Innovation endorsed an opinion paper recommending ‘formal political recognition of a European framework for science diplomacy, ideally via a Council recommendation on science diplomacy’.

Call for Evidence on the European Framework for Science Diplomacy