EU Strengthens Science Diplomacy and Research Security
On 27 February 2026, the European Commission presented a new package of measures to strengthen how Europe engages internationally through research and innovation reinforcing global partnerships while safeguarding strategic interests and keeping international cooperation open and secure.
The package includes three key elements:
- a proposal for a Council Recommendation establishing the first-ever EU framework for science diplomacy;
- the Research Security Monitor 2025, which maps the state of research security policies across Member States;
- and the Global Approach Implementation Report 2023–2025, reviewing progress on the EU’s international cooperation strategy in research and innovation.
The Commission’s initiative confirms what was already clear at the ESEIA 14th Lecture Series Science Diplomacy. Geopolitics of Science held on 12 June 2025: science diplomacy is no longer a niche concern it is a central pillar of Europe’s strategic autonomy.
The Commission’s new measures now translate that vision into concrete policy, a significant step forward for European research communities, universities, and innovation alliances like ESEIA.
Watch the ESEIA 14th Lecture Series Science Diplomacy. Geopolitics of Science recording.
Source: European Commission: Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, European Union framework for science diplomacy, Publications Office of the European Union, 2026, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2777/7445945
