Wissenschaftsrat
WR
Der Wissenschaftsrat berät die Bundesregierung und die Regierungen der Länder in Fragen der inhaltlichen und strukturellen Entwicklung der Hochschulen, der Wissenschaft und der Forschung.
ID: 802600013530-82
Lobbying Activity
Response to Enhancing research security in Europe
2 Jan 2024
The initiative by the European Commission to propose a Council Recommendation on enhancing research security in Europe addresses an issue that deserves attention, and needs a coherent response across the EU. It is therefore quite appropriate to agree on common guiding principles in this area, and to support national and sectoral policy actions with specific initiatives on the EU level. The differentiated approach that encompasses the three dimensions of undesirable transfer of technology, foreign interference, and ethical or integrity violations is commendable and necessary for maintaining the integrity and security of the European research landscape. It is crucial to recognize that the risk landscape for these dimensions can vary greatly, leading to different risk scenarios for individual institutions and disciplines. While some fields and institutions may be more prone to technology transfer risks, others might be more susceptible to foreign interference or ethical and integrity breaches. Despite these differences, it is important to stress that all academic institutions and fields will be affected to some extent and must be vigilant. Therefore, relying on the power of self-governance must not imply that institutions can consider themselves exempt; instead, they should be assisted in taking the full picture of possible risks into account. In particular, any academic cooperation can be subverted in the interest of foreign influence operations. This exemplifies the fact that enhancing research security is not about protecting individual institutional interests only, but serves to create a common good that is vital for the future of Europe. This needs to be communicated clearly and forcefully. Combined with substantial support for research institutions that need to enhance their security-related capacities, a Council Recommendation that achieves that aim would do the research community a good service.
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