STORY
The Council of the European Union has adopted a recommendation setting out a new framework for EU science diplomacy. The framework is intended to strengthen the EU’s position in science and technology while using scientific cooperation to support the bloc’s wider foreign policy objectives.
Ministers said scientific collaboration could help build trust with third countries and support dialogue at a time of geopolitical fragmentation and technological change. The recommendation also links science diplomacy to issues such as artificial intelligence, quantum technology, research security and the EU’s economic competitiveness.
The Council called for stronger partnerships with the global south, including the creation of a Mediterranean science diplomacy centre. The framework also asks the Commission to monitor major global developments in research and technology and assess their implications for the EU’s external action.