CESAER contributes to the European Commission Research Security Monitoring Report

The European Commission has published a Research Security Monitoring Report assessing progress made in strengthening research security in Europe following the May 2024 adoption of the Council Recommendation on enhancing research security. The report highlights the active role played by CESAER as a research and innovation stakeholder in advancing responsible internationalisation across Europe.

• Research Security Monitoring Report (PDF available)

The report recognises that European R&I stakeholder associations have been particularly active on research security, with several organisations establishing dedicated working groups and initiatives to support their members in navigating this evolving policy landscape. CESAER is highlighted among these as an active contributor to discussions and the exchange of practices through dedicated research security activities led by Task Force Openness of Science and Technology.

The monitoring report also highlights the contribution of stakeholder organisations through publications and position papers addressing research security and responsible international collaboration. In this context, CESAER’s publications (2023 white paper and 2025 input note) are highlighted as having contributed to research security policy discussions.

Another key milestone highlighted in the report is the first European Flagship Conference on Research Security: for responsible, open and secure research and innovation, which took place from 28 to 30 October 2025 in Brussels. The event, which CESAER actively co-organised with other stakeholders, gathered around 500 participants from across Europe and beyond, representing policymakers, research organisations and universities.

Through continued engagement on research security, CESAER is actively contributing to shaping a European approach that safeguards openness and international collaboration while strengthening resilience and responsibility in research and innovation.

Going forward, our association will remain actively engaged in advancing research security as a collective responsibility between universities, national governments and the EU level, where we continue to highlight it is crucial to empower universities in implementing proportionate safeguards.

More information and additional resources

• 2023 white paper titled ‘Keeping science open? Current challenges in the day-to-day reality of universities’
• 2024 position paper titled ‘Strengthen dual-use technologies by enhancing EU defence funding’
• 2025 input note titled ‘Research security as a collective responsibility: empowering universities, enabling Europe’

For more information, please contact our Advisor for Research Vincent Klein Ikkink.