A review of two years of the EU’s Global Approach to R&I finds that the EU must become more assertive at pursuing its strategic interests.
“From partners across the world to our closest neighbours, the European Union is, and will remain, a reliable and predictable partner. In a volatile global context, this matters more than ever.” With these words, European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the signature of the package of EU-Switzerland agreements on 2 March 2026. This agreement comes at a time of an unpredictable geopolitical environment and highlights the need for a coordinated European approach in international collaboration. Just days earlier, the EC published the second biennial report on the implementation of the Global Approach to Research and Innovation (R&I), taking stock of developments between 2023 and 2025.
With the publication of the report, the EC fulfils its obligations to inform the Council and Parliament about how the EU has defended and promoted fundamental R&I values and pursued its strategic interests in international R&I cooperation, as laid out in the 2021 Communication on the Global Approach to Research and Innovation (see SwissCore article). It details the main mechanisms through which the EU manages international partnerships, how it utilises them to tackle global challenges, as well as how bilateral relations with key countries are balanced between openness and restriction.
Progress has primarily been made in the area of science diplomacy, namely with the European Science Diplomacy framework, which was put forward by the EC a year ago as a result of a series of expert workshops (see SwissCore article). The Council is expected to adopt a Recommendation on the framework in its upcoming May meeting of the ITRE constellation, setting out a number of national and EU-level actions. Among these, opening the framework programmes for R&I to like-minded countries is seen as an important mechanism for strengthening strategic interests. Similarly, the biennial Global Approach report highlights the association of Switzerland and other countries such as Canada, Egypt, Korea, New Zealand and UK to Horizon Europe as a strong signal that the EU is solidifying strategic partnerships across the globe. Notably, the participation of associated countries in the current framework programme is strong, with associated countries making up 11.8% in Pillar I and 9.7% and 7.8% in Pillars II and III, respectively, thereby exceeding participation of all non-associated third countries combined.
The report equally acknowledges that openness should be balanced with considerations of reciprocity and caution, particularly where R&I pertains to critical technologies. One landmark document in this regard is the 2024 Council Recommendation on research security, followed by the first European research security conference in autumn 2025, as well as the first research security monitor (see SwissCore article, article and article). A topic of mounting importance in this debate is the dual-use potential of technologies, addressed for the first time in a 2024 EC white paper. Equally, participation of third countries in Horizon Europe is again seen as a tool to delineate openness against closedness, pointing to the increased application of Article 22(5) of the Horizon Europe Regulation, which limits participation of non-EU countries in specific areas. The report goes on to list initiatives through which the EU engages in global efforts to counter global challenges, such as the green and digital transition, global health, and innovation ventures. Overall, missions and partnerships, two distinct European cooperation formats in R&I, have particularly contributed to achieving progress in the face of these global challenges, alongside engagement in larger international consortia.
In terms of managing relationships with strategic partners, the EU deploys different strategies for industrialised countries and emerging economies. Recent geopolitical developments seem to have put a strain on relationships with the United States and China. While the United States severed many research ties, particularly in the area of climate and gender, China has proactively been excluded by the EU from R&I actions from 2026 onwards. An approach of sector-specific collaboration in areas that serve European interests also becomes clear in the report’s description of emergent R&I partnerships with countries such as Brazil, India, and South Korea. Lastly, over the past two years, relations with Africa have been strengthened, particularly through a series of events, including the AU-EU Dialogue on Science Diplomacy, the AU-EU High-Level Policy Dialogue, and the adoption of the AU-EU Innovation Agenda.
The report concludes positively, stating that the EU has successfully responded to emerging crises while putting into practice the principles, values, and objectives laid out in the Global Approach. However, constantly changing trends, both in the scientific and geopolitical dimension, require this interface to be continuously recalibrated. International R&I cooperation can only contribute to European competitiveness and leadership in a turbulent global environment, if the EU maintains a certain level of agility. At the same time, strategic partner countries require certainty and stability, particularly through clear association rules and frameworks.