Dutch science academy very critical of Cabinet’s new anti-espionage law

The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) “strongly” urged the Cabinet to drop its plans for a new screening law aimed at making it more difficult for spies to infiltrate Dutch universities and research groups. According to the KNAW, the law facilitates discrimination and would put the Netherlands’ knowledge economy at risk, the Volkskrant reports.

The new Knowledge Screening Act allows universities and other knowledge institutes to screen or refuse foreign scientists when they want to conduct research in the Netherlands in “risky fields.” Outgoing Education and Science Minister Robbert Dijkgraaf wants to publish the law next month and implement it from 2025.

But the KNAW is very concerned, according to a letter sent to the Minister. The scientists warned that the screening law would encourage discrimination based on nationality, hinder international cooperation, and create massive bureaucratic hassle if screening organizations without in-depth specialist knowledge had to determine how risky a particular field is for state security.

It also puts the Netherlands’ competitive position at risk, the KNAW said. “If the Netherlands were to decide to be the first and currently only EU member state to screen incoming scientists, there is a risk that such researchers, even those who do not pose a threat, will go to countries with a less strict knowledge security policy,” the scientists wrote. “That is not only problematic from the perspective of knowledge security but also detrimental to the competitiveness of a small country like the Netherlands and (inter)national scientific progress.”

The KNAW acknowledged that international cooperation in science entails risks, “especially in a world characterized by large-scale armed conflicts and rapidly shifting geopolitical relations.” However, the scientists believe current regulations are sufficient to keep out malicious parties. For example, knowledge institutions can already ask the government safety desk for advice on, for example, the risks involved in recruiting researchers from certain countries.

Dijkgraaf told the Volkskrant that awareness of risks alone is insufficient. “Screening is really necessary.” He wants to work with other EU countries in drafting the screening law so that the playing field remains level. “We are now working on the law. The points from the KNAW are of great value because we have to do this together,” he said.