Brussels, 18 May 2026 

“Decisions being made today on biosecurity, dual use and research governance will set the terms for how the European biotech sector innovates, scales and competes in ALL sectors. Biosecurity done well is good for science, society and business. The EU must create coherent and proportionate rules that advantage European innovators and global partners plus enabling a safer world. Our new Task Force captures national and global expertise of companies and national associations to help inform policymakers as they develop frameworks that are ambitious, enabling and evidence‑based.” Dr Claire Skentelbery, Director‑General of EuropaBio, announcing the launch of its Biodefence & Biosecurity Task Force.

Biosecurity and biodefence are increasingly becoming important elements of global biotechnology governance, including in the EU Biotech Act legislative proposal. In the European Union, these issues are gaining relevance through economic-security initiatives, dual-use export controls, research-security measures, and the emerging European Biotech Act framework.

Despite growing policy attention, there remains a significant gap in dedicated EU‑level forums for structured industry engagement on biosecurity and biodefence.

As security considerations intersect more closely with research and innovation policy, technical expertise is needed to help ensure that governance approaches remain proportionate, coherent and supportive of European innovation.

The dedicated Task Force will bring together technical and policy experts from across EuropaBio’s membership to develop coherent industry positions and recommendations, and to act as a trusted, evidence‑based interlocutor with EU institutions and international stakeholders. By providing informed technical input, the Task Force aims to support policy approaches that enhance security while avoiding fragmented or disproportionate measures that could undermine innovation and competitiveness. The Task Force will be chaired by Dr Ricardo Gent, Executive Director at DIB.