There is a widespread perception that democracy in the EU is under threat. Rising extremism and polarisation, declining trust in institutions and democratic processes, targeted disinformation campaigns, efforts to disrupt elections and suppress the plurality of voices in public debates, and a general deterioration of the environment in which journalists and civil society operate are all symptomatic of these concerns. Could greater recourse to science advice and its wider use in public policymaking help counter these threats?

To help address these issues, Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation Ekaterina Zaharieva is asking the Group of Chief Scientific Advisors the following questions:

• In a time of rapid societal, technological, geopolitical, climatic and environmental change, demanding urgent, high-stakes decisions, how can science strengthen Europe’s democratic functioning and resilience? How can science-informed policymaking help societies think critically, deliberate openly, and reach consensus on complex decisions?
• What tangible steps could be taken to optimise evidence-informed policymaking and ensure that it remains embedded in relevant institutions? What mechanisms and institutions can support the demand for different types of knowledge at different levels of governance in the EU and its Member States, and ensure the provision of policy relevant scientific evidence and knowledge?

The resulting scientific advice will feed into the coming Commission Recommendation on supporting scientific evidence and its use in public policymaking, announced in the European Democracy Shield.