Thu. Sep 19th, 2024
See question(s) : E-001093/2022
16 March 2022
E-001093/2022/rev.1
Question for written answer  E-001093/2022/rev.1
to the Commission
Rule 138
Sandra Pereira (The Left)
 Answer in writing 
 Subject: NATO study on the ‘weaponisation of brain sciences’ for the purposes of ‘cognitive warfare’
In 2020, a NATO-backed study entitled ‘Cognitive Warfare’ was published, having been commissioned through the Allied Command Transformation (ACT) from François du Cluzel, a former French military officer and head of the Innovation Hub (iHub), which he manages from its base in Norfolk, Virginia, United States.

This is identified as NATO’s sixth domain of operations along with the five others – land, sea, air, space and cyber. It states that ‘the brain will be the battlefield of the 21st century’. ‘Humans are the contested domain’ and ‘cognitive warfare’ will involve ‘the militarisation of brain sciences’ in ‘a war on our individual processor, our brain’.

This is a serious issue with implications at various levels.

Can the Commission give specific and detailed information regarding any EU collaboration with NATO ‘cognitive a warfare’ research and development? What is its own assessment thereof? Is the Commission involved, or has it ever been involved in any related projects?

Original language of question: PT
Last updated: 29 March 2022
5 May 2022
E-001093/2022(ASW)
Answer given by High Representative/Vice-President Borrell i Fontelles
on behalf of the European Commission
Question reference: E-001093/2022
The cooperation between the EU and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) is based on the Warsaw and Brussels Joint Declarations(1) and their implementation framework with 74 common actions(2) across seven areas of cooperation.

These include hybrid threats, operational cooperation including maritime issues, cyber security and defence, defence capabilities, defence industry and research, parallel and coordinated exercises, and capacity building of partner countries.

The progress in the implementation of the common actions is being reported on a yearly basis via the publicly available Progress Reports submitted by the EU High Representative/Vice-President and the NATO Secretary General to the respective Councils of the two organisations. So far, there have been six Progress Reports, with the next one expected in June 2022.

Neither cognitive warfare, nor research and development in this field are part of the seven areas of cooperation between the EU and NATO or the agreed 74 common actions for implementation.

(1) Joint Declaration on EU-NATO cooperation by the President of the European Council, the President of the European Commission and the Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), signed at the NATO summit held in Warsaw on 8 July 2016; and Joint Declaration on EU-NATO Cooperation by the President of the European Council, the President of the European Commission, and the Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), signed in Brussels on 10 July 2018.
(2) https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-15283-2016-INIT/en/pdf
https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/31947/st14802en17.pdf
Last updated: 5 May 2022
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