The European Union Agencies Network for Scientific Advice (EU-ANSA) is a group of 11 EU agencies that provides scientific information for institutions and national authorities in Europe. It has recently assessed its peer-review practices and drawn up guidelines that we hope will support the agencies' work and contribute to the debate on changes to peer-review methods, particularly when there are implications for policymaking.

The context in which EU agencies provide scientific advice and technical support is highly specific. It requires a special approach to peer review that addresses particular challenges, such as ensuring reviewers' motivation, independence and international perspective.

The EU-ANSA collaboration has outlined six guiding principles (see go.nature.com/bqb7jp). These focus on: defining the process so that it is widely accepted; recruiting high-quality expertise; achieving credibility and avoiding bias using a transparent process; the provision of adequate resources; the availability of adequate technical support; and integration with established agency processes for ensuring good quality and performance in work.