Council conclusions concerning a European partnership for international scientific and technological cooperation - Montesquieu Instituut

 

COUNCIL OFBrussels, 3 December 2008 (16.12)

(OR. fr)

THE EUROPEAN UNION

16763/08

RECH 409 COMPET 549 RELEX 994 DEVGEN 261

OUTCOME OF PROCEEDINGS

of :

Competitiveness Council on 1 and 2 December 2008

No. prev. doc. : 16017/08 RECH 381 COMPET 504 RELEX 938 DEVGEN 243 Subject :

Council conclusions concerning a European partnership for international scientific and technological cooperation

Delegations will find attached the Council conclusions concerning a European partnership for

international scientific and technological cooperation, as adopted by the Competitiveness Council

on 2 December 2008.

ANNEX

COUNCIL CONCLUSIONS

CONCERNING A EUROPEAN PARTNERSHIP FOR

INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL COOPERATION

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

RECALLING the general context of the realisation of the European Research Area (ERA) and in

particular the Commission's Green Paper of 4 April 20071, the conclusions of the Presidency of the

European Council of 14 December 2007 and the Council conclusions on the launch of the

"Ljubljana Process" towards full realisation of the European Research Area (30 May 2008)2, in

which a "wide opening of the ERA to the world" constitutes one of the five initiatives identified in

this context, and REFERRING to its "Vision 2020 for the European Research Area"

(2 December 2008)3;

CONSIDERING that accelerating globalisation creates opportunities for increasing scientific

excellence and for achieving sustainable development, and whereas, in particular, scientific and

technological cooperation needs to be stepped up at worldwide level in order to resolve the major

global challenges (those already identified such as climate change, poverty, infectious diseases,

CONSIDERING that there are a large number of bilateral and multilateral S&T cooperation

agreements in force concluded between the European Communities and third countries as well as

between Member States and third countries, and WHEREAS there are currently no strategy at

European level for exchanging relevant information on the activities deriving from these various

agreements and, where appropriate, ensuring the adequate level of coordination amongst these

activities;

CONSIDERING that Europe's aspiration as expressed in its "Vision 2020 for the ERA" is to be

able to speak with a consistent voice with its main partners, as well as within relevant international

fora, in the area of science and technology;

CONSIDERING that international scientific and technological activities should be based on

principles and practices which uphold reciprocity, fair treatment and mutual benefits, as well as

adequate protection of intellectual property;

CONSIDERING that scientific and technological cooperation activities play a crucial role in the

development, sharing and diffusion of knowledge worldwide, and constitute an important means for

promoting the mobility of researchers and brain circulation;

• 1. 

  IS OF THE VIEW that the pursuit of the European Union's general objectives can be

strengthened through a strategic framework for the appropriate coordination of its various

• 2. 

  WELCOMES the Commission Communication "A strategic European framework for

international science and technology cooperation"4, with the aim of, in particular,

strengthening the scientific and technological base of the European Union, boosting the

competitiveness of its industry and helping to deal with global challenges within a context of

"global responsibility";

• 3. 

  UNDERLINES that such a strategy aims to develop better coherence and synergies between

the various international scientific and technological cooperation activities carried out in

Europe by Member States and the European Community, whilst respecting the principle of

subsidiarity;

• 4. 

  INVITES Member States, incorporating as appropriate the countries associated to the FP7, to

encourage a dialogue at European level with a view to the coordination of their international

S&T cooperation policies and activities, as well as to facilitate consultation between interested

stakeholders, including industry, in order to identify opportunities for and, where appropriate,

obstacles to the development of scientific and technological cooperation activities between the

European Union and the rest of the world;

• 5. 

  INVITES Member States and the Commission to form a European Partnership in the field of

international scientific and technological cooperation ("S&T cooperation") with a view to

implementing this European strategy; this should be based on consultation and sharing of

• 6. 

  In that context, INVITES Member States and the Commission to collaborate within a

dedicated configuration of CREST (thereafter called "Strategic Forum for International S&T

Cooperation") to drive forward the European Partnership for S&T cooperation according to

the mandate set out in the Annex;

• 7. 

  INVITES Member States and the Commission to contribute fully towards the success of the

Partnership by making available to it appropriate information and experience acquired in

connection with their respective cooperation activities including the outcome of evaluation

and impact assessment of S&T collaboration with third countries;

• 8. 

  Within the framework of the Partnership, INVITES Member States and the Commission to

better coordinate and make more operational their S&T cooperation activities with other

regions of the world, notably by strengthening or creating dialogue platforms with other

regions of the world with a view to jointly identifying future priorities and actions with regard

to S&T cooperation;

• 9. 

  INVITES the Commission to further increase the impact of S&T Agreements, ensure the

correct application of the principles of reciprocity, fair treatment and mutual benefits as

referred to in the cooperation agreements between the European Community and third

countries in the scientific and technological domain; and INVITES Member States to promote,

within the framework of their S&T cooperation with third countries, where appropriate, the

• 10. 

  UNDERLINES the need to ensure the necessary coherence and complementarity between

European and national instruments supporting research and those supporting

S&T capacity-building, and INVITES the Commission to strengthen the relationship between

the Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development (FP), the

Pre-Accession Instrument (IPA ), the European Development Fund (EDF), the financing

instrument for development cooperation (DCI ) and the European Neighbourhood and

Partnership Instrument (ENPI) as well as other relevant mechanisms;

• 11. 

  and in this context, RECALLS the action already undertaken to promote cooperation between

Member States and developing countries, notably the EU-Africa Strategic Partnership, and

along these lines CONSIDERS exploring further cooperation with developing countries as

part of the EU's overall S&T strategy;

• 12. 

  CONSIDERS that all specific procedures related to the implementation of the international

cooperation strategy of the European Research Area must be examined within the framework

of the general approach to the optimisation of the governance of the European Research Area,

as foreseen by the Ljubljana Process.

___________________

ANNEX TO THE ANNEX

MANDATE FOR CREST CONCERNING A STRATEGIC FORUM

FOR INTERNATIONAL S&T COOPERATION

Objective:

To facilitate the further development, implementation and monitoring of the international dimension

of ERA by the sharing of information and consultation between the partners (Member States and

the Commission) with a view to identifying common priorities which could lead to coordinated or

joint initiatives, and coordinating activities and positions vis-à-vis third countries and within

international fora.

Working Methods:

CREST will meet in a dedicated configuration ("The Strategic Forum for International S&T

Cooperation") with high level representatives of Member States and the Commission. This

dedicated configuration of CREST may be supported by an appropriate working group if deemed

necessary. It will be chaired by one of its members representing a Member State designated for a

period of 2 years. It will be open, as appropriate, to the countries associated to FP.

• - 

  Ensuring regular consultation between the partners in order to identify their respective

objectives and common priorities in terms of S&T cooperation with third countries

("what and with whom?");

• - 

  Where appropriate, coordinating activities of a similar nature implemented by Member States

and the Community (with variable geometry);

• - 

  If necessary, proposing initiatives to be implemented with appropriate ways and means;
• - 

  Networking of Member States' and the Commission's scientific advisors in key

third countries.

Reporting:

Annual report to the Council and to the Commission on progress achieved in realising the

objectives of the Partnership, including as relevant:

• - 

  mapping of international cooperation activities (whether ongoing or planned) between the

EU and third countries;

• - 

  analysis of the scope, coherence and complementarity of the various EU activities;
• - 

  identification of common priorities and proposals for measures to implement them;
• - 

  overall assessment of the impact of the EU's actions in international S&T cooperation.