EU remains open to cooperation agreements in the field of research and innovation

On the second day of the Competitiveness Council held in Brussels, ministers in charge of the research and innovation adopted a partial general approach on the Annex to the Strategic Innovation Agenda (SIA) of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT).

The ministerial agreement is an important milestone allowing also for the start of interinstitutional exchange on the EIT package with the European Parliament.

“Science knows of no frontiers. In order to continue to excel, our researchers need to be able to have access to international research facilities and collaborate with their counterparts in third countries. The EU remains open to mutually beneficial cooperation agreements in the field of research and innovation with our main world partners.”

Blaženka Divjak, Croatian Minister for Science and Education

On the basis of a note prepared by the Croatian Presidency, ministers exchanged views on the EU strategy regarding international cooperation in research and innovation. In this context, ministers acknowledged the importance of international cooperation for maximising the potential of research and innovation within the EU.

At the same time, several ministers stressed the need for cooperation agreements to meet the conditions of reciprocity, added value and respect of EU values. There was broad support for a differentiated approach, which rewards those countries wishing to collaborate in areas of mutual strategic interest.

Furthermore, ministers stressed the need for investing more in research and innovation in order to attract talented researchers from third countries but also to keep EU researchers within the EU.