EU research ministers at the Competitiveness Council on the new governance of the European Research Area

The debate on the new European Research Area, the global approach to research and innovation, the definition of international cooperation, and gender equality in research will be the focus of a meeting of the Competitiveness Council (COMPET i) to be held on Tuesday, 28 September 2021, at 9:30.

The meeting will be chaired by the Slovenian Minister of Education, Science and Sport, Simona Kustec. After the successful informal meeting of EU research ministers held in July in Slovenia, at which ministers committed themselves to strengthening research, this meeting will focus on a debate on a new approach to the governance and implementation of the European Research Area (ERA). The key points of the debate will form the basis for the preparation of the Council conclusions on the governance of the ERA. The Council is also expected to adopt Council conclusions on a global approach to research and innovation.

International cooperation in the field of research is one of the priorities of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU within the Competitiveness Council (Research), as it enriches the European Research Area. The proposed conclusions, which are also the Council’s response to the Communication on a Global Approach to Research and Innovation published by the Commission on 18 May 2021, bring values and principles such as gender equality and respect for freedom of scientific research into the international arena.

At the Council meeting, Minister Kustec will present the Ljubljana Declaration on Gender Equality in Research, which aims to improve the position of women researchers in Europe. After the presentation of the Declaration, which is based on the conclusions of the Genderaction conference, Minister Kustec will call on EU Member States to support it.

After the Council meeting, the ministers will have a lunch discussion on the contribution of research and innovation to the new European Bauhaus initiative and its synergies with Horizon Europe i missions.

More information about the agenda and the outcome of this meeting is available on the website of the Council of the European Union.