Council conclusions concerning joint programming of research in Europe in response to major societal challenges
Date: 2009-01-30
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: EU policy, EU programme, action programme, approximation of laws, innovation, research, research and development, research body, research policy

30.1.2009

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Official Journal of the European Union

C 24/3

IV

(Notices)

NOTICES FROM EUROPEAN UNION INSTITUTIONS AND BODIES

COUNCIL

Council conclusions concerning joint programming of research in Europe in response to major
societal challenges

(2009/C 24/04)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

RECALLING:

— its conclusions concerning ‘A common commitment by the
Member States to combat neurodegenerative diseases, parti-
cularly Alzheimer's’ (26 September 2008),

— its resolution on CREST (28 September 1995) (1), which
authorises this committee in particular to ‘promote the coor-
dination by the Community and the Member States of their
R & D activities in order to ensure mutual consistency
between the national policies and Community policy’,

— its resolutions on the creation of

the European area of
research and innovation (15 June 2000) and on the realisa-
tion of
for
EU action in the field of research (2002-2006) (16 November
2000),

the European Research Area: orientations

— its conclusions on progress accomplished in the develop-
ment of the European Research Area and on providing a
new momentum (26 November 2002),

— the Commission Green Paper on ‘The European Research

Area: New Perspectives’,

— its Key Issues Paper (KIP) for 2008: Contribution of the
Competitiveness Council to the Spring European Council
(25 February 2008),
in which Member States and the
Commission were encouraged to continue developing initia-
tives for joint programming of research in areas suited to
such an approach, allowing a more strategic and better
structured approach to the launch of new joint programmes
and common calls for projects,

— the conclusions of the European Council of 13 and 14 March
2008, which launched the new cycle of the Lisbon strategy
for growth and jobs (2008-2010) and which, with the aim
of fully developing the potential for innovation and crea-
tivity of European citizens, confirmed that particular atten-
tion should be given to further initiatives for joint program-
ming of research;

— its conclusions on the future of science and technology in

1.

Europe (23 November 2007),

— its

conclusions

on the Commission communication
‘A European Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET Plan) —
Towards a low-carbon future’ (28 February 2008),

— its conclusions on the launch of the ‘Ljubljana process’ —
realisation of the European Research Area (30 May 2008),

in the context of globalisation and the
RECOGNISES that,
intensification of global competition,
there has been a
growing awareness in Europe of the existence of common
societal challenges which no Member State is capable of
for example,
resolving alone. Certain issues related to,
climate change, the ageing of the population, energy, water
or food supplies, banking finances and security (2) are now
of such a magnitude that Europe needs to elaborate a
stronger, better coordinated, more coherent and more
global response to these challenges;

(1) OJ C 264, 11.10.1995, p. 4.

(2) This list is without prejudice to themes for joint programming, which

will be chosen at a later stage.

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Official Journal of the European Union

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2.

RECALLS the large volume of public resources committed to
research and innovation in the various Member States,
including at regional level, and UNDERLINES the need for
financial and human
scientific,
and the potential of
resources
increased cooperation between Member
for
States, through the implementation of common initiatives
aimed at addressing major societal challenges, in order to
strengthen Europe's capacity to transform the results of its
the
research into tangible benefits for society and for
overall competitiveness of its economy;

geometry and open access. The participation in joint
programming should also be based on scientific excellence
and full utilisation of the research potential of its members;

8.

ENCOURAGES Member States, with the support of
the
Commission, to consider how best to address the following
issues during the development and implementation of joint
programming:

3. UNDERLINES the important role of the Community Frame-
work Programme for Research and Technological Develop-
ment (FP) and the related instruments, such as ERA-NET,
ERA-NET + and the initiatives under Article 169, in mobi-
lising Member States' scientific and financial resources for
implementing R & D initiatives of common interest, and
ENCOURAGES their continued use in the context of joint
responses to tackle major societal challenges;

4.

5.

6.

RECOGNISES also the importance of existing activities aimed
at coordinating programmes conducted by national agen-
cies and research organisations in several Member States,
including at regional level, and by international organisa-
tions, as well as other cross-border and intergovernmental
initiatives
and
ENCOURAGES their continued use;

(EUREKA, COST);

context

this

in

in addition to the existing regional,
RECOGNISES that
national, intergovernmental and Community instruments to
pool or coordinate national R & D efforts, there is an
increasing need for a new and more strategic approach.
This approach should be based on the joint identification of
societal challenges of common interest and a strengthened
political
to produce
common or concerted responses, in order to increase the
efficiency and the effectiveness of public R & D funding in
Europe;

commitment by Member States

In this context, WELCOMES the concept and objectives of
joint programming as formulated in the communication of
the Commission ‘Towards
joint Programming research:
Working together to tackle common challenges more effec-
tively’, which calls for the implementation of a process led
by the Member States to step up their cooperation in the
R & D area in order to better confront major societal chal-
lenges of European or worldwide scale, where public
research plays a key role;

— a coherent approach on the peer review procedures,

— a coherent approach for foresight activities and for

evaluation of joint programmes,

— a coherent approach to funding of cross-border research

by national or regional authorities,

— effective measures to ensure the optimum dissemination
and use of research findings, inter alia via common prac-
tices for the protection, management and sharing of
intellectual property rights,

— involvement of the various scientific and, where appro-

priate, industry communities;

9.

CONSIDERS that the following criteria should help identify
joint programming themes:

— there is a sufficient and effective commitment of

Member States concerned,

— the theme addresses a European or global challenge and
is sufficiently focused so that clear and realistic objec-
tives can be laid down and followed up,

— it brings a clear added value to overall current research
financed from national and Community public funds,
as regards both economies of scale and better thematic
coverage,

— relevant regional, national and European stakeholders,
including where appropriate the private sector besides
scientific communities and funding agencies, have been
involved in developing the theme,

— a joint programming approach has the potential of
translating the output of good public research into
benefits for European citizens and European competi-
tiveness, and of increasing the efficiency and impact of
public R & D financing by involving the key public
initiatives in the area;

7. UNDERLINES that, while fully recognising the competence of
Member States and regions over their choice of research
and innovation policies and related allocation of resources,
the participation of Member States and FP associated coun-
tries in joint programming should be carried out on volun-
tary basis and according to the principle of variable

10. ASKS Member States to collaborate in a dedicated configura-
tion of CREST (hereinafter referred to as ‘High Level Group
for Joint Programming’ or GPC) to identify, in accordance
joint
with the mandate in the annex,
programming chosen following broad public consultation
of the different regional, national and European scientific
communities, and of the private sector where appropriate.

the themes for

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Taking account of the framework conditions laid down in
paragraph 8, each thematic proposal presented to GPC by
one or more of its members should include preliminary
suggestions concerning a common vision, the governance
and implementation of joint programming initiatives. GPC
should evaluate each thematic proposal for joint program-
ming on the basis of the criteria laid down in paragraph 9;

11. ASKS GPC to identify and substantiate the first list of a
limited number of joint programming themes in due time;
and INVITES the Commission, within the remit of
its
competence, to submit a proposal for a Council Recom-
mendation in preparation for the launch of joint program-
ming initiatives which correspond to the themes identified
by the GPC, together with the state of play of research in
the field of each of these themes, so that the Council is able
to adopt joint programming initiatives no later than 2010;

12. UNDERLINES that joint programming is a process led by
Member States, and that the Commission's role is to facili-
tate the process of identification and provide support as
necessary;

13. In this context, EMPHASISES the need to analyse the rele-
vance and the potential of existing regional, national, Com-
munity and intergovernmental instruments for meeting the
identified societal challenges, and INVITES the Commission
to carry out such an examination in close cooperation with
the other stakeholders and provide input on the most
appropriate instruments to meet these challenges;

14. CONSIDERS it necessary to launch a pilot joint program-
ming initiative on combating neurodegenerative diseases, in
particular Alzheimer's, and INVITES the Commission to
submit a proposal
for a Council Recommendation in
preparation for the launch of this pilot initiative as soon as
possible in 2009;

15. CONSIDERS that all procedures concerning joint program-
ming of European research must be examined within the
framework of the general approach to optimise the govern-
ance of the European Research Area, as provided by the
Ljubljana Process;

16.

INVITES CREST to report, in the context of these conclu-
sions, to the Council on joint programming every two
years: the first report is expected in 2010.

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ANNEX

Mandate of the High Level Group on Joint Programming (GPC)

1. GPC:

(a) is a dedicated configuration of CREST composed of high-level representatives of the Member States and of the

Commission and, where appropriate, associated countries;

(b) will be chaired by the representative of the Presidency-in-office of the Council;

(c) will be responsible for identifying according to a continuous process the possible themes for joint programming
selected following broad consultation of the different regional, national and European scientific communities as
well as, where appropriate, other public and private stakeholders mentioned in paragraph 10;

(d) in this framework, will be responsible for evaluating each proposal submitted to it on the basis of the criteria in

paragraph 9;

(e) will contribute to the preparation of the debates and decisions of the Competitiveness Council on joint program-
ming, within the mandate of CREST and without prejudice to the responsibilities of the Committee of Permanent
Representatives;

(f) will initiate the consideration of issues referred to in paragraph 8.

2. The Commission will support the work of GPC within the remit of its competence.

3. The Member States will nominate their representatives at meetings of GPC before the end of January 2009.