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News archive - Council conclusions on joint programming and international co-operation

The Council adopted the EC’s proposal for both joint programming and international co-operation during a recent Competitiveness Council meeting in Brussels. However, it did not adopt the EC’s proposal for research infrastructures.

Alongside the EP, Council is one of the two main decision-making bodies of the EU. When the EC proposes a new programme or initiative it needs to be approved by Council.

On the subject of joint programming, the Council accepted that there is now a need for a process for Member States to work together more coherently on issues of global societal importance. The Council conclusions state that a pilot joint programme should take place on the subject of Alzheimer's research. Council also reached agreement adopting concrete measures for the EU partnership for international co-operation. This includes providing a mandate for CREST, which is the EU’s scientific and technical research committee, to set up a ‘Strategic Forum for International S&T Co-operation’.

Council did not reach an agreement, however, on the subject of research infrastructures, which will now need to be reached in the early part of the Czech Presidency of the EU, which begins on 1 January 2009.

Further information:
The full Council Conclusions, which contains details of the decisions taken on joint programming, international co-operation and research infrastructures, are available at: http://www.consilium.europa.eu/ueDocs/cms_Data/docs/pressData/en/intm/104497.pdf

Source: UKRO newsletter

"2020 VISION" FOR THE EUROPEAN RESEARCH AREA – Council conclusions

Following an exchange of views on the launch of the "Ljubljana Process – towards full realisation of the European Research Area", the Council adopted the conclusions set out in 16767/08.

JOINT PROGRAMMING OF RESEARCH – Council conclusions
Following a debate on the framework conditions for the development of joint programming of research in order to tackle Europe's major societal challenges and on the criteria which need to be used to identify areas for joint programming, the Council adopted the conclusions set out in 16775/08.

INTERNATIONAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COOPERATION – Council conclusions
As an integral part of the external dimension of Vision 2020 for the European Research Area, the Council adopted conclusions on a European partnership for international scientific and technological cooperation.
Those conclusions are set out in 16763/08.