The European Research Ministers met in Santander on Friday 28 July for an informal meeting organised by the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU. Diana Morant Ripoll, Spain’s Acting Minister for Science and Innovation, pointed out that the issues discussed at the meeting directly concerned three pillars of the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU’s research and innovation (R&I) programme: the reindustrialisation of Europe, European strategic autonomy and the transition to sustainable energy, in line with the ‘European Green Deal’.
A framework for EU science diplomacy
Mrs Morant Ripoll pointed out that during the first working session, the Ministers had agreed on the need for a European framework for EU science diplomacy, the creation of links with neighbouring countries in the field of R&I and support for research infrastructures at international level.
Marc Lemaître, Director General for R&I, represented the European Commission at the meeting, in the temporary absence of the Commissioner for Research, following the departure of Mariya Gabriel (see EUROPE 13182/24).
Mr Lemaître stressed that, in a context of accelerating competition for new technologies, geopolitical tensions and the emergence of cutting-edge but also destabilising innovations, Europe needed coordinated R&I action to carry weight on the international stage.
Marc Lemaître perceived a strong ambition on the part of the Ministers to develop a European framework for this scientific diplomacy. He noted a consensus on the fact that, in addition to a definition of science diplomacy for the EU, the concept also needed to be translated into concrete actions and measures, taking into account the different levels of progress of the Member States.
The first European conference on the subject will be organised by the Spanish Presidency on 18 and 19 December in Madrid.
It was within this framework of creating links with neighbouring countries that the Ministers discussed the future and sustainability of the European PRIMA programme, the Partnership for R&I in the Mediterranean Area (PRIMA). PRIMA’s main objective is to develop innovative R&I approaches to improve water availability and sustainable agricultural production in the Mediterranean area (see EUROPE 13230/4).
Nuclear fusion
The working lunch dealt with the Presidency’s programme item on energy transition and the Ministers attended a presentation of the IFMIF-DONES project on research into electricity production using nuclear fusion (see EUROPE 13230/4). Mrs Morant Ripoll called on Member States who were not yet partners to join the consortium, and announced a series of events focusing in particular on nuclear fusion.
Horizon Europe
Finally, Mr Lemaître spoke about the progress made during the last working session, which focused on the second Horizon Europe strategic plan for the period 2025-2027.
He said that Ministers had made progress towards adopting the second strategic plan of the current European framework programme for research, Horizon Europe. He indicated that a consensus had been reached on three major strategic orientations: the green transition, the digital transition and the ambition to achieve a more resilient, competitive, democratic and inclusive Europe.
The strategic plan should be adopted “at an appropriate moment which should be at the beginning of next year”, announced Marc Lemaître. (Original version in French by Émilie Vanderhulst)