The European research ministers met in Brussels on Thursday 23 May to formalise a number of agreements at the last ‘Research’ meeting of the term under the Belgian Presidency of the EU Council (see other articles).
The ministers adopted the amendment to the regulation on the European High-Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC). This amendment introduces a new objective for EuroHPC and will enable it to carry out activities, including support for start-ups in the fields of artificial intelligence (see EUROPE 13414/6).
While all the countries welcomed the work of the Belgian Presidency of the Council and the objective pursued by the amendment, Finland regretted that energy efficiency and environmental plans had not been made compulsory and hoped that these two aspects would be implemented throughout the EuroHPC value chain.
The Member States also adopted conclusions on the valorisation of research results (see EUROPE 13365/6).
Finally, the ministers held a policy debate on advanced materials (see EUROPE 13403/11), emphasising their strategic importance and the need for coordination and cooperation, and exchanged best practices.
The European Commissioner for Research, Iliana Ivanova, recalled the creation of the Technology Council for Advanced Materials. She will ask Member States to nominate representatives. The first meeting of this Council will take place in the autumn, and a date has been set for 2025 for a review and, if necessary, readjustment.
Austria, Denmark, Spain, France, Slovenia, Slovakia and Lithuania have indicated that they would like to see health added to the priority areas for action. Lithuania is also in favour of adding agriculture.
Finally, regarding Switzerland’s association with Horizon Europe, Commissioner Ivanova said that she had met Swiss Secretary of State Martina Hirayama on Wednesday 22 May, and that the parties were doing their best to make progress. (Original version in French by Émilie Vanderhulst)