Brussels, 02/12/2008 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 2 December, European research ministers approved the “2020 Vision for the European Research Area” (ERA) developed as part of the first phase of the “Ljubljana process”, said Valérie Pécresse, French Minister for Higher Education and Research, speaking during a press conference. “Member states wished to organise this Vision 2020 around three strong ideas: - the first is that the ERA must be firmly anchored in European society to meet its needs and its ambitions. The second is that the ERA is the road towards excellence and is also the driving force for European competitiveness. Finally, ERA must be a truly border-free area that promotes the free movement of knowledge”, the minister stressed. In their conclusions, ministers invite member states and the European Commission to broadly circulate this joint vision, as well as taking it into account in their reflections on the post-2010 Lisbon Strategy. The document on the Vision 2020 for the ERA is available at: http: //http://www.consilium.europa.eu/ueDocs/cms_Data/docs/pressData/en/intm/104435.pdf
The Council also adopted conclusions on the communication presented on 15 July by the European Commission on a joint research programme, working together to more effectively raise common challenges. “This is an instrument that will allow us to make a great step towards coordinating the European research effort, which is insufficient as it is”, Ms Pécresse said. The Council also calls on member states to collaborate within a specialised formation of CREST (high level group for joint programming) to identify themes of selected joint programming. The Council also considers it necessary to launch a joint programming pilot experiment devoted to combating Alzheimer's disease. Ministers welcome the Commission communication on a European strategic partnership for international scientific and technological cooperation. They invite member states and the Commission to form a European partnership in the field of international scientific and technological cooperation (STC) with a view to implementing the European strategy. The Council invites member states and the Commission to collaborate within a special configuration of CREST (strategic forum for international scientific and technological cooperation) to give life to the European partnership for scientific and technological cooperation. Ministers welcomed the communication presented on 5 September by the European Commission entitled “a European strategy for marine and maritime research”. They above all call on the Commission to submit, early 2009, a proposal aimed at transforming ERA-NET + BONUS for marine sciences in the Baltic Sea (network for funding agencies) into a joint research programme based on Article 169 of the treaty. The Commission is finally invited to follow the implementation of the European strategy for marine and maritime sciences and the Council welcomes the Commission's intention to present a progress report by 2012 at the latest. (B.C./transl.jl)