Report from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions. Report on the implementation of the strategy for international cooperation in research and innovation

In September 2012 the Commission adopted a Communication on 'Enhancing and focusing EU international cooperation in research and innovation: a strategic approach'. The Communication was welcomed by the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions.

The Communication underlined that global challenges call for global responses and are drivers for international cooperation in research and innovation. Engaging in international cooperation is also essential to attract talent, access knowledge and markets, thus increasing the EU's competitiveness.

Strengthened cooperation of the EU with its international partners is therefore needed to build critical mass, pool knowledge and identify innovative solutions. This requires a strategy encompassing all dimensions of international cooperation in research and innovation. It should step up cooperation at bilateral and regional level, as well as through multilateral fora, but also create synergies with the EU's external policies and with Member States.

Therefore, the Communication underlined that enhancing and focusing EU international cooperation requires an approach which fully captures the global dimension of research and innovation in all its aspects. This is embedded in Horizon 2020, with its stronger focus on international cooperation. Furthermore, beyond Horizon 2020 the strategy also focused on strengthening the innovation dimension of international cooperation, developing adequate principles and framework conditions for it, strengthening the engagement with multilateral initiatives and enhancing the synergies with the EU's external policies and the activities of the Member States.

The Commission committed to reporting on progress in the implementation of the strategy in 2014. This document provides a report on the state of play.

EUR-Lex: COM(2014)567: Follow the progress of this report through the decision-making procedure http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=COM:2014:567:FIN

EUR-Lex: SWD(2014)276: Roadmaps for international cooperation http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=SWD:2014:276:FIN

ESO: Background information: Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions - Enhancing and focusing EU international cooperation in research and innovation: a strategic approach http://www.europeansources.info/record/communication-from-the-commission-to-the-european-parliament-the-council-the-european-economic-and-social-committee-and-the-committee-of-the-regions-enhancing-and-focusing-eu-international-coopera/

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