Any other business? Horizon delays not on research ministers’ radar 25 May 2021 |
Agenda for first meeting of research ministers since last September – and first since member states approved Horizon Europe legislation - does not feature discussion of repeated delays in fully launching the programme
EU commissioner for research and innovation, Mariya Gabriel. Photo: European Commission
Research ministers will not discuss the ongoing delays to Horizon Europe at the EU Council meeting on Friday, a senior EU diplomat has confirmed.
Adoption of work programmes laying out the timelines, budget and scope of dozens of calls for proposals over the next two years is being held up by a dispute between the Commission and a majority of member states in the EU Council over the participation of Israel, Switzerland and the UK in quantum and space research projects.
As it celebrates its 50th anniversary, the researcher networking association COST has set out its objectives for the next decade, promising to take a lead role in creating the European Research Area (ERA), a single market for research.
EU members ‘must step up’ for European Universities
The Council of the European Union, comprising ministers of EU member states, has called on European governments and higher education systems to support the European Universities Initiative (EUI) and make it a central to building a European Education Area by 2025.
The ministers have urged more cooperation between education authorities, higher education institutions and stakeholders to remove obstacles to European level cooperation.
In this context, they suggest exploring the need for and feasibility of joint European degrees within the alliance of ‘European Universities’.
The call came in conclusions, “The European Universities Initiative – Bridging higher education, research, innovation and society: paving the way for a new dimension in European higher education”, adopted on 17 May at a Council education ministers’ meeting moderated by Manuel Heitor, minister of science, technology and higher education of Por
Today, the Council adopted conclusions on the European Universities initiative - Bridging higher education, research, innovation and society: paving the way for a new dimension in European higher education. The initiative, launched by EU leaders in 2017, will be fully rolled out during the EU s 2021-2027 financing period. Within the European Universities alliances, students, staff and researchers should be able to move seamlessly between partner institutions to train, teach and do research.
With their conclusions, ministers encourage member states and the Commission to make sure that the initiative remains central to building a European Education Area by 2025, inspiring the transformation of higher education in the EU and helping to achieve the ambitious vision of an innovative, globally competitive and attractive European Education Area and European Research Area. To that end, the Council invites member states to take advantage of all available funding possibilities, including the