The European Commission and Member States agree to rebalance openness and strategic autonomy. This is also shaping the openness of the EU’s R&I collaboration.
September brought the EU institutions’ activities on all levels back to bustling life. Two strategic policy inputs that included multiple links to education, research and innovation were presented: On 8 September, the European Commission (EC) published its 2021 Strategic Foresight Report ‘The EU’s capacity and freedom to act’. EC President Ursula von der Leyen followed on 15 September with her 2021 State of the Union Address.
The Foresight report presents global trends, uncertainties and choices that could shape the EU’s future. Thus, it provides context and orientation for possible EU policy responses. Research and innovation (R&I) play a crucial role in several fields that underpin the ‘Open Strategic Autonomy’ the EU is aiming for. These fields include ‘securing decarbonised and affordable energy’ and ‘strengthening the capacity in data management, artificial intelligence and cutting edge technologies’. Related to education, the report defines the goal of ‘developing and retaining skills and talents matching EU ambitions’. The Foresight Report’s main focus is oriented towards ensuring the EU’s capacity and freedom to act, rendered possible, according to the rationale, through a higher degree of autonomy.
In her State of the Union speech, President von der Leyen provided a practical example why the EU needs more strategic autonomy: The current shortage of semi-conductors on international markets is slowing down entire production lines due to the growing demand for an ever wider range of products that run on microchips. Thus, von der Leyen made the point that the EU needs to be able to secure its own chip production. Therefore, the EC will present a new ‘European Chips Act’ that helps coordinate national investments along the entire value chain. Von der Leyen highlighted: “We need to link together our world-class research, design and testing capacities.”
On 28 September, the Competitiveness Council (EU Research Ministers’ part) exchanged views on the new European Research Area (ERA). The focus was on governance and monitoring, as laid down in the draft Council Conclusions on ‘the future governance of the ERA’, which will form the procedural counterpart to the policy-oriented ‘Pact for R&I in Europe’ in the new ERA (see SwissCore article). It is expected that the Council will be able to adopt the Conclusions still under Slovenian Presidency during the Competitiveness Council on 26 November 2021. While Ministers agreed to involve international partners in the new ERA, “many argued that there should be closer cooperation with partner countries with a stronger degree of association and similar principles and values for R&I”.
The Council also adopted Council Conclusions on the EU’s ‘Global approach to Research and Innovation – Europe’s strategy for international cooperation in a changing world’ (see SwissCore article). Ministers identified openness and international cooperation with third countries as essential. However, they also emphasised the importance of “a strong focus on shared fundamental values and principles, with openness being balanced by prudence, and cooperation by reciprocity”. Furthermore, the conclusions mention the “need for strategic autonomy” and underscore the importance of freedom of scientific research and gender equality. An international conference is planned for early 2022, to launch a multilateral dialogue with key international partners on shared fundamental principles and values in international R&I cooperation.
Ministers also discussed the state of play on institutionalised European Partnerships (see SwissCore article) and association to Horizon Europe. On the latter, the EC highlighted that Horizon Europe is “the most open” R&I programme globally and that “association of third countries to the programme is one of the main instruments to ensure this openness”. In late September, the EFTA and European Economic Area (EEA) countries Norway and Iceland were the first countries associated to Horizon Europe, retroactively from 1 January 2021. Negotiations are also concluded with all six Western Balkan countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia), with Turkey, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, and Armenia. All agreements foresee retroactive association from 1 January 2021 and still need to be ratified.
Negotiations are still ongoing with Israel, Tunisia, and the Faroe Islands, while talks with Morocco will start in October. In the case of the United Kingdom, association to Horizon Europe will be based on a Protocol to the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA). The EC informed research ministers about the aim of associating the UK “at the earliest opportunity”. The EC also informed Council that “as a consequence of the termination of the EU-Swiss Institutional Framework Agreement (IFA) negotiations on 26 May, Switzerland is not considered as a candidate to association at this stage.” Furthermore, Member States were informed that the EC is in exploratory talks since July with Canada. Informal talks on potential interest to pursue association are ongoing with Singapore, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and Japan.
Given recent political linkages by the EC in the case of Switzerland’s currently blocked negotiations on association to Horizon Europe, Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) on 27 September demanded to have a stronger role on this topic. “More and more, and you see that in the Swiss case, association agreements become part of the political portfolio of the Commission driving other issues,” said Christian Ehler MEP (EPP/Germany). Similar considerations were mentioned by MEPs in the case of the UK.
Switzerland is currently participating as a non-associated third country in Horizon Europe. However, the country remains committed to its goal of full association to Horizon Europe and other related programmes and initiatives as soon as possible.