BAKGRUNN (fra rådskonklusjonene, engelsk utgave)

The Council adopted the following conclusions: 

"RECALLING 

• The Commission communication of 15 July 2008, entitled "Towards joint programming in research: Working together to tackle common challenges more effectively" [1], which called for the implementation of a process led by the Member States to step up their cooperation in the R&D area in order to better confront major societal challenges of European or worldwide scale, where public research plays a key role; 

• Its conclusions of 2 December 2008 concerning joint programming of research in Europe in response to major societal challenges [2], which established a dedicated configuration of CREST [3], the High Level Group for Joint Programming (GPC),with a view to identifying and substantiating the first list of a limited number of joint programming themes; encouraged Member States, with the support of the Commission, to consider how best to address the framework conditions during the development and implementation of Joint Programming as well as invited the GPC to report to the Council on Joint Programming every two years, the first report being expected in 2010; 

• Its conclusions of 3 December 2009 [4] which launched the pilot Joint Programming Initiative (JPI) on combating Neurodegenerative diseases, in particular Alzheimer's, and welcomed the identification and substantiation of the "first wave" of themes for JPIs in the areas of 'Agriculture, food security and climate change', ‘Cultural Heritage and Global Change: a new challenge for Europe’, and ‘A healthy diet for a healthy life’; 

• Its conclusions of 26 May 2010 [5] which welcomed the Commission recommendations on the "first wave" of JPIs, with a view to their launch by the Council, and the identification and substantiation of further six "second wave" themes for JPIs in the areas of 'Connecting Climate Knowledge for Europe (Clik'EU)', 'Healthy and Productive Seas and Oceans', 'More Years, Better Lives - The Potential and Challenges of Demographic Change', 'The microbial challenge - An emerging threat to human health', 'Urban Europe - Global Challenges, Local Solutions' and 'Water Challenges for a Changing World; as well as invited GPC to include in its report to the Council, due by the end of 2010, the level of commitment of the participating countries in JPIs, the benefits of a lean governance structures and voluntary guidelines for framework conditions; 

• Its conclusions of 12 October 2010 [6] which launched the first wave of JPIs and invited the Commission to offer support in the implementation of these initiatives while facilitating complementarity with the Framework Programme; 

• The conference entitled "Joint Programming in Research: a common approach towards innovation", organised jointly by the Belgian Presidency and the Commission on 18 and 19 October in La Hulpe, at which relevant stakeholders discussed the role of JPIs in the innovation cycle and provided a valuable input to the establishment of the biennial report on the JP process and the Framework conditions guidelines; 

1. RECOGNISES the significant progress made by the GPC in the last two years. It has not only fulfilled its main tasks but has also laid down the foundations for the future development of JPIs; 

2. WELCOMES the first biennial report on the Joint Programming process, adopted by the GPC on 11 November and set out in the Annex, in particular as regards its first overview of the achievements in strengthening the strategic coordination of research initiatives at national and European level in order to respond more effectively to major European societal challenges, as well as its contribution to the realisation of the ERA alongside challenges and policy issues to be addressed in the future; 

3. ACKNOWLEDGES that Joint Programming process has the potential to contribute to tackling major European societal challenges, and UNDERLINES the need to continue with this process, in particular with the implementation of already identified JPIs; 

4. In this context, and with a view to further strengthen the success of JPIs, REITERATES the need to ensure an appropriate level of commitment of the participating countries and an adequate governance structure which generates trust, a shared common vision and a Strategic Research Agenda, as well as to facilitate, where appropriate, the participation of countries with limited research base; 

5. WELCOMES the 2010 voluntary guidelines for Framework Conditions on Joint Programming, set out in the Annex, as a living document that will facilitate and simplify implementation of JPIs, and RECOMMENDS Member States participating in JPIs to use these guidelines, as appropriate, and ENCOURAGES their regular review in the light of new experience of the JPIs in applying them. 

6. INVITES Member States participating in the pilot and the "first wave" JPIs to continue progress towards the definition of a Strategic Research Agenda; in addition, INVITES Member States participating in the pilot JPI on Neurodegenerative diseases, in particular Alzheimer's, to move forward in the implementation of rapid actions [7] identified by its management board, so as to allow lessons to be drawn on the implementation of joint actions in JPIs; 

7. ACKNOWLEDGES the efforts of the coordinators of the six "second wave" JPIs to demonstrate their maturity since their endorsement by the Council on 26 May 2010 [8]. On this basis, INVITES the Commission, within the remit of its competence, to further contribute to the preparation of JPIs which correspond to these themes with a view to adopting Recommendations as soon as possible in 2011; as well as INVITES the participating Member States, to further facilitate the preparation of JPIs, notably by nominating members to management boards and by providing a state of play of relevant national research instruments and identify how these could be further developed to support the JPI; 

8. INVITES the Member States, with the support of the Commission, to define the role of JP in the implementation of the Europe 2020 Strategy, including with a view to further streamlining research and innovation instruments, and, in relation to the concept of European Innovation Partnerships, UNDERLINES the importance to avoid duplication of contents with the JPIs; 

9. INVITES ERAC, in the context of the review of the ERA related groups and by taking into account the contribution made by GPC, to explore what governance would need to be put in place in order to further bring forward the concept of Joint Programming of research in Europe from the planning to the implementation phase, with a view to a Council decision on the matter. The GPC will continue its work, as appropriate, until such decision is taken." 

1 11935/08. 
2 Official Journal C 24, 30.1.2009, p. 3–6. 
3 CREST was renamed the European Research area Committee (ERAC) by the Council resolution of 26 May 2010, set out in doc. 10255/10. 
4 17226/09. 
5 10246/10. 
6 14976/10. 
7 Such as the potential rapid action "Biomarkers in cerebrospinal fluid". 
8 10246/10