Draft Report of the Expert Group on International STI Cooperation to ...

d) with operational and intellectual support for implementing structural and
<strong>the</strong>matic activities which have been jointly agreed by <strong>the</strong> EC and <strong>the</strong> third
partner country within <strong>the</strong>ir mutually agreed roadmaps
e) promoting European research in <strong>the</strong> partner country and vice-versa
f) financed jointly by <strong>the</strong> European Commission and <strong>the</strong> partner country with
S&T agreement.
4) Support <strong>the</strong> coordination <strong>of</strong> research funding between <strong>the</strong> MS plus EC (variable
geometry) and selected third partner countries through
a) International co-funding or matching-funding activities (e.g. based on ERA-
NETs, JP and twinning instruments)
b) <strong>the</strong>matically addressing – but not necessarily limited to –global challenges
c) a leverage effect in terms <strong>of</strong> European value added and critical mass
generation
d) mutually agreed pr<strong>of</strong>essional research programming, funding and evaluation
standards
e) financing as a joint effort between <strong>the</strong> EC (coordination), <strong>the</strong> participating
Member States and countries associated (research funding), as well as <strong>the</strong>
participating international partner countries (research funding);
f) eventually <strong>of</strong>fering a financial top-up <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> EC to research funding (e.g. ERA-
NET PLUS) provided that <strong>the</strong> HORIZON 2020 rules for participation and
financial regulations are – at least to a high extent – applied (see separate box
below).
Funding and spending mechanisms should contain contingency provisions and means
<strong>of</strong> ensuring funding for multi-annual research projects. Provisions for accompanying
measures (such as summer schools, <strong>the</strong>matic conferences, short-term mobility
schemes to S&T infrastructures), which also include partners with less financial
commitments, should be encouraged. Knowledge sharing and IP provisions should be
adapted to each phase <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> collaboration cycle.
5) Support a few global strategic partnerships based on programmatic research
coordination and capacity building between excellent R&D organisations from <strong>the</strong>
EU and third partner countries
a) through enhanced ERA-WIDE projects including elements <strong>of</strong> IRSES (subprogramme
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Marie Curie in FP7)
b) with <strong>the</strong>matic or generic enabling functions for addressing global challenges
(e.g. foresight on global challenges, social innovation for global challenges,
financial system’s observatory etc.)
c) through a high leverage effect in terms <strong>of</strong> intra- and extra-European
networking/outreach
d) especially with partner countries with whom <strong>the</strong> EC has a S&T agreement and
with developing countries, where it is crucial to streng<strong>the</strong>n <strong>the</strong> institutional
and personnel capacities
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