The agreement also provides a framework to establish mechanisms for enhanced science and technology cooperation, such as reciprocal participation in research programmes, exchange of researchers, and coordinated calls for proposals.
The EU Commissioner for Science and Research, Janez Potočnik, said the agreement opens a new chapter in the history of science and research cooperation between two of the main knowledge providers in the world in a new era of international global cooperation in research. “We face common challenges and we should address them together for our planet, for our people and for our future. It also represents one step further in the opening of the European research area to the world.”
The European Union and Japan already cooperate in a number of projects and this agreement will further reinforce cooperation. Specific cooperative activities, such as coordinated calls, will be planned through regular meetings of a Joint Committee. Discussions are already well-advanced in some fields, such as energy and new materials.
The agreement is expected to enter into force during 2010. A key objective is to strengthen the international dimension of the European Research Area by fostering cooperation with key third countries through geographic and thematic targeting.
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