EU-LAC Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) to go forward the Joint Initiative for Research and Innovation

As a result of the European Union, Latin America and Caribbean Senior Officials Meeting (SOM), which was held on 28 and 29 March 2011 in Brussels, the working mechanism and roadmap to go forward the implementation of the EU-LAC Joint Initiative for Research and Innovation was approved. This Joint Initiative aims at contributing to sustainable development and social inclusion in six priority areas of cooperation: Energy, Environment and Climate Change, Agro Food, Health, Information and Communication Technologies, and horizontal activities regarding S&T policies focused in both institutional and human capital formation.

Seventeen representatives from Latin American countries, nine representatives from Member States of the EU and Officials of the European Commission Directorate General for Research and Innovation and Information Society and Media, led by the International Cooperation Director, Mr. Isi Saragossi, the Directorate General for Development and Cooperation in Europe and the European External Action Service, attended the two days meeting.

Participants discussed and agreed upon the guidelines for the operation of SOMs in order to further develop and maintain the EU-LAC dialogue on Science, Technology and Innovation. Also a roadmap that will define how to structure the dialogue on science and technology under the Joint Initiative was endorsed.

Additionally, a bi-regional agreement to explore the possibilities for establishing a Common Fund for Resources within the framework of the Joint Initiative was reached. Also, bi-regional pilot activities will be implemented within the framework of the Joint Initiative in the areas of Bio-economy, Biodiversity and Climate Change as well as ICT. In this regard, Mexico proposed to add the Renewable Energy area, which proposal was supported by a number of LAC countries and Spain on the side of the EU.