In May 2021, the European Commission published a Communication the 'Global Approach to Research and Innovation' 
, setting out a new approach for global engagement. Our policy and funding programme are open to the world. Beyond its thematic components, the Global Approach brings forward a number of key principles and values underpinning our openness, to be endorsed and implemented at international level as a safe common basis for effective and trusted cooperation between scientists, in a changing world and a fast evolving research and technology landscape.
Following the endorsement at European level of the Marseille Declaration 2022, a series of dialogue workshops has been organised in 2022 and 2023 with international partner countries and with stakeholder organisations. The topics discussed are freedom of academic and scientific research, research ethics and integrity; research excellence, gender equality and inclusiveness; open science; research security, knowledge valorisation, equitable partnerships with low- and middle-income countries.
Given the importance of international cooperation in research and innovation and of this multilateral dialogue in reaching out to the EU’s international partners, with around 40 countries actively engaged in the process, the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU will host an international Ministerial Dialogue on principles and values in international research and innovation cooperation, scheduled for Thursday-Friday, 15-16 February 2024.
This meeting has provided, via a Ministerial Statement, high-level political recognition of the work undertaken so far and has sought to gain international endorsement of the multilateral dialogue as a unique platform for addressing all the principles and values relevant to international R&I cooperation, in one common framework.
The meeting’s outcome is important in terms of political mandate and of global support and direction for future actions in guiding research relationships (researchers and innovators , research funding and research policy actors) in a changing world. It calls for the joint development of a longer-term roadmap for implementing the dialogue and for upholding in practice common principles and values enabling responsible international research and innovation cooperation, including coordination and synergies with the work done by other international organisations and in other fora.
‘Brussels Statement’ endorsed at the international Ministerial conference on 16 February 2024 *
Ministerial Statement 2024-02-16 (Brussels Statement)
* The Republic of Türkiye endorsed the Ministerial statement without the Annex.
Date: 15 - 16 February 2024
Place: The Residence Palace, Brussels, Belgium
22.02.2024 - Press release
Responsible international cooperation in research and innovation, in a rapidly changing world
Brigitte Decadt
Federal, Interfederal and International Coordination
