The second informal meeting under the Panel on Research and Innovation aimed to offer the possibility to representatives of EaP countries, including researchers, research organisations and civil society, to discuss how to improve R&I ecosystem in the EaP countries and bring R&I higher on the governments’ agenda. Moreover, participants also discussed widening participation and strengthening of the European Research Area and the Marie Sklodowska Curie Actions in Horizon Europe.

During the event, the EaP CSF representatives Volodymyr Nochvai and Ivan Kulchytskyy highlighted the importance of EaP governments’ increased investments in R&I. They also stressed that the development of EaP national strategies aligned with the EU R&I strategy is important for the integration into the European Research Area.

National research systems are weak and hinder the progress in R&I in the EaP countries. Therefore, the extent of their integration into the European Research Area should become an important benchmark of success.

In addition, Petra Gombalova Kyslingerova (EEAS) affirmed that the enhanced cooperation and integration in the EU R&I systems is one of the key elements which should be endorsed at the EaP Summit. Vassilis Maragos (DG NEAR) underlined that R&I should become central to the green recovery and the expenditure for R&I should be increased.