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3 juli 2014 | Forza Europa! Matteo Renzi zit nu een half jaar de EU voor en de Italiaanse premier is ambitieus. Digitaal onderwijs, sociale innovatie en ondernemerschap in Horizon 2020 en alle vormen van samenwerking rond R&D die groei en banen helpen aanwakkeren staan hoog op de agenda.

In het startdocument van het Italiaans EU-voorzitterschap staan de plannen en prioriteiten bijeengebracht over onderzoek, innovatie, ruimtevaart, onderwijs en cultuur. Op het punt van open education en digitale ontwikkelingen wil men met alle ministers samen een vervolgstap gaan zetten. “The Presidency will support a discussion on the “role of education in the digital era” by organising, in cooperation with the Commission, an event at ministerial level in Brussels aimed at raising awareness of the potential of digital education, taking stock of the progress made on the EU “Opening up Education” agenda.”

De sleutelpassages uit het Italiaanse agenda-document leest u hieronder. Nederland moet binnenkort ook aan de bak: begin 2016 wordt ons land voorzitter.

Research and Innovation

In the context of the mid-term review of the Europe 2020 Strategy, the Italian Presidency plans to propose a political discussion and Council conclusions on research and innovation as new sources of growth, building on the Commission’s Communication on this topic. In this context, attention will be paid to aspects which have a positive impact on growth and employment, in particular fostering public/private partnership in research; promoting demand-side innovation policies; simplifying and streamlining research and innovation policies; and promoting social innovation.

In order to ensure a dynamic continuity with the Greek Presidency, the Italian Presidency intends to further advance preparations for the initiative for a “Partnership in Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area” (PRIMA), based on Article 185 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). On this issue, a discussion and Council conclusions will be proposed. Bearing in mind the considerable emphasis on marine and maritime sectors and blue innovation as important pillars for a sustainable socio-economic growth, the Presidency will organise specific events and work with the Commission and Member States to define a Blue Growth flagship initiative for the Mediterranean.

Convinced that open and productive research infrastructures will significantly advance Europe’s capacity to generate new ideas and create jobs, the Italian Presidency will devote the COMPET/ Research Informal Ministerial meeting to infrastructures. Discussions will take into account the implementation of the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) roadmap as well as the European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC) instrument, ensuring coherence with smart specialisation strategies at regional and macro-regional level. Bearing in mind that the establishment of an authentic European Research Area (ERA) is important for maintaining the European research systems on the leading edge of the advancement of knowledge, especially in times of fiscal constraints, the Presidency will address this topic, taking into account the anticipated Second Annual ERA Progress Report by the Commission, with a view to adopting Council conclusions.

Special emphasis will be given to boosting political commitment to joint EU research programming, with the aim of visibly reducing fragmentation and eliminating unnecessary duplication, as well as promoting the ERA‘s human resources component, and in particular the next generation of researchers.

In addition, the Presidency plans to address the European social challenges tackled by Horizon 2020 with a specific conference on the future of science with and for social activities, with primary reference to the European Cultural Heritage. The Italian Presidency intends to place social innovation and a new model of social entrepreneurship at the very centre of its efforts to support inclusive and sustainable growth, boosted by the remarkable efforts made by the European Commission with the Social Innovation Initiative. The aspects of smart communities, social innovation scalability through technology and science and financing of social innovation will be at the very heart of the debate to be proposed by the Italian Presidency.

Space

The Italian Presidency will launch discussions on the Commission’s Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the dissemination of Earth observation satellite data for commercial purposesProposal for a Directive on the identification and dissemination of High- Resolution Earth Observation Satellite Data (HRSD) for commercial purposes, aiming to ensure the proper functioning and development of the internal market for commercial satellite data highresolution satellite data products and services by establishing a transparent, predictable, fair and coherent legal framework across Member States.

Discussions will also be launched on future EU space programmes and infrastructures aiming to further support the Union’s policies and for the benefit of European citizens. Furthermore, the Italian Presidency will promote an international event on the Copernicus Programme, focusing on the potential contribution to EU policies and actions in the areas of border control, ma

ritime surveillance, preservation of cultural heritage and external action. These are key themes for Europe and, in particular, for the Mediterranean region. The event will also help to better promote the role of “Space” not just as a strategic priority sector for the EU, but also as a key driver of the European economy.

Education and Training

With the objective of contributing to the upcoming review of the Europe 2020 Strategy, the intends to propose a political discussion on the future role of education and training in the national and EU growth agendas, highlighting the impact of investment in education on economic sustainable growth and the role of education in fostering competitiveness and job creation.

Within this framework, the Presidency will focus on vocational education and training, the inter-relationship between education and employment and entrepreneurship education. Furthermore, the Presidency will support a discussion on the “role of education in the digital era” by organising, in cooperation with the Commission, an event at ministerial level in Brussels aimed at raising awareness of the potential of digital education, taking stock of the progress made on the EU “Opening up Education” agenda, and drawing attention to the role played by education in the transmission of values and in facilitating an educated and conscious citizenship.

The Presidency also intends to initiate a dialogue on how the new Erasmus Plus Program could be better used in order to enhance international cooperation among higher education institutions and further promote student mobility programmes.

The Presidency intends to propose the following subjects for future discussion: wellbeing at school and early childhood education in foreign languages. Recognising that doctoral education and training can play a role in fostering innovation, self-entrepreneurship and the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises, the Presidency plans to organise an event to re-launch the Principles for Innovative Doctoral Training, with a view to strengthening the international dimension of European doctoral education, in line with the recommendationsof the Bologna Ministerial Conference held in Bucharest.

The Presidency will act in favour of third-sector organisations involved in programmes of learning support, school drop-out prevention and broadening access to higher technical and academic education,all of which contribute to achieving the objectives of the Europe 2020 Strategy.

Culture

The aim of the Presidency will be to bring culture and heritage to the forefront of the European Strategy. The Presidency will focus on the transversal value of culture and creativity in all relevant EU policies and will underpin the importance of cultural cooperation and intercultural dialogue in addressing social challenges and in establishing successful external relations.

In particular, the cross-cutting nature of cultural heritage and its potential for synergies with other policy fields will be explored. The specific contribution which cultural heritage can make to the achievement of the objectives of the EU 2020 strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth will be investigated further, with a view to its inclusion in the Strategy’s review process. In this regard, the Council will work towards an agreement on conclusions highlighting the potential of heritage for the Europe 2020 Strategy.

The Presidency will foster the endorsement of the contribution of cultural policies to long-term sustainable development and social cohesion and the integration of immigrant communities, as well as drivers for innovation and the creation of social capital.

Council discussions concerning the value of cultural heritage for society and its role as a spillover for the creative sector will therefore be promoted. In particular, the role played by cultural heritage in terms of the identity of cities, territories and communities and as a strategic element for their attractiveness and competitiveness at global level will be brought to the fore.

The Presidency will work towards completing discussions on the adoption of the Council’s new Work Plan for Culture 2015/2018. The increasing use of the Internet and mobile devices provides plenty of opportunities as well as new and challenging scenarios. A special focus will be placed on the European Regulation in the audiovisual sector, including the use of online creative content in the digital single market, which is closely linked to the development of intellectual property rights rules in this area. Strengthening and supporting diversity, creativity and the advancement of Europe’s film industry will also feature among the Presidency’s goals in this area.

The Presidency will continue supporting the development of Europeana and promoting the use of digital technologies as means of enhancing access to and participation in the European cultural heritage. The re-use of cultural content will be further explored as means for education and tourism, for increasing audiences and for facilitating the development of a stronger creative economy. Special emphasis will be placed on encouraging youth employment and entrepreneurship in the cultural and creative sector, in order to support the building of human capital and collective well-being.


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