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South
East European ERA.Net – Strategies for Integrating the Western
Balkan Countries into the European Research Area
Mag.
Peter Mayr,
Zentrum für Soziale Innovation, Wien
Dr. Jörg Sonnenburg,
Internationales Büro des BMBF, Bonn
Dr. Ulrike Kunze,
Internationales Büro des BMBF, Bonn
Abstract:
The Southeast European Era-Net SEE-ERA.NET aims
at structuring and expanding the European Research Area to the West Balkan
countries by co-ordinating and supporting RTD activities at the bilateral level.
The project mainly targets bilateral inter-governmental programmes between the
15 consortium partners. Through a process of co-operation, concertation and
co-ordination, added value will be achieved for the research communities of all
12 participating countries. An important fringe benefit of SEE-ERA.NET is
enhanced interregional RTD co-operation between the new member states and
candidate countries involved.
The project was launched in September 2004 and will run until 2009, and its
results at this stage represent a snap-shot of ‘work in progress’.
Nevertheless, October 2005 marks the conclusion of the project’s empirical
data collection and the beginning of our strategic considerations.
Current state of the co-operation activities with the WBC
Almost all EU member states exercise different bilateral intergovernmental RTD
programmes with other European and third countries, encompassing a broad range
of different approaches and designs with distinctive regional foci.
According to the INCOPOL study commissioned by DG Research, however, little
programmatic and operational co-ordination has been exercised between the
European Union member countries in performing their different bilateral RTD
programmes with Central and East-European countries (see INCOPOL, 1998). It is
not surprising that there have been double-track actions, repeated failures due
to non-existent information and knowledge transfer. Above all, these single
isolated activities prevent critical mass forming. The scarce financing
available for bilateral activities, their unstructured relation (or non-relation)
to each other as well as the target region’s vast need of assistance, call for
a co-ordinated effort.
It is important to note that SEE-ERA.NET does not aim to substitute or undermine
bilateral RTD initiatives between different European countries. Instead, it aims
to complement existing isolated efforts by establishing synergies and adding
critical mass and momentum. By increasing RTD co-operation in Central and
Southeast Europe, prevailing scientific and technological weaknesses of the
participating countries will be gradually counterbalanced and existing strengths
upgraded.
Starting points for future activities
To begin with, information was analysed on bilateral programmes run under
intergovernmental agreements, also on other relevant bilateral or multilateral
RTD activities with the Western Balkan countries.
The aim was to identify adequate and promising elements and approaches that
could have model character for future instruments and formats of co-operation.
Best practice and positive experience were considered; negative experience or
inefficient procedures were left aside.
Different co-operation categories were taken into account in order to structure
the ideas for future co-operation: joint RTD activities, RTD infrastructure, RTD
policies, human potential and institution building.
Strategies for joint activities with the WBC
Based on the analysis, strategies of future co-operation activities will be
discussed, agreed upon and summarised in a White Paper. This will form the basis
for a Joint Action Plan following a more pragmatic approach. It will include
strategic suggestions for all SEE ERA.Net partner countries as well as other
Member States, the EU Commission and other relevant European and international
organisations.
The strategic approaches will exploit synergies whilst aiming to balance the
harmonisation of different programmes with preserving European diversity as one
of our strengths.
Legal and administrative framework conditions
Special attention will be drawn to the practical side of joint co-operation
activities. This includes legal, financial, political and evaluation aspects as
well as administrative and selection procedures which can differ considerably
from country to country. To this end, an inventory of current framework
conditions in the SEE-ERA.Net Partner countries has been compiled. Other aspects
to be considered include assuring free mobility between the EU and the WBC
funding procedures, shareholding, legal aspects of financial support, the
processing of applications and IPR-issues.
Here, experiences of other ERA-NETs will be taken into account. At the end,
models for legal and administrative aspects of future joint approaches will be
suggested that should be acceptable to all partners.
Outlook: Perspectives for future co-operation
Looking at the existing and manifold RTD co-operation activities with Western
Balkan countries at present, it is clear that synergy effects between running
programmes and projects should be identified and better used, but redundancies
should be avoided. SEE-ERA.Net supports this endeavour by elaborating
suggestions on how to direct bi- and multilateral RTD co-operation with the
target region in a more co-ordinated, efficient and targeted way. In addition to
the traditional bilateral mobility scheme (exchange of scientists), new formats
and instruments such as multilateral expert workshops, consultancy schemes,
regional joint project offices, will be promoted in an innovative approach.
Finally, the implementation of a joint pilot programme based on a joint call for
project proposals supported by at least some of the SEE-ERA.Net partners will
open a new dimension towards the full integration of the Western Balkan
countries into the ERA.
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