Within the framework of the Hellenic Presidency of the European Union, the Informal Competitiveness Council/Research Meeting was convened in Athens, on 13 May 2014. Mr. Saša Zelenika, Ph.D., Deputy Minister of Science, Education and Sports took part on behalf of the Republic of Croatia. The meeting focused on two items: the Euro-Mediterranean Cooperation for Research and Innovation (PRIMA), and the European Innovation Partnerships.
PRIMA (Partnership in Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area) is an initiative of a public-private partnership, launched two years ago at the Informal Competitiveness Council Meeting in Nicosia. Several working groups have been active within the initiative, both from the Northern and the Southern Mediterranean. The Republic of Croatia joined in 2014, and first contacts enabling Croatian full participation were established.
Professor Zelenika welcomed the Initiative, emphasizing that international co-operation is a vital part of the European Research Area, in view of the social challenges that need to be resolved in a collaboration that also involves Neighbourhood countries. „The Mediterranean is undoubtedly strategically important for Europe, and deserves attention in particular regarding food and water resources“, Zelenika declared. „However, any enhanced co-operation must be in accordance with national and regional priorities“, Zelenika stressed, concluding that this initiative needs to be viewed as potentially strengthening the EU perspective for countries of South-eastern Europe, and as an instrument important in the context of geopolitical developments in the Southern Mediterranean, and, in particular, as a mechanism preventing brain-drain from the region.
Most of the countries represented supported the initiative, underlining the importance of increased investment in research and innovation, in order to deal with the challenges currently facing Europe.
Regarding European Innovation Partnerships, the Republic of Croatia welcomed the report of the independent Expert Group, tasked to perform the evaluation of the current EIPs, and suggested developing initiatives that include small and medium sized enterprises.
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