3rd EU-Moldova Joint R&I Committee meeting under Horizon Europe

On 23 October 2024, the 3^rd EU-Moldova Joint Research and Innovation (R&I) Committee meeting under Horizon Europe took place in Chisinau, the Republic of Moldova. The meeting was co-chaired by Ms. Anne Haglund-Morrissey, Deputy Head of Unit for ‘International cooperation – Europe and Americas’, DG Research and Innovation of the European Commission, and Ms. Adriana Cazacu-Tigaie, State Secretary at the Ministry of Education and Research in Moldova, and was hosted by Director-General Aurelia Hanganu at the National Agency for Research and Development (NARD) in Chisinau.

The EU co-chair referred to Moldova’s EU enlargement process, recent reports of relevance for the development of the EU R&I policy, the Political Guidelines for the next European Commission, and the ongoing discussions related to the next Framework Programme on R&I. The EU side further presented new policy developments related to the European Research Area, the new European Innovation Agenda, and initiatives under the Global Approach to Research and Innovation, such as the multilateral dialogue on values and principles, research security and science diplomacy.

The Moldovan side provided an update on its Research and Innovation (R&I) policy development, ongoing reform efforts, and new initiatives aimed at enhancing R&D investment and internationalisation, such as the new National Programme for Research and Development (2024-2027), and on the activities undertaken by the Horizon Europe Office in Moldova.

The two sides discussed the implementation of the Horizon Europe association agreement, such as the participation of Moldovan researchers and entities in the Programme, areas where further participation could be encouraged, and the implementation of the reciprocity principle (amendment of Annex II of the agreement).

Moldova's adoption of a national programme on Smart Specialisation with an Action Plan was acknowledged as being the first among Eastern Partnership countries, and the focus will now be on its implementation. Moldova’s recent inclusion in the European Innovation Scoreboard and the importance of submitting adequate R&D data was highlighted. Further participation opportunities were emphasised in areas such as Widening, the European Innovation Council, the Marie-Sklodowska Curie Actions, Partnerships and Missions, and the European Research Council, and cooperation activities with the Joint Research Centre were highlighted.

The meeting concluded with both parties reaffirming their commitment to deepening R&I cooperation, with the next meeting of the Joint R&I Committee to take place in Brussels in 2025.

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International cooperation with Moldova