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Research and innovation
News article23 November 2022Directorate-General for Research and Innovation

First meeting of the EU-Tunisia Joint Research and Innovation Committee under Horizon Europe

Photo from the event

The first meeting of the EU-Tunisia Joint Research and Innovation Committee under the EU-Tunisia Horizon Europe Association Agreement took place in Brussels on 21 November 2022.

The meeting was co-chaired by Ms. Anne Haglund-Morrissey, Deputy Head of the Horizon Europe Association Unit, European Commission’s Directorate-General for Research and Innovation and Mr. Helmi Mardassi, Director General, Unit for the management of the EU's Research and Innovation framework programmes (UGPO), Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MHESR) of Tunisia.

The EU co-chair highlighted the Horizon Europe opportunities for the Tunisian research and innovation community. She praised the good results of Tunisian researchers in Horizon Europe so far as well as the participation and considerable efforts made by Tunisia to strengthen its national R&I capacity and R&I cooperation with the EU.

The Tunisian Co-Chair thanked the EU counterparts for the good cooperation throughout the the negotiations of the Association Agreement. A complete overview of the last developments in the Tunisian R&I ecosystem was presented, both in terms of enacted national policies and future strategic actions and orientations.

An update of recent R&I policy developments, initiatives and projects related to climate change and renewable energy, and on the Tunisian innovation sector was also presented by the Tunisian delegation.

The EU encouraged Tunisian participation in relevant activities related to the European Research Area Policy Agenda, the European Innovation Agenda and Europe's Global Approach to Research and Innovation.

The following items were also discussed: the state of play of the network of the Tunisian National Contact Points; recent national measures to support R&I; the principle of reciprocity in the Association Agreement; and the implementation of the Policy Support Facility recommendations.

They also exchanged views on how to increase further participation of Tunisia in specific Horizon Europe actions such as Widening, the European Innovation Council, Missions and Partnerships, the European Research Council, the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA), and the Joint Research Centre actions

Details

Publication date
23 November 2022
Author
Directorate-General for Research and Innovation