Third meeting of the EU-Israel Joint Research and Innovation Committee under Horizon Europe

The third meeting of the EU-Israel Horizon Europe Joint Research and Innovation Committee took place online on 16 April 2024, under the co-chairmanship of Ms. Ruta Zarnauskaite, Head of Unit of the Horizon Europe Association Unit, European Commission’s Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, and Mr. Shlomi Kofman, Director General, Israel-Europe R&D Directorate (ISERD), and Vice President for International Collaborations, Israel Innovation Authority.

The meeting offered a good occasion for the EU to recall the importance of pursuing the EU-Israel R&I bilateral cooperation based on fundamental values, such as academic freedom, gender equality, diversity, research ethics, open science and evidence-based policy-making.  In the opening remarks, the Head of the EU Delegation to the State of Israel and the representative of the Israeli MFA stressed that the EU-Israel partnership is solid, spanning across various sectors from trade to research and  innovation, being the most prominent area of bilateral cooperation thanks to Israel’s association to Horizon Europe.

During the EU-Israel Joint Committee meeting, the importance of Science Diplomacy in cross-border regional cooperation to address common challenges as a means to bring peace and stability to the region was underscored by the EU. Presentations from both sides highlighted Israeli entities and researchers' excellent performance in the first three years of Horizon Europe's implementation and identified areas for better alignment of priorities. The discussions encompassed evaluating Horizon 2020's impact, commitment to ERA actions, collaboration in the European Innovation Agenda, the role of research and innovation in economic security, recognizing AI's importance, and Israel's progress in urban climate initiatives under the EU Mission 100. Both parties focused on enhancing cooperation, addressing challenges, and leveraging strengths in research and innovation.