Informal Meeting of Research Ministers

Following the invitation of the German Presidency of the Council of the EU, State Secretary for Education, Research and Innovation Martina Hirayama attended the virtual Informal meeting of ministers for research on 21 July 2020. Due to the pandemic situation, the usual Informal Council of Research Ministers could not take place physically in Bonn.

On the day of the meeting, the European Council finally reached a compromise on the EU budget 2021-2027 and on the recovery plan. As budgets for R&I were reduced, several ministers regretted this decision, supported by a large majority of European R&I stakeholders.

The focus of the meeting was set on how research and innovation can contribute to combating crises and on its key role for the sustainable recovery of Europe, within the renewed European Research Area (ERA). The ministers also exchanged views on different initiatives proposed by the German Presidency, such as the initiative to strengthen European resilience and preparedness in times of crisis and the new initiative focusing on the commercial use and large-scale production of green hydrogen.

State Secretary Hirayama communicated on the remaining challenges for the association of Switzerland to the new R&I EU programmes, six months before the start of Horizon Europe, the 9th R&I framework programme.