EC/India Agreement for scientific and technological cooperation: renewal of the Agreement

The Committee on Industry, Research and Energy adopted a report drafted by Christian EHLER (EPP-ED, DE), and made some amendments to the Council decision concerning the conclusion of an Agreement renewing the Agreement for scientific and technological cooperation between the EC and India. The Committee inserted several new recitals as follows :

- responsibility for the efficient coordination and facilitation of cooperative activities under the Agreement rests with the EC-India S & T Steering Committee and it is desirable that the committee meet annually to review the work programme and that its rules of procedure be based on the principles of transparency and accountability;

- priority objectives of the joint research activities to be carried out under the Agreement should be to produce comparable information and to improve the body of data;

- efforts should be made by both parties to increase the participation of the Community and India in each other's research programmes, to boost the number of exchanges of researchers between the Community and India and to improve the mobility of researchers generally;

- priority attention should also be given to energy and environment policies and to the necessary development of innovative energy technologies. Joint efforts and initiatives, for instance with a view to developing economical carbon capture and storage and renewable technologies, which are in the interest of both partners, should be undertaken;

- special attention should also be given to the principle of reciprocity;

- it is desirable that a mid-term evaluation of the implementation of the Agreement be carried out.