EC/Jordan agreement: scientific and technological cooperation

PURPOSE: to conclude a scientific and technical cooperation agreement with the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision.

BACKGROUND: the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an association between the European Communities and their Member States, on the one side, and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, on the other, entered into force on 1 May 2002. Article 64 of this agreement identifies scientific and technological cooperation as an area of particular interest and potential, and provides, amongst other things, for the establishment of permanent links between the parties' scientific communities. Similarly, Article 62 mentions that regional cooperation will focus, amongst other things, on scientific and technological research.

In a letter dated 20 February 2007 the Jordanian Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, Ms. Suhair Al-Ali, submitted a formal request to commence negotiations on a scientific and technical cooperation agreement. In a letter dated 14 March 2007, Commissioner Potočnik replied positively to this request.

Thus, upon a proposal of the Commission, the Council authorised the Commission on 7 April, 2008 to negotiate on behalf of the European Community a scientific and technical cooperation agreement with the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and issued the relevant negotiating directives.

The negotiations resulted in the attached draft agreement text initialed on 28 January 2009.

CONTENT: the agreement shall encourage, develop and facilitate cooperative activities between the Community and Jordan in fields of common interest where they are pursuing research and development activities in science and technology.

The agreement provides that cooperative activities shall be conducted on the basis of a number of principles, including mutual benefit based on an overall balance of advantages or reciprocal access to the activities of research programmes and projects undertaken by each Party. Moreover, the agreement provides for the timely exchange of information which may facilitate cooperative activities as well as provisions on the protection of intellectual property rights.

The agreement provides for a number of technical arrangements establishing the main axes of scientific and technical cooperation:

• legal entities that may participate in research activities;
• other types of cooperation, such as regular discussions on the priorities for research policies in Jordan and the Community; the exchange of relevant information; exchanges of research workers, engineers and technicians, including for training purposes; sharing of equipment and materials; participation of experts in seminars, symposia and workshops; training; any other modality of cooperation deemed in conformity with the objectives of the agreement.

The areas of scientific cooperation are those defined by the Seventh European Framework Programme for Research. An Annex sets, in particular, the terms and conditions for the participation of legal entities established in Jordan in indirect actions of the Framework programme. In return, the agreement sets the terms and conditions for the participation of legal entities established in Member States of the European Union in Jordan research programmes and projects. The cooperation shall be established on the basis of targeted collaboration between Jordanian research institutions and European scientific teams.

Practical arrangements are provided for in order to facilitate the daily management of the agreement and to regulate its financing (particularly by way of the relevant development cooperation instruments of the Community or by way of the Seventh Framework Programme).

The coordination and facilitation of the research activities shall be performed on behalf of Jordan, by the Higher Council for Science and Technology and, on behalf of the Community, by the European Commission, acting as executive agents of the Parties.

Lastly, the agreement includes provisions to ensure the dissemination and use of the results and information obtained from joint research activities, under a strict framework established and regulated by the agreement and in accordance with the applicable rules on intellectual property.

Note that the agreement should be signed and applied on a provisional basis, pending the completion of the procedures for its formal conclusion.

BUDGETARY IMPLICATIONS: from 2009 to 2013, the only financial implications of this agreement are those linked to its internal management at Community level. The Commission provides for an overall financial envelope of EUR 100 000 over five years, in other words EUR 20 000 per year.