ENGAGING TOGETHER GLOBALLY

Call summary

Scene Setter

The global environment in which the EU operates is constantly evolving. Recent developments show just how dynamically the strategic and geopolitical contexts are changing. These developments represent intricate challenges but also opportunities for Europe to develop and vary its analysis and build more robust anticipative, proactive and reactive capacities.

In such turbulent times, greater emphasis should be placed on fostering new types of actions that allow for engaging together globally, which strengthen the position of Europe on the global scene, including by improving the coordination between EU Member States and broadening its means of external action.

To better anticipate and address challenges in key regions, it is essential to maximise the EU’s clout in global affairs. Research activities will look into the best means of ensuring synergies and consistency between Member States, EU foreign policy goals and instruments. Maximising its clout also presupposes understanding Europe in a global context and its historical and cultural legacy.

It is also imperative to implement the EU strategy for international cooperation in research and innovation by strengthening activities to promote the position of Europe on the global scene, attract international partners to Horizon 2020, enhance research and innovation exchanges and dialogue, and strengthen the European R&I presence in strategic partner countries and regions.

In Work Programme 2014-2015 topics focused on issues in the immediate EU neighbourhood regions (both South and East), as well as joint challenges with strategic partners such as cultural, scientific and social relations with Latin America.

In complement, this Work Programme presents Topics 1, 2 and 3 on challenges of radicalisation and migration that appear in cross-cutting way in several Topics and Calls of SC6[[Topics REV-INEQUAL-02-2016 and REV-INEQUAL-04-2016 address radicalisation and migration trends within Europe.]] and SC7, as well as integration and science diplomacy. Proposals to this set of topics are encouraged to address issues across these challenges.

Topic 4 targets the use of scientific knowledge on the EU's neighbouring countries and regions for EU policy-making. Topic 5 investigates EU external trade strategies and their inter-linkages, coherence and effectiveness vis-à-vis other external policies.

Topics 6, 7 and 8 broaden the geographical coverage of the first Work Programme focusing on Asia-Pacific, Central Asia, and China specifically.

Topic 9 addresses the challenge of strengthening the position of Europe as a global actor by reinforcing the presence of European research and innovation actors in selected international partner countries and regions.

In all Topics the participation of entities from the international partner countries and regions concerned is strongly encouraged.