Specific challenge: The aim is to:

−      stimulate and enhance the cooperation between researchers from the Union and those of the regional partners in question, including and in particular through Horizon 2020 and the partner's funding programmes;

−      eliminate remaining obstacles to cooperation between researchers from the Union and its international regional partners

Scope: Proposals should target international partners in a regional context and should cover the following set of activities:

−      Encouraging cooperation between research and innovation actors from the Union and the partner in question, by promoting the opportunities offered by Horizon 2020 towards the international partner. This should include notably the setting up of web-based information systems, but it can also involve the organisation of awareness raising and information dissemination activities or the organisation of brokerage events, conferences or workshops;

−      Ensuring that progress is made towards establishing appropriate framework conditions for internationalcooperation between the Union and the partner in question, notably by identifying remaining obstacles for cooperation and by supporting the development of solutions to eliminate these, while jointly promoting measures which facilitate international cooperation (e.g. on open access, scientific visa, IPR, peer review, research integrity etc).Where appropriate, this should include seeking continuous complementarity and coherence with activities of the Strategic Forum for International Cooperation (SFIC).

In this work programme the following regional partners[1] will be targeted: Southern Mediterranean Neighbourhood (including activities in support of bilateral S&T Agreements with Algeria, Morocco, Jordan), Eastern Partnership, the Black Sea region, the Middle-East and Africa. For Africa the proposal will also include support for the implementation of activities agreed within the EU-Africa High Level Policy Dialogue, including by increasing the coordination between the activities and programmes from the Member States, the Associated Countries and the African partners.

Proposals should be made by consortia consisting of balanced partnerships between European and international partners, ensuring adequate involvement of public authorities and other stakeholders (e.g. funding agencies, research organisations, industry, civil society) of the participating countries. On the European side, broad involvement across all Member States and Associated Countries is expected, either within the consortium or through appropriate outreach activities by the consortium to other Member States and Associated States. Broad participation from the targeted region is also strongly encouraged. Proposals should build on the results of existing cooperation initiatives, and in particular those funded through the Seventh Framework Programme Capacities part 'Activities of International Cooperation'.

Type of action: Coordination and support actions

A maximum of one proposal will be supported per international partner region from the list provided above. The Commission considers that proposals requesting a Union contribution of EUR 1.95 million per proposal for a duration of three years would allow this specific challenge to be addressed appropriately for the proposals targeting Africa and the Southern Mediterranean Neighbourhood. For the proposals targeting the Eastern Partnership and the Black Sea region, the Commission considers that proposals requesting a Union contribution of EUR 1.5 million per proposal for a duration of three years would allow this specific challenge to be addressed appropriately. For the proposals targeting the Middle East, the Commission considers that a proposal requesting a Union contribution of EUR 1 million for a duration of three years would allow this specific challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts.

The conditions for this topic are provided at the end of this call and in the General Annexes.

Expected impact for Topics 1 and 2:

−      More strategic priority setting for cooperation with the Union's international partners across the whole of Horizon 2020;

−      Stronger interaction between the Union's researchers and those of its international partners, including through a stronger participation of the Union's international partners in Horizon 2020;

−      Establishment of optimal framework conditions for international cooperation;

−      Increased coordination and synergies between policies and programmes of the Member States, the Associated Countries and the Union's international partners;

−      Ensuring close synergies with the international dimension of calls launched across Horizon 2020 to enhance the socio-economic impact of Horizon 2020 (notably through increased access to scientific excellence across the world and the opening up of new markets.

[1]     The following non-EU Member States are targeted as part of the named regions (broad participation from            the region is encouraged):

−       Africa: all countries of Africa;

−       Southern Mediterranean Neighbourhood: Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Syria, Tunisia;

−       Eastern Partnership: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine;

−       Black Sea: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, Russian Federation, Turkey, Ukraine;

−       Middle East: Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria.