France has published its six-month programme and priorities for its Presidency of the Council of the EU
Focus will be e.g on synergies between RTD and higher education, on creation of European Innovation Area and involment of youth.
On 1 January 2022, the French Presidency published its programme and priorities for the next six months.
In the area of science, research and innovation (RTD) and higher education, France has set the following objectives:
Science, research and innovation
The Presidency will carry on promoting synergies between RTD and higher education in order to contribute to the recovery of the European Union. The Presidency will also support a creation of a European Innovation Area. The European Innovation Council (EIC) aims to make the European Union a pioneer in disruptive innovation. A conference Europe as a Leader in Disruptive Innovation will be organised on 11 May 2022 in Paris.
As part of strengthening European research excellence, the Presidency will focus on the implementation of Horizon Europe missions, on 21 March 2022 will be in Paris organised High-level Conference on Civic Engagement in EU Missions.
The French Presidency will support the launch of the Horizon Europe partnerships, which will happen in the first half of 2022, and will also focus on strengthening international cooperation in RTD with third countries, developing skills and knowledge in nuclear research and strengthening European expertise in this field, as well as on the development of credible artificial intelligence.
In the field of space research, the French Presidency will continue to support the European programmes (Gallileo and Copernicus) and will also focus on developing a common EU vision for space traffic management or on the future of the Copernicus programme.
Education
The French Presidency will prioritise European universities and the deepening of lasting international cooperation in the European higher education sector. Another objective will be to identify synergies between European programmes, which should subsenquently enable the joint recruitment of researchers, professors, etc., and thus make careers in this field more attractive.
During its presidency, France will establish an independent committee for European history (un comité indépendant sur l'Histoire de l'Europe) and an Academy of Europe (une Académie d'Europe), which should bring together EU intellectuals from all disciplines.
The French Presidency will start a reflection on a European area for training of teachers and their career (l'espace européen de la formation et des parcours des professeurs) to facilitate teacher mobility and to promote the European initiative of Erasmus+ Teacher Academies. A conference on this topic, Towards a European Career Path for Teachers will be organised at the beginning of March.
Other topic for the first half of 2022 will be investment in education (Conference Investing in Education in mid-February) and the recommendation of the Council on the education for sustainable development.
Youth
Youth will play an important role during the French Presidency: initiatives for youth employment in the post-pandemic period, the mobility of apprentices and ALMA initiative will be promoted. The French Presidency will also work towards the creation of a European Civic Service for young people (un service civique européen, a form of voluntary service inspired by the French model of voluntary programme un service civique, editor's note).
Another objective will be to implement the recommendations concerning the mobility of young volunteers, in particular to promote mobility after the pandemic and the engagement in projects of general interest and for commun good. Another aim will be to strengthen the European youth programmes and the synergies between the European Solidarity Corps and national volunteering programmes.
The French Presidency will also focus on youth participation and engagement and their inclusion in the sustainable development. This will ensure that youth voices are heard and that youth volunteering and entrepreneurship supporting sustainable development and the fight against climate change are supported.
More information can be found in the French Presidency programme (now available only in French), the English version will be published soon on the French Presidency website.