Ref. Ares(2019)2968224 - 03/05/2019
Table of Contents
0. AGENDA OF MEETING / PROGRAMME OF EVENT
3
1. STEERING BRIEF
5
1.1 Scene setter
5
1.2 Objectives
5
1.3 Line to take
6
2. SPEAKING POINTS
8
3. DEFENSIVE POINTS
9
4. CURRICULUM VITAE
10
4.1 Curriculum Vitae of
10
5. FACTS AND FIGURES
13
5.1 Horizon 2020 country profile - Israel
13
5.2 FP7 country profile – Israel
15
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0. AGENDA OF MEETING
This will be an informal meeting with
,
European Jewish
Congress (EJC).
wishes to explain to you a proposal to create the public-private
partnership for support of the safety of religious and other minorities in Europe.
You will use this occasion to inform
on your visit to Israel 10-12 January 2016.
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KEY MESSAGES
• Need to fight religious intolerance and terrorism worldwide.
• Science diplomacy has a useful role to play and we acknowledge the role
Israel is having in both the region and internationally.
• Need to support cultural cooperation – DG RTD does so through
supporting research on cultures and identities and on cultural heritage
through Horizon 2020 (namely, Societal Challenge 6 "Europe in a
Changing World: Inclusive, Innovative and Reflective Societies").
KEY FIGURES for Israël
FP7
Horizon 2020
Total number of participations
1984
369
Total number of signed grant
1626
310
agreements
ERC – Number of grantees
257
85
Marie Sklodowska-Curie –
560
6
Number of grantees
EU total financial contribution to
EUR 876.84 Mios
EUR 203.88 Mios
participation
4/17
• To inform
about your recent visit to Israel. To highlight the importance of
the last 20 years of research and innovation cooperation as a success story based on
scientific excellence and added value both for the EU and for Israel.
• To stress the continuation of Israel – EU partnerships' possibilities under the Horizon
2020 which, among others, gives opportunities for research on effective inclusion and
protection of social, cultural and religious minorities.
1.3 Line to take
(a) In relation to
's proposals:
• To express general support to the need of the freedom of religion and to the need of
ensuring the security of religious communities in the EU;
• To support the need to promote culture and cultural cooperation and to inform that it is
done through Horizon 2020 research and innovation, namely through Societal challenge 6
"Europe in a Changing World: Inclusive, Innovative and Reflective Societies".
• To point on the role of the Horizon 2020 framework programme which supports projects
connected exclusively with research and innovation. Projects selected for funding need to
be prepared following the open calls requirements and need to pass through the evaluation
and selection procedures published in Horizon 2020.
• To refer, in relation to the possible request for funding of the Jewish Cultural Centre, to
the colleagues from the DG Education and Culture and their framework programme
"Creative Europe" for support to the culture and audiovisual sectors.
• If necessary, to mention the existence of the European Holocaust Research Infrastructure
(EHRI) as an example of research and cultural cooperation achieved under Horizon 2020
(and FP7).
• To express your appreciation that four Israeli research institutions (Ben Gurion
University, Tel Aviv University, Weizmann Institute of Science and AGORA P.S.V.D)
joined consortia which submitted their proposals to the 2016 Horizon 2020 - Challenge 6
"Europe in a changing World" in topics on "Contemporary radicalisation trends and their
implications for Europe" and on "Inequalities in the EU and their consequences for
democracy, social cohesion and inclusion". This shows the general urgency of research in
these areas and coincides with projects outlined by
.
(b) in relation to information on your visit to Israel, 10-12 January 2016:
• To express your conviction that research and innovation cooperation are paramount
building blocks of the EU-Israel relations and a success story;
• To pinpoint that Israel and the European Union have a 20 years lasting successful history
of scientific cooperation
• To appreciate that Israel
o Contributes knowledge from some of the world's most talented thinkers
6/17
o Works together with the EU on areas of universal importance – from cancer
research to innovation in water management
• To express your satisfaction with the achievements of Israeli academia in the Framework
Programmes and especially in the ERC in which 2 Israeli institutions - Weizmann
Institute and Hebrew University - are in the top 10 hosting institutions.
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2. SPEAKING POINTS
• The context of your visit is a difficult one for the Europeans but also for
all those, like you, who endeavour to defend religious freedom, religious
diversity and inter religious dialogue.
• The Commission is dedicated to protecting all religious communities in
Europe. First, by ensuring that democracy itself is sufficiently solid to
foster tolerance, respect of religions but also a positive inter religious
dialogue though education in particular. Second, by providing adapted
security tools for the protection of religious communities.
• This is the aim in particular of the communication of the Commission
"The Commission's response in tackling violent radicalisation: a
comprehensive approach" which includes four axes for countering violent
radicalisation.
• In this Communication, research is expected to play its role in particular
to analyse the root causes of violent radicalisation and enhancing the
preventive role of education and cultural activities.
• In this respect, I am confident that we can assess the contribution of
research to your proposal and suggest other potential ways by the
Commission to consider it.
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3. DEFENSIVE POINTS
Why does EU research policy in FP7 or Horizon 2020 not include research on the security
of religious communities?
FP7 and Horizon 2020 have both included a Security theme which responded to the concerns
of the time, such as the protection of critical infrastructures or cybersecurity. The Security
theme under FP7 and Societal Challenge 7 on security in Horizon 2020 contain research
projects which cover different practical aspects of security that could be useful.
The social sciences and the humanities research under FP7 and Horizon 2020 have worked on
religious pluralism and therefore look at how communities can live together in democracies.
The security of religious communities is thus seen first of all as the consequence of a lively
and effective democratic European society and not only as a defensive policy.
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5. FACTS AND FIGURES
5.1 Horizon 2020 country profile - Israel
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5.2 FP7 country profile – Israel
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