First joint meeting under the new Agreement on participation in EU programmes
The first Faroe Islands-EU Joint Committee meeting under the new Agreement on the participation of the Faroe Islands in EU programmes took place in Tórshavn, Faroe Islands, on 18 October 2022. The meeting was co-chaired by Mr. Poul Geert Hansen, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Culture of the Faroe Islands and co-chaired by Ms. Anne Haglund-Morrissey, Deputy Head of the Horizon Europe Association Unit, European Commission’s Directorate-General for Research and Innovation. The meeting was hosted by the Faroese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Culture.
The Faroe Islands underlined the importance of the new Multi Programme Agreement, which has ensured the continued association to the EU´s programme on Research and Innovation and paved the way for Faroese participation in other EU programmes. Association to Horizon Europe is seen as a crucial building block towards even closer relations with the EU.
The EU highlighted that the Faroe Islands have been successfully associated to EU R&I Programmes already since 2010, commended the Faroe Islands’ success with their participation in Horizon Europe so far, and emphasised the EU’s continued intention to support and assist the Faroese R&I community with information on future Horizon Europe calls.
The Parties took stock of the Faroese performance in Horizon 2020 and highlighted some lessons learned, i.e. the value of the participation in European research and innovation, which has great impact on the Faroe Islands’ R&I community.
Recalling the Faroe Islands’ excellence in marine research and special focus on the North Atlantic and the Arctic, the Faroese side presented its new Arctic strategy, which the EU side applauded for its alignment with the EU Arctic policy. The EU side presented the European Research Area Policy Agenda, the European Innovation Agenda, and Europe's Global Approach to Research and Innovation, and invited the Faroe Islands to participate in relevant activities.
Recognising the Faroe Islands’ size and geographical area, the Parties acknowledged the importance of being selective and indeed focusing on relevant areas, such as the ocean and the Arctic, while great opportunities for international cooperation and synergies persist, nonetheless.
The principle of reciprocity was discussed based on data from the recently published Action Plan for Gender Equality and Diversity of the Research Council Faroe Islands. The Parties further discussed policy areas and national measures to support R&I in the Faroe Islands, as well as participation opportunities in European Missions and Partnerships.
Lastly, as part of the Multi Programme Agreement, the Parties discussed the interest of the Faroe Islands to join Erasmus+ and Creative Europe and the next steps forward.
Picture from left to right: Kristianna Sjóvará, Annika Sølvará, Elisabeth F. Rasmussen, Poul Geert Hansen, Anne Haglund-Morrissey, Katarzyna Zelichowska, Elin Mortensen, Maria Húsgarð, Rósa Heinesen.