European Union / Australian Cooperation on Science and Technology

11th Joint Science and Technology Cooperation Committee (JSTCC) meeting

Collaboration between the European Union and Australia in science and technology was further enhanced at the eleventh Joint Science and Technology Cooperation Committee (JSTCC) meeting hosted by the Australian Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research held in Sydney on 7-9 June 2010.

Australia and the European Union have a long history of productive research collaboration, underpinned by a treaty-level science and technology agreement signed in 1994.

Agreed thematic outcomes of the JSTCC included Health; Biotechnology, Agriculture and Food; Environment; Energy; and Information & Communications Technologies.

Photo: Patricia Kelly , Deputy Secretary, Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research of the Commonwealth of Australia (centre) and Maive Rute , Director, Biotechnologies, Agriculture and Food, Directorate-General Research, European Commission, signing the Joint Communiqué; with His Excellency David Daly, Ambassador, European Union Delegation to Australia, in the background. Photo credit: Photocall Image Management

Joint Communique

media release: JSTCC

Roadmap JSTCC

Background

The European Commission brought the largest-ever delegation to Australia for the 11th Joint Science & Technology Cooperation Committee (JSTCC) from 7 - 9 June 2010.  14 Commission Officials and several scientific experts visited Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra to take part in Senior Officials Meetings on Science & Innovation. 

The EU and Australia signed a Science & Technology Agreement in 1994 and since then researchers have been collaborating in the EU's Framework Programs and in Australia's research programs.  The latest EU Framework Program FP7 is worth EUR53.7bn 2007-2013. So far Australians have taken part in over 100 projects under FP7 worth approximately EUR360mn, with the key areas for collaboration being Health, Food Agriculture and Biotechnology (FAB) and Information Communications Technology.

Ambassador David Daly said "This is a meeting of minds and when minds meet they don't just exchange facts, they transform them.  This is a meeting about challenges, innovation and cooperation."

Australia's Chief Scientist Penny Sackett opened the official proceedings on 8 June and Deputy Secretary of the Department of Innovation Industry Science & Research, Ms Patricia Kelly, chaired the meeting on 9 June.  

The European Commission Delegation was led by Ms Maive Rute, Director of the Food Agriculture and Biotechnology Unit in the European Commission's Directorate General for Research & Technology Development.  

this page last updated June 18, 2010