Scientific ties between Russia and the European Union look set to become much tighter in the years to come, according to a joint statement of the EU-Russia Permanent Partnership Council and Research, which met for the first time on 26 May. On the cards are a set of coordinated calls for co-funded projects in the area of health, and nanotechnologies and new materials.

Russian scientists have been collaborating with their colleagues from the EU for decades and have been an active participant in the EU's research framework programmes. In FP6 alone, Russia was the most successful third country participant in terms of funding support from the Commission and one of the most active third-country participants overall. More than 300 participants from Russia were involved in over 200 joint research projects in all thematic areas and sub-programmes of the FP6 worth over €2 billion. In total the Russian research organisations obtained more than €45 million in funding.

In addition to a cooperation agreement signed in 2000, the EU and Russia took a decision in 2003 to create a common space in which their respective research communities could work together in key strategic areas, such as space, aeronautics, renewable energy sources and nuclear fission energy research to quality food, safety and climate change. A number of joint calls for co-funded projects in the areas of agro-bio-food and energy were launched as a result.

Now, a further set of joint calls are expected to be published imminently in the areas health, nanotechnologies and new materials, while discussions are ongoing on similar co-funded initiatives in the areas of aeronautics, nuclear fission and space research.

With the overarching EU and Russia scientific cooperation agreement coming to an end in 2009, delegates also agreed to undertake the necessary steps to extend this agreement.

Furthermore, to take the partnership to a 'new qualitative level', the EU delegates promised to rapidly examine the request by Russia to become associated with the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) and all the relevant issues, including administrative, legal, organisational and procedural requirements.