Press Release: Western Balkans countries, Moldova sign up to Horizon 2020

Five Western Balkan countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia), and the Republic of Moldova secured full access to the European Union's new seven year research and innovation programme, Horizon 2020 on the 1 July 2014. The six countries signed association agreements in Brussels together with Robert-Jan Smits, Director-General for Research and Innovation at the European Commission.

All six countries have experience of cooperation on research and innovation with the EU through the seventh framework programme (FP7), and are seeking to build on this under Horizon 2020.

The association agreements, which will apply retroactively as from 1 January 2014, will allow research and innovation entities from all five Western Balkan Countries and Moldova to take advantage of the funding opportunities offered under Horizon 2020 right from the start. Horizon 2020 runs from 2014 to 2020.

European Commission: Horizon 2020 http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/horizon2020/en

ESO: Background information: Iceland and Norway sign up to join Horizon 2020 http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-iceland-and-norway-sign-up-to-join-horizon-2020/

ESO: Background information: EU, Israel sign Horizon 2020 association agreement http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-eu-israel-sign-horizon-2020-association-agreement/

ESO: Background information: Turkey joins Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-turkey-joins-horizon-2020-research-and-innovation-programme/

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