Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on the European Innovation Partnership ‘Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability’

In its Europe 2020 Strategy, the Commission underlines the role of research and innovation as key elements in preparing the European Union for future challenges. The orientations for "the CAP towards 2020" highlight innovation as being indispensable to preparing Union agriculture for the future. The "Budget for Europe 2020" includes €4.5 billion for research and innovation on food security, the bio-economy, and sustainable agriculture.

This central role of research and innovation is developed further in the EU 2020 flagship initiative "Innovation Union" which introduces the concept of European Innovation Partnerships (EIP) as a new way to foster innovation. A pilot EIP on 'Active and Healthy Ageing' has been launched. Furthermore, preparatory work has been carried out to develop EIPs on 'Raw Materials', 'Water efficient Europe', and 'Agriculture'.

EIPs pursue the mission of building a bridge between science and the application of innovative approaches in practice. The Council underlined the need for EIPs to have a clear focus, as well as the importance of Member State involvement and effective streamlining of existing instruments.

This Communication presents the conception of the EIP 'Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability' referred to in the "Innovation Union". The EIP follows the strategic orientations of "Europe 2020" and "The CAP towards 2020". It builds on consultations of stakeholders, and it shall take up lessons learned from the pilot EIP on 'Active and Healthy Aging', including the development of its 'Strategic Implementation Plan', as well as the discussions in the Council and needs and ideas expressed by stakeholders.

EUR-Lex: COM(2012)079: Follow the progress of this document through the decision-making procedure http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=COM:2012:079:FIN

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