China-EU 2020 Strategic Agenda for Cooperation

III. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

China and the EU face the common task of achieving innovative, inclusive and sustainable development. Addressing climate change, protecting the environment, promoting transparent international energy markets and facilitating resource-efficient, far-reaching, socially inclusive and low-carbon development policies are high on the international action list. Emerging green sectors contribute to sustainable growth of the global economy and are creating new business opportunities for Chinese and European companies. Green growth should therefore become a key area of strategic and practical China-EU cooperation. China and the EU are committed to continue promoting cooperation on the environmental flagship initiatives developed respectively by China and the EU, with a view to maximizing the mutual synergies between China's ecological civilization and the European Union's resource efficiency agenda. Both sides agree that innovation has an important contribution to make to achieve sustainable development, and that effective protection of Intellectual Property Rights is crucial to support the effective development and deployment of innovative solutions and emerging industries. In addition, in order to ensure sustainable development, a number of important social challenges need to be addressed, including social security and health care, high and quality employment and demographic ageing. China and the EU have a common responsibility for advancing global development.

Key initiatives:

(I) Science, technology and innovation

1. Reinforce cooperation on science, technology and innovation, involving industry, universities and research institutes, so as to tackle common challenges; complement mutual strengths and deliver win-win results in the areas of human resources, skills, technology, research infrastructure, financing of innovation, exploitation of research findings, entrepreneurship and framework conditions for innovation within the framework of the China-EU Agreement for Scientific and Technological Cooperation. Employ the China-EU Steering Committee and the China-EU Innovation Cooperation Dialogue to this end.

2. Establish a China-EU cluster cooperation initiative to strengthen collaboration in fields of strategic interest such as sustainable growth and urbanization.

3. Joint research and innovation initiatives will be further explored, in particular in the areas of food, agriculture and biotechnology, sustainable urbanization, aviation, water, health and ICT, by developing joint funding programs and promoting enhanced mutual participation of Chinese and EU researchers and innovators into respective programs.

4. Continue the implementation of the Joint Statement on cooperation in new and renewable and energy efficient technologies on the basis of common interest and mutual benefit and with special focus on participation of SMEs where appropriate.

5. Strengthen cooperation in the multilateral framework of the ITER project and build a strategic bilateral partnership on fusion energy research. Strengthen exchanges and cooperation on nuclear safety, nuclear fuel cycle, nuclear emergency response, nuclear waste management and nuclear security.