The basis for INCONET-GCC

1. GCC-EU Joint Council and Ministerial Meeting (Brussels, May 2008), the Joint Council welcomed the new opportunities opened by the 7th Framework Programme in the field of science and technology. It is a key objective of the Joint Council between the European Community and GCC the Research and Development cooperation in order to explore the potential cooperation between the EU and the GCC in this area.
2. As described in the COM(2008) 588, Brussels, 24.09.2008 “A strategic European framework for international science and technology cooperation”, a key strategic goal is international cooperation in science and technology.

The objectives of INCONET-GCC

1. INCONET-GCC develops and supports the bi-regional dialogue by bringing together policymakers and stakeholders of the GCC and EU Member States.
2. It aims to create a dialogue and action platform to identify common interests in research areas, set up S&T priorities, support capacity building activities, and enhance the interaction between different cooperation instruments of the European Commission and EU Member States.
3. In this sense, an observatory of EU-GCC cooperation in S&T will be created in INCONET-GCC framework.