On 31 May 2017 Ministers responsible for Science and Higher Education of the Visegrad Group (V4) - Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia - met in Cracow together with European Commissioner for Research and Innovation Carlos Moedas to discuss the current state of implementation of Horizon 2020 and Erasmus+ and to draw first recommendations for the future of these programmes.

The outcome of this discussion constitutes an offical document entitled Joint Statement of the Ministers for Science and Higher Education of the Visegrad Group on the future of the European Research Area (ERA) and of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) after 2020.

With regard to the FP9, V4 ministers recommend a better effort in terms of synergies between ESIF and the Framework Programme, a further development of smart specialization, an emphasis on the geographical balance in advisory groups of independent experts, a more inclusive ERA, and a focused evaluation and monitoring of issues such as remuneration in order to reduce the gap between EU15 and EU13.

With regard to the Erasmus+, V4 countries call for maintaining the budget and the stable structure of the programme, improving electronical management and access also in order to open it to new applicants and prone a better information exchange between the member states and the European Commission.

Governments of Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania and Romania adopted this joint statement.

Read also Position of the Czech Republic on interim evaluation of the H2020 and recommendations for FP9 and Position of the Czech Academy of Sciences on FP9