EU/US : RESEARCH COOPERATION WILL FOCUS ON ENERGY, SAYS COMMISSION.

• Position: Brief article

In its research cooperation with the United States, the energy sector will be the biggest focus looking to the future, a top European Commission official has said. Speaking in Washington, on 18 February, at the world's largest gathering of researchers and funding bodies, Robert-Jan Smits, director-general of DG Research and Innovation, said that the focus on energy should help the two partners to meet their targets on climate change. He cited carbon capture and storage, renewable energy and the ITER nuclear fusion project as examples. Health and food safety would be two other priority areas, he said. The US remains the EU's strongest international partner on research, Smits noted.

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