Flemish Stakeholder Platform for European Programmes

Purpose

The Flemish Stakeholder Platform for European Programmes, or" VEP" for short, was founded on 16 July 2010. It groups the 'quadruple helix' (government, knowledge institutions, industry and civil society) in Flanders into one overarching platform. It is hosted by the Flemish department of  Economy, Science & Innovation (EWI).

The purpose of the VEP is to

1. Represent the interests of Flemish public administration and other actors who (want to) participate in European -related subsidy programmes and supporting initiatives in a coordinated and balanced way;
2. Involve Flemish public administration and other actors in the development and implementation of European R&I policy in a structural and transparent way;
3. Promote in an informal way the mutual acquaintance and networking between (representatives of) the Flemish public administration and other actors active in European R&I policy.

The VEP works on the basis of mutual trust and respect. The members of the VEP commit to  exchanging relevant information among themselves in a timely manner, insofar as it is not bound by confidentiality restrictions. Consultation and cooperation happens in an open and constructive-critical mind.

Specifically, the VEP takes on the following tasks (see also the mandate below):

1. Optimal cooperation with and organisation of services to stakeholders on the basis of clear and transparent agreements between the actors involved;
2. Setting up mutual information (re)sharing processes for fast, short updates or reactions as well as for deeper discussions and reflections;
3. Maintaining good contacts with representatives (especially from Flanders) of the main EWI-relevant channels, management structures, institutions at European level, and of (a selection of) European Member States and Associated Countries to the European programmes in the R&I policy domain;
4. The proactive follow-up of developments in European R&I policy (e.g. via the Permanent Representation of Belgium to the European Union and the intraBelgian consultation structures);
5. Developing initiatives within the own organisation as a result of and to implement or support agreements made within the VEP;
6. Providing contributions resulting in Flemish reflection texts, (in)formal positions on and prioritisation in the European R&I policy, whether or not via the Belgian structures;
7. Actively participating in all kinds of (in)formal forums or attending meetings at European level (in particular those linked to the European Commission and the European Council) as a representative of Belgium or Flanders;
8. The follow-up and periodic analysis of the Flemish participation in the European R&I related subsidy programmes and initiatives;
9. Stimulating network-promoting activities or organisational methods for the benefit of the members of the VEP;
10. Contributing to occasional VEP public events, producing informative material about the VEP and divulging the VEP to third parties;
11. The continuous pursuit of and reflection on an optimal achievement of the objectives.

The preparation of a detailed reflection paper on a renewed European Research Area is a recent example of a Flemish position statement that has been established within the VEP as a result of a policy discussion at European level to shape the European Research Area for the next (and after) decade.

The VEP is managed by a steering committee. The steering committee determines the general strategy of the VEP, the organisation and planning and validates the work (in the form of a work plan). The actual work is carried out by working groups that meet regularly. In addition, mailing groups can be set up for topics for which the use of e-mail as a communication channel suffices.

Participating organisations

The VEP  is composed of a steering committee and five thematic working groups. The Steering Committee of the VEP sets out the overall strategy of the VEP and validates the work of the  VEP. The following organisations are currently members:

• the Department of Economy, Science and Innovation (EWI) which assumes the chairmanship and the secretariat of the Steering Committee;
• the Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship (VLAIO);
• the Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO);
• the Flanders Chancellery and Foreign Office (KBUZA);
• Flanders Investment &Trade (FIT);
• the Flemish-European Liaison Agency (VLEVA);
• the Flemish Strategic Research Centres (SOCs, in particular imec, VIB, VITO and Flanders Make, currently represented by imec;
• the Flemish Interuniversity Council (VLIR), currently represented by ku Leuven, as representative of the Flemish universities;
• the Flemish University Colleges Council (VLHORA), currently represented by the Hogeschool PXL, as a representative of the Flemish university colleges;
• Voka, Agoria and UNIZO for the Flemish business community;
• Belgian Industrial R&D (BiR&D), currently represented by Nokia;
• the Verenigde Verenigingen as a representative of (civil) society organisations in Flanders;
• the Flemish Advisory Council for Innovation &Entrepreneurship (VARIO),as a member with an advisory voice;
• the Social and-Economic Council of Flanders (SERV),as a member with an advisory voice.

Five thematic working groups

The five thematic working groups of the VEP  follow up the European R&I related programmes and initiatives from their own perspective. The working group members exchange views on the Flemish and Belgian positions to be taken with regard to European initiatives. Furthermore, new Flemish policy initiatives on international cooperation are discussed in an early stage of development. The five thematic working groups of the VEP are the following:

1. The working group on the coordination and policy preparation of Commission initiatives for R&D&I and entrepreneurship and competitiveness (WG1) (chair: Peter Spyns, EWI) is responsible for the coordination of the (Flemish) policy preparation for and support of the Flemish participation in the European programmes. The focus is on programmes and initiatives that are fully or largely funded by a European budget, including (and especially) Horizon Europe, COSME and ESIF and the European Defence and Action Plan (EDAP);
2. The working group on the coordination and policy preparation of intra- and extra-European international cooperation initiatives of EU Member States for R&D&I and for entrepreneurship and competitiveness (WG2)  (chair: Peter Spyns, EWI) focuses on European initiatives that require policy input from Flanders (e.g. gender, mobility, EURAXESS, open science, etc.) whether or not in the framework of the European Research Area  (ERA). This working group also treats the extra-EU international cooperation in a European and Flemish (Belgian) bilateral context (mainly through the SFIC and the CIS INTER consultation groups). In addition, this working group focuses on the allocation of Flemish budget in European partnerships. These are programmes and initiatives which mainly work with funding from the Member States  (e.g. in the framework of Joint Programming: JPIs, Horizon Europe Partnerships, Art. 185 and  Art. 187 initiatives, EIT/KICs, COST, [RI]S3, EUREKA, etc.) ;
3. The Infrastructure Working Group (WG3)  (chair: Michele Oleo, EWI) focuses on the Flemish participation in ESFRI initiatives and other European initiatives in the field of research infrastructures (including the Research Infrastructures programme component of Horizon Europe);
4. The Working Group on Knowledge Safety (WG4) (chair: Manu Dierickx Visschers, EWI) analyses the situation in Flanders regarding possible risks of illicit knowledge transfer/leakage and inappropriate influence by foreign actors, and will, where necessary, propose measures and initiatives to continue to support international cooperation in an open mind but in a "safe" way;
5. The Digitisation Working Group (chair  Simon Verschaeren, EWI) focuses on supporting and accelerating the digital transformation of the European economy, industry and society. In particular, the working group forms the bridge between European policy, such as the Digitising European Industry Initiative, the Digital Single Market and the Digital Europe Programme (DEP), and the related committees and the relevant Flemish actors and the Flemish policy plans on digitisation (including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, industry4.0, high performance computing).

Since 2022, working groups 1 & 2 were permanently merged into WG12 that treats the same topics. As a result of the merger, the working group 12 can work more efficiently and follow up more thoroughly the fast evolving European agendas by meeting at a higher frequency.