GPC (Groupe de haut niveau pour la Programmation Conjointe, High Level Group on Joint Programming)

The GPC (Groupe de haut niveau pour la Programmation Conjointe, High Level Group on Joint Programming) is a dedicated configuration of the European Research Area and Innovation Committee (ERAC). The GPC has been installed by the Competitiveness Council in December 2008 to implement a process led by the Member States to step up their cooperation in the R&D area in order to better confront major societal challenges of European or worldwide scale, where public research plays a key role.

Joint programming is a process led by member States, with the participation of Member States and FP associated countries in joint programming being on voluntary basis and according to the principle of variable geometry and open access. The participation in joint programming should also be based on scientific excellence and full utilisation of the research potential of its members. In line with these principles, the GPC has successfully initiated and accompanied the setting up of the first ten Joint Programming Initiatives.

In the frame of establishing the basis for further implementing the ERA Roadmap in March 2016 a revised Mandate for GPC has been adopted. GPC is responsible for the implementation of European Research Area (ERA) Priority 2a “Optimal transnational cooperation and competition: jointly tackling grand challenges”. According to this new mandate, the focus of GPC is:

• to promote alignment of research strategies, programmes and agendas across Europe,
• to improve the interoperability among European, national and regional research and innovation programs to facilitate transnational cooperation and the sharing of information about activities in priority areas for societal challenges,
• to monitor and assess whether the initiatives resulting from the JPP (Joint Programming Process) maintain coherence with their mission and perform adequately,
• to support the implementation of the JPIs (Joint Programming Initiatives), e.g. by promoting access to resources,
• to develop and promote governance guidelines for the initiatives and updating, when needed Voluntary Guidelines aimed at implementing the Framework Conditions for Joint Programming,
• to contribute to the preparation of the debates and decisions of the Competitiveness Council on the Joint Programming Process,
  to identify new themes and evaluate proposals for new Joint Programming Initiatives,
• to contribute to ensuring overall coherence among the ERA-related Groups and to avoid gaps or duplication in the coverage of ERA priorities.

A major priority for GPC and its delegates is the interaction with and support for the 10 JPIs, as well as organizing the Joint programming Process at national levels. Specific emphasis is directed towards:

• Organizing national networks of the individuals working in JPIs and those working with corresponding national programmes, as well as of the delegates of the corresponding H2020 Programme Committees,
• being informed about the current status, joint activities and actual/important governance issues of the JPIs in which their respective country participates and contributing to the further development of the individual initiatives,
• ensuring the flow of information from the political/administrative system (GPC, government) to the JPIs in their respective countries.

The GPC is currently chaired by Leonidas ANTONIOU (Cyprus). The Vice Chair of the GPC is Mr. Emmanuel PASCO-VIEL.

GPC Documents

The GPC meeting documents (summary conclusions, information) and output documents (reports, opinions, statements) are available in the ERA-LEARN Document Database. For an easy access to the GPC documents you can apply the filter 'Publisher: GPC'.