Giving focus to the Cultural, Scientific and Social Dimension of EU - CELAC relations

WP6 Towards a Common Vision - Overview

The overall objective of this WP is to promote a common vision of EU–CELAC able to:

• give a coherent orientation to research in the thematic WPs
• establish priorities and overall coherence to the set of recommendations that will stem from the project as a whole.
• define a clear strategic narrative for the renovation of these relations which transcends thematic and institutional limitations of the current negotiations and dialogue 

As more specific objectives, this WP intends to:

• define a shared view of the EU–CELAC institutional framework
• gather and systematize the empirical basis that will be built by WP3, 4, and 5
• On the basis of that empirical basis and the transversal input given by WP2 on cross-cutting issues, define three future scenarios for EU-LAC relations and an improved collaboration in the three pillars defined by the call, to be validated and prioritized through dialogue with political decision makers in the framework of the EU-CELAC process.

Analysing the institutional framework of EU–CELAC relations and its aptness to define and implement policies and actions

In a collective policy-oriented research project as the one envisaged in the call, it is absolutely necessary to analyse with precision the legal/political/institutional setting in which the recommendations that will stem from the project will have to be implemented. Therefore, one of the first tasks of the project must be to analyse the legal/political/institutional setting of EU–CELAC relations in order to be able to discuss whether it is adequate to process the policies and actions included in the final recommendations in order strengthen the cultural, scientific and social dimension of the EU–CELAC relationship.

This analysis will be interdisciplinary and combine the study of the legal aspects (the division of competences between the EU and its MS and the nature of the competences conferred to the EU) as well as the political/institutional ones (the operation of EU–CELAC bi-regional and internal bodies) and, finally, the interaction between regional / bi-regional institutions / civil society. The work will mainly be based on primary sources as well as in the main outputs produced by the ALCUE NET project (Foresight Study and other reports). The analysis will, first, be shared by all partners and able to give orientation and purpose to the research to be conducted in all WPs; and, second, create the adequate background for the prioritization of the thematic WPs outcomes and their respective policy recommendations in the different scenarios that will be built in Task 6.2 in order to prepare the ground for the “common vision of EU–CELAC relations” report.

This task will be developed intensely right at the beginning of the project. The outcome, an analysis report, will be the first deliverable of the WP. It will be kept as a reference and simply revised all along the project implementation, taken over again intensely at the end, when the final recommendations will have to be issued.

Development of 3 scenarios of renewed social, scientific and cultural relations

Scenario Methodology

Establishment of an EU-LAC expert panel (WP3-5 leaders, Trans-sectorial Board, external experts) which will specify the methodology for the scenario building process (in a first meeting back to back with the 2nd project meeting) and support the design of three different scenarios which will be built upon results from WP2, 3, 4 and 5. The expert panel will also develop a sustainability plan for the vision taking into account the Foresight Study for EU CELAC Cooperation on R&I, led by the ALCUE NET Project. These two outcomes will be the second deliverable of the WP. 

Scenario Definition

For the construction of the three scenarios, two workshops will be organized: one workshop to define scenarios and the other one to validate them.

The scenario definition workshop will be organized in Buenos Aires back to back with the 4th project event, when results from WP3/4/5 are available and split into two sessions:

• A creativity session to identify the key dimensions, frameworks and discriminating factors (e.g. maturity of regional integration) around which the scenarios should be developed and which determine scenario outcomes and impacts on the EU-LAC vision. Output: snapshots (i.e. short, schematic descriptions) of such scenarios.
• A definition session to convert the snapshot scenarios into complete scenarios (well differentiated according to general framework and discriminating factors). The development of scenarios will heavily rely on empirical results collected in WP3, 4 and 5. The developed scenarios will also provide descriptions of pathways (preliminary roadmaps) and recommendations for future actions.

Scenario Validation

EULAC Focus will take advantage of the many links that the project consortium has to well established EU-CELAC bodies and events (e.g. SOM, summits, scientific and technology conferences, etc) and present the three scenarios for further assessment and refinement, and final validation for the developed vision and action plan. 

The scenario validation workshop will be held back to back with the 5th project event to be held in Austria in order to validate the developed scenarios.

Monitoring of “Hot Topic” Web Conferences & Polls

“Hot Topic” Web Conferences

The objective of this task is to identify and elaborate “hot topics” and most important and promising fields of action for the renewal of the cultural, scientific and social dimension of EU CELAC relations. It will also be the channel to attract (new) actors to join the new vision and promoting ownership to assuring the sustainability of recommended actions.

Every 6 month a hot topic web conference on emerging research topics within EULAC Focus will be organized with full participation of the consortium. External thematic experts will be invited to guarantee high expertise and a diversity of perspectives on the different topics. 

Targeted Polls

This task will organize targeted polls, which will be conceptualized on basis of the inputs from the pillar WPs and along the cross-cutting issues synthesized in WP2 and on basis of the results of the targeted polls. It will examine the perspectives from Governmental actors and think tanks. The Trans-sectorial board will advise on the contents of the polls.

Governmental Actors: Using the networks established through the EU-CELAC SOM and CELAC process we will survey the perception of deputy ministers and CEOs of national ministries (and relevant public entities) in both regions responsible for culture, science/research/technology/innovation and social matters through semi-structured interviews. In those interviews, we will seek to collect information on main actions carried out to strengthen cultural, scientific and social relations between EU and CELAC.

Think tanks: The project will address 3 think tanks in each region with which Consortium members have a long standing collaboration. Based on outcomes elaborated in WP2 and the previous task, semi-structured interviews will be made. Emphasis will be put on analysing how to strengthen cultural, scientific and social relations between EU and CELAC.

Formulation of an Action Plan for bi-regional joint actions

Based on the common vision built in the targeted polls and the inputs collected through the polls and hot spot web conferences with experts, this task will formulate a Vision paper and an Action Plan for exploring and identifying joint actions and synergies with other projects and initiatives, such as the Trans-Atlantic Platform (T-AP). The experts panel composes the final vision looking at three time horizons (they will be stated later) and addressing questions such as

1. what major achievements need to be made on that way,
2. where and how is intervention needed to realize the strategic path and
3. by whom?

The preliminary Common Vision and Action Plan will be presented and discussed in the final Project event organized by WP6 in collaboration with WP2. Researchers and institutional end-users from outside the consortium will be invited in order to get their final feedback and raise awareness. It will be essential to coordinate some activities with the other projects, platforms and networks existing at EU level (such as T-AP) to feed and support a "strategic
narrative of the EU-LAC relations".

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