The Monitoring Committee for Euro-Mediterranean Cooperation in RTD (MoCo) is a forum bringing together Senior Official representatives from the Mediterranean Partner Countries (MPC) and the EU Member States and Associated Countries, responsible for RTD issues. It has been established in the context of a Euro-Mediterranean Partnership and of the follow-up of the Barcelona Process, and plays a central role in monitoring and stimulating the Euro-Mediterranean cooperation in RTD.

With a view to promoting the development of a Euro-Mediterranean scientific area and thereby to supporting the sustainable development of the Mediterranean region, the MoCo:

• Acts as a forum for the exchange of information and views and recommendations on RTD policy in the Mediterranean region, and establishes a common information base on this subject;
• Identifies issues of regional importance to be addressed by RTD and requiring cooperative Euro-Mediterranean activities;
• Proposes concrete actions to be taken in the context of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership, the bilateral cooperation activities between countries represented in the MoCo, or the exchange of information at national level;
• Monitors, and comments on RTD policies, developments and activities in the Euro-Mediterranean context;
• Informs the Euro-Mediterranean Committee of the Barcelona Process of its opinion on Euro-Mediterranean cooperation in RTD.

The Committee meets usually once a year, under the responsibility of the EU Member State holding the chairmanship of the EU Council. The meetings are held ‘traditionally’ alternatively in a EU Member State and in a Mediterranean Partner Country.

Currently, the functioning of the MoCo is supported by the ‘Mediterranean Innovation and Research Coordination Action – MIRA (http://www.miraproject.eu/). MIRA is an INCONET type project funded by the 7th EU Framework Programme for RTD, dedicated to the EU – MPC bi-regional policy dialogue and priority setting in S&T. In turn, MoCo acts as Steering Committee of MIRA Project.

Among other activities, the MIRA project includes the establishment and functioning of a Secretariat for the MoCo that will act as a focal point for information about the Committee’s functioning and activities.