Brussels, June 11 : The European Union (EU) is taking further steps to enhance its research and innovation system. The three sets of conclusions adopted by the Council of the EU establish "political guidelines on international cooperation in the field of research and innovation, on the promotion of open science policies and on the implementation of European missions", Xinhua news agency quoted an official statement as saying. The Ministers agreed that values and principles, such as scientific freedom, gender equality, research excellence and protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights, should guide international cooperation. On open science, they agreed on the need to reform the research assessment systems; to reinforce the capacities for academic and scientific publishing; and to promote multilingualism, said the statement. These needs were identified during the Covid-19 crisis, when immediate access to reliable data and scientific research was paramount to counter the spread of the virus. In their conclusions, the Ministers provided guidance on their governance mechanisms for investments at EU, national, regional and local levels to work on the European missions focused on climate change, action against cancer, healthy oceans and waters, climate-neutral and smart cities, and healthy soils. Research and innovation will have a crucial role to play in managing these European missions, they agreed. Participants in the Council session also discussed ways to support young researchers in times of crisis, such as the Covid-19 pandemic or the Russia-Ukraine war. /IANS