On 19 July 2016, within the presidency of the Council of the EU, the press conference on informal negotiations at the level of EU ministers responsible for competitiveness was held in Bratislava. Measures to promote young researchers were discussed at the conference. The press conference was attended by the Minister of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic Mr. Peter Plavčan, by the European Commissioner for Science, Research and Innovation Mr. Carlos Moedas and three young European scientists. The theme of negotiations was measures to promote young scientists and the Bratislava Declaration of Young Researchers.

Young researchers from various European countries were also presented at the negotiations. They also discussed measures to improve their work. Commissioner Moedas said that without science and innovation will be no economic growth and the EU will need one million new researchers by 2020. Minister Plavčan picked up the motto of these negotiations that young people are the driving force of development and growth in the EU.  

The young Slovak researcher Emilia Petríková summed up the biggest problems of young researchers, which include instability of jobs, problems with the career structure, or lack of opportunities for young researchers. The question of reducing administrative burdens of research projects arose at the press conference. Commissioner Moedas said that EC is working on eliminating the bureaucracy, and currently runs a second wave of simplifying project administration.

Twenty young researchers, from across the EU, summarized the issues for the progress of their scientific careers and released a document entitled Bratislava Declaration of Young Researchers, which also contains proposals for solutions to these problems. The declaration should be submitted for adoption at the Competitiveness Council meeting on 29 November 2016 in Brussels.