BAFN News

Send us your ideas of research projects
In order to provide the European Commission with ideas of research projects to be financed under the FP7, BAFN is consulting the scientific community. This consultation is open to any scientist registered on bafn.eu. The main objective is to collect ideas for future projects. A list will be sent to the EC with the hope to see the research topics in the future work programmes. Ideas should be sent before the 10 December 2007.
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http://www.europartnersearch.net/bafn/index.php?page=foresight_survey

Mapping survey will close on the 10 December 2007
At the end of November 2007, more than 175 research groups already answered the survey on the research capacity in the Western Balkan Countries. Based on the survey, mapping reports for each country will be published at the beginning of 2008. The registration will close on the 15 December 2007. Research groups that did not yet answer the questionnaire are invited to complete it on-line.
Read more
http://www.europartnersearch.net/bafn/index.php?page=mapping_survey

European news

Example of projects financed by the EU
Between 2002 and 2006, organisations from the WBC participated in 14 research projects financed under the thematic priority “Food Quality and safety”. One project will be presented in each issue of BAFN newsletter.

WATERWEB (Water resource strategies and drought alleviation in Western Balkan agriculture) aims at providing strategies for managing water resources for Western Balkans by combining modern technologies and also taking account of environmental, socio-economic and health implications. The consortium is presented by 4 EU member states and 3 Western Balkans partners. The project funding budget is up to 1.2 million € and the overall duration of the project will be 46 months, foreseen to finish on the 31 January 2008.
Read more
http://www.waterweb.dk/WaterWeb.asp

The new Treaty of the European Union has been adopted
The Reform Treaty has been agreed on an informal summit in Lisbon on 19 October 2007. The treaty is set to be signed by all European leaders on 13 December 2007, after which each member state of the Union will have to ratify it. The new Treaty known as the Treaty of Lisbon should come into force on the 1 January 2009. The Treaty maintains the spirit of the Treaty of Rome but introduce some institutional innovations as well as a proper Charter of fundamental rights. The Reform Treaty, just like the European Constitution, will include provisions on potential member states having to adhere to the bloc's values if they want to become members of the union. It secured stronger enlargement criteria by making more difficult for would-be member states to get their applications approved and giving slightly more power to national parliaments over proposed EU legislation.
Read more
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reform_Treaty

Latest enlargement news
Croatia: Parliamentary elections took place on 25 November 2007 welcomed by enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn for being conducted in an orderly manner and in accordance with international standards, as reported by the preliminary assessment of the observation mission of the OSCE/ODIHR. He welcomed the broad consensus on the process of accession to the European Union which exists among all the main political actors by declaring that the Commission will continue to be fully engaged in supporting country’s efforts to fulfill the necessary EU criteria.
Kosovo: Elections took place on the 17 November 2007 and have been hailed by the EU for the way they have been conducted. The EU called for a new government to be formed rapidly, while expressing regret Serbians had boycotted the vote.
Serbia: The EU and Serbia initialed on 7 November 2007 a key agreement which will foresee mutual rights and obligations and the framework for the reforms Serbia needs to implement with the aim of moving closer to the EU. Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn initialed the Stabilisation and Association Agreement alongside Serbia's President Boris Tadic and its chief EU negotiator, Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic, at a ceremony in Brussels.
Montenegro: A Stabilisation and Association Agreement with Montenegro was signed in October 2007. If properly implemented it will provide a framework for further economic, political and institutional development. The Commission established its Delegation in Podgorica in November 2007. A Head of Delegation is expected to be appointed shortly.
Enlargement strategy and progress report: On 6 November 2007 the Commission adopted its annual strategy document explaining its policy on EU enlargement and published the 2007 progress reports. It concludes that there has been steady though uneven progress in the Western Balkans and the region continues to face major challenges.
Read more
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1195410721.83
http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/press_corner/newsletter/index_en.htm#a10

EU funding for WBC

Western Balkans and Turkey to receive € 3.96 billion in financial assistance from the European Union, in 2007-2009
The European Commission has finalised its planning for the financial assistance the candidate and potential candidate countries will receive in 2007-2009 under the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA). An overall indicative amount of € 3.96 billion will help Croatia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia and Kosovo (under UN Security Council Resolution 1244) enhance political and economic reform and development, on their path towards EU membership.
Read more
http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/index_en.htm

FP7 Cooperation programme: FP7-KBBE-2007-2B
The third FP7 KBBE call has been published on 30 November 2007 with a final deadline on 26 February 2008. The call is opened to participants from Western Balkan Countries. It is targeting only small projects with one step evaluation phase. The overall budget foreseen is 96 M€. The call is containing 49 topics amongst which 35 small collaborative projects and 14 Coordination and Support Actions.
Read more
http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/dc/index.cfm?fuseaction=UserSite.CooperationCallsPage&id_activity=2

SEE-ERA.Net proposes Regional Programme for Cooperation with South-East Europe
The SEE-ERA-NET has published a draft of recommendations aimed at bringing the scientific community in the Western Balkans closer to that of the EU. Proposals include the establishment of a Regional Programme for Cooperation with South-East Europe. The network has published a white paper linking the research systems of southeast Europe, and an accompanying Joint Action Plan
Read more
http://www.see-science.eu/news/2401.html

WBC opportunities

Deliverables from the project TrainNet Future
TrainNet Future is a Specific Support Action financed under the FP6. The network gathers National Contact Points and support organisations with special focus on Candidate Countries in the areas of Food Quality and Safety. Among the deliverables of the projects, 3 documents are interesting for researchers from the Western Balkan Countries:
(1) Experience in participating in European Framework Programme research projects
This document provides valuable views of researchers on their experience with FP projects.
(2) Guidelines to FP7 for Newcomers
It is a very good introduction to the research programmes of the EC, very useful for scientists with little knowledge on the FP.
(3) Guidelines for potential participants
This short document proposes a methodology to join FP projects.
Read more
http://trainnetfuture.tetalap.hu/pages/e_06.html

CEE-ClusterNetwork under PRO INNO programme
A CEE-ClusterNetwork will receive funding under the EU's PRO INNO programme to establish innovation potential in the region. It will involve Austria, Italy, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Croatia and Slovenia. The agreement is being signed in Brussels on November 28. The cluster will bring together ministries, regional development agencies and innovation centres from 11 regions in Central and Eastern Europe.
Read more
http://www.see-science.eu/news/2462.html

Forthcoming Agrifood events

Training for potential FP7 researchers
The Agency for International Scientific, Educational, Cultural and Technical Cooperation of Montenegro is organising a training workshop for potential FP7 researchers in Podgorica, Montenegro on 17 December 2007. The training will provide all necessary information on FP7, explaining also how to find partners and how to build your own project. Information on the structure of the FAB Theme, the concept of the Knowledge Based Bio- Economy (KBBE), the content of the work programme and details on current calls will be also presented.
Read more
http://www.balkan-fabnet.eu/main.php?training

Workshop for multipliers in the Western Balkans
The faculty of Agriculture University of Belgrade is organizing a training for audience of information multipliers in Belgrade, Serbia on 23-25 January 2008. The event will be an excellent opportunity for dialogue and networking, inviting partners from different consortium but also lecturers from Universities and Research centres. It will provide also a detailed information and support on the current open call under the FP7: FP7-KBBE-2007-2B.
Read more
http://www.balkan-fabnet.eu/main.php?training

Source: Balkan Agro Food Network (BAFN) Mailing