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ARC Fund Launches a New Project – ERA ENV

The new ERA ENV project started officially in April 2005. This is a new European initiative financed by the European Commission through the 6th Framework Programme, thematic priority 6.3 Global Change and Ecosystemswhich will support the organizations from the new EU member states (NMS) and accession candidate countries (ACC) active in the environmental sector to participate in the EU research programs – to identify appropriate projects, form research partnerships and project consortia, and more successfully benefit from the EU funding opportunities.

The kick-off meeting of the project took place in Bucharest, Romania, on April 21-23, 2005.

The project is implemented by a consortium of 11 organizations:
• SC FIMAN Development Services SA – Romania
Bureau for International Research and Technology Cooperation – Austria
• Institut fuer Automation und Kommunikation e.v. Magdeburg – Germany
Technical University in Zvolen – Slovakia
• National Office of Research and Development – Hungary
• Bulgarian Academy of Sciences / Central Laboratory of General Ecology – Bulgaria
The Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey
• Applied Research and Communications Fund
Ministerul Educatiei si Cercetarii – Romania
• Istanbul Technical University -EU Center – Turkey
• Budapest University of Technology and Economics / National Technical Information Centre and Library

The overall objective of the proposed work in the ERA ENV project is to raise the quantity and quality of research projects developed by participants from Associated Candidate Countries in Thematic Priority 6.3 Global Change and Ecosystemsof the 6th EU Framework Programme (FP6). Thereby, the ERA ENV project is intend to contribute to the implementation of the Global Change and Ecosystems work program, ensure an increased number of successful participants from candidate countries and foster the co-operation between research communities from member states, associated and candidate countries.

This overall objective is to be achieved by the following activities:
• Promotion of specific actions for Associated Candidate Countries:
• Capacity building and supporting the network of the National Contact Points (NCP), by capacity-building and training in the field of the field of Thematic Priority 6.3
• Supporting the research communities and SMEs in Associated Candidate Countries with tailor-made information, assistance and services.
• Partner search tools, brokerage events with emphasis on participating in proposals for Integrated Projects (IP) and Networks of Excellence (NoEs);
• Preparation of strategies for research participation and specific training for researchers and SME representatives;
• Supporting researchers and SMEs from Associated Candidate Countries to prepare and participate in project proposals in further FP 6 – “Global Change and Ecosystems”.

Web site of the project

For additional information on the project, please refer to:
Ms. Teodora Georgieva
Ms. Daniela Tchonkova
tel.: (02) 986 7557, or fax: (02) 980 1833