SEE-ERA.NET

Basic Information

Description

SEE-ERA-NET aims at structuring and expanding the ERA to the West Balkan countries by co-ordinating and supporting RTD activities conducted at bilateral level. Mainly, but not exclusively, bilateral inter-governmental programmes between the 15 consortium partners are addressed. Through a well-targeted process of co-operation and co-ordination, added value will be achieved for the research communities of all 12 participating countries. An important fringe benefit of SEE-ERA-NET is, that also the interregional RTD co-operation of the involved new member states and candidate countries will be enhanced and a basis for a better involvement of these countries in RTD endeavours at European level will be created. The main objective of SEE-ERA-NET is to enhance RTD co-operation between already established and new EU member states, candidate countries as well as West Balkan countries. SEE-ERA-NET is designed to support a much better exploitation of existing bilateral RTD co-operations under a flexible network that enables a systematic exchange of information and best practice on bilateral RTD programmes and activities supported hereunder on the project level, a sound understanding of the state-of-art of the systems of research of the West Balkan countries, a comprehensive needs analysis from the viewpoint of collaborating researchers - especially - from the West Balkan countries as regards international RTD co-operation, awareness raising on important, yet sufficiently tackled, problems and opportunities, the identification of joint strategic activities and the development of practical policy recommendations, the implementation of joint instruments and initiatives under a variable geometry and the conduct of multinational research by implementing a regional RTD programme with a pilot multilateral call for proposals. SEE-ERA-NET contributes to the fulfilment of the EU-Balkan countries Action Plan adopted at the Ministerial Conference in Thessaloniki in 2003.