Paris, 06 Nov 2002
Last year, seven of Europe's leading intergovernmental research organisations set up a high-level co-ordination and collaboration group, known as EIROforum. They include CERN (particle physics), EMBL (molecular biology), ESA (space activities), ESO (astronomy and astrophysics), ESRF (synchrotron radiation), ILL (neutron source) and EFDA (fusion).
All of them have powerful research infrastructures and laboratories which are used by an extensive network of scientists. Together, they represent European spearheads in some of the most crucial basic and applied research fields.
The EIROforum organisations will be highly visible at the upcoming EU-conference on "European Research 2002 - The European Research Area and the Framework Programme", to be held on November 11-13, 2002, at the "Palais du Heysel" in Brussels, Belgium.
This meeting will be attended by more than 8000 scientists and decision-makers from all over Europe and serves to launch the 6th EC Framework Programme (2002 - 2006), which will have an important impact on Europe's R landscape during the coming years.
A joint 400 sq.m. exhibition, featuring the individual EIROforum organisations, their current programmes and many front-line achievements in their respective areas of activity, will be set up at Stand L in Hall 11.
It includes a central area, with a small cinema, displaying information about their current interactions via EIROforum. The stands will be manned throughout the conference by high-level representatives from the seven organisations.
On Tuesday, November 12, 2002, 14:00 hrs, a Press Conference will take place at this exhibition stand, in the presence of the European Commissioner for Research, M. Phillippe Busquin, and most of the Directors General (or equivalent) of the EIROforum organisations. The main themes will be the increasingly intense interaction and co-operation between the European Commission and EIROforum, as well as the role of EIROforum and its member organisations within the European Research Area.
Moreover, the official signing of the EIROforum Charter by the Directors General on this occasion will signify the formal establishment of EIROforum.
Representatives of the EIROforum organisations will also participate in many of the numerous events that will take place during this large conference. Details will be found in the conference programme. The current EIROforum chairperson is Prof. Fotis C. Kafatos (EMBL). The EIROforum website at http://www.eiroforum.org contains useful information about this unique collaboration. For more details, please contact:
Franco Bonacina
ESA Head Office
8-10 Mario Nikis
F-75738 Paris Cedex 15
France
Tel.: +33 1 5369 7155
Fax.: + 33 1 5369 7690
E-Mail:franco.bonacina@esa.int
European Space Agency
http://www.esa.int/export/esaCP/index.ht ml