The Progress of the EU-Balkan countries Action Plan in Science & Technology

1. The Progress of the EU-Balkan countries Action Plan in Science & Technology Dr. George BONAS General Secretariat for Research and Technology Athens, Greece

2. Adoption of the Action PlanImportant steps • Preliminary events (2000 – 2002): Vienna, Bonn, Bucharest, Sofia, Dubrovnik, … • Greek Presidency’s input • Background material and first draft • High Level Officials meeting (Feb. 03) • Ministerial Conference (June 03) G. Bonas, SEEREN Inaug. Event

3. The SHARED VISION document • Sets the Political context – ‘Zagreb process’ and Thessaloniki Summit • Defines four Main Goals • Improvement of Infrastructures • Improvement of Human Potential • Institution Building • Joint RTD activities G. Bonas, SEEREN Inaug. Event

4. The Action Plan • Specifies the Objectives and thematic priorities • Proposes for the Implementation: • Instruments (Multilateral, Regional, Bilateral) • Implementing modalities • ad-hoc group, Workprogramme • Two Task Forces • Duration: 3 years G. Bonas, SEEREN Inaug. Event

5. How to implement the Action Plan • Cooperation of High-level Officials • Stimulation of Scientists and Institutions • Skills and imagination for good proposals and adequate sources of funding G. Bonas, SEEREN Inaug. Event

6. Where are we today? (1/3) • Meeting of the ad-hoc group (Florence, November 2003) • Austria will act as facilitator for 2004 • Greece will host a Web site for the Action Plan The HLOs maintain the momentum! G. Bonas, SEEREN Inaug. Event

7. Where are we today? (2/3) In the Action Plan we can read: • ‘Institution building…’ • ‘synergies between bilateral initiatives and programmes’: ongoing • ‘Creation of NCP systems’: ongoing • ‘Evaluation and benchmarking of national research systems’: possibly G. Bonas, SEEREN Inaug. Event

8. Where are we today? (3/3) • ‘Joint RTD activities…’ • ‘Decentralized water managt’: scheduled • ‘Infrastructure…’ • ‘Electronic networks for science’: ongoing(SEEREN and Task Force) G. Bonas, SEEREN Inaug. Event

9. Task Force on Electronic Networks • First meeting in Athens (GRNET, 11/6/03) • 23 experts, good geogr. coverage: • 11 from the region • 10 from EU • EC-INFSO, UniAdrion G. Bonas, SEEREN Inaug. Event

10. Recommendations to Governments • Recognize importance of NRENs • Need for one NREN per country • Exert pressure to operators for tariffs • New business models of broadband infrastructure sharing • Harmonize the regulatory environment with EU G. Bonas, SEEREN Inaug. Event

11. Planed activities • Explore and exploit sources of funding for: • Training of staff • Interconnection (regional and with EU) • NRENs equipment • Create small Working Groups to focus on: • Infrastructure • Regulatory environment • Funding issues • Organizational models and awareness actions G. Bonas, SEEREN Inaug. Event

12. Epilogue • The Action Plan sets the field for our initiatives in order to produce coherent results the next 3 years, for the benefit of the Balkan region. • In less than 6 months time, several activities have already been undertaken. • The Task Force can catalyze new initiatives to ensure the continuity of ongoing activities (e.g. SEEREN) and to address other important issues. G. Bonas, SEEREN Inaug. Event