- maintain biological diversity - improve the quality of agricultural products

2. GENRES: conservation, characterisation, collection utilisation of genetic resources in agriculture - maintain biological diversity - improve the quality of agricultural products - contribute to increased diversification - reduce inputs and production costs proposal for a targeted action: Heritage Sheep Breeds of Europe

3. Heritage Sheep Breeds • genetically distinct • geographically concentrated • environmentally adapted local breeds, important to regional economy and culture

4. Heritage Sheep Breeds across Europe "breeds at risk" from disease entering their geographical location genetic erosion through Scrapie eradication replacement by high-input, non-adapted breeds threat to the sustainability of rural communities URGENT ACTION NEEDED

5. Heritage Sheep Breeds Across Europe ERFP Scoping Study - no protection provided - unlike the numerically scarce rare breeds - FMD illustrated vulnerability to disease - low incidence of ARR prion allele, high proportion of type 3 (neither ARR nor VRQ) - recognised regional significance for economy, culture and environment - readily definable group, geographically concentrated - immense local "word-of-mouth" knowledge of the breeds, very little as yet formalised

6. A new trans-national Targeted Action EPO-SHEEP Economic Potential Of Sheep Heritage: European Enhancement & Protection

7. Targeted Action(73% of budget; Community contribution 50%) actions promoting the ex situ and in situ conservation, characterisation, collection and utilisation of genetic resources selection criteria: - relevance to objective - technical quality - ability to carry out action - European added-value Concerted Action (9% of budget; Community contribution 80%) Accompanying Action (8% of budget; Community contribution 80%) Project management (up to 7%)

8. preference given to the use of genetic resources for: - diversification of production - improved product quality - sustainable management - improved quality of the environment - identification of products for new uses / markets Heritage Sheep Breeds - economic and environmental sustainability of the regions and promotion of diversity

9. EPO-SHEEP:aproposed trans-national programme: - builds on the foundation established through the ERFP Scoping Study and the ECONOGENE Framework 5 activities; - combines in situ conservation and socio-economic studies with ex situ cryoconservation; - establishes a European network and database in conformity with EFABIS; - supports enhancement of profitability of local breeds, linking the Heritage Breeds with: products, environmental value, contribution to rural cultural diversity, development and tourism

10. EPO-SHEEP:aproposed trans-national programme: - integrates local and regional knowledge with ERFP national co-ordinators, academic and technical specialists; - a ‘flagship’ programme, extending existing national activities into a trans-national action: to utilise knowledge and experience of Heritage Sheep Breeds, their value and their products to regions across Europe; - establishes a protosystem of trans-national guidelines and framework for cryoconservation that can subsequently be applied across more member states.

11. EPO-SHEEP programme: • - highly focussed and highly effective to ensure success within the constraints of available funding • - proposed initial Working Group of 6 nations (each with relevant experience): France, Greece, Netherlands, Czech Republic, Albania and the UK • - establish the guidelines and framework rapidly as a foundation for bringing in additional nations • - demonstrate the effectiveness of the programme

12. annual Programme advisory board meetings - provides links to wider academic and agricultural communities and national policy makers; provides advice and reviews progress annually; ensures integration with international initiatives • consists of ERFP national coordinators, ECONGENE specialists, management team representatives, international experts for the programme • chaired by UK ERFP national coordinator quarterly European working group meetings - coodinates field studies, desk studies and database across Europe to ensure milestones and deliverables are met; coordinate trans - nationally through receiving updates from local management teams • consists of representatives of core countries, specialists for each work - package • chaired by SHEEP programme coordinator regular meetings Local management teams as required - coordinates at grass - root level; provides information on local breeds and related issues – products, value to the environment, culture and diversification • consists of local representatives, breed societies, technical experts; one team/country or group of member states • chaired by EFRP Coordinator / their representative

13. EPO-SHEEP work packages: 1 Features of Heritage Sheep Breeds – Building upon the scoping study and ECONOGENE work, assessing threats and creating priorities for immediate action. Lead: UK 2 Strategies for in situ conservation – Marketing and breeding strategies existing and future to be used across Europe Lead: France 3 Strategies and Protocols for Ex situ conservation – semen collection methods etc. 4 ex situ cryoconservation - practical genebanking of 2 breeds per country. Lead: Netherlands 5 Data recording, portal development, database linkage. Lead: Greece

14. A new trans-national Targeted Action EPO-SHEEP Economic Potential Of Sheep Heritage: European Enhancement & Protection