CEI Consultation on the European Technology Platform Food for Life : Optimising regional benefit

1. CEI Consultation on the European Technology Platform Food for Life: Optimising regional benefit Dr Kitti Németh VUP Food Research Institute,Bratislava, Slovakia. nemeth@vup.sk

2. European Technology Platforms: Central Concept A new instrument to strengthen the European-wide innovation process across the food chain. A framework to unite stakeholders around: • a common “VISION” for the technology concerned • a mobilisation of CRITICAL MASS of Research & Innovation • a defined, agreed STRATEGIC RESEARCH AGENDA (SRA)

3. European Agro-Food Industry • Largest manufacturing sector in EU • Turnover EU25 was €850 billion in 2005 • Total exports €45 billion, trade surplus of €5.8 billion in 2005 • Transforms > 70% of the EU’s agricultural raw materials • Major employer with 4.1 million workers • 61.3 % of workforce in SMEs • Limited growth, 1.9% in 2003. The ETP Food for Life seeks to promote effective innovation across the food chain.

4. ETP Food for LifeVision An effective integration of strategically-focussed, trans-national, concerted research in the nutritional-, food- and consumer sciences and food chain management will deliver innovative, novel and improved food products for, and to, national, regional and global markets in line with consumer needs and expectations. Such targeted activities will support a successful and competitive pan-European agro-food industry having global business leadership securely based on economic growth, technology transfer, sustainable food production and consumer confidence.

5. Communication, Training & Technology Transfer Food Food & Quality & Health Manu- facturing Food Safety - Food & Sustainable Consumer Food Production Food Chain Management European Technology Platform Food for Life + WG Horizontal Activities optimising the impact of the ETP

6. Central/Eastern Europe Perspective • This is a European Technology Platform, and so must be flexible enough to address the needs and situations of all regions of Europe. • It needs the support and commitment of all stakeholders in all regions of Europe. • The ETP needs expert input of stakeholders in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, so that this region, its industries, its researchers and its citizens can gain the maximum benefit from the ETP’s programme of activities. • A Stakeholders’Strategic Research Agenda (SSRA) has been developed which will feed into the detailed Work Programme of FP7 [2007-2013] and form the basis of pan-European consultation.

7. CEI Co-operation Activity. Ref. No. 1202.018-06 Will provide aregional consultation enabling the stakeholder representatives from CEI countries to: • discuss the key themes of the Stakeholders’ SRA [Food and Health; Food Quality and Manufacturing; Food and Consumer; Food Safety; Sustainable Food Production, Chain Management and Communication, Training and Technology Transfer], http://etp.ciaa.be , • provide feedback to be included in the finalised SRA, and • initiate durable and mutually-supportive links between national stakeholders and the ETP

8. Background At the CEI Conference of Ministers of Agriculture, Slovakia [November 2005]: • a preliminary report on the ETP Food for Life was presented and discussed within the WG on Food, • a positive response was given by the audience, • a general discussion was held to consider how the interests of CEI countries might best be included in the developing plan for the ETP Co-funding for the Regional Consultation

9. Date and Venue 20-21 September 2006, Bratislava, Slovakia Participants • 2 x 10 delegates from CEI non-EU countries • 2 x 7 delegates from CEI EU countries • 4 or 5 delegates from the Slovak Republic • 10 delegates from international bodies (CEI, ETP, EuCheMS) Target audience Representatives of agriculture/food/science and technology/ agro-food sectors [industry, researchers, regulators, consumer organisations, national funding bodies and policy- makers].

10. ------ CEI Funding Unit ------ CEI Funding Unit Cooperating in a wider Europe www.ceinet.org

11. ------ CEI Funding Unit ------ Incentive after 2004 EU Enlargement • Since 1th May 2004, the number of CEI countries being also EU members increased: out of 17 CEI countries, 7 are now EU members • The CEI is seen as a as facilitator of transnational and interregional cooperation between EU countries and third countries in Eastern and South-Eastern Europe • In addition to the policy dialogue, new tools and instruments are necessary to foster this cooperation

12. ------ CEI Funding Unit ------ Incentive after 2004 EU Enlargement The Funding Unit was created in 2004 in order to evaluate the possibilities of attracting EU funding for CEI projects

13. ------ CEI Funding Unit ------ CEI Funding Unit Objectives and Tasks • Promoting CEI participation in EU projects • Supporting non EU country participation • Connecting partner institutions from Central and Eastern Europe • Information on EU programmes

14. ------ CEI Funding Unit ------ Participation in EU projects • Facilitating links with authorities from Central and Eastern Europe • Know-how transfer, exchange of experiences • Disseminating project activities, contacts and results throughout the wide territory of CEI • Promoting horizontally institutional links between those countries not directly involved in the project • Promoting vertically links between regional/local and government authorities

15. ------ CEI Funding Unit ------ Some figures on projects

16. ------ CEI Funding Unit ------ The CEI as project partner: an added value • The CEI as an intergovernmental organisation has specific characteristics that constitute an added value: • Flexibility of the CEI, which is able to adapt and interpret its roles: projects in various sectors, various roles of the CEI • Availability of instruments of co-operation (Cooperation Fund, Funding Unit, CEI Networks) at the disposal of the Member States to utilize it in the best way they find appropriate • Networks, not only new ones (University, S&T), but networks of people such as Working Groups for example, Network is a key word for co-operation

17. ------ CEI Funding Unit ------ The CEI as project partner: an added value • Within projects at EU level prepared and carried out by a Consortium of Partners, the CEI offers aninstitutionalframeworkideal for comprehensive initiatives involving EU and non EU countries interesting • The CEI is an area with its specific problems where actions can better be performed jointly •    CEI experience in multilateral cooperation for successfully promoting transnational projects in the CEI region!