ESF provides new secretariat for COST

Following detailed negotiations, the European Science Foundation (ESF) and the European Commission have signed a contract for ESF to provide the administrative, technical and scientific secretariat and management for COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology). This follows on from an earlier agreement between ESF and the Committee of Senior Officials (the governing body of COST), endorsed at the May 2003 Meeting of Ministers of COST countries (Dubrovnik). The contract provides for the support of the operation and activities of COST through the Sixth Framework Programme with an initial provision of  €22 million until the end of 2004.

The contract signals the end of a period of uncertainty for COST and its research networks.

Professor Enric Banda, Secretary General of ESF, welcoming both the agreement with COST and the contract signature, said “The coming together of the two principal research networking organisations in Europe is good for European researchers and for both organisations. It is a major contribution towards the European Research Area. I also expect that we can establish a three way partnership between ESF, COST and the European Commission in the implementation of the arrangements. It allows us to develop close working relations, not only between ESF and COST but also with the other activities of the Framework Programme.”

At the same time, Professor Enric Banda announced the appointment of Mr Tony Mayer as the Acting Head of the COST Office. This has followed consultations with the Chair of the COST CSO and Secretary General designate, Professor Bertil Andersson. Tony Mayer remarked “Our first challenge is to get the COST Office fully up and running as soon as possible. We will then be able to provide the service which the European research community expects and deserves. I am also looking forward to working with new colleagues from the existing Secretariat of COST and in promoting close working relations between the ESF and COST structures”

The Chair of the COST Committee of Senior Officials, Mr Gösta Diehl, said “I very much welcome this agreement. After a long period of uncertainty, COST has emerged as a strong and vigorous structure for the promotion of European research. Now, with our partnership with ESF in place and funded, I expect a renewal of activity accompanied by increasing synergy between our two organisations. This bodes well for the future of European research. I am looking forward to working with Tony and for the overall strengthening of COST”.

The new COST Office will be located at Tour Louise, Avenue de Louise, Brussels and will be operational later this year.

Note for editors

ESF is the European association of 76 research councils, national research organisations and academies of sciences and arts from 29 European countries. Founded in 1974 with its seat in Strasbourg, ESF promotes networking and collaboration between researchers from across Europe. It also carries out science policy actions and promotes the EUROCORES Scheme, a way of providing funding for collaborative research in Europe.

COST is an inter-governmental mechanism to foster research collaboration in Europe, established in 1971. COST has 34 member countries and one associated country. It supports over 160 networks across the research and technology spectrum. Since its establishment, the European Commission has provided the COST scientific secretariat. In 2002, the decision was taken that ESF would assume this role following a Memorandum of Understanding between COST and ESF for the latter to provide the new COST Office.

The EU Sixth Framework Programme, under that section aimed at “Strengthening the foundations of the European Research Area” includes a specific section for the ongoing support of COST at a level of between €50 and 80 million over the next four years. Support for the COST Office is based on a Specific Support Action contract between the European Commission and the ESF.

ESF contact: Mr. Jens Degett

Category: Media Centre, Press Releases 2003