The European Polar Consortium: Press Release

Full press release

The European Polar Consortium is a four-year coordination action financed under EU Framework Programme 6 ERA-NET priority and is composed of 25 Ministries, Funding Agencies and National Polar RTD Authorities from 19 European countries and of the ESF/European Polar Board. With a combined partner critical mass of over 500 Million Euros per annum, it is the most significant initiative to coordinate European Polar RTD Programmes ever attempted. The Consortium is managed and directed by Institute Polaire Français, Paul Emile Victor (IPEV) and the European Science Foundation-European Polar Board (ESF-EPB).

The European Polar Consortium will exert a massive and positive impact on this domain and lead to longterm durable partnerships within Europe and internationally. The European Polar Consortium will also encourage and support the closer relationship of National Polar RTD Programme managers in Europe fostering cooperation and leading to joint Programme activities.

The European Polar Consortium will deepen and strengthen the interactions between countries with large Polar RTD Programmes and nations with evolving Polar Programmes in central and south-eastern Europe, encouraging exchange of experiences and best practice on management and financing of Programmes and infrastructures. The presence of key European and international organizations as advisory members will open up a vast network of human and material capital. The structuring and coordination of European Transnational elements will enable the construction of mechanisms to mobilize joint funding flows and the reciprocal access to research Infrastructures. The long-term goal of the European Polar Consortium is the development of a ‘European Polar Entity’ that will be established through dialogue at a political level and will enable Europe to maximize and direct its critical mass at the global level.

The European Polar Consortium will:

• Create the conditions for a gradual deepening of the interaction between national Polar RTD programmes in order to mobilize the existing critical mass to maximize the impact of European Polar activities.

• Generate an advisory and policy support mechanism for European governments in the Polar Regions

• Enable the integration of new accession and candidate states to the European Union by the mutual opening of Europe’s polar RTD programmes and strengthening the relationship between Europe and the Russian Federation through cooperation between consortium partners. Optimize the management and utilization of European polar facilities and assets.

• Provide the focus of European strategic activities in the Polar Regions through the development of a common European planning and research implementation framework.

• Structure the environment and landscape of Europe’s polar RTD programmes to allow the development fully trans-national research programmes in agreed areas and enhanced access to polar research infrastructures.

• Set the Foundations of a ‘European Polar Entity’ for Europe to mobilize and coordinate its critical mass of polar RTD programmes and polar research infrastructures at a global level.

Contact

Paul Egerton
Tel: +33 (0)3 88 76 71 74
Fax: +33 (0)3 88 37 05 32

Category: Media Centre, Press Releases 2005