NEWS

Submission to EC consultation “EU funds in the area of investment, research and innovation, SMEs and single market”, highlighting Research and Innovation across the EU as top priority for the EU funds post 2020 to bring European scientists and societies closer together to help build an inclusive, collaborative Europe and world and help achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Completed online questionnaire.

Launch of the Horizon 2020 project, CHIC (Chicory Innovation Consortium), studying chicory as a multipurpose crop for dietary fibre and medicinal terpenes. Press release.

Updated Fascination of Plants Day Success Stories 2017. Over 1000 fascinating events were organised in 52 countries, inspiring worldwide interest in plant science. EPSO welcomes scientists, farmers, industry and educational institutions to join the next official FoPD around 18 May 2019.

First reaction on the Advocate General’s Opinion regarding mutagenesis and the Genetically Modified Organisms Directive, welcoming this as an important step in clarifying the GMO directive. EPSO awaits the decision of the Court of Justice of the EU foreseen for 2018.

EPSO Young Plant Scientist Award – Winners are Shumei WANG (fundamental plant research) and Andreas CARSTENSEN (applied plant research). EPSO encourages the development of ideas and imaginative thinking in the plant sciences; Shumei and Andreas will present their research at the Plant Biology Europe EPSO/FESPB joint congress in Copenhagen 17-21.6.2018.

Position on the next EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, FP9, welcoming the continued inclusion of the successful Excellent Science pillar in FP9, and setting out our position for research priorities and mechanisms to engender a mission-based approach to close the research and innovation cycle through increasing support for collaborative basic research, encouraging increased levels of trans-disciplinarity and emphasising the importance of plant science in meeting the UN Sustainable Development Goals.