NEWS

Pre-announcement of PRIMA Calls, a new Partnership on Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area, including sustainable farming. Participating States: DZ, HR, CY, FR, DE, EL, IL, IT, LU, MT, PT, SL, ES, TR. Section 1 (18M€ budget) calls for Research & Innovation Actions (RIA) as defined by H2020, pre-proposal deadline 17.4.2018. Section 2 (32M€ budget) calls for RIAs with national rules, pre-proposal deadline 27.3.2018.

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.

Advocate General’s Opinion in Case C-528/16 (regarding mutagenesis and the Genetically Modified Organisms Directive). – Press Release in EN; Opinion in EN

Announcement first transnational Call in the field of sustainable crop production; Deadline pre-proposals 4.4.2018, full proposals 31.8.2018; participating funders are from DE, FR, NO, IE, TK, EE, UK, PL, BE, FI, LV, NL, ES, AT, DK, IT, RO, HU and CAN. The ERA-NET-Cofund on Sustainable Crop Production (SusCrop) started on 1.1.2018. under Horizon 2020.

Scientists call for GMO opt-in option: The EC should “develop a Directive for individual member states to authorize cultivating a GM crop in their territories after the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has concluded that the GM crop in question is as safe as the organism from which it is derived” to overcome problems of the current regulatory system. Press release in EN, DE.

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.