Changes in membership of FP5 expert groups
The Commission has announced a number of changes in appointments to the independent expert groups set up to advise on the implementation of the Key Actions under the Fifth Framework Programme. Established in November 1998, these groups' first task was to provide input to the work programmes drawn up for each specific programme. With this task completed in time for the first calls for proposals, the focus of these groups' work has now moved to assessing how these work programmes have been received and to what changes are appropriate for 2000 and beyond. With this in mind, and in response to a number of enforced changes in membership, the Commission has appointed additional members to the groups. In most cases, each group will be slightly larger than before, with additional members bringing specific knowledge and experience in important fields to the group. In line with the Commission Decision of 26 July, the mandates of these new members will correspond to that of the existing members - i.e. until November 2000 - when they will be eligible to be re-appointed for a further two years. In addition, a new chair has been appointed to the expert group on the ageing population following the death of the previous chair. Vappu Taipale, of the Finnish Centre for Welfare and Health will be the new chair, while the vice-chair will be Georg Wick from the University of Innsbruck, Austria.