COST: using science and technology as a tool for foreign policy
In a statement published this week, Professor Francesco Fedi, President of the COST Committee of Senior Officials (CSO), calls for COST to be recognised as an active partner in realising the new European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), and for additional funding from the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) to achieve this goal. The European Cooperation in the field of Scientific and Technical Research (COST), one of the oldest organisations supporting European research, is currently introducing internal reforms relating to its scientific domains and voting procedures. The reforms are being implemented following a recent CSO meeting, at which a COST strategy for cooperation on a global basis was also discussed. COST has been recognised as having a key role to play in the construction of the European Research Area (ERA). In addition, according to the statement, COST has demonstrated that it is an asset for the implementation of the EU research policy impacting upon the rest of the world. It lists a number of COST initiatives involving both neighbouring countries and others . According to Professor Fedi, the considerable success of the initiatives is due to COST flexibility and the ease of access to COST Actions for third country institutions. The COST Committee of Senior Officials therefore feels that it is of critical importance that the role of COST is recognised as an active partner in realising the new European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), in addition to COST's traditional role in the ERA. The COST statement can be regarded as a sign of the organisation's wish to raise its profile in enabling research collaboration. Besides constituting an essential component of research policy itself, collaboration can also create opportunities for other sectors of economy, and can serve as a first step to political cooperation within a wider context of European integration. The statement underlines that a prerequisite for COST successfully executing its dual role in the ERA and in the ENP is adequate additional funding from FP7.