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First report now published on the European Technology Platform ‘Plants
for the Future’
(Go to report at
www.epsoweb.org/Catalog/TP/TP%20Documents.htm )
Brussels, 12
December 2005
Plants are the main
source of all food, feed and fibre in our world. Consequently
activities that improve our knowledge of plants and how to use them in a
more sustainable way are of vital importance to society, our economy and
our environment. An important step in promoting plant research was taken
on 24th June 2004, when the European Commission officially launched
‘Plants for the Future’ a European Plant Sector Platform. This
multidisciplinary grouping aims to establish a long-standing
public-private partnership to increase investment on research and
innovation and to boost European competitiveness in relevant industrial
sectors.
A wide group of
stakeholders representing research institutions, industry, farmers, the
political sphere, financial world, regulatory authorities, as well as
consumer representatives have jointly published a
Vision document. A detailed agenda setting out the research needed
to deliver the vision has been developed. This Strategic Research
Agenda for ‘Plants for the Future’ sets the scene for European
agricultural research and development for the next two decades.
"'Plants for the
Future' is an important demonstration of how working together can build
competitiveness. “This joint effort of all those involved in the
agricultural production chain to identify and take into account
scientific and technological potential, market drivers and consumer
demand can only be positive for the future of the agricultural sector,"
according to Janez Potočnik, EU Commissioner for Science and Research.
"Plant genomics and biotechnology, as outlined in the Strategic Research
Agenda, will play a major role in ensuring sustainability of our economy
through renewable biological resources."
The Stakeholders
Proposal for
a Strategic Research Agenda is being discussed in EU wide
Member State consultative forums, and is beginning to influence
Member State research funding in plant biotechnology. Already the
German Government has been actively using the Research Agenda to guide
its research spending plans. Others are set to follow.
The first Report on the Platform’s first activities is available.
The research agenda
aims to produce healthy, safe and sufficient food and feed while
securing sustainable agriculture and landscape, developing green
products such as biomaterials and biofuels and securing Europe´s
competitiveness, consumer choice and good governance. The European
agricultural value chain has more than 600 billion Euros of turn-over
each year, accounts for 8% of the European workforce, and includes 17
million farms. Research and application of plant genomics and
biotechnology will help foster this leading industrial sector and
maintain competitiveness in the face of some of the largest changes
foreseen in the coming years.
Plant science is a
key technology in delivering a bio-based economy where energy, raw
materials and renewables are increasingly produced by the agricultural
sector in an environmentally sustainable way.
Karin Metzlaff (EPSO)
& Simon Barber (EuropaBio) Adeline Farrelly (EuropaBio)
Coordinators of the
TP Media
contact of the TP
plantTP<x>epsomail.org
a.farrelly<x>europabio.org
Web information at
www.epsoweb.org/Catalog/TP/index.htm
Direct links:
The First Report, Nov’05:
www.epsoweb.org/Catalog/TP/docs/No512149_TP%20Plants&Health_Periodic%20ACTIVITY%20Report_14Nov05….pdf
The Stakeholders Proposal for a Strategic Research Agenda – Part I,
Summary, Aug’05:
www.epsoweb.org/Catalog/TP/docs/SRA-I.PDF
The Vision paper, Jun’04: www.epsoweb.org/Catalog/TP/Plants%20for%20the%20future-Dec04.pdf
The Calendar of the Member State Consultations, Dec’05:
www.epsoweb.org/Catalog/TP/calendar/consultations/default.asp
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