The European Commission has issued a call for proposals for 'International Cooperation' activities under the Capacities programme of the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7).

The activity area covered by this call is 'Supporting the coordination of national policies and activities of Member States and Associated States on international S&T and technology cooperation'.

The objective of the ERA-NET scheme is to step up the cooperation and coordination of research programmes carried out at national or regional level in the Member or Associated States through the networking of research programmes, towards their mutual opening and the development and implementation of joint activities.

Under FP7 the ERA-NET scheme is continued and reinforced, notably through the introduction of the ERA-NET Plus actions in which the Commission will provide an incentive to the organisation of joint calls between national or regional research programmes by 'topping-up' joint trans-national funding with Community funding.

The budget for the call has been set at €11 million.

Further details: http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/dc/index.cfm?fuseaction=UserSite.CapacitiesDetailsCallPage&call_id=62
For more information on funding for international cooperation activities under FP7, please visit: http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/capacities/international-cooperation_en.html

Source: CORDIS News (RCN 28448) / Official Journal of the European Union (OJ C 230 of 2 October 2007, page 3)