ERA-NET / ERA-NET PLUS Call 2008

Deadline: 12 August 2008 at 17:00:00 (Brussels local time)

WORK PROGRAMME 2008 COOPERATION
THEME 2 FOOD, AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES, AND BIOTECHNOLOGY

Specific Programme: Cooperation
Themes: Coordination of Research Activities Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, and Biotechnology Nanosciences, Nanotechnologies, Materials and new Production Technologies Socio-economic sciences and Humanities Transport (including Aeronautics)

2. FOOD, AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES, AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
2.1.4 - Socioeconomic Research and support to KBBE-2008
1.4.10 Agriculture and sustainable development in a rural development context. approx.1.0ME

KBBE-2008-1-4-10: Agriculture and sustainable development in a rural development
context– ERANET Call: FP7-ERANET-2008-RTD
The European model of agriculture is based on sustainable and ecologically sound concepts of land
use. The role of agriculture is increasingly determined by the crucial role it plays for other
activities in the regional economy (industry, tourism, housing, etc).
Agricultural production is using a wide range of options to remain competitive including organic
agriculture and / or other differentiated quality products, bio-energy and / or the provision of public
services like social functions or landscape and ecosystem management. Moreover, the contribution
of agriculture to sustainable development is highly territorially determined especially in rural areas
but also in many semi-urban areas. Research programmes funded by Member States or Associated
Countries or regional bodies are successful in addressing specific questions, however, they remain
fragmented.

The ERANET will allow identifying common issues, which should be addressed in
joint efforts.
Funding scheme: Coordination and support action.
Additional information: ERANET.
Expected impact: The ERANET will allow identifying and addressing common European
challenges for sustainable European agriculture also in a broader rural development context.

• Evaluation procedure :
– The general evaluation criteria and sub-criteria (including weights and thresholds) for the
different funding schemes are set out in annex 2 to this work programme
– The evaluation will follow a single stage procedure.
– Proposals will not be evaluated anonymously.
– Proposals may be evaluated remotely.
• Indicative evaluation and contractual timetable:
- Evaluation in September 2008
- Opening of negotiations in November 2008
- Selections from January 2009
- Contracts from February 2009
• Consortia agreements:
Consortia Agreements are recommended, particularly for ERANET Plus actions.
• The forms of grant and maximum reimbursement rates which will be offered are specified in annex 3 to the Cooperation work programme. For ERA-NET Plus actions, the maximum reimbursement rate for activities relating to the funding of selected trans-national projects is 33%.
• Particular requirements for participation, evaluation and implementation:
- The minimum number of participating legal entities required, for all funding schemes, is set
out in the Rules for Participation.
- See parts on eligibility of participants in the description of the activity.
- For the evaluation of ERA-NET and ERA-NET Plus proposals, the general criteria and
thresholds applicable to Coordination and Support Actions given in Annex 2, are complemented
as follows:
1. Scientific and/or technological excellence - Quality of coordination (Threshold 4/5 instead
of 3/5)
• The management should be supported by a suitable governance structure involving the
participating organisations at an appropriate level.
2. Quality and efficiency of the implementation (Threshold 3/5)
• In reference to the applicable work programme, does the proposed ERA-NET / ERA-NET
Plus action pool the necessary resources between national programmes and the
Community and does it represent the most appropriate type of public funding for this predefined
area?
3. Potential impact (Threshold 3/5)
• The participants should be the key actors within their national or regional research
systems.
• The ERA-NET activities should lay the foundations for a durable cooperation between the
partners involved.
• Is there a clearly identified and agreed European added value through a variable geometry
approach?
A reserve list may be produced of proposals that pass the evaluation, but fall below the available
budget, in case any additional budget becomes available