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I N T H I S I S S U E :

Institutional

issues 1-2

News from EOC’s

members 3-4

Research &

Innovation 5

Health 6

Environment and

Energy 7

Regional policy 8

Education and

Youth 9

News of Enterprise

Europe Network

10-

11

Calendars

May - June 2017

12-

13

Ε U R O P E A N

O F F I C E O F

C Y P R U S

EUROPEAN

NEWS M A R C H 2 0 1 7 I S S U E 1 1 9

INFO DAYS

“Bio-based Industries Joint Undertaking Info Day and

Brokerage Event” 28 April 2017

Brussels, Belgium http://tinyurl.com/myqyxvu

“Information & Networking Event on the 2017 funding

opportunities for green technology, nature conser-vation and climate projects

under the EU's LIFE programme”

31 May 2017 Brussels, Belgium

http://tinyurl.com/mcowrrv

“Info Day on the Spreading excellence and Widening

participation Calls in Horizon 2020” 15 June 2017

Brussels, Belgium RTD-INFO-DAYS-B5@ec.europa.eu

White Paper on the Future of Europe

The European Commission presented on 1 March 2017 a White Paper that sets out the main challenges and opportunities for Europe in the coming decade. It pre-sents five scenarios for how the Union could evolve by 2025 depending on how it chooses to respond.

The White Paper looks at how Europe will change in the next decade, from the impact of new technologies on society and jobs, to doubts about globalisation, security concerns and the rise of populism. It spells out the choice we face: being swept along by those trends, or embracing them and seizing the new opportunities they bring. Europe's popu-lation and economic weight is falling as other parts of the world grow.

By 2060, none of our Member States will ac-count for even 1% of the world's population – a compelling reason for sticking together to achieve more. A positive global force, Eu-rope's prosperity will continue to depend on its openness and strong links with its part-ners.

The White Paper sets out five scenarios, each offering a glimpse into the potential state of the Union by 2025 depending on the choices Europe will make. The scenarios cov-er a range of possibilities and are illustrative in nature. They are neither mutually exclu-sive, nor exhaustive.

Scenario 1: Carrying On - The EU27 fo-cuses on delivering its positive reform agenda in the spirit of the Commis-sion's New Start for Europe from 2014 and of the Bratislava Declaration agreed by all 27 Member States in 2016. By 2025 this could mean:

Europeans can drive automated and con-nected cars but can encounter problems when crossing borders as some legal and technical obstacles persist.

Europeans mostly travel across borders without having to stop for checks. Rein-forced security controls mean having to arrive at airports and train stations well in advance of departure.

Scenario 2: Nothing but the Single Mar-ket – The EU27 is gradually re-centred on the single market as the 27 Member States are not able to find common ground on an increasing number of policy areas. By 2025 this could mean:

Crossing borders for business or tourism becomes difficult due to regular checks. Finding a job abroad is harder and the transfer of pension rights to another coun-try not guaranteed. Those falling ill abroad face expensive medical bills.

Europeans are reluctant to use connected cars due to the absence of EU-wide rules and technical standards.

Continued on next page...

P A G E 2 I S S U E 1 1 9

Brexit: Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union On 29 March 2017, the European Council received a letter from the British Prime Minis-ter, Theresa May, notifying the United Kingdom's intention to leave the European Union. This notification started the withdrawal process under Article 50. Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union sets out the procedure for a Member State to withdraw from the Eu-ropean Union, if it should wish to do so.

An extraordinary European Council will be convened on 29 April 2017. The European Council will adopt by consen-sus a set of guidelines on the orderly withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union. These guidelines will define the overall principles that the EU will pursue during the negotiations based on the common interest of the European Union and of its Member States. The negotiations themselves will last approximately 18 months (early June 2017 – October/November 2018). The EU Treaties cease to apply to the United Kingdom from the date of entry into force of the agreement, or within 2 years of the notification of withdrawal, in case of no agreement.

Until withdrawal, the Member State remains a member of the European Union, with all the rights and obliga-tions that derive from membership, including the right to participate as coordinator or partner in EU pro-

jects.

More information: http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2017/03/29-euco-50-statement-uk-notification/

White Paper on the Future of Europe

Continued from previous page…

Scenario 3: Those Who Want More Do More – The EU27 proceeds as today but allows willing Member States to do more together in specific areas such as de-fence, internal security or social matters. One or several "coalitions of the willing" emerge. By 2025 this could mean that:

15 Member States set up a police and magistrates corps to tackle cross-border criminal activities. Security information is immediately exchanged as national da-tabases are fully interconnected.

Connected cars are used widely in 12 Member States which have agreed to harmonise their liability rules and technical standards.

Scenario 4: Doing Less More Efficiently - The EU27 focuses on delivering more and faster in selected policy areas, while doing less where it is perceived not to have an added value. Attention and limited resources are fo-cused on selected policy areas. By 2025 this could mean:

A European Telecoms Authority will have the power to free up frequencies for cross-border communication services, such as the ones used by connected cars. It will also protect the rights of mobile and Internet users wherever they are in the EU.

A new European Counter-terrorism Agency helps to deter and prevent serious attacks through a systematic tracking and flagging of suspects.

Scenario 5: Doing Much More Together – Member States decide to share more power, resources and deci-sion-making across the board. Decisions are agreed fast-er at European level and rapidly enforced. By 2025 this could mean:

Europeans who want to complain about a proposed EU-funded wind turbine project in their local area can-not reach the responsible authority as they are told to contact the competent European authorities.

Connected cars drive seamlessly across Europe as clear EU-wide rules exist. Drivers can rely on an EU agency to enforce the rules.

Next Steps

The White Paper marks the beginning of a process for the EU27 to decide on the future of their Union. To en-courage this debate, the European Commission, together with the European Parliament and interested Member States, will host a series of 'Future of Europe Debates' across Europe's cities and regions.

The European Commission will contribute to the debate in the months to come with a series of reflection papers on:

developing the social dimension of Europe;

deepening the Economic and Monetary Union, on the basis of the Five Presidents' Report of June 2015;

harnessing globalisation;

the future of Europe's defence ;

the future of EU finances.

Like the White Paper, the reflection papers will offer dif-ferent ideas, proposals, options or scenarios for Europe in 2025 without presenting definitive decisions at this stage.

More information: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/sites/beta-political/files/white_paper_on_the_future_of_europe_en.pdf

P A G E 3 I S S U E 1 1 9

Frederick University implements the CABCIN project of the Erasmus+

Programme for Knowledge Transfer to Strengthen Teaching Quality

in Indian Universities

Frederick University secured funding as part of a consortium to implement the Erasmus+ project CABCIN «Establishment of Capacity Program Building Centers as a Sustainable Solution to Raise the Standards of Teaching Staff In Indian HEIs». CABCIN aims to transfer expertise and teaching skills in Indian universities’ faculty, thus improving quality in teaching and learning. Through the project, five Capacity Building Centers in Teaching and Learning will be established in Indian Universities and a series of faculty training programmes will be conducted related to contempo-rary teaching and learning techniques and e-learning.

It should be noted that Frederick University, through the Department of Education, has participated in other similar capacity building European projects in the broader Eastern Mediterranean region and the Middle East (e.g. Tempus programme - CLIMASP).

In the 3-year CABCIN project, coordinated by Wroclaw University of Science and Technology in Poland, Frederick University will also be collaborating with the Tech-nical University of Kosice (Slovakia), the Universidade Nova de Lisboa (Portugal) and the Universiteit Gent (Belgium), along with the Parul University, the North Maha-rashtra University, the SAL Institute of Technology & Engineering Research, the Amity University Haryana and the RK University in India. The kick-off meeting of the CABCIN project, which laid the foundations for the project’s successful implementation, was held in the city of Vadodara on 20-22 March 2017.

More information: Mr. Alexis Onoufriou. Head of Research Service. Frederick University, email: res.oa@frederick.ac.cy, tel.:+357 22394488

Research project “Balkan Road” for economic development of the

agricultural sector and the environmental protection

The Open University of Cyprus participates as partner in the research project “Towards Farms with Zero carbon-, waste- and water-footprint. Roadmap for Sustainable Management Strategies for Balkan Agricul-ture” with acronym “Balkan Road”, co-funded by the European Com-mission under the Interreg Balkan Mediterranean programme. The total budget of the 2-year project is 1,4 million EUR.

Balkan agricultural sector faces strong challenges in terms of unsustainable resources management and GHGs emis-sions. Although some countries show positive development indicators, however the continuous economic crisis, the low level of participatory initiatives undertaken by local/regional authorities, and the lower capacity and educational level of Balkan farmers in comparison to other European farmers, inhibit the adoption of innovative approaches and confor-mation of Balkan agriculture to EU policies, mainly at farm/local level. The project conception shares deeply the willing-ness of the farmers to protect the environment but also their deep concern to develop their skills, modernize and in-crease the profitability of their enterprises by reaching EU and international markets. Hence, BalkanROAD will provide tools and policies for economic development, through the adoption of environment protective practices, which is a strong motivation for farmers to adopt and implement project’s outcomes.

BalkanROAD has two orientations, which will be combined and integrated into a Balkan Roadmap and are expected to open new trade horizons for Balkan agricultural products, boosting also local and national economies; namely: 1 . to improve Balkan agricultural environment by developing strategies, methodologies and technologies for natural resources conservation (soil, water, air), reduction of GHGs, reduction of waste generation/disposal and in-crease recycling/reuse ratio in farm systems, 2. to develop a common Balkan Protocol for the production of eco-labeled agricultural products, by putting in force sustainable practices throughout the entire production line (i.e. from the field to the market) so that the final products will have measurable, comparable and ultimately the lowest possible environmental footprint.

The project consortium is composed: Coordinator: Benaki Phytopathological Institute, Greece, Open University of Cyprus, Institute for Mediterranean Studies – FORTH, Crete, Greece, American Farm School Post-Secondary Educational and Training Association, Greece, Association of Agri-Environmental Farmers, Bulgaria, Agricultur-al University of Tirana, Albania, Macedonian Organic Producers Federation, FYROM.

More information: Dr. Antonis Zorpas, Lecturer, Academic Coordinator of the Master Programme

“Environmental Conservation and Management” and coordinator of the Lab of Chemical Engineering and Engineering Sustainability, email: antonis.zorpas@ouc.ac.cy, tel.: +357 22411936.

WELCOME project provides easier access for refugees

to Higher Education

The new Erasmus+ project „Welcome to Universities” wants to find ways to make it easier for refugees to get access to the universities and higher education. One op-tion is to include adult education programs to create faster and more individualized tracks to higher education.

The chances and options to get access to universities for refugee are totally different in the European countries. So it is a learning process – first of all a learning from the experiences of countries which are more advanced in this topic like Germany or Sweden. We think the

project might contribute in finding new solutions to make access to higher education for all the people living in the EU easier – a task which is very important for the future of the European countries. It is important for the future of a knowledge -based economy and for a human and open society in our countries.

The project focusses on the exchange of practice and good practice in the countries and regions of the partners.

All the partners are working in the field of adult education: uniT- Verein für Kultur an der Karl-Franzens Universi-tät Graz (AT), CESIE (IT), VNB - Verein Niedersächsischer Bildungsinitiativen e.V. (DE), CARDET – Center for advancement of research and development in educational technology (CY), Videnscenter for Integration

(DK).

The project’s result will be available at the following website: https://welcometouniversities.wordpress.com/

P A G E 4 I S S U E 1 1 9

The Molecular Medicine Research Center of University of Cyprus re-

ceived funding for the research project COL4Alport

The Molecular Medicine Research Center (MMRC) of University of Cyprus received funding by the European Renal Association-European Dialysis and Transplant Association for the re-search project “Let's find out why some Alport patients do bet-ter than others (COL4Alport)”, under the coordination of Pro-fessor Constantinos Deltas, Professor of Genetics at the De-partment of Biological Sciences and Director of the Molecular Medicine Research Center (MMRC).

Alport Syndrome (AS) and thin basement membrane nephropa-thy (TBMN) are inherited glomerulopathies presenting with fa-milial microscopic hematuria since childhood. AS follows X-linked (COL4A5) or auto-somal recessive inheritance (COL4A3/COL4A4) and patients usually progress to end-stage renal disease (ESRD) by the fourth decade of life. Heterozygous COL4A3/A4 mu-tations cause about 40-50% of TBMN cases, and most patients follow a mild course with minimal symptoms; however, a subset of patients develop focal segmental glo-

merulosclerosis and chronic renal failure while 15-30% of TBMN patients progress to ESRD, usually after the fifth decade. The clinical presentation can be complex and the full phenotypic spectrum behaves as a multi-factorial condition, implicating primary genes, modifier genes and environmental factors. Perhaps a better way to describe these patients is that they inherit a later-onset Alport-related nephropathy. A key unan-swered question is why some patients follow a mild course while others with the same primary mutations develop progressive renal dysfunction.

To address this, we performed unbiased Whole-Exome-Sequencing of 260 Hellens from Cyprus and Greece with TBMN harbouring a limited number of pathogenic heterozygous COL4A3/Α4 mutations. About half of the patients are classified as “Mild” or “Severe” based on set criteria. Initial examination of data does not support the existence of common variants with substantial effects although one such variant is under further evaluation. The holistic analysis of data suggests the presence of a large number of variants that when co-inherited in different combinations might confer a high risk for manifesting “Severe” disease. The development of an algorithm to enable prediction is in pro-gress. We anticipate that such an algorithm could also allow the prediction of a similar risk to people of the general population by ageing. This, in turn may pave the way for new therapeutic approaches.

Acknowledgements: Many thanks to all collaborators of the Molecular Medicine Research Center (MMRC) of University of Cyprus, clinicians and researchers. This work is funded by a grant from the European Renal

Association-European Dialysis and Transplant Association.

More information: Professor Constantinos Deltas, Professor of Genetics at the Department of Biological Sciences and Director of the Molecular Medicine Research Center (MMRC), www.ucy.ac.cy/mmrc

P A G E 5 I S S U E 1 1 9

Horizon 2020 to be topped up with €200 million

The European Parliament gave its consent to additional €200 million for Horizon 2020, by adopting a compromise on the mid-term review of the EU budget, reached with the EU Member States on 7 March. The final and formal approval of the Council of the EU is expected in the coming weeks.

The €200 million top-up for Horizon 2020 is part of additional means amounting to €6 bil-lion that will help the EU tackle urgent challenges such as the migration crisis, strengthen-ing security, boosting growth and creating jobs. A part of the €200 million Horizon 2020 top-up, €50 million, was already adopted through the 2017 voted budget.

The breakdown of the additional funding follows proportionally the Commission's proposal of October 2016:

€50 million for the European Research Council (of which €16.7 million were already included in the 2017 budg-et).

€55 million for Spreading Excellence and Widening Participation part of Horizon 2020 (of which €16.7 million were already included in the 2017 budget).

€50 million for the European Innovation Council (on the RTD budget line Innovation in SMEs).

€45 million for High Performance Computers, under Leadership in Enabling and Industrial Technologies part of Horizon 2020 (of which €16.7 million were already included in the 2017 budget).

More information: http://ec.europa.eu/research/index.cfm?pg=newsalert&year=2017&na=na-050417

On the 7th

of March 2017 the EU celebrated the one hundred thou-sandth fellow benefiting from the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions. To mark this milestone in the his-tory of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, 30 highly promising researchers have been selected to showcase the EU's actions dedicated to excellence and worldwide mobility in research. Since the launch of the programme 20 years ago, the share of female participants has been exceptionally high and 18 of the selected researchers are women.

The 30 chosen researchers represent the 100 000 fellows who have been supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions over the past two decades. The group includes 28

European nationals, one from each EU Member State, one from Colom-bia and one from New Zealand. Their research topics cover a wide spectrum, ranging from tackling climate change and ground break-

ing research on fighting cancer to the prevention of violent radicalisation.

The 30 researchers have outstanding potential: they achieved the highest evaluation scores in the 2016 call for proposals for individual fellowships. They competed with 8916 proposals submitted by other researchers; of which nearly 1200 proposals were selected for funding.

More information: https://tinyurl.com/gtr4enu

Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions: support for 100 000 excellent

researchers, with a strong focus on boosting women's careers in science

The economic rationale for public R&I funding and its impact

Public funding of research and innovation (R&I) acts as a catalyst to boost private R&I activities and overall economic growth, according to a report released by the European Commission. The study, which reviews existing empirical literature, un-derlines that the role of public R&I funding is especially important in light of to-day's rapidly changing and riskier innovation landscape.

The study finds that roughly two thirds of economic growth in Europe can be traced back to innovation. It also estimates that the typical returns for private R&I investment range between 10% and 30%. These returns can be twice or three times higher for the economy in general, thanks to the positive spillover effects that ena-ble other firms to benefit from these investments.

Public R&I investment helps generate and diffuse new knowledge. It also contributes to developing new skills and cre-ating networks that enable stronger knowledge flows. Overall, the returns on public R&I investment are estimated to be around 20%, with returns on EU-funded R&I estimated to be even higher.

However, for public R&I funding to have maximum impact, it should cover the whole cycle of innovation, from funda-mental research to market-creating innovation – i.e. solutions or products that completely re-shape markets.

More information: https://tinyurl.com/k6l2s8q

P A G E 6 I S S U E 1 1 9

Third Programme for Health: supporting Member States

in mainstreaming health promotion and disease prevention

A new call for proposals has been published under the Third Programme for the Un-ion's action in the field of Health. The call aims at Supporting Member States in main-streaming health promotion and disease prevention in health and educational set-tings. The actions to be funded are capacity building, promoting the benefits of health promotion and disease prevention in Member States.

A workshop (and a conference) to update knowledge and good practice will be organised, with the participation of the main medical faculties and the Chief Medical Officers of all

Member States. The deadline for the proposals’ submission is open until 15 June 2017.

More information: https://tinyurl.com/m4oglm2

New call for proposals under AAL programme

The Active and Assisted Living Pro-gramme (AAL) is an initiative under Article 185 TFEU. AAL is a funding activity that aims to create better condition of life for the older adults and to strengthen the industrial op-portunities in Europe through the use of information and communication technology (ICT). It carries out its mandate through the funding of across-national projects) that involves small and me-dium enterprises (SME), research bodies and user’s organizations (representing the older adults).

The AAL has announced packages integrating differ-ent solutions based on ICT to support active, healthy and independent living of older adults.

The aim of this call is to support innovative, transnational and multi-disciplinary collaborative projects. The proposal must demonstrate a clear route to market and added-value for the different types of end-users. The previous AAL calls have shown impressive results culminating in effective and practical solutions. However, many solu-tions address only a specific need, have not yet been

integrated and incorporated into every-day life and have not been evaluated sufficiently.

The focus of the 2017 call challenge of the AAL Programme is twofold:

The challenge lies in developing packages integrating different solu-

tions that address the needs and wishes of end-users and add value to their lives. Since peoples’ wishes, aspirations, and needs evolve over time, pack-ages should be designed with built-in flexibility and a variety of components in order to meet diverse individ-ual situations and to remain attractive to end-users over time. End-users expect proposed solutions to be affordable, user-friendly, secure, and reliable. Packag-es should be based on existing and/or open platforms.

The challenge lies in extensive testing and evaluat-ing of packages in order to provide meaningful and significant results.

The deadline for the proposals’ submission is open until 24 May 2017.

More information: http://www.aal-europe.eu/get-involvedcall-challenge-2017/

Call for tenders by the European Centre for

Disease Prevention and Control

Τhe European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has published a call for tenders for the provision of a “Pilot study on the use of whole genome sequencing for molecular typing and characterisation of M. tuberculosis in the EU/EEA”.

1. The overall objectives of this call for tender are:

1. to continue to monitor the evidence on the sensitivity and specificity of WGS for de-tection of recent transmission and of transmission not detected by conventional methods by literature review;

2. to build an expert consensus on the methodology for the detection and characteri-sation of MDR TB by WGS;

3. to build expert capacity for WGS for public health use, including data analysis, data interpretation and outbreak detection.

The estimated total value of the contract is 400.000 EUR for 36 months and interested partis can submits their bids

until 8 May 2017.

More information: https://etendering.ted.europa.eu/cft/cft-display.html?cftId=2269&locale=el

P A G E 7 I S S U E 1 1 9

Mapping priorities and actions for maritime/marine spatial planning

worldwide: a joint roadmap

The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC/UNESCO) and the Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries of the European Commis-sion (DG MARE) adopted on 24/03/2017 a "Joint Roadmap to accelerate Maritime/Marine Spatial Planning processes worldwide". The roadmap identifies common challenges and proposals for actions to be implemented in the coming years, reach-ing out for collaboration with other UN bodies and Member States.

This Road Map is a practical outcome of the Second International Conference on Mari-time/ Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) organised jointly by DG-MARE and IOC-UNESCO on

15-17 March 2017. Exchanging experiences and networking, including through innovative tools such as gaming and cartooning, brought together 300 maritime players around the table and empowered them to promote the planning of the maritime space around the globe.

Across eleven thematic sessions, conference speakers highlighted Maritime Spatial Planning as a significant plan-ning tool and process to implement global ocean governance goals and in particular the UN 2030 Agenda for Sus-tainable Development. It can ensure that the global ocean remains healthy and sustainably managed, delivering eco-nomic growth, jobs and resources to all countries.

The roadmap will be submitted to the UN Conference on SDG 14 (5-9 June 2017) by IOC-UNESCO and DG MARE as part of a joint voluntary commitment highlighting the contribution of MSP to the implementation of Agenda 2030.

More information: https://tinyurl.com/khov22f

Clearer energy efficiency labelling rules

Negotiators of the European Parliament and the Council agreed on a re-vised energy efficiency label and the relevant regulatory framework. The current A+++ to G labels for products will be replaced by a clear and easier to use A to G labels. This will make energy labels more understandable for consumers and help them make better informed purchasing choices. The measure will be accompanied by the introduction of a public database mak-

ing it easier for citizens to compare the energy efficiency of household appliances.

Consumer surveys show that about 85% of European citizens look at energy efficiency labels when they purchase prod-ucts. Having the best performing ones in the A+ to A+++ categories was misleading and hid potential substantial differ-ences in energy performance. Giving consumers more accessible information about the energy consumption of prod-ucts and appliances will make it easier to identify the most efficient appliances.

More information: http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-17-691_en.htm

A public consultation was launched on 27

March 2017 on

the energy infrastructure pro-jects that have been submitted to the European Commission as potential Projects of Com-mon Interest (PCIs). To receive PCI status, a project must be considered essential for completing the EU's market and for reaching the EU's energy policy objectives of affordable, secure and sustainable energy. The con-sultation will run for 12 weeks and will close on 19 June 2017.

Projects chosen as PCIs can benefit from accelerated planning and permit granting, a single national authori-

ty for obtaining permits, im-proved regulatory conditions, lower administrative costs due to streamlined environmental as-sessment processes, increased public participation via consulta-tions, and increased visibility to investors. They are also eligible

for access to financial support totalling €5.35 billion from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) from 2014-

2020.

The first PCIs were selected in 2013, and the list was subsequently updated in 2015. A new list will be drawn up by the end of 2017 and the public consultation is

an important part of the selection process.

Consultation on proposed Projects of Common Interest

More information: https://ec.europa.eu/energy/en/news/public-consultation-proposed-projects-list-projects-common-interest-begins

P A G E 8 I S S U E 1 1 9

The European Commission launched the third edition of the European Capital of Inno-vation prize. This contest will reward the Eu-ropean city that is building the best 'innovation ecosystem', connecting citizens, public organisations, academia, and busi-ness.

The winning European Capital of Innovation will receive €1,000,000 to scale up its innovation activities. The second and third ranked cities will each receive €100,000. Cities have until 21 June 2017 to apply.

Applicant cities will have to prove how they create the local conditions to innovate, and will be judged on innova-

tive solutions to the specific societal challenges that they face. The contest is open to cities:

with over 100,000 inhabitants (however, in countries where there is no city with more than 100,000 inhabitants, the largest city is eligible to apply)

which are in an EU Member State or a country associated to Horizon 2020. An independent panel of experts will select the winning city in the second half of 2017.

More information: http://ec.europa.eu/research/prizes/icapital/index.cfm

2017 European Capital of Innovation contest

The second edition of the high-level Smart Regions event, due to take place this 1-2 June 2017 in Helsin-ki, will provide the opportunity to national and re-gional authorities to share experience of how smart specialisation has been implemented in their coun-tries and regions. In 2014 smart specialisation strate-gies were introduced in the European Union's Cohe-sion Policy as the basis for research and innovation investment. As a result, over 120 strategies have been established to shape investments from 2014-20. It is now time to assess what has been achieved, exchange experience and reflect on how the impact of projects can be maximised on the ground and what lessons should be drawn for the future.

The event will provide the opportunity to share experi-ence between projects supported by the European Struc-tural Investment Funds and other EU programmes and policies in the areas of research, industrial policy, educa-tion and skills. It will enable project promoters to learn from experience in other regions and find cooperation partners across EU in areas such as energy, agri-food, industrial modernisation, cybersecurity, health, and the maritime industry.

As well as highlighting best practice and lessons learnt, there will be an opportunity to debate the future of inno-vation in the context of European regional development with senior representatives from the European institutions and national and regional governments. The conclusions of the discussion will be an important contribution to the discussion on the future of Cohesion Policy post-2020.

More information: https://tinyurl.com/lvot2r9

Smart Regions 2.0 Conference

3rd Interreg Europe call

Until 30 June 2017, public authorities at national, regional and local level as well as non-profit organisations wishing can submit their proposals under the third call for proposals of the Interregional Cooperation Programme Interreg Europe that opened on 1 March 2017. Projects must aim at strengthening research, technological development and inno-vation , Enhancing the competitiveness of SMEs , supporting the shift towards a low-carbon economy in all sectors, Protecting the environment and promoting resource effi-ciency.

This is a call for proposals for interregional cooperation projects: partnerships made up of relevant policy organisa-tions from different countries in Europe work together for 3 to 5 years to exchange their experiences on a particular policy issue. Each region involved in the cooperation project produces an action plan, specifying what will be done in the region to ensure that the lessons learnt from the cooperation project are put into action. Projects are also required to monitor the progress of their action plans, to determine the impact of cooperation.

The interregional cooperation projects must be designed in two phases:

Phase 1 – Focus on the interregional learning process Three types of activities will be carried out during phase 1: exchange of experience, communication and dissemina-tion, management and coordination.

Phase 2 – monitoring of the action plan implementation

The third call projects are highly encouraged to involve institutions that are not already involved in running Interreg Europe projects, and regions that are not already represented in these projects.

More information: http://www.interregeurope.eu/apply/

P A G E 9 I S S U E 1 1 9

European Solidarity Corps:

matching of young people with organisations begins

Three months after the European Solidarity Corps was launched and interested young Europeans could start to sign up, accredited organisations that will provide solidarity placements can now use the database to find potential employees, trainees or volun-teers for their activities.

Several hundred placements will be available as of this spring and thousands more will follow in the months ahead. A wide range of organisations can offer European Solidarity Corps place-ments: non-governmental organisations, civil society organisations, national, regional and local

authorities or social enterprises, for example. In this first phase, organisations interested in participating in the European Solidarity Corps can apply for funding through existing EU funding programmes. Currently, eight programmes support the European Solidarity Corps.

To participate, each organisation will need to subscribe to the European Solidarity Corps Mission Statement and its Principles, and to adhere to the European Solidarity Corps Charter that sets out the rights and responsibilities during all stages of the solidarity experience.

Organisations who are already accredited with one of the funding programmes have access to the online tool automati-cally.

More information: https://europa.eu/youth/SOLIDARity_en

New initiative “Move2Learn, Learn2Move”

The European Commission presented an initiative under the Erasmus+ pro-gramme which further supports learning and mobility of young Europeans. Called "Move2Learn, Learn2Move”, it will enable at least 5,000 young citizens to travel to another EU country in a sustainable manner – individu-ally or together with their school class. The one-off ini-tiative, which is linked to the 30

th anniversary of the

Erasmus programme, is consistent with two central priorities of the Commission: to put a renewed focus on Europe's youth, and to facilitate EU citizens' mobili-ty, particularly low emission mobility.

Move2Learn, Learn2Move will be implemented through eTwinning, the world's biggest teachers' network. Part of Erasmus+, it enables teachers and pupils across Europe to develop projects together through an online platform.

The initiative will be open to school clas-ses of students aged 16 and above taking part in eTwinning. They are invited to indi-cate whether they want to be considered for free travel tickets which will be awarded for the best eTwinning projects in each participat-

ing country. Social inclusion will be an important criterion in the selection of the best projects. Once the winners have been picked, they will be able to travel from August 2017 until December 2018, at a date of their choice. Students will either travel in a group as part of a school trip or individual-ly, depending on the decision of parents and teachers.

All transport modes, operators and lines can be selected, taking into account sustainability criteria and points of de-parture and destination of the participating students.

More information: https://ec.europa.eu/transport/themes/social/move2learnlearn2move_en

“Interreg Volunteer Youth (IVY)” programme

IVY stands for "Interreg Volunteer Youth" and it is a pilot action to offer the possibility to young Europeans aged 18-30 to serve as volunteers in cross-border, transnational or in-terregional programmes and related projects. The initiative is aimed at involving young volunteers to support, promote and report the concrete achievements of Inter-reg programmes and projects, as well as generally promote cooperation across European borders and related values such as solidarity. Volunteers can work as:

1. Interreg Project Partners that will help with Interreg project implementation focusing on specific aspects or difficulties to be solved in fields such as solidarity projects, people to people

projects, health projects, community-based projects, projects focusing on the social dimension of Interreg cooperation. The Interreg Project Partner will therefore be deployed in the territory of one of the Interreg projects beneficiaries.

2. Interreg Reporters that will help with disseminating information on the benefit of territorial integration on the ground, through reporting successful Interreg projects. The Interreg Reporter will therefore be deployed either in the offices of the Interreg Managing Authorities and/or the Interreg Joint Secretariats. Support and visibility through volunteering are the leitmotiv of this initiative.

IVY programme is a pilot action of one year duration starting from 1 March 2017. The managing authority in charge of the programme is the Association of European Border Regions (AEBR).

More information www.interregyouth.com

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News for Small and Medium

Enterprises (SMEs)

SME Instrument: Change in templates to reflect societal impacts

The templates for SME Instrument Phase1 and Phase 2 have been updated to include an assessment of expected impacts on society and the environment.

The change concerns Part B of the templates for SME Instrument Phase1 and Phase2. They will now include an additional bullet point under section 2.1.a "expected impacts" relating to address-ing climate change and the environment and bringing other important benefits to society. The new templates can be viewed on the Participant Portal.

More information: https://ec.europa.eu/easme/en/news/sme-instrument-change-templates-reflect-societal-impacts

Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs programme:

Call for new Intermediary Organisations

Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs is a cross-border mobility programme which gives new or aspiring entrepreneurs the chance to enrich their experience, deepen their knowledge and expand their network by spending periods in enterprises run by experienced entrepreneurs in other Participating Countries. The new call for proposals under this programme aims to select

bodies which will act as Intermediary Organisations (IOs) to implement the Erasmus for Young Entrepre-neurs programme at local level.

The Intermediary Organisations will, in particular, recruit the entrepreneurs and assist them to benefit from the pro-gramme. They act as Local Contact Points for the implementation of the programme. IOs will be required to cooper-ate with all other organisations and authorities involved in the mobility programme, enabling new entrepreneurs to take part in the planned mobility activities.

Applying entities may for instance include: public entities responsible for or active in the fields of economic affairs, enterprise, business support or related issues, chambers of commerce and industry, chambers of (handi)crafts or similar bodies, business support organisations, start-up centres, incubators, technology parks etc., business associa-tions and business support networks, public and private entities offering business support services, institutes of (higher) education such as universities or institutes for vocational education and training.

Applicants must form consortia. Consortia must be composed of at least 5 independent legal entities from at least 4 dif-ferent COSME Participating Countries. Applicant consortia are encouraged to include legal entities from countries/regions that are not yet covered by the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs programme. The deadline for pro-

posals’ submission is on 7 June 2017.

More information: https://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/portal/desktop/en/opportunities/cosme/topics/cos-eye-2017-4-01.html

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Call the National Competition for the

2017 European Enterprise Promotion Awards

The Ministry of Energy, Commerce, Industry and Tourism of the Republic of Cyprus, in cooperation with the European Commission, invites interested parties to participate in the 2017 European Enterprise Promotion Awards. The main ob-jective of this initiative is the promotion of entrepreneurship and the promotion of best practices and successful initia-tives among the countries involved.

In particular, the objectives of the awards are to:

identify and recognise successful activities and initiatives un-

dertaken to promote enterprise and entrepreneurship;

showcase and share examples of best entrepreneurship pol-

icies and practices;

create a greater awareness of the role entrepreneurs play in society;

encourage and inspire potential entrepreneurs.

The European Enterprise Promotion Awards reward those who promote entrepreneurship and small business at the national, regional and local level. Initiatives from all EU countries, as well as Iceland, Norway, Serbia, and Turkey can take part in the competition.

The competition is performed in two stages. Candidates must first compete at national level and then at Eu-ropean level. Each country will select two candidates who will be recommended for participation at European com-petition until 3 July 2017.

The Ministry of Energy, Commerce, Industry and Tourism announces the launch of the competition at na-tional level. The winners will be announced in June and will represent Cyprus at the European Competition. The results of the European competition will be announced during the SME Assembly, to be held in November 2017.

The competition includes the following five award categories:

1. Promoting the entrepreneurial spirit - Recognises initiatives that promote an entrepreneurial mindset, espe-cially among young people and women.

2. Investing in entrepreneurial skills – Recognises initiatives that improve entrepreneurial and managerial skills.

3. Improving the business environment - Recognises initiatives at national, regional and local levels that support enterprise start-up and growth, simplify legislative and administrative procedures for businesses and implement the 'Think Small' for SMEs.

4. Supporting the internationalisation of business - Recognises initiatives that encourage enterprises and par-ticularly small and medium-sized businesses to benefit more from the opportunities offered by markets, both inside and outside the EU.

5. Responsible and inclusive entrepreneurship - Recognises initiatives that promote corporate social responsi-bility among small and medium-sized enterprises and entrepreneurship among disadvantaged groups such as the unemployed, legal migrants, disabled, or people from ethnic minorities.

With regards to the national selection stage, the last date for submission of proposals is 5 June 2017. Pro-posals should be submitted by filling the relevant application form (available on the website of the Ministry of Energy, Commerce, Industry and Tourism), and they will be evaluated by the Evaluation Committee established for this pur-pose.

The two proposals selected will be promoted to the European Commission for participation in the European competi-tion.

More information: http://www.mcit.gov.cy/mcit/mcit.nsf/All/4EE87A3CB037474EC22580EB0041E395?OpenDocument

I S S U E 1 1 9 P A G E 1 2

CALENDAR MAY 2017 Webinar - "European Innovation subsidies for SMEs" More information: https://www.eurostars-eureka.eu/content/webinar-european-innovation-subsidies-smes

2 May 11:00 -12:00 CET

Erasmus Congress and Exhibition - ERACON 2017 More information: http://www.eracon.info/

9-13 May Maribor, Slovenia

Digital Utilities Europe 2017 More information: http://www.wplgroup.com/aci/event/digital-utilities-europe/

10-11 May London,

United Kingdom

eHealth Week 2017 More information: http://www.ehealthweek.org/ehome/198654/ehealth-week-2017/

10-11 May St Juliann’s, Malta

EIT Climate-KIC/ENGIE Hackathon 2017: IoT for Greener Cities More information: https://eit.europa.eu/interact/events/create-your-team-eit-climate-kic-hackathon-2017

15-16 May Brussels, Belgium

Open EUREKA Innovation Week 2017 More information: http://www.eurekanetwork.org/content/open-eureka-innovation-week-2017

15-16 May Barcelona, Spain

Smart to Future Cities & Urban IoT 2017 More information: https://tmt.knect365.com/smart-future-cities/

16-18 May London,

United Kingdom

eafip Workshop for public procurers in the sectors of education, recreation, culture and religion More information: http://eafip.eu/events/workshops/education/

17 May Berlin, Germany

Strong Cities Network Global Summit 2017 'Building Resilience to Radicalisation and Violent Extremism II' More information: www.aarhus.dk/antiradicalisation

17-19 May Aarhus, Denmark

Knowledge for Growth - Europe’s finest life sciences conference More information: http://knowledgeforgrowth.be/en

18 May Gent, Belgium

European Maritime Day More information: http://ec.europa.eu/maritimeaffairs/maritimeday/en/home

18-19 May Poole,

United Kingdom

EMOOCs 2017 - 5th European MOOCs Stakeholders Summit More information: https://www.eventbrite.es/e/emoocs-2017-tickets-32339418070

22-26 May Madrid, Spain

ESPON Seminar “Revealing territorial potentials and shaping new policies - Contribution to the post-2020 Cohesion policy debate" More information: http://www.espon.eu/main/Menu_Events/Menu_Seminars/form_seminarMT_24250517_00.html

24-25 May Valetta, Malta

“Innovative Approaches to Tourism and Leisure: Culture, Places and Narratives in a Sustainability Context” Conference More information: http://www.iacudit.org/Conference2017/

25-27 May Athens, Greece

Conference: Adult learning & communities in a world on the move: between national tensions and transnational challenges More information: http://tinyurl.com/lm9ayjt

25-27 May Wrocław, Poland

5th World Conference on Research Integrity More information: http://www.wcri2017.org/

28-31 May Amsterdam,

The Netherlands

Information & Networking Event on the 2017 funding opportunities for green technol-ogy, nature conservation and climate projects under the EU's LIFE programme More information: https://ec.europa.eu/easme/en/tags/life-programme

31 May Brussels, Belgium

Universities in the Energy Transition: Science & Skills for Renewables Integration – Call for contributions More information: http://tinyurl.com/kdjp5p4

31 May - 2 Jυne

Leuven, Belgium

I S S U E 1 1 9 P A G E 1 3

CALENDAR JUNE 2017 The Digital Festival 2017 More information: https://www.digitalfestival.eu/

1 June Brussels, Belgium

Energy Infrastructure forum More information: https://ec.europa.eu/energy/en/events/energy-infrastructure-forum

1-2 June Copenhagen,

Denmark

Smart Regions 2.0 Conference More information: https://tinyurl.com/lvot2r9

1-2 June Helsinki, Finland

Implementing the European Structural and Investment Funds Regulations, 2014-2020 More information: http://seminars.eipa.eu/en/activities09/show/&tid=6063

6-7 June Maastricht,

The Netherlands

Introduction to EU Asylum and Migration Law More information: http://seminars.eipa.eu/en/activities09/show/&tid=6030

6-7 June Luxembourg

Offshore Wind Energy 2017 More information: http://offshorewind2017.com/

6-8 June London,

United Kingdom

The Internet of Things Week 2017 Geneva More information: http://iot-week.eu/

6-9 June Geneva,

Switzerland

University-Industry Interaction 2017 More information: https://www.university-industry.com/

7-9 June Dublin, Ireland

H2020 Waterborne Research Conference More information: https://tinyurl.com/m2q36tn

8 June Brussels, Belgium

Health Research in a connected and participative Society More information: https://tinyurl.com/nxh8zuf

9 June Brussels, Belgium

Refugees' impact on Bologna reform – Recognition of Prior Learning and inclusion in the light of increased migration More information: https://www.uhr.se/om-uhr/Konferenser/refugees-impact-on-bologna-reform/

12-13 June Malmö, Sweden

Chemistry Means Business 2017 More information: http://www.rsc.org/campaigns/chemistry-means-business/

13-14 June Manchester,

United Kingdom

Open Innovation 2.0 Conference 2017 More information: https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/news/open-innovation-20-conference-2017

13-14 June Cluj-Napoca,

Romania

The Internet of Things World Europe More information: https://tmt.knect365.com/iot-world-europe/

13-15 June London,

United Kingdom

Info Day on the Spreading excellence and Widening participation Calls in Horizon 2020 More information and registration: RTD-INFO-DAYS-B5@ec.europa.eu

15 June Brussels, Belgium

Digital Assembly 2017: "Digital Europe: Investing in the Future" - DA 2017 More information: https://tinyurl.com/lfqyn6j

15-16 June Valetta, Malta

EU Sustainable Energy Week 2017 More information: http://www.eusew.eu/

19-25 June Brussels, Belgium

EuroNano Forum 2017 More information: http://euronanoforum2017.eu/

21-23 Ιουνίου Valetta, Malta

E² Tech4Cities Brokerage Event 2017 More information: https://www.b2match.eu/e2tech4cities2017/

23 June Brussels, Belgium

European University Foundation OpenSpace 2017 More information: http://os.uni-foundation.eu/venue

26-28 June Naples, Italy

Week of Innovative Regions in Europe More information: http://wire2017.eu/

28-30 June Košice, Slovakia

I S S U E 1 1 9 P A G E 1 4

Members of the European Office of Cyprus

UNIVERSITY OF CYPRUS

http://www.ucy.ac.cy/goto/mainportal/en-US/HOME.aspx

OPEN UNIVERSITY OF CYPRUS

http://www.ouc.ac.cy/web/guest/home

CYPRUS UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY

http://www.cut.ac.cy/?languageId=2

FREDERICK UNIVERSITY

http://www.frederick.ac.cy/

NEAPOLIS UNIVERSITY PAFOS

http://www.nup.ac.cy/

UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL LANCASHIRE - CYPRUS (UCLAN CYPRUS)

http://www.uclancyprus.ac.cy/

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND CULTURE

http://www.moec.gov.cy/en/index.html

NICOSIA MUNICIPALITY

http://www.nicosia.org.cy/english/greekhome.shtm

PARALIMNI MUNICIPALITY

http://www.paralimni.org.cy/index.php?lang=el

CYPRUS SPORT ORGANISATION

http://www.sportskoa.org.cy/

EUROPEAN ASSOCIATION OF ERASMUS COORDINATORS (EAEC)

http://www.eaec.eu.com/

CENTRE FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF R&D IN EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY (CARDET)

http://www.cardet.org/

PwC

http://www.pwc.com.cy/

Full Members

International Members

UNIVERSITY OF THESSALY http://www.uth.gr/en/index.php

HELLENIC OPEN UNIVERSITY

https://www.eap.gr/en/

TECHNOLOGICAL INSTITUTE OF ATHENS

http://www.teiath.gr/?lang=en

MICHAEL CACOYANNIS FOUNDATION

http://www.mcf.gr/en/

ERGASIA EKPEDEFTIKI S.A

http://www.ergasiakek.gr/en/

ATHINA EDUCATIONAL NETWORK

http://www.athinaedunet.org/

HOUSE OF CYPRUS (SPITI TIS KYPROU)

http://spititiskyprou.gr/

I S S U E 1 1 9 P A G E 1 5

Μembers of the European Office of Cyprus

COOPERATIVE CENTRAL BANK LTD

http://www.coopbank.com.cy/

CHURCH OF CYPRUS

http://www.churchofcyprus.org.cy/index.php?lang=en

CYPRUS TOURISM ORGANISATION (CTO)

http://www.visitcyprus.biz/

CYPRUS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY (CCCI)

http://www.ccci.org.cy/

PAPHOS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

http://www.pcci.org.cy/

EUROPEAN UNIVERSITY CYPRUS

http://www.euc.ac.cy/

UNIVERSITY OF NICOSIA

http://www.unic.ac.cy/

CYPRUS INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT

http://www.ciim.ac.cy/

ΙΜΗ

http://www.imhbusiness.com/

AGLANTZIA MUNICIPALITY

http://www.aglantzia.com/

STROVOLOS MUNICIPALITY

http://www.strovolos.org.cy/default.asp?id=24

CONTACT ADVERTISING AGENCY LTD

http://www.contact.com.cy/

THE CYPRUS INSTITUTE

http://www.cyi.ac.cy/

Associate Members

Editing: European Office of Cyprus - Brussels Office

For more information: eoc.brussels@ucy.ac.cy

Rosemary Strevinioti Head of Brussels Office E-mail: strevinioti.rozamaria@ucy.ac.cy

European Office of Cyprus

www.eoc.org.cy

Brussels: Rue du Luxembourg 3, B-1000, Brussels, Tel./Fax: +32 (0) 2 280 22 85 Nicosia: 1, University Avenue, 2109 Aglantzia, Nicosia, Τel.: +357 22 89 4278, Fax:+ 357 22 89 5005

Athens: Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus, Xenophontos 2A, 105 57, Athens - Syntagma, Τel.: +30 210 373 4833