FRESHFEL and AREFLH created in 2014 a European taskforce for research and innovation. This group of experts presented in 2015 a strategic agenda to the European Commission that focused on the priorities of research for the fruit and vegetable sector in the framework of Horizon 2020.

This task force found it important to create a European network similar to EUFRIN (the platform that gathers more than 40 fruit research centres) but for the vegetable research and transfer centres (EUVRIN).

 

What is EUVRIN?

EUVRIN is an informal, voluntary organization of research institutes or research institutes departments that specialize in research, development, and extension on vegetable production and which are based within countries of the European Union.

It was set up and held its first meeting in Brussels on February 1 2016, attended by representatives of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom. The current number of research institutes stands to 50 (Membership of and Participants in EUVRIN).

 

The Board

The Board of EUVRIN consists of up to two voluntary representatives from each member country and in addition, the chairpersons of each of its Working Groups.

EUVRIN is open to requests for membership of any country of the European Union, and those eligible for participation in COST actions.

The EUVRIN Board meets annually in one of the participating countries. These meetings aimed :

• to review the status of activities of the Working Groups;
• to discuss and establish new Working Groups;
• to enhance joint research projects, organize relevant workshops, etc.;
• to inform on EU funding programs;
• to define a topic to be delivered the following year;

The members of the Board have a commitment to disseminate the goals and ideas generated within EUVRIN to other researchers and interested parties in their respective countries, via articles in specialized press, communication via national Scientific Societies, at meetings and conferences, etc.

The Board elects, on a three-year rotation a Chairperson, a Secretary, and an Organizing Support Member. These three act as the coordinating nucleus of the Board.

 

The objectives

• To establish and improve cooperation between vegetable R&D institutes and teams within Europe.
• To promote the exchange of information on vegetable research, development, in particular via annual or biennial meetings of its Board and Specific Working Groups. Organization of International Workshops/Conferences.
• To enhance and facilitate coordinated research, development and technology transfer, focused on aiding sustainable vegetable production. Enhance joint bids for funding of R&D in International, European programs (e.g. Interreg, Cost actions; Horizon 2020, etc.).
• Conduct surveys on the changing priorities in Vegetable R&D within the participant countries. Establish and update a research agenda and communicate it to national and international, European Authorities.

 

Since 2014, AREFLH, EUFRIN, EUVRIN, and FRESHFEL EUROPE have closely collaborated as a Task Force to identify priorities and to voice the interest of the fruit and vegetables sector in the Horizon 2020 initiative, the European Union Research and Innovation Policy.

The Task Force released a Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda, which identifies the priorities of the entire sector, for the annual work programme of the European Commission. Members of the Task Force are now also engaged in several research and innovation projects, in particular under the “Societal Challenges focused on Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry”.

 Have a look at EUVRIN's the powerpoint presentation 

More information on www.euvrin.eu