Παρουσίαση από τη Διευθύντρια του Ινστιτούτου Δρ Δώρα Χειμωνίδου, ως εκπρόσωπος της Κύπρου: 47th SCAR-WG Meeting στις 20 Νοεμβρίου 2012 και 17th Plenary Meeting 2012

1. Cyprus Presidency
of the European Union Council
1st July -31st December 2012
17th SCAR Plenary meeting
Brussels 12 December 2012
Dr Dora Chimonidou,
Director of Agricultural Research Institute, Cyprus

2. Priorities of the Ministry of Agriculture,
Natural Resources and Environment
during the Cypriot EU Presidency
• Reform of the Common Agricultural
Policy with concrete proposals of new
regulations
• The Common Fisheries Policy and its
Sustainability
• The Environmental policies
- Preservation of scarce water resources
- Impact of Climate Change at its mitigation

3. Actions concerning Agriculture Policy
• Significant progress has been achieved on the
discussions for the CAP Reform:
– Direct Payments Regulation
– Rural Development Regulation
– Single Common Market Organization
Regulation
– Horizontal Regulation
A detailed progress report will be presented at
the December AGRIFISH Council.

4. Actions concerning Fisheries
• Cyprus Presidency managed to reach partial
General Approach on the European Maritime
and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) Proposal (October
Council) 
• Total Allowable Catches (TAC) and Quotas
– Baltic (October Council)
– Deep sea (November Council) 
– TACs and Quotas Internal
– TACs and Quotas subject to international On the agenda for
December Council
negotiations
– Black Sea

5. Actions concerning Environment
Council Conclusions were adopted on the :
• UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20)
• UN Conference on Climate Change
• Blueprint to Safeguard European Waters (pending December 17
Council)
Progress towards first reading agreement:
• Proposal for a Regulation on monitoring/ reporting greenhouse
gas emissions
• Proposal for a Decision on greenhouse gas emissions/ removals
from land use, land use change and forestry
• Proposed Regulation on Life+
Orientation debates:
• Draft Regulation on Ship Dismantling
• 7th Environment Action Programme
• “Greening” the European Semester/Annual Growth Survey 2013

6. Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU
Research and Innovation
Research Priorities
• Horizon 2020 – 4 legislative proposals
• European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT)
– 2 legislative proposals
• European Research Area (ERA)

7. Research and Innovation actions during the CY
Presidency
• The Cyprus Presidency has impulse, as main target of the
Presidency, the negotiations of Horizon 2020 (H2020),
the new EU Framework Programme for Research and
Innovation for the period 2014-2020.
• The main political achievements of the Cyprus Presidency
regarding H2020 has been the following:
– Partial Agreement on the Rules of Participation.
– Amendment of the European Institute of Innovation
and Technology (EIT) Regulation.
– Partial Agreement of the Specific Programme
Implementing H2020.

8. The main activities in R&I of the Cyprus
Presidency were:
 Conference on “Research and Innovation in
Health”, 12-13 October
 Conference “People 2012 (Marie Curie
actions in H2020)”, 5-6 November
 EIT Stakeholders Conference, 8-9 November
 ERA Conference, 14th November

9. EIT Stakeholders Conference – Addressing Societal
Challenges through the EIT, 8 & 9 November 2012
(participants: 200)
RECOMMENDATIONS:
– The EIT 3 actual Knowledge Innovation Communities (KICs)
(Climate, InnoEnergy and ICT Labs) as well as the new 6 being
drafted, will participate as key stakeholders to tackling the
societal challenges identified in H2020.
– A Platform for sharing the setting-up and experiences gained
from the first 3 KIC will be established.
– The KICs should cover more ground and reach a wider audience
to boost the EIT impact on Europe’s Innovation capacity and
competitiveness.
These recommendations will be presented in the next December
Competitiveness Council.

10. The six new EIT KICs had been proposed from the perspective of all
three sectors: higher education, research and business
The future KICs can help address the major societal and economic
challenges and will enhance EIT's capacity
• Innovation for healthy living and active ageing
• Sustainable Exploration, Extraction, Processing, Recycling and
Substitution of Raw Materials
• Food4Future: Sustainable Food Supply Chain
• Added Value Manufacturing
• Smart Secure Societies
• Urban Mobility
EIT Stakeholders Conference – Addressing Societal Challenges through the EIT
Research Promotion Foundation of Cyprus

11. The double Conference “ Organic and Low Input Agriculture:
Implementing Innovation to Respond to EU Challenges ”
24-26 September 2012 in Larnaca-Cyprus organized by the Cyprus EU presidency, the
Ministry of Agriculture, the Directorate-General for Research of the EU Commission, the TP
Organics, the IFOAM EU- Group in cooperation with the local organic association Pasybio
(with 90 participant). It started with a visit to the experimental station of the Agricultural
Research Institute of Cyprus and some organic agricultural projects.
THE ISSUES:
– Potential of organic research projects
– Challenges of agriculture imposed by climate change and shortage of water
resources
PARTICIPANTS PROPOSALS:
- Better networking of research proposals (over 50 projects financed by the EC in the
period 2000-2012)
- Setting priorities for the organic research in the future
- Organic research as a tool to face the challenges of climate change and adaptation of
agriculture to local conditions
- Establishment of a scientific database on Organic Eprints, and launching of the
Organic Data Network
- Proposal of a Prize for Organic Research sponsored by DG Agriculture of the EC

12. “ Sailing for a Better Europe”
From the Mediterranean to the Atlantic:
“Welcome to the Irish Presidency!”
Thank you for your Attention!
http://www.cy2012.eu