COST-Office, Avenue Louise 149, Brussels, 24-25/01/2005

Kick-off Cost Action 863 “Euroberry Research: from Genomics to Sustainable Production, Quality & Health"

COST-Office, Avenue Louise 149, Brussels, 24-25/01/2005

DRAFT MINUTES

PRESENT

Andersen Lillie (DK)

Bodson Monique (BE)

Borkowska Bozena (PL)

Bras de Oliveira Pedro Nogueira (PT)

Carlen Christoph (CH)

Coman Mihail (RO)

Dénes Ferenc (HU)

Denoyes-Rothan (FR)

Duralija Boris (HR)

Gordon Stuart (UK)

Hennerty Michael J (IE)

Jemric Tomislav (HR)

Kaska Nurettin (TR)

Kehoe Eamon (IE)

Kiprijanovski Marjan (MK)

Korbin Malgorzata (PL)

Koron Darinka (SI)

Krüger-Steden Erika (DE)

Laimer Margit (A)

Lemoine Marie-Claude (FR)

Libiakova Gabriela (SK)

Lieten Philip (BE)

Magein Hugo (BE)

Mezzetti Bruno (IT)

Neocleous Damianos (CY)

Nes Arnfinn (NO)

Nestby Rolf (NO)

Nyerges Klara (HU)

Olbricht Klaus (DE)

Parikka Paivi (FI)

Paydas Sevgi (TR)

Rugienius Rytis (LT)

Ruzic Djurdjinu (CS)

Sanchez Sevilla Jose Federico (SP)

Sasnauskas Audrius (LT)

Sequira Palha Mendonça Maria Da Graça (PT)

Simpson David (UK)

Spak Josef (CZ)

Strautina Sarmite (LV)

Svensson Birgitta (SE)

Toldam-Andersen Torben (DK)

Van Duijn Bert (NL)

Van Kruistum Gijs (NL)

Vankova Radomira (CZ)

Stol Bouktje (COST Office)

Peeters Christophe (COST Office)

1 WELCOME

The action secretary, Bouktje Stol, chaired the meeting and welcomed all the participants in the COST-Office. She apologised the proposer; due to weather conditions he would not be able to arrive before late afternoon.

2 ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA

The agenda was adopted unanimously.

3 PRESENTATION OF THE DELEGATIONS

All delegates introduced themselves and gave a brief resume of their research interests and activities.

4 GENERAL INFORMATION ON COST MECHANISM AND ON THE FUNDING OF COORDINATION

Bouktje Stol gave an illustrated talk on this subject and answered questions. General information and the COST ppt. presentation can be found on the COST website: http://cost.cordis.lu

She presented some items for later discussion concerning the management of this COST Action with so many countries participating and a limited budget available.

5 STATUS OF COST ACTION 863

At the moment 25 countries sent the address details of their delegates for this Action to the COST Office. There is still not one official signature of the MoU. The delegates are asked to urge their national COST coordinators to sign the MoU. For later meetings the signature is needed for being reimbursed.

The decisions taken by the kickoff meeting will later be confirmed by the MC (by written procedure).

6 AGREEMENT ON THE INTERNAL RULES OF PROCEDURE FOR THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE OF COST 863 (COST document 400/01 Annex II)

The rules were accepted unanimously with the following amendments:

Art. 7: “in principle the duration of the action” in stead of “one year”

Art. 8: “one-half” instead of “two-thirds”

Art. 9: “at least once a year” in stead of “at least twice a year”

Art. 13: “EN”

7 ELECTION OF THE ACTING CHAIR AND ACTING VICE-CHAIR

Bruno Mezzetti was unanimously elected acting chair and Stuart Gordon was unanimously elected acting vice-chair. Bruno Mezzetti then took the chair.

8 WORKING PLAN FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE COST ACTION 863

Bruno Mezzetti gave a presentation of the action and the different working groups.

After discussion on the different possibilities to manage this COST Action efficiently, some decisions were taken to reduce the costs. This meeting was attended by 42 participants and with that number nearly half of the budget for this year has gone. To focus as much as possible on the research, following decisions were taken unanimously:

· Reimbursement of only one MC member per country (to be decided per meeting by the country; preferable the one who is most involved in the subject of the WG or Workshop).

· Combining MC meetings with WG meeting or Workshop.

· Management Board: chair + vice + WG leaders.

· Identification of an executive Committee (chair+vice-chair+WG leaders) that can do most of the work and request approval in writing from the MC.

· Restriction on total number of participants of WG meetings.

· To guarantee flexibility at WG meetings/workshops, only experts with specialities relating to, and ability to, contribute to the topic/s under discussion should attend each WG meeting.

· Restrict the WG meeting reimbursements to participants presenting their research strictly related to the topics identified by the meeting program.

· WG meetings will be open to all experts interested to the topics identified by the program, delegates eligible to invitation and reimbursements will be identified by the evaluation of the title and abstract (200 characters) that has to be previously submitted.

· Abstracts will be distributed to the meeting participants as printed copy and published on the web page.

· Other forms of publication and dissemination will be defined by an editorial Board: chair + vice + WG leaders.

· WG and subgroup leaders can identify interdisciplinary exchange useful to promote integration of the different expertises.

For dividing the work, a second acting vice chair was unanimously chosen: Margaret Korbin. One vice-chair should focus on STSMs (Stuart Gordon) and the other on companies by focusing on the creation of the EuroBerry Association - EBA (Margaret Korbin). In short will be defined the Board for EBA and a program of activities specifically focused to creating a link with companies – SMEs interested to the type of networking created with the Euroberry COST Action.

STSM requests should be sent to Stuart Gordon; he, the chair and the WG leaders will serve as executive committee for the STSMs. STSM applications will be evaluated on the quality of the scientific program and of Institutions exchange. No deadlines for applications were fixed.

Bruno Mezzetti offered to host the website like COST 836 or one website per WG could be created and centralised on the COST website. The organization and publication of web page will be discussed within the Editorial Board.

For the working groups the following keypersons were appointed:

WG1 from genomE to BERRY fruit

WG leader : Beatrice Denoyes Rothan

3 subgroup leaders:

1.1 Genomics and molecular methods in berry Beatrice Denoyes Rothan

1.2 Breeding and selection David Simpson

1.3 Genetic resources Mihail Coman

1.4 Variety evaluation Audrius Sasnauskas

For topics 1.1 and 1.2 the subgroup leaders will work in the new integration of the work programs now active on berry genome and breeding. For topics 1.3 and 1.4 the subgroup leaders will try to give a continuation to the work already started in the previous action by identifying possibilities to better integrate national projects already acting on germplasm and variety evaluation. Particularly for variety evaluation can be expected in 2006 the organization of a SGM with the specific aim to create the berry variety evaluation network.

The WG and subgroup leaders will be responsible to provide the material for dissemination of the results via the dedicated web page, to define and propose the WG meeting program and organization, to request and evaluate the title and abstract of delegate contribution to each meeting.

The members of the WG decided that the first meeting will be focused mainly on the topic of ‘Genomics and molecular methods in berry’. Regarding the organization of the first WG1 meeting was proposed as first possibility to have a Group - 10 people - Meeting next May, in Poland, or alternatively a WG meeting next October in Slovakia. The decision on among these two possibility will be taken later upon the real availability of budget.

WG2 Quality assurance of planting material

WG leader : Bert van Duijn

2 subgroup leaders:

2.1 Variety identification (the group meeting decided that this topics should be better considered in WG1 as and application of the molecular methods)

2.2 Plant health and diagnostics Paivi Parika

2.3 Plant Propagation Dina Ruzic (This was identified as a new important topic)

2.3 Nursery Plant management and physiological quality Bert van Duijn

Because of its novelty the activation of this WG was considered a priortiy so was decided that the WG2 leader can start immediately the organization of the 2005 Meeting for the next May – June in Leiden NL.

WG3 SUSTAINABLE BERRY PRODUCTION

WG leader : Monique Bodson

3 subgroup leaders:

3.1 Factors affecting plant development and differentiation Pedro Bras de Oliveira

3.2 Cultivation factors improving efficiency in plant productivity and berry quality Eamonn Kehoe

3.3 Pest and Disease Management Gijs van Kruistum

The members of the WG decided that the first meeting will be focused mainly on the topic of ‘Cultivation factors affecting berry productivity and quality in different production systems’. Regarding the organization of the first WG3 meeting was proposed as first possibility to have a Group - 10 people - Meeting next May, in Wageningen, The Netherlands, or alternatively a WG meeting next October in Norway. The decision on among these two possibility will be taken later upon the real availability of budget.

WG4 BIOACTIVE COMPOUNDS OF BERRY FRUITS AFFECTING HUMAN HEALTH

WG leader : Margit Laimer

1 subgroup leader: Rolf Nestby, other subgroup leaders for the specific topics will be identified at the first WG meeting.

4.1 Development and standardisation of technologies to determine the modes of action of berry derived phytochemicals; smart screens for berry crops in relation to nutritional relevance.

4.2 Polyphenolics in berries – Phytochemical profiling and the relation to quality in human health.

4.3 Factors affecting bioactive compound in berry fruits and their derivates.

Because of its novelty the activation of this WG was considered a prioritiy so it was decided that the WG4 leader can start immediately the organization of the 2005 Meeting for the next end April in Wien.

9 WG PRIORITIES AND DATE AND PLACES OF NEXT MEETINGS

1st WG4 2005 Meeting Date end of April and Place Wien AU

2nd WG 2 2005 Meeting Date end of May and Place Leiden NL

3rd WG 3 2005 Group 10 people – Meeting Date June and Place Wageningen, NL or alternatively as WG meeting Date October and Place Norway.

4th WG 1 2005 Group 10 people - Meeting, Date: May and Place: Poland, or, alternatively, as WG meeting Date October and Place Slovakia.

After discussion it was agreed to give priority to the meetings of WG4 and WG2 and have for the other 2 WGs a decision taken later dependant on the availability of more budget later and on the costs of this kickoff meeting.

MC Meeting Date 2006 and Place to be determined later. Possibly Joint with socio-economical seminar, but always one delegate x country.

10 MISCELLANEOUS

There was no other business.

main page