Background and objectives of the Conference

FORESTERRA "Enhancing FOrest RESearch in the MediTERRAnean through improved coordination and integration" is an ERA-NET project funded by the European Union under the FP7 Programme. FORESTERRA aims to reinforce the scientific coordination and integration of Mediterranean forest research programmes as well as the scientific cooperation with Mediterranean-area countries (including EU and non-EU member states) and with countries from other Mediterranean Climate Areas (MCA), in this case, Australia, South Africa, Chile and California. The project started in January 2012 and will finish in December 2015. FORESTERRA has partners from twelve countries: Spain, France, Italy, Turkey, Portugal, Tunisia, Morocco, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Croatia, Greece and Algeria, as well as two international institutions, the European Forest Institute (EFI) and the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM).

FORESTERRA is expected to achieve three main goals:
- Better coordination between the partners’ forest research programmes through: monitoring of participating countries’ forest research programmes; identifying duplications, complementarities, gaps, and synergies between partners’ forest research programmes and existing research capacities; redesigning partners’ forest research programmes in order to eliminate overlapping and to address not covered yet and emerging topics;
- In-depth and durable cooperation and integration between FORESTERRA partners (enhancing the scientific links between the Northern and Southern Mediterranean sub-regions) thanks to: transnational joint activities and new transcontinental scientific cooperation; institutional arrangements for facilitating the implementation of joint research projects as well as for mutual opening of facilities and sharing long-term experimental sites; and the design and development of common methodologies for programme management;
- Long term contribution to structuring the European Research Area by elaborating a common vision and strategic plan for funding research and fostering innovation based on the Mediterranean Forest Research Agenda 2010-2020, as well as by improving cooperation and integration in the Mediterranean area (North-South) and with other Mediterranean Climate Areas (California, South Africa, Chile, Australia).

FORESTERRA’s final Conference has as main objectives to disseminate FORESTERRA’s results and achievements. A more general objective of the Conference is to become a forum on perspectives and challenges for the Mediterranean Forest Industry and Research.