13 / 11 / 2018
Photo: BANOS SCA flyer
Representatives from countries around the Baltic Sea and the North Sea have recently started working together to achieve better scientific, administrative and financial integration of their efforts – based on EU and national policy strategies – and to create added value and impact for Europe. In time, this should lead to a joint research and innovation agenda for both regional seas, instruments to achieve this and key elements in communication to deliver strong and positive results.
“The regional seas surrounding the European continent might seem very different, but they all provide the same marine ecosystem services,” says Andris Andrusaitis, BANOS CSA coordinator. "There is a high need for regional cooperation to address common pressures on the seas."
The BANOS consortium is constituted of major research organisations and innovation funds from 12 countries (Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden and the United Kingdom), as well as of four transnational bodies – HELCOM, ICES, JPI Oceans, and OSPAR.
The BANOS CSA was launched in November 2018 and will run until 2021. Funded under the EU Horizon 2020 framework and planned for 30 months, the CSA will enable more research and innovation in the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, thereby contributing to healthier seas.
More information about BANOS CSA and the role of VLIZ can be obtained from VLIZ international liaison Ann-Katrien Lescrauwaet. Read all about it in the brand new BANOS flyer.