January 2013: The European Cooperative Programme for Plant Genetic Resources (ECPGR) has released the Steering Committee Report from its 13th Meeting, during which participants discussed the transition of the ECPGR program to its next phase (2014-2018)

At the meeting, held from 4-7 December in Vienna, Austria, participants also discussed its operational structure, objectives, mode of operation and external visibility. The meeting’s focus was a response to a series of changes proposed by an independent review of the ECPGR undertaken in 2013. The Committee developed a new proposed operating structure and reviewed a number and activities of working groups. They considered bids for hosting the ECPGR Secretariat, and while noting the high quality of bids, left the evaluation in the hands of the Executive Committee. The Steering Committee established a small group to continue to develop a revised logical framework on the objectives, goals and outcomes of ECPGR.

The ECPGR is a collaborative programme among most European countries aimed at contributing to national, sub-regional and regional programmes in Europe to rationally and effectively conserve ex-situ and in-situ Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture and increase their utilization. The Coordinating Secretariat is hosted by Bioversity International. Bioversity International is a member of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). [Report of the Steering Committee of the European Cooperative Programme for Plant Genetic Resources]