ASEM Aquaculture Platform

Milestones

1996	In 1996 a new Asia-Europe partnership was set up by Heads of State and Governments from ten Asian nations and fifteen European nations. The Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM*) fosters a bi-regional dialogue with the objective of strengthening and enhancing the relationship between the two regions, in a spirit of mutual respect and equal partnership. Through a series of Ministerial and working-level meetings, political, economic and cultural issues are addressed. At this and later ASEM summits the key role of intensified science and technology cross-flows in strengthening economic links between Asia and Europe was recognised.
1999	Alongside the core ASEM summits, separate 'Meetings of Ministers' are held such as the Conference on Science and Technology in Beijing on October 1999. There and then a number of often interdependent areas of common interests and priorities for future S&T cooperation were identified. These included aquaculture, forestry, water management, sustainable and clean production technologies.
2002	Following up on this decision, the first Aquachallenge workshop was organised in Beijing, April 2002, under the auspices of EU INCO and through the partnership of Greece’s General Secretariat for Research and Technology and the Chinese Society of Fisheries. The Aquachallenge workshop brought together participants from ASEM partner countries, scientists, technologists and industrialists of differing experiences, but with similar understanding of needs. The main aim was to work out an action-oriented agenda for ASEM scientific co-operation and to develop a platform for multi-stakeholder dialogue, networking and continued coordination concerning sustainable aquaculture in both regions.
2003	In order to maintain the momentum of the Aquachallenge initiative, a group of European and Asian aquaculture key persons decided to establish the ASEM Aquaculture Platform and prepared a proposal for follow-up actions in EC Sixth Framework Program. That year the Flemish Administration for Economy, Science & Innovation decided to support the Laboratory of Aquaculture & Artemia Reference Center of the Ghent University (Belgium) for its pivotal role in the ASEM Aquaculture Platform.
2004	The proposal for a 2-year Special Support Action (EU-RTD) was approved. This enabled for the establishment of the website and the organisation of 6 thematic workshops.
2006	The EU funding came to an end. Follow-up proposals failed.
2007	Start of the EU's Seventh Framework Program (FP7) which offers good prospects for new funding of further ASEM Aquaculture Platform activities. Meanwhile, the funding by the Flemish Governement and the Ghent University is extended with another year.

* Original members: Austria, Belgium, Brunei Darussalam, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea (Republic of), Luxembourg, Malaysia, Netherlands, Philippines, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, United Kingdom, Vietnam

New members:
(in Europe since 2004) Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia. Since 2007: Bulgary and Romania
(in Asia since 2005) Cambodia, Laos and Burma/Myanmar
(pending since Sept 07): India, Mongolia & Pakistan

Last Updated ( Thursday, 08 March 2007 )

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