ENGINEERING

Tomorrow, members of ERAC (European Committee for Space Research) will visit the Supercomputing Center of Galicia, CESGA. The ERAC is an advisory body which assists the European Commission and the European Union Council in carrying out the tasks of these institutions in the field of research and technological development. It is composed of senior officials of the European Commission and research bodies in member countries.

During this visit to CESGA, ERAC members will attend a presentation by the Department of I + D + i of the Xunta de Galicia and the Directorate of CESGA also is counting on the participation of the Secretary General on Colleges of the Xunta Galicia. In the CESGA, they will visit facilities that house the supercomputer Finisterrae.

The Committee is headed by José Manuel Silva Gallego, Director General for Research of the European Commission and participated in the visit with the Secretary General of Universities, José Alberto Diez de Castro and leading officials of the Ministry of Science and Innovation the Director General International Cooperation and Institutional Relations, Montserrat Torné Escasany.

The ERAC replaces CREST created in the early seventies by a Resolution of the Council of the European Communities,. It was replaced in 1995 by a new Resolution (of September 28, 1995) the Council of the European Union. ERAC activities have become more important due to the increased prominence of research and technological development in Europe, now recognized as an important element of competitiveness and economic growth in Europe.

At present, the ERAC determines strategic priorities for EU policy in the field of research and technological development, helping the European Commission to develop and target programs of EU research. It promotes the coordination of EU and U.S. members  research activities to ensure coherence between EU and national policies. It oversees the independent evaluation of the Framework Programme for EU research and specific programs. This contributes to the formulation of the strategy for EU international cooperation in the research field.

The committee is composed of two representatives to the policy of R & D + i for each EU Member State designated by their Government and two representatives of the Commission designated by it, besides holding the Presidency. The associated states of the EU and the EFTA member states and Israel are represented as observers at ERAC.

More information: http://www.consilium.europa.eu/crest