This is part of the "Transatlantic methods for handling global challenges" pilot project, for which the European Parliament has earmarked a sum of 2.5 million Euros in the budget.
The pilot project will be used to co-finance innovative ventures between European and US policy makers that cannot be pursued under existing instruments of cooperation between the US
The general objective of the pilot project is to promote mutual understanding and learning among EU and US policy researchers and policymakers on a number of challenges with a global dimension. The projects are to fund comparative analyses on current EU and US
A Call for Proposals has been made to identify projects elligible for financial support in various areas, including Arctic marine environment policy. This area has been chosen for the project due to the European Parliament's belief in the need to better protect the Arctic in order to avert climate change at a global level, while reviewing ways of adapting to the impacts of changes on the marine environment and in particular on the arctic ice cover.
Each project has to comprise: a comparative analysis of current US and EU policy, a conference involving the research and policy communities on both sides of the Atlantic to be made available on the internet; and publication in easily accessible form of the projects’ findings and recommendations. The dealine for submission of proposals is October 2, 2007.
Other areas for which projects are sought are bio-safefy/biodiversity, safety of nanotechnologies, enforcement of intellectual property rights, reconstruction following natural disasters and justice and home affairs.
All the information about the pilot project and the call for proposals can be found on the EU's external relations website.