Consortium

The CO-REACH consortium includes three different groups of actors. The first, and main, group consists of those organisations that have committed themselves to successfully accomplishing the various tasks involved in the network's programme of work. These are the CO-REACH partners, who are also the contractors of this ERA-NET Co-ordination Action.

The other two groups of actors included in the CO-REACH consortium are observers and advisers.

At present, the CO-REACH consortium includes 16 partners representing 5 national ministries, 7 research councils and 4 scientific academies from 10 European countries.

All CO-REACH partners finance and/or manage dedicated bilateral research programmes with China. Since China's opening up to the Western world in the late 1970s, these organisations have played a key role in the furthering of contacts and research co-operation between their countries and China. In most cases the scale and depth of the co-operation programmes has been expanding ever since.

Like CO-REACH partners, the network's 5 observers represent organisations (including national ministries, research councils and scientific academies) that support and manage bilateral programmes of research co-operation with China. The difference between observers and partners lies in the nature of their involvement in CO-REACH activities and governance structures. CO-REACH observers will be kept informed of CO-REACH activities and will, in accordance with standard confidentiality provisions included in the Commission s contract negotiations, have access to CO-REACH information databases. In addition they will be invited to participate in all CO-REACH activities. However, their participation will not be required and cannot, therefore, be guaranteed.

In order to further increase its representation and enhance its scope and capacities in co-ordinating research between Europe and China, the CO-REACH consortium will actively seek to expand its membership during the coming years. In addition, CO-REACH will continue to develop links with a wider field of European and other international organisations and initiatives involved in promoting S&T relations with China.

Although CO-REACH is a European-based network, a strong partnership with the consortium's Chinese counterparts is crucial for the success of this initiative. Determining the most appropriate and effective way of building and implementing such a partnership is a task that CO-REACH will undertake collectively and as a matter of priority. The fact that all CO-REACH partners enjoy strong and, in most cases, long-term relations with one or more Chinese S&T organisations provides a promising basis for the success of this undertaking.