The European Union (EU) Twinning Project “Support the Improvement of Agricultural Research in Egypt through the Modernisation of the Agricultural Research Centre” was officially launched earlier this month, in the presence of representatives of the embassies of France, Italy and the Netherlands. The French Ministry of Agriculture, Food industry and Forestry (MAAF), Italian Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies (MiPAAF), the Wageningen University and Research Centre and the Agricultural Research Centre (ARC) were all represented. The Agricultural Research Centre (ARC), Food and Feed regional Centre, hosted the event.
The project is funded by 1.4 million Euros from the EU. The aim is to enhance the efficiency and sustainability of agricultural research in Egypt by consolidating the legal basis and strengthening the coordination and operational capacity of ARC in accordance with EU best practices. The project addresses four key domains: legal and regulatory reform; institutional and administrative reform (including ARC management information system); coordination of ARC with its stakeholders and management of knowledge transfer and extension; capacity building and training. Promises of mandatory results include improving; regulatory framework of ARC in line with EU best practices; monitoring and evaluation; control and risk assessment management; co-ordination procedures; skills of ARC staff; administrative capacity of ARC; quality certification and standardisation system. During this long term institutional cooperation project, expert missions from French, Italian and Dutch institutions will be implemented to support ARC experts as well as study visits of Egyptian experts to European partners’ countries.
Watani International
24 September 2017