Italy Has Been Awarded the Twinning Light Project “Harmonization of the acquis in the Field of Science & Research”

The Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR) and
Formez together with the Scientific Park of Tor Vergata University have been awarded the new Twinning Light project in Bulgaria “Harmonization of the acquis in the Field of Science & Research – Researcher’s Package. Implementation of the “Scientific Visa” and the Council Directive 2005/71/EC of 12 October 2005 on a Specific Procedure for Admitting Third-country Nationals for the Purpose of Scientific Research”.
Since the Lisbon summit in 2000, the EU Member States’ common need to facilitate researchers’ mobility resulted in the establishment of the European Research Area (ERA). In June 2001, the  European Commission Communication “A Mobility Strategy for the European Research Area” was adopted and led to the establishment of a range of measures on the creation of more favorable conditions for researchers’ mobility within ERA.  
The Bulgarian administration intends to converge and contribute to the shared effort in order to create a European pool of excellencies, so as to attract talented researchers from all over the world. The project is included in this context and aims at assisting the Bulgarian administration by taking into consideration that the Mobility Strategy is based on a process of coordination between the European Commission, Member States and candidate countries through actions aiming, on one hand, at eliminating hindrances to researchers’ mobility and on the other, at implementing actions which are necessary for encouraging mobility on a larger scale.
Keeping in mind these priority needs, the project is divided into Component 1: attracting researchers from all over the world to Bulgaria through the adoption of the “scientific visa”; Component 2: implementing Council Directive 2005/71 of 12 October 2005 on a specific procedure for admitting third-country researchers; Component 3: diffusing and communicating actions toward the process of implementation of the “scientific visa” and the “Researcher’s Package”.
For several years, Formez has been present in Bulgaria with reference to various topics and pursued successful results. With regard to this project, for the first time, the beneficiary will be the Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science, while the Italian structure will be led by the Ministry of Education, University and Scientific Research which will utilize the Scientific Park of Tor Vergata University in Rome for carrying out some of the activities. Formez will play the role of leader of the component on communication as well as of project coordinator and financial manager.  
The project will last for 6 months and has a strategic value in the involvement of new institutions for the new sector of competence. An eventual positive outcome will allow for the consolidation of new institutional liaisons and the definition of new activities and future collaboration.