Future Developments

MVN Association Logo

The value of the numerous activities and achievements of Med-Vet-Net has been recognized both within and outwith the EU. Funding for continuation of the Network, albeit at a lower level than under the 6th Framework Programme, has recently been secured in the short-term by the formation of the ‘Med‑Vet‑Net Association’, which will be officially launched in October 2009. This is self‑funded by existing institute partners of the present Network. It is anticipated that there will be at least three levels of membership within the Med-Vet-Net Association – Full members, who will at present be comprised of the existing Med‑Vet-Net institutes; Associated members, comprised of small to medium‑sized research groups in the field of zoonoses; and Acceded members, who will for the most part be industrial organizations. Individual membership options are currently under discussion. All existing scientific institutes who are currently within the existing Med‑Vet‑Net Network have agreed to be members of the new Association for a three year period before renewing their membership options. Already several institutes and research groups outwith Med-Vet-Net have expressed an interest in membership and further funding for the Association is currently being actively pursued through a variety of fora.

The purpose of the Med-Vet-Net Association is to increase, capitalize, and disseminate scientific knowledge on zoonoses, with the main emphasis on food-borne zoonoses. This will be achieved by the organization of conferences and meetings targeted at promoting and developing the purpose of the Association, including:

• the organization of an Annual Scientific Meeting;
• launching and collaborating on European and other calls for proposals for multilateral scientific collaborative projects;
• development of collaborations between members in order to create and maintain joint biological archives including collections of strains and DNA libraries; and
• participation in, and organization of joint training courses including the development of staff exchanges and targeted training in specific techniques.

It is anticipated that the Association will continue to support ECDC and EFSA in their activities and also develop new areas of collaboration including support in providing the scientific evidence for risk assessors, risk managers and policymakers. Additionally, there will be active communication and dissemination of research results and achievements to all relevant stakeholders via publications, a website, news bulletins and networking.

The establishment of the self-funded Med‑Vet-Net Association means that one of Med-Vet-Net’s primary objectives – that of establishing an integrated and sustainable “virtual institute” for zoonoses research within the EU – has been successfully achieved.

Professor John Threlfall