A group made up of 35 Deputies and Scientific Experts, members of the European Parliamentary Technology Assessment Network (EPTA) from all the countries of the European Union, will visit FORTH and ENISA on Tuesday, 24 April 2007, from 10 am to 3 pm.

The visit is organized by Mr. George Garoufalias, (MP from the city of Larissa, representing the New Democracy party), in his capacity as Chairman of the Research and Technology Committee of the Greek Parliament, also holding the presidency of EPTA for 2007.

At the beginning of the visit the Chairman of FORTH and the Directors of the Research Institutes will inform the visitors about the infrastructure and the activities of the Foundation. The briefing will take place at the amphitheater of the main building (10-11 pm). The visitors will then visit the research laboratories of FORTH (11-12 pm) and go on to ENISA where they will receive a one-hour briefing (12 pm-1 am) with the Director of ENISA A. Pirotti and his colleagues. The visitors will then have lunch at FORTH (1-2.30 pm).

According to schedule, Mr. G. Garoufalias is to give a short press conference directly after the first briefing will be held, at the amphitheater of FORTH (i.e. around 11 am).

This visit has been programmed by the Research and Technology Committee of the Greek Parliament as a first step of response to the presentation delivered before the Committee by a group of FORTH representatives including Mr. A. C. Payatakes (Chairman of the BoD of FORTH), Mr. V. Dougalis (Director of the Institute of Computational Mathematics) and Th. Kalpaksis (Director of the Institute for Mediterranean Studies) on November 3, 2005. The long-term goal is to promote and bolster the research network of the country.

Mr. G. Garoufalias, Chairman of the Research and Technology Committee of the Greek Parliament, has announced a European conference that is programmed to take place in Athens in the following November. The subject of the conference will be the evaluation of the economic and social effects of Research and Technology on European counties.

For more information please contact with:
Public Relations Office
Τel.: +30 2810 391510 & +30 2810 391539
e-mail: ekat@admin.forth.gr