Improving agricultural information exchange in SE Europe

Twelve agricultural information specialists from South East Europe (SEE) recently met in Godollo, Hungary to enhance e-communication among agricultural education institutions within the countries of the SEE Region, and evaluate the possibilities to develop further the AgroWeb sub-portal structure. Organized by FAO and the Agroweb (www.agrowebcee.net), participants from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, FYR Macedonia, Moldova, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro, and Slovenia as well as other partners active in the region attended the meeting.

Participants agreed to cooperate to: Create a Web-based platform for information exchange (AgroWeb education platform) between the education institutions within the SEE region; extend the Library and Information Centres sub-portal within the AgroWeb Network; better exploit and promote open access tools on the AgroWeb; with IAALD, enhance library and information networking among the professionals and institutions in the region; explore possibilities to organize the tenth CEE or pan European Agricultural Library Roundtable in cooperation with IAALD in Budapest (2006 or 2007); improve the Food and Nutrition sub-portal, also including World Food Day activities in all countries in this sub-portal; introduce a new Land-related sub-portal; introduce a new sub-portal on Animal Welfare; establish an expert working group to address technical issues regarding the AgroWeb (standardization); prepare conditions to implement WAICENT content management tools on the AgroWeb sub-portals; increas use of national-language information services on country portals; exploit AgroWeb as a teaching tool for students at different levels of higher education. The full report as well as other details are available on the AgroWeb site.