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Aquaculture is a self-sustainable industry that demonstrates a high potential for innovation and technology development, and should thus cater for its own Research and Development needs, aided by National research programmes and general Community incentives like the SMEs research funding.

There is also a clear need for scientific support of EU-wide aquaculture aspects within the CFP, like health and environmental issues.

Aquaculture research must find its place in the 6th EC Framework Programme for research (FP6). This presentation gives an account of the possibilities for aquaculture research under FP6.

Under the Sixth Framework Programme, research in aquaculture is covered by Thematic Priority 5 “Food quality and safety”, the SME-specific measures, and Priority 8, “Scientific support to policy”.

Under  priority 5, issues related to the quality and safety of aquaculture products, relying on fully controlled and integrated production systems, are eligible.

The SME-specific research actions are designed to solve technical problems of SMEs by means of research and innovation and are therefore very appropriate for aquaculture.

The objectives of policy-oriented research under Priority 8 are to support the Common Fisheries Policy including issues related to the improvement of health and environmental standards of aquaculture production.

Alessandro Piccioli is a senior official in the Aquaculture Unit of DG Fisheries of the European Commission. He has a degree in Biology, and past experience as researcher on fisheries biology, applied ecology and aquaculture in Italy. He works in DG Fisheries from 16 years, and during this period he has dealt with the technical and economic evaluation of investment and research projects in aquaculture, submitted for grant aid to the EEC, the management of FIFG programmes, and work of conception and writing of EU regulations, mainly relating to aquaculture. Nowadays he is technical advisor to the Directorate General on aquaculture matters.

Contact Details: European Commission – Fisheries Directorate General – Rue Joseph II 99 – B-1000 Brussels
E-mail: alessandro.piccioli@cec.eu.int