The Standing Committee on Agricultural Research (SCAR) supports the European Commission (EC), EU Member States and Associated Countries on research and innovation (R&I) priorities to address Europe's challenges in agriculture, fisheries, food systems, forestry, and the wider bioeconomy.
Newsletter
November 2025
Welcome to the November 2025 SCAR newsletter.
You will read more about the latest news, events, publications, and networking possibilities regarding the SCAR network.
The SCAR newsletter is prepared every six months and sent to subscribers.
SCAR News
SCAR PLENARY
The 43rd SCAR Plenary Meeting will take place online under the Danish Presidency on Thursday, 27th November. The meeting will focus on European policy developments, how R&I is addressing competitiveness in the agri-food sector, as well as updates from the current Danish and forthcoming Cypriot Presidencies.
There will be a strategic reflection on how SCAR and its constituent bodies operate. Recent and future activities of the SCAR Working Groups and Task Forces will be discussed, including the SCAR Foresight Task Force who will present the status and final steps of the 6th Foresight Exercise. Delegates will also hear updates from relevant initiatives active in this area of European R&I.
UPCOMING DANISH PRESIDENCY CONFERENCE
As Denmark holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union during the second half of 2025, the University of Copenhagen and the Danish Ministry for Green Transition, on behalf of the European Commission, will host two conferences dedicated to advancing the EU’s green transition through the bioeconomy, food systems, and biodiversity. The events will be held on 2nd and 3rd December in Copenhagen.
The first conference, on 2nd December, will serve as a milestone for the launch of the new EU Bioeconomy Strategy. This strategy seeks to unlock the full potential of bio-based innovation, positioning Europe at the forefront of regenerative, circular, and sustainable growth. The high-level event will examine how science, innovation, and governance can accelerate and integrate the bioeconomy across sectors.
The second conference, on 3rd December, will explore how transformative governance can support a fair and effective green transition in agriculture and the food system - while simultaneously meeting climate and biodiversity objectives.
These conferences will bring together policymakers, researchers, industry stakeholders, civil society, and EU project partners to discuss how to translate strategic ambitions into concrete action.
3rd Call under the
SCAR-Engage Programme
Designed to strengthen participation and inclusion in SCAR, the SCAR-Engage Programme developed under the RefreSCAR project provides tailored support to new members of SCAR Working Groups and Task Forces, aiming to broaden their networks, increase impact, and boost inclusivity in SCAR groups.
Launching the third call for applications at the 43rd SCAR Plenary meeting, the programme offers participants several forms of support aimed at increasing country-level visibility and empowering new SCAR Working Group/Task Force members - especially those from under-represented or less visible countries. These include:
- Peer-to-peer support and networking: A series of meetings designed to foster networking and mutual support throughout the duration of the SCAR-Engage Programme.
- Country-level Individual Action Plans: Tailored documents addressing each country’s needs and ambitions regarding future involvement in SCAR activities.
- Financial support: The programme offers financial assistance for new SCAR group members to attend physical meetings.
- Alumni involvement and Certificate of Completion.
Eight countries have already been onboarded to the SCAR-Engage programme, these include Bulgaria, Greece, Iceland, Poland, Romania from the first call, and Czechia, Slovakia and Spain from the second call.
Deadlines:
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6th SCAR Foresight Exercise
The 6th SCAR Foresight is progressing well under the working title: ‘Healthy and sustainable diets, Circularity, Diversity: Pathways in transition for resilient European agriculture and food systems in times of global crises. Explorative scenarios built upon the transition pathways with a deep dive on natural resources - land and water’.
Scenarios have been developed in a participatory process with experts for three focus areas: diversity, sustainable, healthy diets and circularity.
Further work and discussions have taken place to enhance the relevance and the robustness of the scenarios, including exploring disruptions, game-changers and possible crises, conducting a SWOT analysis of the scenarios and analysing the implications of the scenarios for the land-water nexus.
A recent in-person sense-making workshop in Brussels on the 18th November gathered experts and SCAR members to discuss the scenarios and their implications for R&I strategies, research and public policies. The Foresight Group will update SCAR delegates on the progress of the Foresight Exercise at the SCAR Plenary meeting. The scenarios continue to be refined until the publication of the final report expected for the end of 2026. Targeted communication & dissemination activities will be undertaken culminating with a SCAR Foresight Conference that will present the results of the Foresight Exercise.
SCAR WORKING GROUP & TASK FORCE UPDATES
The SCAR Working Groups form an inspiring network of motivated peers. They offer unique platforms to develop R&I agendas, co-construct European R&I partnerships, and exchange experiences and best practices.
Nine Working Groups exist: Agroecology (AE), Animal Health and Welfare (AHW), Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS), European Agricultural Research towards greater impact on global Challenges (ARCH), Bioeconomy (BSW), Fisheries and Aquaculture Research (FISH), Food Systems (FS), Forest and Forestry Research and Innovation (FOREST), Sustainable Animal Production (SAP). In addition, there are two Task Forces: the Protein Task Force and the Foresight Task Force.
AGROECOLOGY
The inaugural in-person meeting of the Agroecology Working Group was held from 20th to 21st October at the French Ministry of Agriculture in Paris. The meeting encompassed a comprehensive range of subjects, including: updates on policies and R&D programmes: an overview of Agroecology in Europe and beyond; the thematic priorities of Agroecology in Poland and Croatia; and breakout sessions on the five priority themes for the Agroecology Working Group. These themes are outlined below:
Theme 1: Updating performance measures and impact assessments of agroecological food systems;
Theme 2: Evaluation and public policy, including hidden costs and benefits, links to the "true costs";
Theme 3: Agroecology professions, work organisation and attractiveness;
Theme 4: Knowledge and innovation systems for large-scale adoption of Agroecology;
Theme 5: Agroecology in the World.
Animal Health & Welfare
The AHW CWG held their Plenary meeting on 15th October 2025 in Kraków, Poland. Updates were given from the subgroups on Animal Welfare and the Strategy & Foresight Unit. The CWG has a number of activities ongoing, including two studies in collaboration with RefreSCAR on ‘Regulatory Science for Animal Welfare’ and ‘Risk Communication’, along with a recently launched survey investigating the impacts of climate change on animal health and welfare. The group are seeking responses from experts in climate change, animal/aquaculture health and/or welfare, and would like responses from various regions across Europe. The survey can be found here.
In addition, the report on the country research priorities in animal health and welfare in 2025-2026 was presented, and an update was given on the internal and external programmes of the European Partnership on Animal Health and Welfare. Possible collaboration between the Partnership and STAR IDAZ, proposed to take place in 2027, was discussed.
AKIS
The AKIS SWG recently held its 10th meeting in Vic, Spain, from 13-14th November, bringing together members to discuss future directions for AKIS, Horizon Europe, and CAP advisory services. The two-day programme included policy updates, break-out discussions, Member State contributions, and field visits showcasing innovation in bioenergy and circular bioeconomy. Participants also contributed to the ongoing development of the 6th Mandate Report and shared insights to help shape the group’s next mandate. The group will meet online in Spring 2026 and will hold their next in-person meeting in May 2026 as a back-to-back event with the modernAKIS project.
ARCH
Since hosting a successful Roundtable event last March in Brussels on "Internationalisation of EU R&I Co-funded Partnerships: Challenges and Opportunities” the group has finalised a report on the outcomes. The insightful discussion brought together key voices from across sectors, to explore how European research and innovation partnerships can be more globally impactful. The conclusions can now be accessed here.
The group also recently published their Portfolio Analysis on ‘Achievements of EU Research, Innovation and Development projects in the last 10 years to address the global challenge of agriculture transformation’, led by experts from the RefreSCAR project. The comprehensive report can be found here.
Bioeconomy
The SWG members meet regularly and actively engage in their three main areas of work:
- developing RDI recommendations on dedicated topics;
- policy support and
- outreach activities.
Their current focus is planning an online workshop in collaboration with SCAR Forest and SCAR ARCH on the topic of the poly-crisis and the bioeconomy response. This workshop will be held online on the 5th and 6th of February, 2026.
FISH
The 52nd SCAR Fish meeting took place online on 3rd October 2025 and was attended by 20 participants, both members and observers, including representatives from the European Commission, EATiP, ICES, EMB, JPI Oceans, and BIOEAST. Updates regarding the European Ocean Pact and the Water Resilience Strategy were shared, highlighting the need to ensure water security and sustainability by 2050. Furthermore, activities of the BIOEAST Initiative were discussed as well as opportunities for collaboration with SCAR Fish.
In addition, information about the EU Partnership on Animal Health and Welfare structure and activities were provided and SCAR Fish was invited to join its Stakeholder Committee. Among new activities, the group approved a project to map research efforts deployed on aquatic animal species and aquaculture production and constraints across Europe, aiming to identify research gaps and innovation needs that could be addressed to boost and sustain a resilient European aquaculture sector.
Food Systems
The Food Systems SWG held a very successful hybrid workshop on the 30th September, with a large number of participants online and in The Hague, discussing the topic of “Socio-cultural and economic drivers and barriers of change for Sustainable Food Systems Transition”.
The event brought together policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders for lively discussions highlighting the importance of collaboration, evidence, and governance in accelerating the transition towards sustainable, resilient, and healthy food systems in Europe. The meeting also included presentations from two ongoing studies in collaboration with RefreSCAR on ‘Resilience of European Food Systems’ and ‘An assessment framework for sustainable food systems transition: drivers, barriers and the role of governance”.
More recently they held an online meeting on 25th November, with the purpose of exchanging updates, sharing progress on ongoing activities and priority actions, and planning their next steps and meetings.
FOREST
The Forest SWG recently held a very successful hybrid meeting on the 14th October in Brussels. The meeting covered a variety of topics, including an overview of the Nature Credits Roadmap, an update on the Regulation on Deforestation-free Products (EUDR), the latest on forest-related policies and R&I initiatives from the European Commission, and an overview of the upcoming European Forest Partnership.
The meeting provided an excellent opportunity for networking as it was held in conjunction with the ForestValue2 ‘Science in Progress’ event. It was followed by a EUFORE Stakeholder Event, under the theme ‘Shaping the Future of Forest Research & Innovation for a Competitive Europe’ where the SRIA was launched.
Sustainable Animal Production
The SAP CWG are currently undertaking a study entitled ‘Scientific methods to assess the overall sustainability of livestock farming systems’ in collaboration with RefreSCAR. The study began earlier this year, and preliminary results will be presented at their upcoming meeting in Aarhus, Denmark from 17-18th December. One year into their current Mandate, this meeting will serve as a reflection on their current activities, including a policy brief on the role of livestock in circular agri-food systems, and planning of future actions to include a workshop in 2026. Members will also receive an update from the Horizon Europe STEP-UP project, hear about developments in Denmark and enjoy a field trip to the Research Centre Foulum.
Protein Task Force
The Protein Task Force are currently finalising a written document with recommendations on “R&I for alternative protein sources towards strategic autonomy and sustainability in EU protein production”. In parallel, they are concluding and refining for publication a Portfolio Analysis in collaboration with RefreSCAR on the same thematic scope.
They were also ‘Challenge Owners’ for the recent RefreSCAR Hackathon event in Vienna on 20-21st November, presenting an overview of the Task Force’s objectives along with judging innovative ideas from nine teams on the topic of ‘Protein Value Chains: Global demand, Local challenges'.
Foresight Task Force
The 6th SCAR Foresight Exercise is progressing well under the working title: ‘Healthy and sustainable diets, circularity, diversity: Pathways in transition for resilient European agriculture and food systems in times of global crises’. Scenarios have been developed for three focus areas in a participatory process with experts.
The group recently held a sense-making workshop in Brussels on 18th November. The workshop gathered experts and SCAR members to discuss the foresight scenarios and their implications for R&I strategies, research and public policies.
The final Foresight Report is planned for publication by the end of 2026.
UPDATES ON THE HORIZON EUROPE PARTNERSHIPS
FutureFoodS Partnership
The final selection of the first transnational co-funded call – "Transforming Food Systems: Reshaping Food System Interactions, Fostering Food Innovations, and Empowering Sustainable Food Choices" – took place in October.
Out of 50 full proposals, 23 were invited to proceed and start national/regional contract negotiations.
The second call was pre-announced in October and is expected to be launched shortly, more information on the preliminary call topics can be found here.
FutureFoodS also recently organised its Autumn School, which brought together 15 early-career professionals, researchers, and students from across Europe to explore innovation, sustainability, and transformation in food systems. The Autumn School was held in Ljubljana, Slovenia (19–21st November 2025) featuring an immersive programme on ‘Future challenges and solutions for sustainable food systems’. The event was organised in collaboration with the University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty, and the Jozef Stefan Institute.
EUP AH&W
The first external call on "Supporting the Future of Animal Health and Welfare” resulted in 20 projects being recommended for funding, they can be viewed here.
These projects cover 9 actions under 7 operational objectives identified in the SRIA.
The inaugural EUP AH&W Summer School took place between 21st–25th July 2025, at University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, UK.
Early Career Researchers employed by member institutes of the EUP AH&W had the opportunity to connect with experts and peers while exploring key topics, such as:
- Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies for Animal health and welfare assessment;
- Antimicrobial use stewardship;
- Surveillance of animal pathogens and antimicrobial resistance (AMR);
- Biosecurity measures for controlling infectious diseases and AMR on farms;
- Advantages and disadvantages of using Animal-Based Measures (ABMs) to assess animal welfare,
- Current challenges and novel compounds for animal disease treatment;
- Vaccines and diagnostics.
Members of EUP AH&W and EU-JAMRAI also recently hosted a vibrant and collaborative Cogwheel Workshop on October 9th, strengthening ties between the two projects in the fight against AMR.
The AGROECOLOGY Partnership has just published the results of its 2nd call and is planning to launch their 3rd co-funded call this December on: "Fostering plant and animal genetic diversity and empowering farmers to accelerate the agroecological transition" (more information here).
This 3rd call will cover two main topics:
- Enhancing the genetic diversity and variability of crops and livestock for the agroecological transition;
- Strengthening farmer’s involvement and empowerment in the agroecology transition.
A webinar will be held on Wednesday 10th December from 10:00 to 13:00 CET, more information available here.
On October 4 2025, the AGROECOLOGY Partnership hosted the workshop “Shaping the Future of Research and Innovation on Agroecology” in Malmö (Sweden), as part of the Agroecology Europe Forum.
Coordinated by Eleonore Faure (FORMAS, Sweden) and supported by partners from France, Norway, Spain, and Sweden, the workshop brought together 45 participants, including farmers, researchers, NGOs, and students.
The event highlighted the crucial role of the AGROECOLOGY Partnership as a catalyst for systemic change in European food systems. The workshop concluded with a shared vision: agroecology must become a mainstream, evidence-based pathway towards sustainable, fair, and resilient food systems in Europe.
AGRICULTURE OF DATA PARTNERSHIP
On 9 October 2025, the European Commission hosted the official launch of the Co-funded European Partnership Agriculture of Data. This new Horizon Europe partnership, also supported by SCAR, brings together research centres, funders and national authorities from EU Member States and Associated Countries to accelerate the digital transformation of European agriculture.
Developed with the support of the European Commission, the partnership is set to operate for at least seven years with a planned budget of €300 million, 30% co-funded by the EU.
This is a major Horizon Europe research and innovation initiative designed to advance sustainable agriculture and policy monitoring and evaluation through digital transformation. By improving access to and usability of environmental, Earth-observation and other key datasets, it aims to create data-driven solutions that can be reused across both public and private sectors, ensuring rapid uptake and wide impact.
For information on the 1st call on ‘EU-wide data-driven solutions to real problems’ which is currently open for applications, visit this page.
Candidate European Partnership on Forests and Forestry for a Sustainable Future
In preparation for the future European Partnership on Forests and Forestry for a Sustainable Future, proposals were received, details of which cannot be disclosed since the evaluation process is still ongoing.
The submission indicates the interest of the sector since 100 partners are included representing 28 countries.
The SCAR Animal Health & Welfare are seeking views from the European research, innovation, and policy community whose expertise aligns with the impact of climate change on animal health and welfare.
UPCOMING EVENTS
EU Agri-Food Days
The third edition of the EU Agri-Food Days entitled ‘Securing Europe’s Food and Agriculture’ will be held from 15-17th December in Brussels. This three-day event will offer an opportunity to network with EU agri-food stakeholders, farmers, civil society, academia and policymakers. The first day features a session on ‘The future of EU agri-food: Data & innovation for food security’ focussing on the contributions of strategic R&I in enhancing competitive and resilient food security, and on digitalisation, AI and innovation in agriculture.
Online participation will also be available via live web streaming.
Horizon Europe Info Days
for Cluster 6
The Horizon Europe Cluster 6 Info Days are being held in Brussels from 22-23 January 2026. The event will be hybrid, hosted at the Charlemagne conference facility and streamed online via the European Commission’s web platform. The event will cover research & innovation funding opportunities in the areas of food, bioeconomy, natural resources, agriculture and environment, including:
- Insights into the policy context
- A ‘key-to-success' session focused on guidance and tips for quality proposals
- Pitches for each of the topics from the Work Programme 2026
Ahead of the official Info Days, the CARE4BIO project, gathering Cluster 6 National Contact Points (NCPs), will host a brokerage event for potential applicants on 21 January 2026 at the Borschette Centre in Brussels.
EU CAP Network seminar ‘Innovative tools for advisors’
This EU CAP Network seminar will take place in Dublin, Ireland on 19-20 March 2026. It will focus on tools and methods developed under national and European initiatives, including digital platforms, knowledge hubs, learning networks, and demo farms, and aims to facilitate knowledge exchange and identify practical tools that strengthen the capacity-building of advisors.
The main target groups include advisors and innovation brokers, advisory service representatives, advisors from farmers and foresters’ organisations, training providers and VET representatives, Managing Authorities, National CAP Networks, EU and nationally funded project representatives. The call for expressions of interest is open until 10 December 2025.
EU POLICY INITIATIVES
POLICY DEVELOPMENTS
- Publication of the proposal for a new MFF and FP10 (Horizon Europe)
for information see here: EU budget 2028-2034.
- Publication of the Life Sciences Strategy
On 2nd July 2025, the European Commission released its Strategy for European Life Sciences to position Europe as the world's most attractive place for life sciences by 2030. For more information, visit: Strategy for European Life Sciences.
- Publication of the proposal for a new CAP post 2027
On 17th July 2025, the Commission published its proposal for a simpler, more targeted and future-oriented common agricultural policy (CAP) for the period after 2027. The proposal integrates the CAP into the National and Regional Partnership Plans (NRPP), enabling further synergies across sectors. The next CAP will be central in delivering on the strategic orientations provided by the Vision for Agriculture and Food. For more information, visit: The CAP post-2027 in the next EU budget.
- Publication of the Strategy for Generational Renewal in Agriculture
On 21st October 2025, the Commission published the Strategy for Generational Renewal in Agriculture. The strategy aims to support and prepare the next generation of EU farmers. It identifies five key levers for action: access to land, finance, skills, fair living standards in rural areas, and support for succession. The strategy calls for strong national and regional engagement to ensure an effective impact. For more information, visit: Generational renewal in agriculture.
- Publication of the Bioeconomy Strategy
The new EU Bioeconomy Strategy will be launched this Thursday 27th November. The live broadcast of the press conference can be viewed online here. More information about the strategy can be found at: Bioeconomy Strategy - Environment - European Commission.
PUBLIC CONSULTATIONS AND FEEDBACK
- Until 12th December 2025: on-farm animal welfare for certain animals: modernisation of EU legislation
An on-going public consultation on on-farm animal welfare for certain animals is open from 19 September to 12 December. This initiative is a step in the revision of the EU animal welfare legislation, including to follow-up on the commitment to phase-out the use of cages for certain animals. To uphold EU values, it will pursue, in line with international rules, a stronger alignment of animal welfare production standards applied to imported products. For more information, visit: On-farm animal welfare for certain animals: modernisation of EU legislation.
- Until 12th December 2025: land use, land use change and forestry – establishing trajectories towards 2030
The revised Regulation (EU) 2018/841 (LULUCF) introduced new binding targets for Member States to generate additional land-based removals by 2030. An Implementing Regulation, open for feedback from 14 November to 12 December will set out the annual limit values based on linear trajectories for each Member State and for each year of the period 2026-2029 in terms of tonnes of CO2 equivalent. For more information, visit: Land use, land use change and forestry – establishing trajectories towards 2030.
- Until 23rd January 2026, European Research Area Act
An ongoing call for evidence is open for the European Research Area Act until 23 January 2026. To improve the general environment for generating innovation, reducing fragmentation and boosting the EU’s competitiveness, this initiative aims to strengthen R&D investment and bring it up to the 3% GDP target. It will focus research support more on strategic priorities, strengthen alignment between the EU and Member States’ funding priorities, and promote the free movement of knowledge and talent across Europe. For more information, visit: European Research Area.
- In preparation (Q4 2025): revision of EU rules on business-to-business unfair trading practices in the food supply chain
A public consultation is in preparation for Q4 2025 on an initiative to revise EU rules on tackling unfair trading practices in business-to-business relationships in the agricultural and food supply chain in order to reflect evolving market dynamics, emerging practices and ensure fairer relations within the chain. For more information, visit: Business-to-business unfair trading practices in the food supply chain – revision of EU rules.
RELEVANT PUBLICATIONS
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Summary of implementation of the 28 CAP Strategic Plans in 2023-24 |
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5th report on the State of Food Security in the EU |
RefreSCAR HIGHLIGHTS
Governing Board Meeting in Madrid
On 16-17th October, representatives from the 18 partner organisations and 14 European countries that form the RefreSCAR consortium gathered for their 5th Governing Board Meeting. The meeting was held in Madrid, Spain and hosted by INIA-CSIC (National Institute for Agricultural and Food Research and Technology at the Spanish National Research Council).
Aiming to evaluate the overall results of its second year of work and plan future activities, the RefreSCAR team discussed the best strategies for the exploitation of outputs for maximum impact. They also focussed on the optimisation of the current tools to provide the best possible support to the SCAR groups to carry out their activities and achieve their aims. Actions to create more inclusive SCAR participation from all member countries were also explored.
1st RefreSCAR Hackathon – “Protein Value Chains: Global demand, Local challenges”
The 1st RefreSCAR Hackathon was held in Vienna from 20-21st November 2025, aiming to bring together innovators, researchers, SMEs, policymakers and food system actors to co-develop solutions for Europe’s protein value chains. Over two days, nine teams worked to shape their solutions, before pitching them to the judging panel which included two members of the SCAR Protein Task Force. Officials from the European Commission also provided keynote speeches and presented the policy context and ongoing R&I in the area. After an inspiring round of pitches, this year’s winners were announced and awarded monetary prizes and certificates: 1st place for team Lucky Beans (Ireland), 2nd place for team ProTaste (Austria), and 3rd place for the Blended Finance Team (Belgium). These ideas will contribute towards shaping future research and policy directions in sustainable protein systems. Stay tuned on RefreSCAR social media and the SCAR website for more information on the winning solutions.
RefreSCAR Policy workshops highlight the pathways for enhancing
SCAR WG/TF contribution to evidence-based EU policymaking
The first in a series of four RefreSCAR Policy Workshops was held online on 29 September 2025, bringing together 32 representatives from SCAR Working Groups, Task Forces, the SCAR Secretariat, and the European Commission’s DG RTD and DG AGRI to strengthen synergies between SCAR activities and EU policy priorities.
RefreSCAR members from the Agricultural University of Plovdiv, Dr. Dafinka Grozdanova and Prof. Vladislav Popov, presented key findings from the RefreSCAR report on aligning SCAR WG/TF initiatives with major EU strategies such as CAP, Food 2030 and the EU Bioeconomy Strategy. The EC’s DG RTD and DG AGRI highlighted new policy developments, including the Vision for Agriculture and Food, the Life Sciences Strategy, and the upcoming Food Systems SRIA (2026). The discussion emphasised the importance of SCAR for bringing national-level perspectives, the need for a unified policy engagement framework, improved feedback loops with EU institutions, and continuous stakeholder involvement through workshops, roundtables and capacity-building activities.
The second policy workshop was held on the 19th November in Brussels and focused on how SCAR groups can provide more timely and effective input to EU policy cycles. Participants highlighted the need for timely access to policy information, and improved communication channels between the Commission, SCAR Secretariat, and Member States.
The workshop also explored capacity building needs, emphasising training on policy brief writing, understanding EU policy timelines, and effective science-to-policy translation. Participants supported the idea of SCAR-level information sessions and cross-WG collaborations to strengthen policy relevance. Such collaborations can enhance the quality of input to horizontal EU strategies (e.g., Generation Renewal, AKIS, food systems). There is a growing demand for inclusive participation, ensuring experts from all Member States, especially under-represented ones, can engage effectively in EU policy processes.
The event concluded with clear momentum toward more structured, informed, and impactful SCAR contributions to EU policy.
2nd Annual SCAR-Engage Training for new Working Group Members
The 2nd Annual Training Webinar dedicated to new SCAR group members and beyond on the 8th July was followed by about 30 attendees and offered insights into SCAR’s objectives and initiatives. It included a presentation of the updated 2025 version of the Induction Pack, a user-friendly guide for members to familiarise themselves with the SCAR environment. Contributions from the RefreSCAR coordinator, SCAR Secretariat, EC representatives, and representatives of three SCAR groups (SWG Bioeconomy, SWG Fish and CWG Sustainable Animal Production) gave participants the possibility to learn about SCAR’s history, structure, aims and activities. This was followed by two participatory sessions to give attendees the possibility to express their expectations and to ask for clarifications about their activity with the SCAR.
5th RefreSCAR ‘Spotlight On’ Webinar - Land and Water: Strategies for Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Agriculture
A RefreSCAR ‘Spotlight On’ Webinar’ was held last October 7th to explore innovative biodiversity management approaches, from ecological intensification in agriculture to the upscaling of regenerative practices.
The participants had the opportunity to look at how these strategies contribute to biodiversity – both from business modelling and policy perspectives – by watching very insightful presentations from:
- Casper Zulim de Swarte - Senior Manager at the Policy Agriculture and Food for One Planet Business for Biodiversity (OP2B) and the WBCSD, World Business Council for Sustainable Development
- Bernhard Schmid - Professor of Environmental Sciences at the University of Zurich and Adjunct Professor at the Institute of Ecology, University of Beijing.
WHO IS WHO?
Meet the new members of the RefreSCAR Project team!
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| Julia Mitrović |
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Julia Mitrović works as the Deputy Head of Communications at Foodscale Hub, Serbia. She has nearly a decade of experience in the communications sector – from content writing, the IT sector, all the way up to the music festival industry. Before graduating from the Department of Media Studies at the University of Novi Sad, she took part in international workshops on environmental activism and gained international debating experience. Her role at Foodscale Hub includes dissemination and communication tasks in projects, and proposal preparation in various Horizon 2020, Horizon Europe, Erasmus+, and other projects. She loves combining the nuances of communications with creativity, environmental matters, psychology, and culture. |
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| Suraj Jamge |
Suraj Jamge is an Advisor for Agri-Food & Circular Bioeconomy at the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) and the National Contact Point for Horizon Europe Cluster 6. He previously worked as a Knowledge Transfer Officer and Business Developer for Circular Technology at Wageningen University & Research, supporting entrepreneurs and university spin-offs. Within the RefreSCAR project, he will contribute to the activities of Work Package 6: SCAR Connect and R&I for Impact in Practice. |
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| Lavinia Stanescu |
| Lavinia Stanescu is a Policy Officer for European & International Affairs directly supporting the INRAE’s Director General for Scientific Expertise and Policy Support. With over 14 years of experience in international higher education and research — encompassing strategic planning, international development, institutional partnerships, active engagement with various networks, European projects management and academic programme design - she joined INRAE to contribute to the development of public policy support, with a strong European and international orientation and to foster partnerships with organisations operating at the interface of science and society. |
CALENDAR
| 2-3 December 2025 | Danish Presidency Conference | Copenhagen, Denmark |
| 10 December 2025 | SCAR Fish meeting | Online |
| 15-17 December 2025 | EU Agri-Food Days | Brussels and online |
| 17-18 December 2025 | SCAR Sustainable Animal Production CWG meeting | Aarhus, Denmark |
| 22-23 January 2026 | Horizon Europe Info Days | Brussels and online |
| 5-6 February 2026 | Polycrisis workshop organised by SCAR Bioeconomy, ARCH and Forest WGs | Online |
| 19-20 March 2026 | EU CAP Network seminar ‘Innovative tools for advisors’ | Dublin, Ireland |
| 3 June 2026 | 44th SCAR Plenary | Brussels, Belgium |
Supported by RefreSCAR
The European Commission is not responsible for the content of this newsletter.