EU CAP Network conference ‘EIP-AGRI Operational Groups: Innovation in practice’

In the CAP 2023-2027, Operational Group projects (OGs) continue to be a key tool for innovation and knowledge exchange. Over 3 400 projects have been reported in the European Commission’s database, and more projects are expected to be notified by the end of 2025. This is a milestone to celebrate, but also an achievement to learn from and build upon for the time ahead.

The conference will bring together the best of agricultural and rural innovation in Europe. The main objective of the conference is twofold: to highlight the successful implementation of the EIP-AGRI through OG projects as one of its main building blocks, and to learn from this experience for the implementation of projects under the CAP 2023-2027.

Specific objectives:

• Spotlight and celebrate the achievements of over 3 400 OG projects in the EU;

• Exchange and learn from the experiences of OG projects and boost possibilities to share promising knowledge and innovations developed by OGs;

• Discuss the possibilities, including funding opportunities, to further use and upscale OG outcomes in practice;

• Discuss challenges and identify good practices that can support the preparation and implementation of OG projects under the CAP 2023-2027;

• Foster further networking and cooperation for innovation in agriculture, forestry and rural areas, including the creation of transnational/cross-border OGs.

Topics to be addressed:

The conference programme will include plenary sessions with keynote speakers and interactive discussions that showcase concrete stories from relevant OGs. It will also celebrate the establishment of over 3 400 OG projects throughout the EU. The event will create opportunities to further disseminate and upscale project results, and help participants to better understand the broader scope of topics that can be tackled by OGs during the 2023-2027 CAP period.

In addition, the conference will address transversal issues that are relevant to the success of OGs, while discussing challenges and identifying good practices. This will help build upon existing experiences to prepare the future generation of projects.

The conference agenda can be found here. 

The main target audience will consist of:

• Partners in OGs (ongoing and finished);

• Managing Authorities, National Networks, AKIS Coordination Bodies, Paying Agencies; 

• Other innovation actors such as farmers’ organisations, researchers, advisors, innovation support service providers, Horizon thematic and advisory networks, Horizon NCPs, and organisations that can support the further use of OG outcomes.

If you are interested in attending the conference, you can prepare your application form by by taking a look at the questions in the application form.

All applicants will be informed of the results most likely in February 2024.