The next International Conference on Research Infrastructures will take place in Cape Town, South Africa, from 3 to 5 October 2016, hosted by the South African Department of Science and Technology (DST) in collaboration with the European Commission.

Scientists and technical experts made great steps towards the development of a cooperative and global monitoring system for changes in biodiversity during a three day workshop in Germany, based on the concept of the so called Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBVs). Like climate variables, EBVs are constructed from various sources of data and are the underlying variables to assess changes in biodiversity through time.

The Charter for Access to Research Infrastructures was developed by the Commission in close cooperation with the ESFRI, the e-IRG and the ERA Stakeholder Organisations. The Charter sets out non-regulatory principles and guidelines to be used, on a voluntary basis, as a reference when defining or re-defining rules and conditions for Access to Research Infrastructures.

In December 2015 the European Commission launched a targeted consultation on the long-term sustainability of pan-European Research Infrastructures. The purpose of this consultation was to identify trends and possible corresponding actions that could be implemented at regional, national and European level, to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Research Infrastructures.