Tuesday, February 22, 2011

When Acronyms are apt: COST

Sometimes an acronym is wholy fit for purpose. In defence of my claim I bring you this little known EU Committee.
European cooperation in Science and Technology Committee of Senior Officials
Which is known by its acronym,
the COST Committee of Senior Officials
Who have had their 181st meeting.
This opening para is a prize specimen of Eurocratese.
It was recalled that both CSO and ESF Governing Council have confirmed that the ESF would continue as the COST implementing agent until the end of the FP7. As proposed by the COST-ESF High Level Group, the Committee agreed to set up a joint Working Group to establish a “roadmap” to guarantee a smooth continuation of COST activities beyond FP7.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

You're dead right. I've been to COST events and still don't fully get what they have ever achieved.

Somehow the European Council is a fan and 'Competiteness' ministers signed up to COST's continuation last year under the Spanish Presidency but it's a bit of a mystery what they really do for Europeans.

When governments in the UK, Ireland, Greece, Spain and the rest are cutting public spending - and closing quangos - it's a bit galling to see the EU persist with bodies like this one.

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