In the reporting period the main activity has been on preparations and participation in IAC meetings, and the work towards ACTRIS becoming an ESFRI with landmark status. There has been a series of 10 IAC meetings during the reporting period. Preparations are done together with Sandrine Bernard, the Norwegian delegate from Norwegian Environment Agency for all meetings. Additionally, the Research Council of Norway participate in many of the national preparatory meetings for consultations. In all IAC meetings, NILU (Kjetil Tørseth and/or Cathrine Lund Myhre) has participated together with the Norwegian delegate as expert advisors. In the reporting period the focus has been on statutes and preparing for ERIC step 2 application sent by Finland. Finland submitted the formal request of setting up ACTRIS ERIC on 30th September 2021, and we revised statutes as requested by the EC feedback. The start of the ERIC is expected ca August 2022.
Secondly, NILU (Cathrine Lund Myhre) has assisted and participated in the ACTRIS hearing for ESFRI landmark status. This was successful, and ACTRIS has now an ESFRI landmark status since December 2021.
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ACTRIS - Aerosols, Clouds, and Trace gases Research InfraStructure - is an environmental research infrastructure focusing on high quality observations of short-lived atmospheric components for research on air quality, climate and atmospheric hazards. Detecting changes and trends in atmospheric composition and understanding their impact on the stratosphere and upper troposphere is necessary for establishing the scientific links and feedbacks between climate change and atmospheric composition. ACTRIS is the pan-European RI that consolidates activities amongst European partners for observations of aerosol, clouds and trace gases and for understanding of the related atmospheric processes, to provide services to wide user groups.
ACTRIS entered the ESFRI roadmap in 2016. The ACTRIS preparatory phase project (ACTRIS-PPP) was from 2017 ato end 2019. NILU was a partner in the project, leading the work with shaping, implementing and operating of the ACTRIS Data Centre.
This project, ACTRIS-ESFRI-sup, is set up to support work related coordination and the implementation activities of ACTRIS as ESFRI in Norway from October 2020 to September 2022. The main task is to ensure continued participation in planning activities at the European level, and the work within the project is particularly related to:
- Support the Norwegian delegate and stakeholders in the preparation of Interim ACTRIS council (IAC) meetings
- Participate in IAC meetings together with the Norwegian delegate acting as expert adviser.
- Make sure to follow processes, participate in meetings and relevant committees within ACTRIS and represent and express the Norwegian needs and priorities in the planning and implementation of ACTRIS
- Interact on cost estimates, cost validations and financing with Norwegian delegate and stakeholders to work on long term sustainable Norwegian funding for operational activities of ACTRIS Data Centre and also on observations at Norwegian National Facilities
