Next phase of joint programming in the area of Nutrition and Health

The aim of the Joint Programming Initiative ‘A healthy diet for a healthy life’ is to better understand the factors that determine food choices and physical activity behaviours, and thus human health, to subsequently translate this knowledge into programmes, products, tools and services that promote healthy food choices. JPI HDHL will contribute significantly to the construction of a fully operational European Research Area (ERA) on the prevention of lifestyle- and diet-related diseases by aligning national research policies and programmes; by enhancing networking and communication amongst the stakeholders in the field of food, nutrition and health and by launching joint calls involving countries member of the JPI.

Collaboration
The JPI aims to strengthen leadership and competitiveness of the food industry by effectively integrating research in the food-, nutritional-, social- and health sciences and to increase knowledge and deliver innovative, novel and improved concepts and products. 25 countries are involved with the JPI among which 23 European Member States and associated countries as well as Canada and New Zealand who joined this European level initiative as the first transatlantic partners.

Next phase in joint programming
With the official launch of its Implementation Plan at the second conference, on the 28th of March 2014, the Joint Programming Initiative ‘A Healthy Diet for a Healthy Life’ has ushered in the next phase of joint programming: implementation. The implementation plan has been officially handed over to Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, the European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science.

Implementation
The process of implementation has already begun with the launch of three Joint Actions aligned to the three Research Areas (RAs) of the Strategic Research Agenda. But there is much more to do to fully realise an operational European Research Area of Nutrition and Health. The first Implementation Plan presents the roadmap for the next two years; 2014 – 2015. This Implementation Plan describes how the JPI will achieve the remaining short-term goals (2012 – 2014) outlined in its Strategic Research Agenda. As Joint programming is more than initiating new calls for research, special focus in the implementation plan is given to additional activities such as the alignment of national research programs and institutional funding; collaborations with adjoining initiatives and third countries; and seeking coherence with Horizon 2020 activities.

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