Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Iceland have been admitted to COST,
the organisation which fosters 鈥楨uropean Cooperation in the field of Scientific
and Technical Research鈥�. COST was established a decade ago by Euro pean
research ministers. The four new members bring the number of participating
countries to 12.
COST has a 鈥榖ottom-up鈥� approach to collaboration, in which the scientists
choose what projects to proceed with. The activities of Eureka and Framework,
the two other major pan-European research initiatives, are largely dictated
from above, by ministers and civil servants.
