The European Commission has launched a consultation on simplification within the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) which will run from 2007-2013. Interested parties have until 31 August 2005 to submit their comments, based on current experiences with projects under FP6.

If you, as researcher or practitioner, are involved in a FP6 project, EABIS encourages you to respond to the consultation indicating your top concerns and suggestions for future EU research framework improvements.

Consultation: http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/consultations/list_en.html Context: http://www.euractiv.com/Article?tcmuri=tcm:29-141089-16&type=News

The results of the Dutch National Research Programme on CSR 2003-2004 have been published in an English paper.

The overall objective of the research program was to support organisations in their efforts to translate and implement the notion of CSR within a business environment. Moreover it aimed to clarify for government and other external stakeholders what they can expect from companies as they ‘translate’ CSR into daily activities related to the business.

The nine projects cover the following issues:

1. Dutch CSR and its European context
2. The implementation processes of CSR
3. CSR as collective competencies
4. Life conviction and CSR
5. CSR and the globalisation of society
6. Strategic development of the dialogue with stakeholders
7. Development of CSR through the eyes of NGO’s
8. Legislative operationalisation of a relatively vague framework of norms
9. Steering on added value

After completion of the research for each of the projects an overview article was written covering the backgrounds, theory, methodology and main outcomes. These articles are brought together in this volume.

To read or download the paper click here (pdf file) To order a paper copy (or download), visit the website and click on "bestellen": http://appz.ez.nl/bestel/toon.asp?id=05OI12&arg=mvo&taal=

In March the WWF launched an ambitious global programme aiming to assess sector specific sustainable development issues. Over the next three years this programme will deliver a series of published documents identifying environmental performance in the following industry sectors: power, electronics, automotive, chemicals, food retail, tourism (others will be determined through ongoing environmental impact assessment and partner discussions). Each sector analysis will look to answer the following fundamental questions:

1. How environmentally sustainable is this industry sector?
2. What are the main material issues that affect industry sector environmental sustainability?
3. How are the companies, which are active in that sector, tackling these issues?

The programme convenes a unique partnership around these sector issues in order to achieve consensus and ownership of action. Identifying EABIS as the network of top business schools and in Europe, WWF are actively looking for EABIS academic members to participate in the programme. There are several levels of engagement- from steering group partner to simply being kept up to date with outputs as a network partner.

For more info on the different ways to get involved, please visit WWF’s website or contact Nichola Hugill, the Sustainable Business Project Officer nhugill@wwf.org.uk

The French SIF is organising its first Finance and Sustainability Research Award supported by Eurosif. Three awards of 5,000 Euro will be attributed to the best Master's thesis, the best PhD thesis and the best published article. For the three award categories, research projects will be judged on the following criteria:

• Quality of reflection on topics of finance and sustainability,
• Originality of presented topic and approach,
• Quality of research work from the academic point of view,
• Interest of contribution from investors', corporates' and/or stakeholders' point of view.

Applications must be sent before October 1st, 2005 at http://www.frenchsif.org