COST: European Cooperation in the field of Scientific and Technical Research

Memorandum of Understanding for the implementation of a European Concerted Research Action designated as COST Action 623

"Soil Erosion and Global Change"

The Signatories to this Memorandum of Understanding, declaring their common intention to participate in the concerted Action referred to above and described in the Technical Annex to the Memorandum, have reached the following understanding:

1. The Action will be carried out in accordance with the provisions of document COST 400/94 "Rules and Procedures for Implementing COST Actions", the contents of which are fully known to the Signatories.

2. The main objectives of the Action are to make realistic predictions of the impacts of changes in land-use and climate on soil erosion across a range of temporal and spatial scales; to identify critical thresholds in the landscape and soil profile which lead to irreversible changes in the rate and style of soil erosion, and also to develop indicators that forecast irreversible change; to identify, assemble and make available datasets pertaining to historic and current erosion.

3. The overall cost of the activities carried out under the Action has been estimated, on the basis of information available during the planning of the Action, at ECU 46,5 million at 1997 prices.

4. The Memorandum of Understanding will take effect on being signed by at least 5 Signatories.

5. The Memorandum of Understanding will remain in force for a period of 5 years, unless the duration of the Action is modified according to the provisions of Chapter 6 of the document referred to in Point 1 above.

Technical Annex