Towards Digital Optical Networks

COST - the acronym for European COoperation in Science and Technology - is the oldest and widest European intergovernmental network for cooperation in - search. Established by the Ministerial Conference in November 1971, COST is presently used by the scientific communities of 35 European countries to coop- ate in common research projects supported by national funds. The funds provided by COST - less than 1% of the total value of the projects - support the COST cooperation networks (COST Actions) through which, with 30 million per year, more than 30,000 European scientists are involved in - search having a total value which exceeds 2 billion per year. This is the financial worth of the European added value which COST achieves. A "e;bottom up approach"e; (the initiative of launching a COST Action comes from the European scientists themselves), "e;a la carte participation"e; (only countries interested in the Action participate), "e;equality of access"e; (participation is open also to the scientific communities of countries not belonging to the European - ion) and "e;flexible structure"e; (easy implementation and light management of the research initiatives) are the main characteristics of COST.