08/07/2005 (Agence Europe) - The Committee of senior scientific and technical research officials (COST), the intergovernmental structure of 34 European countries for those who support the fabric of European research in a bottom-up approach, met on 14 and 15 June in Bucharest. The Committee decided to launch eighteen new actions concerning fields of activity as vast as broad band, optical fibres, sustainable transport, phytology, aquaculture, language teaching, forests, etc. The Committee also approved over 20 requests for participation in COST actions underway from research institutes established in non-COST countries, including Australia, Canada, Japan, Korea, Russia, Ukraine and the United States. Martin Grabert of Germany will be the new head of the COST office as of 1 September 2005.