Science for Policy workshops for COST Actions

On 19 June 2025, MedPlants4Vet took part as one of the featured presenters at the Science for Policy workshop in Brussels, an event designed to help COST Actions strengthen their impact on policy.

Group photo of the Science for policy workshop, with Michael Walkenhorst (6th person from the right). (Photo: COST Science for Policy and International Scientific Networking workshops for COST Actions - COST )

The workshop for COST Actions was built around the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) Science for Policy Competence Framework, which supports researchers in effectively engaging with the policy world.

Participants gained a practical overview of key factors that contribute to successful science-policy interaction, including when and how to approach stakeholders, how to communicate complex research findings in a policy-relevant way, and the importance of timing in delivering impactful messages.

To share their own experience, three COST Actions that have achieved notable policy impact have been invited to the event, among them Michael Walkenhorst, our Grant Holder Scientific Representative of MedPlants4Vet.

Under the motto “How to achieve policy impact?”, he gave an insight into our COST Action MedPlants4Vet, explaining that we founded our COST Action based on the current political situation and the preamble 12 in EU-Regulation (EU) 2019/6. He emphasized how crucial it was and is to involve policy makers and national authorities in the project from the very beginning. To achieve our common goals, constant cooperation throughout the entire MedPlants4Vet project is valuable and essential.