Forest wildfires, on-farm fertiliser strategies, and protection for fruit orchards: apply to the call for Focus Group experts by 31 July 2026.
Euroopan maaseutuverkosto etsii fokusryhmiin - Hae mukaan
The call for experts for three new EU CAP Network Focus Groups has just been launched. Farmers, foresters, advisors, researchers, and other innovators, if you have specific knowledge and experience of one of the topics below, then please apply by 31 July 2026, 23:59 hrs CET.
The European Commission is launching a call for experts, including farmers, foresters, advisors, researchers, and other relevant applicants, for three new EU CAP Network Focus Groups with a focus on innovation, knowledge exchange and EIP-AGRI. The Focus Groups will start their work in autumn 2026 and are expected to deliver their results by summer 2027.
Please note that the dates of the first meetings of the Focus Groups are indicated below. All applicants must be available to travel to and participate in the Focus Group meetings on these dates. The European Commission will cover travel and accommodation for the selected experts.
Focus Group themes
For the current call, farmers, foresters, advisors, researchers, and other relevant stakeholders are invited to apply for participation in Focus Groups on the following topics, noting that these Focus Groups will complement the work of previous ones:
Focus Group 59: Integrated approaches to forest wildfire prevention
- Main question: How to improve wildfire prevention in European forests through integrated approaches?
- First meeting: 25-26 November 2026
Focus Group 60: Innovative on-farm fertiliser strategies
- Main question: How can innovative on-farm fertiliser management strategies enable farmers to reduce fertiliser dependency and nutrient losses while maintaining crop productivity?
- First meeting: 28-29 October 2026
Focus Group 61: Innovative protection measures against extreme weather events in pome and stone fruit orchards
- Main question: How can pome and stone fruit growers protect their orchards against increasing climate variability and extreme weather events through effective, economically viable, and environmentally sustainable methods?
- First meeting: 18-19 November 2026
For more details on the topics, and to apply, read the call text at the bottom of this webpage. You can find the link to the application form in the call text (pdf document, page 12), or apply directly with this link.
Browse through existing Focus Groups and their reports, factsheets and other results on the main Focus Group webpage.
Instructions for applying
Application procedure
Candidates need to complete and submit the application form by 31 July 2026, 23:59 hrs CET.
The system will notify candidates upon successful submission of the application. Please be aware that if this notification is not displayed, the submission of your application was not successful and you will have to start again.
Applicants will be informed whether or not they have been selected by end of September 2026. All selected experts will need to confirm their attendance at the first meeting within one week of receiving the selection message. If they fail to do so, they may be replaced.
Selection process and terms of agreement
Each Focus Group consists of up to 20 experts: farmers, advisors, scientists and, where appropriate, representatives from industry, civil society or other relevant actors.
Experts will be chosen according to their qualifications and proven expertise to support the progress of the Focus Group (relevant information to be submitted via the application form). The European Commission’s Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development will nominate the group experts.
Please note
- There will be no translation, so it is essential that group members can express themselves in English.
- Selected experts will need to be available to participate in both meetings; the date for the first meeting is provided in this text for each new Focus Group.
- Selected experts will be requested to prepare for the first meeting and complete some work between meetings, and they should be able to reserve some time for this.
- Results produced within the Focus Group are always attributed to the group as a whole, not to individuals. Any conflicting views should be included in the final report.
Selection criteria (individual)
Technical and professional capacity – evidence of the technical and professional capacity of experts based on:
- familiarity with the context of the topic: How familiar are you with the context of the Focus Group, how familiar are you with the topic or challenge of the FG and what is your vision on the topic or challenge;
- proven practical experience that is relevant for the Focus Group:
o For example, if you are a farmer/practitioner, you should describe your practical experience on the farm, related to the topic. Are you applying solutions or best
practices on the topic? Are you facing any specific challenges?
o If you have another profile, for example if you are a researcher or advisor, you should highlight how your work or experience supports practitioners in the field, or
how your work is relevant for gaining practical experience on the topic.
o Are you involved in innovative projects related to the topic?
o Are you facing any specific challenges? - knowledge and skills: How did you gain knowledge and/or skills relevant to the topic? This includes practical experience.
- motivation: Explain your motivation for being part of this Focus Group, including your expectations, why you want to take part, but also how the Focus Group may benefit from
your participation, and what your contribution might be membership in any relevant networks or organisations
Balancing criteria
The Focus Group will be composed taking into account a balance in the areas of expertise, professional profile, geographical and gender balance.
Terms of agreement
By submitting an application, the applicant agrees to the following and confirms that:
- the applicant can easily express him/herself in English (as this will be the working language in meetings, documents and in all means of communication) in both oral and written form
- in case of a nomination, the applicant is willing and able to share information, knowledge and experience and to contribute actively to work documents, to achieve the Focus Group
objectives - attendance at the meetings: in case of a nomination, the applicant is willing and available to travel (within Europe) to attend meetings of the Focus Group (the dates for the first meeting of each Focus Group are indicated in each respective section of this document)
- availability: in case of a nomination, the expert will be available to attend the first meeting on the dates specified in the call; should this, for whatever reason, not be the case, the
nominated expert will inform the EIP-AGRI Support Facility as soon as possible, to allow for the selection of another expert to replace him or her - transparency: in case of a nomination, the applicant agrees to publish their name along with their professional capacity (e.g. advisor, scientist, etc.), country of residence, and email
address on the EU CAP Network website