The Community legal framework for a European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC) entered into force on 28 August 2009. This specific legal form is designed to facilitate the joint establishment and operation of research infrastructures of European interest It is signed at ministry level and must have at least three member states as members. The Euro-Argo ERIC goal is to develop a long-term global ocean monitoring system to better understand and predict the ocean and its role in the climate system. It coordinates and strengthens the European contribution to the international Argo program as endorsed by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO and by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). Ministries from 9 European countries have agreed to form this new legal European entity (www.euro-argo.eu) to organize a long-term European contribution to Argo. The ERIC was set up in May 2014. The Euro Argo infrastructure is made up of a central infrastructure based in France (Ifremer, Brest) which is owned and controlled by the Euro-Argo ERIC and distributed national facilities which operate with direct national resources.

JERICO-NEXT: Main tasks attributed under Work Packages:

Within the task 1.4 " Interaction with European and international Ocean Observing networks" , Euro-Argo will ensure the link between JERICO-Next and the ERIC Euro-Argo that coordinate the European contribution to the international program Argo.

Relevant Projects- previous and existing

Euro-Argo-PP : Euro-Argo having been endorsed by the ESFR (European Strategic Forum on Research Infrastructures), the Preparatory Phase Project main objective was to organize and consolidate the European contribution and to set up a research infrastructure in support of the global Argo programme

SIDERI main objectives were to strengthen the links and the integration of the Euro-Argo European research infrastructure into the Argo international strategy of global ocean observations, and to seek participation by, and to develop cooperation with, potential participants in the European neighbouring areas which have a maritime interest.