(a) Foresight and Enlargement: a challenge for the EU, the Candidate Countries and foresight practitioners

The enlargement of EU will bring EU frontiers to new countries with different socio-economic systems, religions and traditions. This is particularly true for South-Eastern Europe and the greater Mediterranean area. The time horizon of 2020 may coincide with further enlargement of Europe to include North African and Asian countries. The future EU Member States, along with the current ones, should be invited to give their reflection about a commonly-built future.

(b) Towards an assessment and monitoring model for foresight exercises

Several countries and regions have completed foresight exercises and time is ripe to take stock of successes and failures or re-directions etc. with a view to assess methodologies, approaches, and resources aiming at more effective foresight in all countries. Furthermore, the creation of the European Research Area gives scope for the examination of the possibility of developing a common assessment model in view of coordinating efforts at national / regional / local level.

(c) Managing foresight knowledge pool

All foresight exercises have been based on some kind of information/knowledge management system. It seems of high priority to assess functionalities and synergies of this wealth of information at national, regional and European level and reflect on the establishment of a European - wide platform exploiting national systems and assuring dissemination of best practices and basis for know-how transfer to new comers.

(d) Improving the relationships with social and societal actors

It has become apparent that the role of social and societal actors is of paramount importance in running successful foresight exercises. This aspect needs to be well thought from the early steps of such exercises and participation of all concerned, in particular youth and local communities, as well as broad dissemination of results have to be inherent part of the foresight projects from the very beginning to increase social acceptance of any policy related proposals. On the other hand, Foresight can play an essential role in raising the public awareness and understanding of scientific issues and in strengthening the role of society in the new emerging model of 'science and governance'.

(e) Improving Higher education/research relations and foresight
based research

If foresight is to play a role in the future construction of Europe and contribute to policy making in EU Member States and regions, then adequate human resources have to be provided with excellent academic qualifications both for teaching and research in foresight. So far the foresight discipline seems to have been more adopted by individual professors rather than universities, as institutions. The need to cover this gap at European level by also exploiting the critical masses or foresight practitioners falling outside the sphere of academia is essential. Furthermore, the role of university based foresight research is also crucial in connection to national and regional foresight initiatives and European efforts to promote the topic.

(f) Foresight co-operation and ERA: Opportunities, challenges and limitations in co-operation

The time is ripe to build upon existing experiences of collaboration at cross - national, cross - regional, sectoral and social actors' levels under Foresight-related projects with the aim to explore the circumstances and factors, under which such cooperation is feasible and useful, along with the opportunities, challenges and limitations for it in an enlarged EU.

(g) Towards an European Foresight Area (EFA)
of decision-makers, academics, researchers, practitioners, social actors and users, in particular SMEs and regional governments, in serving the development of the European Knowledge Society.