University of Navarra professor Jesús Miguel Santamaría will advise on environmental subject at European level, having been appointed the only Spanish representative on the strategic group of the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI). He will also act as scientific expert in the committee of the Horizon 2020 Program on Scientific Infrastructures.

In the first case, Santamaría's mission statement will consist of identifying projects of pan-European interest in which Spanish research groups can be included, and defending the national proposals before the Commission (Brussels) from the scientific point of view.

The second appointment comes from the Ministry of Economics and Competitiveness, and comes to support a reduced group of experts and participants in European programs that can advise on Spanish interests in this subject. Professor Santamaría's role will consist of helping to draw up, with the rest of his colleagues, competitive proposals defending Spain's interests in the Horizon 2020 program.

ESFRI is a strategic instrument for the development of scientific integration in the European Union and the strengthening of its international scope, bringing together representatives of the member states, associated states and the European Commission. The environmental projects included in the ESFRI Roadmap established for the coming years are ten: COPAL, EISCAT_3D Upgrade, EMSO, EPOS, EURO-ARGO, IAGOS, ICOS, SIOS and LIFEWATCH. The latter is a global reference letter infrastructure for the protection, management and sustainable use of biodiversity, which will be based in Seville.