Within its activities to promote innovation in the agricultural, agri-food and forestry sectors, and in the context of the European Innovation Partnership for Productive and Sustainable Agriculture, the Directorate General for Rural Development and Forestry Policy of the MAPA has promoted the creation of a Focus Group on Irrigation, Energy and Environment , with the main objectives of bringing together academic fields and end users, disseminating innovations on the group's subject matter among farmers and irrigation communities, and catalysing the future creation of operational groups that can tackle innovative projects in these areas.

This group is made up of 20 experts with diverse profiles who were selected by this general directorate. Its operation includes a participation phase open to organizations and professionals who, while not part of the Group, have a particular interest in the subject matter.

To this end, an excerpt from the Group's design document, its context, outlook, and diagnostic document, and a first draft of the innovative initiatives compiled so far have been made available to the public at the following links:

- Context, perspective and diagnosis document on the Focus Group's theme.

- Knowledge bank on innovations within the group

-Extract from the Focus Group design document for the participation phase of other interested organizations and professionals

A period of participation in its activities is open to organizations and professionals interested in the Group's themes until April 15.

Participation would allow organizations and professionals who request it to be included in the Database of Organizations and Professionals Interested in the Focus Group's Theme, intended to facilitate future networking and professional contacts for the exchange of information or initiatives in the field, including the possible creation of operational groups. To do so, interested parties would have to complete a registration in the Access database created for this purpose, which can be downloaded from the link "Registration of Interested Parties in the Focus Group on Irrigation, Energy and Environment" , using its data entry form, and sending it in the same format to sgregadios@mapa.es . This database of organizations and professionals, compiled from the voluntary applications received, will be made available to all its members and the general public through the National Rural Network portal, among the results of the Group's work.

Participation would also allow interested organizations and professionals to:

• Develop and propose new innovative initiative sheets to be added to the Knowledge Bank on Innovations within the scope of the Focus Group , for innovations in the scope of the Group that the proponent has promoted or that he or she knows in proximity or in detail, being able to present them in the Word form prepared for this purpose that can be downloaded from the link Innovation Form for Knowledge Bank, sending it completed in the same Word format by email to the address sgregadios@mapa.es . The incorporation of the sheets received in this phase will be decided after analysis within the Group, and the proponent will appear as the author of the same in the final results document. The resulting Knowledge Bank will be made available to the public through the website www.redruralnacional.es or other MAPA dissemination media, to promote the dissemination of these innovations among their potential end users.

• Make proposals to the Group regarding new R&D needs , innovation priorities , and dissemination or training priorities that the interested party, given their profile and experience, considers particularly important within the scope of the Focus Group, including their proposals in the corresponding fields of the aforementioned Database. These proposals will be analyzed within the Group and, where appropriate, included in its results document.

• Provide additional information or documentation or considerations to the context, prospective and diagnostic document of the focus group, which allow to improve its content and understanding, sending it, if necessary, by email to sgregadios@mapa.es

Due to the operational nature of the Focus Group, only materials and proposals received in the indicated formats and within the established deadline, which ends on Friday, April 15 , will be considered . Once this phase is complete, the Group will work on integrating the proposals and information received. Upon completion of the work, all professionals included in the Database will be informed of the final results of the Focus Group's activities.