As the European Union prepares for enlargement, there is a vital need for digital communications networks in non-EU European countries to be improved, to match those linking existing member states. A project funded by the European Commission has begun to tackle this problem for researchers and educators in South East Europe.

The South-East European Research and Education Networking (SEEREN) project will connect existing networks of participating countries into the pan-European Gigabit European Academic Network (GEANT). This will provide 2–34 Mbps connections between GEANT and the national research and education networks of Albania, Bosnia–Herzegovina, Bulgaria, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia — Serbia and Montenegro, Greece, Hungary and Romania.

Jorge Sanchez-Papaspiliou, coordinator of the SEEREN project, told The Scientist, "There is a 'digital divide' that separates these countries from the rest of the continent. This is keeping them as 'outsiders', hindering the cooperation and exchange of scientific know-how."

Some of these countries are candidates for entry to the EU in the next few years. Others have "associate" status, which may eventually lead to EU entry, and is certainly bringing closer integration into EU research and education activities.

As specific examples of the interactions SEEREN will facilitate, Sanchez-Papaspiliou cited "designing and running advanced telematics applications such as telemedicine and teleteaching, and providing the platform for the development and dissemination of the next generation of internet technologies."

One intended effect of the project is to address the well-recognized problem of a "brain drain" from South East Europe. By linking researchers digitally with the wider scientific community, it is hoped they may be encouraged to develop their own national research and education activities rather than moving elsewhere.

The project should be formally completed towards the middle or end of 2004. That should just be the beginning, however. Sanchez-Papaspiliou explained, "A longer term objective is to help these countries keep pace with all future technological upgrades. The SEEREN project will be a pilot for a 'next generation' networking environment that will operate at gigabit speeds and support advanced eScience applications. SEEREN will raise awareness for advanced services, preparing the ground for follow-up projects that will promote internal, regional and international networking."