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Stakeholder Dialogue A twin-track approach is being taken to help in the process of finding practicable solutions. This involves conducting a dialogue with stakeholders in tandem with the technical development of solutions. A group of some 40 people have been invited by the independent UK charity, the Environment Council, to take part in the stakeholder dialogue. They include government officials from the European Commission, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and the UK, representatives from the OSPAR Secretariat and the oil and fishing industries as well as environmental NGOs and scientists both from the UK and abroad. The consultation programme's aims are: To encourage a common understanding of the issues To prioritise key issues To identify research requirements To identify criteria for the selection of development options To review the ongoing process The first workshop for participants was held on 13 November 1998 in London and attracted a high level of interest. The debate was constructive and there was agreement that the issue was complex and that all potential solutions warranted further investigation. The results of the first phase of the research and development programme were discussed at a second meeting of stakeholders on 2 February 2000, attended by over 70 delegates. A third and final meeting was held in November 2001. Engineering companies and research institutions were also briefed at the start of the initiative to aid the process of identifying technology development options. An independent scientific review group has been created to review the progress of the R&D programme and to ensure the transparency and integrity of research findings on behalf of stakeholders. It is chaired by Professor John Shepherd, the former director of the Southampton Oceanography Centre and currently director of the Earth System Modelling Initiative in Southampton. Seminars and Workshops Details of events and subsequent reports