There is a great variety in the international activities of RIVM. Our work responds to what is needed in the various areas of our fields of expertise and the national tasks we perform within those areas. Some areas can be characterised by international coordination and regulation. In other areas, it is essential to receive international funding to increase our knowledge base. Harmonisation across Europe is of key importance in some areas.
RIVM actively participates in about 30 projects within Horizon Europe, the European Framework Programme for Research and Innovation. We are also active in other international projects, such as IMI, Joint Actions and European Joint Programmes. See our international projects database for all our projects.
RIVM has many different international roles. We are active advisors in committees and expert groups, participate in project consortia, work based on bilateral agreements or coordinate knowledge development and policy support in joint European programmes. In some cases, we act as a Reference Laboratory. Through the Partnership Programme between the Netherlands and the World Health Organization (WHO), we host 10 of the 17 WHO Collaborating Centres in the Netherlands.
Our international ambition allows room for making smart choices in our international commitments, depending on the nature of our national tasks. To ensure that our international work and national tasks and activities are aligned as good as possible, we have close contact with our most important commissioning ministries about unique opportunities, connections, incoming and outgoing missions and overall ambition.
Some examples of EU (European Union) agencies and multilateral organisations in which RIVM experts play a role are EFSA, ECDC, WHO, OESO, REACH.