1a.Objectives (from AD-416)
To provide expertise and resources to design and implement solutions to the non-DOD provisions (of the 1995 United States (US)/Portugal Defense and Cooperative Agreement) in areas of science, technology, educaiton, and environment and agriculture.

1b.Approach (from AD-416)
Conduct research, analysis, interpretation, recommendations, planning, and coordination of the Cooperative Engagement Projects which directly support U.S. obligations under the 1995 agreement between the U.S. and Portugal. Manage cooperative initiatives for specific projects to take place in the Azores, Portugal, and the Continental United States.

3.Progress Report
This report serves to document research conducted under a reimbursable agreement between ARS and the Department of Defenses’ European Command (EUCOM). The Azores Cooperative Initiative Program (ACIP), or rather the requirement to engage in cooperative initiatives with the Azores, is mandated in the 1995 U.S.-Portugal Agreement on Cooperation and Defense (95 ACD) and further defined in the Final Minute (95 ACD-FM) to that agreement. The overall premise of the 95 ACD is to maintain unlimited access by U.S. forces to the facilities at Lajes Air Force Base, Azores. ACIP was created and has been implemented through DOD financial resources and relationships with civilian federal agencies and other non-governmental institutions as part of the USG commitment to the 95 ACD.

The Office of the President of the Regional Government of the Azores (RGA) organized a program review meeting, which was held in May 2007 in the Azores and attended by ARS and US Embassy representatives. As all but one of the projects are making progress, the RGA requested ARS to determine if the defunct project on fisheries/marine resources could be modified by changing the Designated Representative and shifting the focus a bit more towards aquaculture. The ARS representative agreed to look into the matter. The ARS representative also met with the RGA’s Agricultural Service to discuss the parameters for setting up an ARS-RGA agreement in support of the plant protection/niche market novel crops project.