PROMITHEAS Six (6) research centres from Black Sea States initially form the network: KEPA (Greece), GPOGC (Azerbaijan), BSREC (Bulgaria), IPE (Moldova), ISPE (Romania) and ESEMI (Ukraine). Issues related to sustainable energy development, such as security and diversification of EU energy supply, trans-continental energy corridors, energy market development, energy efficiency, renewable energy sources, climate change adaptation and mitigation concerns, regional cooperation and stability affect the policies that the EU introduces to the broader Black Sea region. Cooperation on RTD activities concerning energy and climate policy issues may become the catalyst for enhancing the bonds of scientific cooperation between the relevant societies of EU and Black Sea countries. Such cooperation will encourage and support the mobilization of the pertinent human resources of the region. It will also assist the scientific communities of the region to become familiar with the ERA procedures and activities in order to participate in the FP6 (FP7) programme.