IOBC/WPRS Working Groups, Study Groups and Commissions

The activity of IOBC/WPRS is carried by

• Working Groups (WG)
• Study groups (SG) and
• Commissions.

For each, a convenor is elected. The council appoints one of its members as liaison officer to each WG and SG. The results of these activities are made accessible to the scientific community and to the larger public through the various publications issued regularly by IOBC/WPRS.

A Working Group (WG) is responsible for a precise programme and the evaluation of the results obtained. Its aim is to speed up the acquisition of results through co-ordinated international activities and to avoid duplication of research effort.

The Working Groups aim is to:

1. foster collaboration between scientists interested in problems common to several members of WPRS,
2. share experience and eventually facilities, with special emphasis on joint or complementary programmes of work,
3. increase the general knowledge in the area of interest of its members and offer this knowledge to the whole scientific community (the Bulletins serve as a vehicle).

Working Groups are led by a convenor and are supported through funds from the membership fees. Participation in a particular Working Group is open to anyone actively concerned with the Group's specific topic.

Study Groups (SG) are Working Groups which are under construction.

Commissions are in several practical aspects comparable to Working Groups. However, they are much more limited in size, much more focused on a specific subject and consist of experts appointed by the Council of WPRS. A commission may, for example, define a long-term programme for the development of biological and integrated control strategies or it may establish and maintain an adequate service requested by the WPRS members.