The European Grid Initiative (EGI) aims at establishing a sustainable Grid infrastructure in Europe, and at moving from a structure based upon short-term funded projects to a long-term service, for the benefit of the research community. EGI, a partnership between National Grid Initiatives (NGIs) and a co-ordinating body, the EGI Organization (EGI.org), will begin its full operations in 2010. The EGI Blueprint document is a proposal designed to determine how to establish this long-term sustainable Grid infrastructure. It presents a vision of the transition towards the new EGI model and includes the relevant requirements for the implementation, operation, user interaction with, and management of the corresponding infrastructure, as well as the preliminary budget outline.

At the Prague meeting, on 20 January, 2009, the EGI Policy Board acknowledged the significant progress that has been made in the production of the final EGI Blueprint version. This document took into account the extensive feedback provided by the EGI Policy Board and other experts, leading to its endorsement by a large majority. It will now serve as the basis for the construction of the EGI.org institution, and for the submission of the EGI - and other related - proposals to the European Commission.

The EGI Policy Board also authorised the EGI_DS project - the EGI Design Study in charge of defining and implementing the new organization's activities - to create a task force open to experts nominated by the EGI Policy Board members, in order to determine the best options for EGI funding and for the preparation of the EGI proposal.

"The fact that the EGI Blueprint is now accepted by so many countries as a basis for the implementation of a European Grid infrastructure is a tremendous step forward", stated Ludek Matuska, project Director of EGI_DS. "Eight countries, from the smallest to the largest, have presented bids to host the EGI Organization. This also shows the commitment from the national governments to take this next important step for a common research infrastructure", he added.

The EGI Policy Board allowed EGI_DS to prepare a proposal describing the process for the appointment of the EGI.org director, and to begin this process as soon as the location of the EGI.org headquarters has been decided. The location of the organization is to be announced during the next Policy Board meeting in Catania, Italy, on 2 March, 2009.