The EECALINK project has as priority fostering stronger health research relations between the EU and the Eastern European and Central Asian countries (EECA). In order to accomplish such objective, it is targeting three key stakeholders: policymakers, university and academic partners, and the wider research public.

The EECALINK ('Promotion and facilitation of international cooperation with EECA') project, which is funded under the EU's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) to the tune of €600,000, has as main objective to strength stronger health research relations between the EU and the Eastern European and Central Asian countries (EECA). In order to accomplish such objective, it is targeting three key stakeholders: policymakers, university and academic partners, and the wider research public. Additionally, six aims and objectives constitute the basis of this project: encouraging and promoting global cooperation in the health sector; stimulating further development of research groups and supporting them in their FP7 project proposals; guaranteeing effective communication of EU-EECA joint research to key policymakers; strengthening and expanding existing research ties with academic partners; building academic and university participation in FP7 projects; and promoting FP7 to industry and academia.

The EECALINK project partners identified health priorities and the most burning issues in their respective countries. Furthermore, they identified some factors that hinder the EU-EECA cooperation, which include the diverse management system in EECA countries compared to the one found in the EU, the fragmented national contact point (NCP) system, low motivation level, foreign language barriers, and difficulties in finding coordinators. Gaps identified by the project in the national health systems include maternal and child healthcare, development of drugs from local plants/raw materials, and healthcare in stressful environments.

On the other hand, the project considered the main barriers that keep EECA countries from participating in FP7 and they include lack of advertising of EECA organisations, lack of information about calls, lack of FP7 promotion, and differences in standards of law, administrative rules and financial regulations. For this reason, the project carried out workshops and conferences, to explain that FP7 is a significant source of health research funding and EECA countries and it could benefit immensely from participating in FP7 project.