The Network was founded in Belgrade (Serbia and Montenegro) on Friday December 9, 2005 (click here to read the charter of the Network). The official ceremony was held during the 1st Board meeting at the Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, University of Belgrade, in the presence of the Serbian assistant-Minister for Science, Prof. Aleksandar Sedmak (click here to read the minutes of this meeting).

The MEGREC founder institutions are:

• Suez Canal University - Ismailia , Egypt.
• Institut Univ Ciencia i Tecnologia (University Institute of Science and Technology) - Mollet del Valles (Barcelona), Spain.
• Fez University - Morocco.
• Belgrade University - Serbia.
• Athens University - Greece.
• Interuniversity Consortium 'Chemistry for the Environment' (INCA Consortium) - Ca' Foscari University; Venice, Italy.

The importance of such Network was stressed by Dr. Aleksandar Popovic, Minister for Science and Environmental Protection of Serbia, in a letter sent to Prof. Teodor Ast, representative of Serbia on the MEGREC Board. Here follows the passage:

«... The information you provided is extremely valuable, it should be placed on our web-site. It is a worthwhile effort to spread the information and expand the network of people capable of promoting not only the MEGREC, but also the ideas that MEGREC stands for...»

The hub of MEGREC is located at the INCA Consortium's headquarters in Marghera (Venice, Italy). Through collaboration in research and education and mutual financial support the partners will strengthen the links among the Mediterranean countries, particularly fostering the collaboration between the European and the Arab countries facing the Mediterranean Sea. The prime planned actions of MEGREC are the creation of a university Master Course (2nd level) on Green Chemistry and the recruitment of young researchers who will carry on scientific activities in the labs of the partner institutions thanks to the financing programs of the European Union and United Nations.

The 2nd Board meeting of the Network was held in Fez (Morocco) on April 28, 2006. During this meeting Tunisia and Algeria were officially admitted to MEGREC (clik here to read the minutes).