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The steady growth of the population in the Mediterranean region, which grew by 150 million inhabitants between 1975 and 2000, is the result of very different demographic dynamics between the northern countries, on the one hand, and the southern and eastern countries, on the other hand. This demographic growth has been accompanied by heavy urbanization and concentration in the coastal zone. Other disparities are developing between the northern Mediterranean countries and the southern and eastern Mediterranean countries (the SEM countries), especially in terms of economic growth and human development. Poverty strongly affects the rural sector of the SEM countries, the majority of whose inhabitants live from an often family-based agriculture with unpredictable results. The pressure on the resources of the Mediterranean region is growing. The dependence of the SEM countries for basic food products is strong and the recourse to imports is growing. In this paper, data is presented to give a better idea of the state of food safety and food security for the countries of the Mediterranean region. Complementary research paths between the north and south sides of the Mediterranean are envisaged, in order to reduce the disparities and build a veritable Euro-Mediterranean rural entity benefiting from new basic knowledge produced by a network of regional research and higher education institutions working together in order to promote sustainable rural development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper the authors describe progress made in the area of wind-power technology throughout the world in general, and then present a project for electric power transmission using wind energy from the south of Morocco to the European Union. The cost per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of wind energy would be 0.05 euro at its arrival in central Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the present paper is to provide a brief introduction to the applications of Synchrotron Radiation (and in particular the SESAME ring) in the area of Atomic Physics. Atomic physicists are usually among the first to become involved in Synchrotron radiation experiments, and atomic physics remains an excellent introduction to the subject area of synchrotron radiation as a whole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Desalination plants can either be stand alone or coupled with medium to large power generation utilities. Often synergies could be found to optimize the use of waste heat from power plant or other resources in desalination plants, This heat would provide benefit to both the power cycle, the environment and would constitute a low cost energy source for driving thermal desalination. The present paper describes some power and desalination coupling typical technology options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CERN is a pure research laboratory devoted to elementary particle physics. On top of this mission of discovery, it has also the duties of technological innovation, of human resource development and international collaboration, the latter not being restricted to its member states, as explained in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a brief summary of Moroccan participation in the ATLAS project at the CERN. The Moroccan contribution has concerned various fields, ranging from instrumentation to the study of physical processes, and has yielded very rich scientific results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A list of authors and scientists who submitted their papers for publication in this issue is presented, including Magdy Nagi, Redouanne Merrouchi, Abdeslam Hoummada and M. Hofmann.