The country that takes the role of EU president has to select a main theme for that half-year period in areas including Research, Development and Innovation (R&D&I) to be implemented preferably in all EU countries. Following considerable lobbying we managed to achieve that Hungary decided to choose brain research as the main theme during the Hungarian presidency, and within the broad topic of neuroscience, the final decision has been to focus on "Neuropsychiatric disorders, with particular attention to depression, anxiety and schizophrenia."

We have to fomulate a plan that may have an effect on research in neuropsychiatric disorders in as many EU coutries as possible, and have consequences that by far exceed the half-year period of the Hungarian presidency. The minimum plan is to organize an international conference (with about 500 participants) on this topic in Budapest. We propose to organize this central event during the Brain Awareness Week of 2011. (14-20th March), which would provide extra strength and popularity to the congress and its messages, and would attract more attention in Hungary, as well as in Europe and Overseas.