(1) Application Forms

The application forms for National Organizers and Participants covering specific features of the forthcoming Contest have been worked out. They are called Registration Form1 and Registration Form 2 accordingly. Unfortunately, preliminary texts for these forms were received from the European Commission only at the beginning of March instead of January as it was determined in the schedule established by the General Guidelines on the Organization of the European Union Contest (Action 4 of the General Guidelines, Indicative Time Schedule and Deadlines). This is the reason why we are sending you these forms in the deadline determined by the General Guidelines on the Organization of the European Union Contest, that is 31^st March, 2005 (Action 5). The forms can be found on the Web-site of the 17^th Contest: www.step-into-the-future.ru/euro.

Special attention should be paid to the fact that together with the forms colored photographs of participants and National Organizers (10x15 cm) must be enclosed.

Concerning the terms of sending filled-in application forms and projects to Brussels, in the forms sent by the Commission the term is 7^th June, 2005. We inform you that 15^th July, 2005 is the deadline by which Russian Organizers must receive from the Commission filled-in Registration Forms 1&2. This term is determined by peculiarities and duration of invitation issuing procedures that are established by the Laws which are currently in force in the Russian Federation. Moreover, it is necessary to provide exact figures for booking the hotels (this is due to the fact that September is the period of largest international events in Moscow, and the bigger and the better part of hotels is booked a year in advance)

(2) Invitations, Visas, Passports.

For visa issuing in Russian Embassies and Consulates it is necessary to provide a special invitation or to address a tour agency. For participants, National Organizers and escort special invitations will be issued by Visa Department in Moscow with assistance of Bauman University as host organizer. Documents needed for invitation issuing - copies of pages of international passports (for visiting Russia) and application forms must be received together with Registration Forms 1&2 by National Organizer of Russia by 15^th July, 2005. All the necessary information concerning this question is provided in these forms. Then the visa issuing procedure starts. Bauman University International Department fills in the official forms (established by Department Instructions) using the information you provide (this is a large amount of work) and then these forms together with copies of pages of international passports are sent to Visa Department in Moscow. After 15^th August, 2005 we hope to receive special invitations and send them by Courier Post (delivery terms 3-5 days) to National Organizers the addresses of which are on the list provided by European Commission (This list is enclosed so that you can check the correctness of addresses). We think that you will receive these invitations by 1^st September. After receiving the invitation the person (the applicant) should visit the Russian Embassy or Consulate for visa issuing.

It is recommended that National Organizers, participants and escort find out the rules and terms of visa issuing at the Russian Embassy/ Consulate beforehand, so that immediately after receiving the invitation they could send all the necessary documents to the Embassy/ Consulate for visa issuing.

Please, pay your attention to the fact that by 15^th June, 2005 all participants, National Organizers and escort should have/ obtain valid international passport for visiting Russia and the expiry date should be not less than 6 months after the planned departure from Russia. Copies of pages of this passport should be received by the National Organizer of Russia by 15^th June, 2005.

If by 15^th June, 2005 we do not receive filled-in Registration Forms1&2 and the copies of international passport from any participant, then the invitation issuing will be in September and this can cause some problems in coming to the 17^th Contest.

Persons accompanying the National Organizer and escort (but not included in the delegation) can get assistance in visa issuing addressing the tourist company "Intourist" which is the participant of Consortium on preparation and holding the 17^th European Union Contest in Russia. In this case the National Organizer should address the manager of the company "Intourist" Kolesnikova Julia, tel. +7(095)956-41-97, 956-42-11, fax: +7(095)956-42-02, e-mail: kolesnikova@intourist.ru. The list of National Organizers (similar to the one enclosed) has been sent to the company "Intourist".

(3) Hotel

For participants and for one accompanying person the rooms are booked in the hotel "Kosmos"(address: Moscow, Prospekt Mira, 150, site: www.intourist.ru). In the period of 15-17^th June using the information given in Registration Forms1&2 we will send all the data about participants and accompanying persons to the hotel to book the rooms. We remind you that the budget of the Contest includes expenses on staying at the hotel of young scientists and only one adult- the National Organizer or escort. We will pay for the staying of the adult whose name will be on the plane ticket. This adult should be mentioned by the National Organizer in Registration Form1. Consequently, if both the National Organizer and escort are going to take part in the 17^th Contest, one of them will have to book a room in the hotel beforehand and to pay for staying.

The Organizers of the 17^th European Union Contest in Moscow worked out the procedure of booking the hotels for extra persons, namely for persons accompanying the National Organizer or escort. Form such booking the National Organizer should address the manager of the company "Intourist" Kolesnikova Julia, tel. +7(095)956-41-97, 956-42-11, fax: +7(095)956-42-02, e-mail: kolesnikova@intourist.ru. It is recommended to be done as soon as possible. If the National Organizer or escort who is going to stay in the room paid from the budget of the Contest wants to stay in the room with some accompanying person, then the National Organizer of that country should book one extra place in the same room and the difference in cost must be paid on arrival.

(4) Dates of Delegations' Arrival.

We are planning to buy plane tickets for delegations with dates of arrival in Moscow 16/17^th September. Tickets with the date of arrival 17^th September will be bought only in case if the flight arrives in Moscow between 8 and 11 a.m. If the flight arrives in Moscow after 11a.m. then tickets will be bought with the date of arrival 16^th September.

(5) Exhibition.

The sizes of demonstration stands will be in accordance with the sizes given in the booklet of the 17^th European Union Contest. Please, pay attention to the fact that in Registration Form 2 the configuration of the stand should be mentioned: with table 2m, with table 1m, without a table.

The Bauman University being the Russian Host Organizer of the 17^th EU Contest can provide a PC and a TV set with VHS cassette recorder free for each demonstration stand. The application for this equipment should be filled in Registration Form 2. The PC provided will have the following features: IBM PC CPU: Pentium-4, 3.0 GHz, RAM - 1024 Mb, Hard disk capacity - 120 Gb, Video display card - 256 Mb Radeon 9600 Pro, Sound card - integrated into the motherboard, 5 channels DVD/CD - 16x/48x, FDD, Display - 17", LCD, Keyboard, optical mouse. The following software will be installed on the PC: Windows XP PRO, Microsoft Office XP. The Participant can formulate the additional requirements for the computer features in Registration Form 2. If a larger number of computers is necessary for the demonstration stand we kindly ask you to inform the Russian Host Organizer beforehand on this matter, so that the latter would have enough time resolve the question.

I would like to draw the attention of the Young Scientists - the Participants of the EU Contest - to the safety requirements for demonstration stands that are listed in the brochure of the 17^th EU Contest. Unfortunately we will not be able to allow for the demonstration the stands that infringe these requirements, for they are formulated in accordance with the Laws which are currently in force in the Russian Federation. During the EU Contest in Moscow there will be a special acceptance procedure for each demonstration stand carried out by the Exhibition Committee and will include thorough inspection of stands and their compliance with the safety requirements, listed in the brochure of the 17^th EU Contest.

(6) The cultural programme

The Host Organizer of the 17^th EU Contest have prepared additional proposals on the cultural programme for the National Organizers, the Escort, and Guests. WE are planning to send these proposals in a separate form to the National Organizers in April - May this year.

(7) Other details

The Web-site of the 17^th EU Contest. On the web-site of the 17^th EU Contest (www.step-into-the-future.ru/euro) in the "News" section we will post general information necessary for the National Organizers, namely the present letter will be published there as well. Furthermore, the site contains the individual e-mail boxes of the National Organizers in the "Organization" section, where general information will posted as well as the copies of the letters addressed to the individuals. The access to these e-mail boxes will be restricted by the codes, which we have already provided the National Organizers with (if you do not have such code, please contact us soon as possible). If there is some new information in your e-mail box the symbol beside your family name will turn red, and change its colour to blue after you enter the box. We will most likes make some changes in the design and structure of the site at the end of April.

The Steering Group meeting. As I have been informed by the European Commission the meeting of the Steering Group will take place in Moscow this spring. During the visit the inspection of infrastructure of the EU Contest Exhibition in the Bauman University will be presumably planned for. Namely the Members of the Steering Committee will be demonstrated the venue for the Exhibition, the rooms for Jury, the European Commission, the National Organizers, the Reception, the First Aid post, the room for the press, the room for Opening and Awarding Ceremonies and so on. As far as I am informed the issues concerning the contract and the financing of the EU Contest will be presumably discussed, as well as those concerning the visa issuing procedure details along with some security aspects. The National Organizers will be presumably informed by the European Commission as usually.

Contact information on the issues, touched upon in this letter. In case you find it necessary to clarify some issues touched upon in this letter you are welcome to consult my assistant Tatyana Romanova (tel. +7(095) 267-55-52, 267-73-60, 263-62-82, 263-69-37), or via e-mail: tatyana@bmstu.ru, apfn@mx.bmstu.ru or fax: +7(095) 632-20-95.