"The MERIL project aims to complete an in-depth analysis of the current European Portal on Research Infrastructures’ Services, leading to the redesign and implementation of a comprehensive database of pan-European Research Infrastructures (RIs) and their mapping as a useful tool for scientists and policy makers. In the long run impacts are expected such as increased visibility of the services and collaborations offered by the RIs as well as joint foresight with gap and needs analysis. Funding is requested from the European Commission for the first two years of the project. If approved the EC would thereby play its role of catalyst.MERIL governance will consist of:- a Steering Committee (SC) comprising representatives from the major European stakeholders e.g. ESF, EUROHORCs, ESFRI, ERF and EIROforum etc. each reporting to their General Assemblies;- a Science Advisory Board responsible for providing expert scientific and political advice at important milestones of the project.The ESF Member Organisation (MO) Forum made up of delegates representing ESF organisations willing to explore the future of RIs in Europe will be central in contributing to the project and its Chair will be a member of the SC.ESF will coordinate the project and assemble a project management team.A series of meetings will be held:i) to reach consensus on definitions (RIs, Categories of RIs, Science Domains, Scope etc.), to make a state of the art analysis on the European context, and to identify the needs of data users and providers;ii) to discuss data acquisition, including incentives and access rules;iii) to agree on a common set of criteria for ensuring quality of the data.The combined reports of these meetings will lead to an up-graded and up-dated pan-European database. Through the combined efforts of determined and highly committed stakeholders it is expected that the MERIL database will contain high-quality data and have flexible, customer-oriented interfaces."