The French-Polish Centre of Plant Biotechnology (FPCPB) was founded in March 1993 as a result of an agreement between the CNRS (French National Centre of Scientific Research), KBN (Polish State Committee for Scientific Research) and PAN (Polish Academy of Sciences) as an international unit of science and research. The Centre is located at and hosted by the Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics (IBB) of the PAN. The activity of Centre is financed by the KBN (through PAN administration) and the CNRS. The main objective of the Centre is to develop bilateral research projects as well as to support scientific training for young Polish and French scientists in the area of Molecular Biology and Plant Biotechnology. Developing joint long-term research projects, is achieved by putting together the scientific personnel and financial potential of both countries. During the last ten years many common research projects centered on the Molecular Biology, Biochemistry and Biotechnology of higher plants and lower fungi, and on interactions between plants and micro-organisms were fruitfully conducted by Polish and French laboratories. The outlines of these projects are provided in the latest Activity Report of the FPCPB. The research activities are supervised by the Scientific Committee of the FPCPB. The list of the Committee members can be found in the Activity Report. Establishing joint scientific projects is made possible by Polish researchers (mainly post-graduate students) working in French laboratories, by visits of French scientists in Polish research establishments involved in the collaboration, and by providing financial support to Polish laboratories involved in the organization of courses, conferences and seminars. Up to 20 young Polish scientists have the possibility to work in French laboratories every year. Several Ph. D. theses have been conducted and defended under the auspices of the FPCBP. Moreover, 13 French-Polish one- to two-day workshops devoted to different aspects of Plant Biology have so far been organized by the FPCBP.