Deadline: 15 September 2017
Website: http://www.efsa.europa.eu/
Promoting Integrity in the Use of Research Results in Evidence Based Policy: A Focus on Non-Medical Research
Deadline: 30 August 2017
Website: http://ec.europa.eu/
Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Cluster
Deadline: 25 August 2017
Website: http://ec.europa.eu/
Israel Spain 9th Call for projects
Deadline: 15 June 2017
Website: http://www.eurekanetwork.org/
Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs
Deadline: 7 June 2017
Website: http://ec.europa.eu/
Public Consultation: Guidance on The Risk Assessment of GMO at Low Level
EFSA has launched a public consultation on a draft guidance document on the risk assessment of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) present at low levels in food and feed material and not intended for import into the European Union. The presence of a GMO at a maximum of 0.9% per ingredient in any food and/or feed can be the unintentional result of unavoidable technical circumstances. The guidance document refers to genetically modified plants only.
Deadline: 13 June 2017
Website: http://www.efsa.europa.eu/
Roadmap: Strategic Approach to Pharmaceuticals in the Environment
The main objectives of the initiative, a European Commission communication foreseen for 2018, will be to 1) identify remaining knowledge gaps and uncertainties, and present possible solutions for filling them; and 2) explore how to address the challenge to protect the environment (and human health via the environment) and at the same time safeguard access to effective and appropriate pharmaceutical treatments for human patients and animals, considering inter alia the opportunities for innovation. The strategic approach will aim to address pharmaceuticals in the environment generally (water, soils). It could include policy options relating to a number of different areas, given that emissions of pharmaceutical substances to the environment occur during their whole lifecycle, i.e. from production through consumption to disposal. Existing legislation already provides a fairly comprehensive framework, but it might be appropriate to consider its effectiveness in relation to this specific issue. EuCheMS recently debated these issues at the workshop From Waste to Health.
Source: https://ec.europa.eu/
Chemical Products with Old Labels Off the Shelves By 1 June 2017
From 1 June 2017, all chemical products placed on the market have to be labelled in accordance with the Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) Regulation. This marks the end of the transitional period for labelling mixtures. Companies which still have products on the shelves with labels following the requirements of the previous legislation, must now make sure that the products are either no longer placed on the market, or re-classified and re-labelled in accordance with CLP. The purpose of the classification and labelling of hazardous chemicals is to ensure a high level of protection of health and the environment, as well as the free movement of substances, mixtures and articles. It is based on the Globally Harmonised System, agreed in the UN.
Source: https://echa.europa.eu/
New Guide on Biosimilar Medicines for Healthcare Professionals
New Guide on Biosimilar Medicines for Healthcare Professionals The European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the European Commission have published an information guide for healthcare professionals on biosimilar medicines. Biosimilars are biological medicines that are highly similar in all essential aspects to a biological medicine that has already been authorised. The objective of the guide is to provide healthcare professionals with reference information on both the science and regulation underpinning the use of biosimilars.
Source: http://www.ema.europa.eu/
More than 1 300 Master Students to Benefit from Erasmus Mundus Scholarships in 2017
1 345 students from all over the world have just received the good news that they have been awarded an EU-funded scholarship to begin studying for an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree this autumn. These scholarships will cover all the costs of their study programmes which will take them to two or more higher education institutions in pursuit of a joint or double Master’s degree. Most programmes last two years. The 100 Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree programmes offering EU scholarships in 2017 cover a wide range of subjects, namely chemistry with masters on Advanced Spectroscopy in Chemistry; Chemical Innovation and Regulation; Excellence in Analytical Chemistry; among other.
Source: http://europa.eu/
EUA Public Funding Observatory Monitoring Tool
The European University Association (EUA) has been monitoring the evolution of public funding to higher education institutions and the impact of the economic crisis on higher education systems in Europe since its onset in 2008 and has published several reports. The EUA Public Funding Observatory interactive online tool gives user the opportunity to look at the data and the developments over years in a customised way. The monitoring is conducted in close cooperation with EUA’s collective members, the National Rectors’ Conferences, who report on developments within their national higher education systems on a regular basis.
Source: http://www.eua.be/
Scientific Guidance to Help Prevent and Mitigate Chemical Accidents
A handbook published by the European Commission´s Joint Research Centre (JRC) supports EU Member States and third countries in their decisions to reduce the impacts of major industrial accidents in accordance with EU regulations. It provides common reference scenarios for authorities to assess the risks associated with industrial sites where dangerous substances are present, taking into account their proximity to residential areas, transport infrastructure or other public spaces.
Source: https://ec.europa.eu/
Open Access of Scientific Publications and Research Data Under ERC
The European Research Council (ERC) has recently published the Guidelines on the Implementation of Open Access to Scientific Publications and Research Data in projects supported by the ERC under Horizon 2020. Under Horizon 2020, beneficiaries of ERC grants must ensure open access, meaning free of charge with online access for any user, to all peer-reviewed scientific publications relating to its results. Regarding the research data, beneficiaries of ERC grants funded under the Work Programme 2016 may opt – in, on an individual and voluntary basis, to the Horizon 2020 Pilot on Open Research Data in order to facilitate access, re-use and preservation of research data generated during their research work. Details can be found on the link below.
Source: https://erc.europa.eu/
EMA 2016 Annual Report Published
The European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) 2016 annual report, published earlier this month, focuses on the Agency’s key achievements in the areas of medicine evaluation, support to research and development of new and innovative treatments and the safety monitoring of medicines in real life. According to the report, the Agency recommended a marketing authorisation for 81 medicines for human use, including 27 new active substances. Also highlighted was EMA’s contribution to addressing public health challenges such as antimicrobial resistance, a key issue on which EuCheMS published some recommendations.
Source: http://www.ema.europa.eu/
Index of Urban Water in Europe
This Urban Water Atlas for Europe is a composite index, developed by KWR Watercycle Research Institute, that displays 25 indicators related to water, waste and climate change in one infographic, summarising at a glance how well a city currently manages its urban water resources. The atlas includes indicators such as water quality, nutrient recovery, or solid waste recovery, fields in which chemistry plays a crucial role in providing quality assurance and recovery/recycling methods. According to Tibor Navracsics, Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, “Water scarcity affects more than 10 percent of Europe’s population. To foster innovative water management and its public acceptance, scientific and technological knowledge must be accessible for all.”
Source: https://ec.europa.eu/
Pesticide Residues in Food
According to the 2015 European Union Report on Pesticide Residues in Food published by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the food consumed in the European Union continues to be largely free of pesticide residues or to contain residues that fall within legal limits. The report, based on the analysis of 84,341 samples for 774 pesticides, reveals that more than 97% of food samples collected across the EU in 2015 were within legal limits, with just over 53% free of quantifiable residues. These figures are in line with those recorded in 2014.
Source: http://www.efsa.europa.eu/
EFSA Scientific Committee and Panels Renewal 2018
On 1 June 2017 the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) will open the registrations for the renewal of its ten Scientific Panels and its Scientific Committee. EFSA´s Scientific Committee and Panels are composed of independent scientific experts, many of which are chemists, who carry out scientific assessments and develop related assessment methodologies.
Source: http://www.efsa.europa.eu/
CO2 Emissions in the EU Estimated to Have Slightly Decreased in 2016
Eurostat estimates that in 2016 carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from fossil fuel combustion decreased by 0.4% in the European Union (EU), compared with the previous year. CO2 emissions are a major contributor to global warming and account for around 80% of all EU greenhouse gas emissions. Also on this topic, EuCheMS President Prof. David Cole-Hamilton, has recently published an opinion article in The Scotsman entitled Emissions Cut is Win-Win.
Source: http://europa.eu/; http://www.euchems.eu/
2018 European Year of Cultural Heritage: Funding Secured
In April, Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) secured €8 million for cultural projects aiming to protect and promote Europe’s shared cultural heritage, as part of the 2018 European Year of Cultural Heritage. The main objective of this European Year is to promote the role of European cultural heritage as a pivotal component of cultural diversity, by making cultural heritage accessible to more people, promoting innovative models for managing cultural heritage, developing specialized skills or promoting heritage as a source of inspiration for contemporary creation and innovation and developing its role in social cohesion, sustainable tourism and local employment.
Source: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/
European Open Science Cloud Infrastructure
By the end of 2017, the Commission will propose a legal instrument that provides a procurement framework for an integrated world-class high-performance computing infrastructure. This infrastructure is essential to support the European Open Science Cloud and will allow millions of researchers to share and analyze data in a trusted environment across technologies, disciplines and borders. The Commission has already made open research data the default option for projects funded under Horizon 2020. A roadmap for governance and funding will be presented to Member States in the autumn of 2017, based on the outcomes of the European Open Science Cloud Summit of 12 June. EuCheMS is represented at the Open Science Policy Platform, a group whose function is to advise the Commission on the further development and implementation of the open science policy.
Source: http://europa.eu/
Horizon 2020 Interim Evaluation and Preparation of a Post-H2020 Funding Programme
As part of the Horizon 2020 (H2020) interim evaluation, the European Commission has recently published a report with a detailed analysis of the feedback received during the public consultation on this topic which took place earlier this year. The consultation counted with around 3500 responses, out of which 9% were from academia and another 9% from researchers. Respondents mostly recognize the importance of Horizon 2020 to research and also agreed that there is a need for a bigger budget in the future. EuCheMS answer to this public consultation is available here. Also, the European Parliament´s Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE), will be voting by the end of May on a report led by Soledad Cabezón Ruiz, Member of European Parliament. The interim evaluation for H2020 should be concluded by the end of 2017.
Source: http://ec.europa.eu/; http://www.europarl.europa.eu/
Circular Economy Mission to South Africa
Following previous related missions to Chile and China, the Circular Economy Mission to South Africa (CEMSA) of the European Commission (EC) took place on 2 – 5 May 2017. By invitation of the EC, EuCheMS participated in this mission represented by Santiago Luis, Chair of the EuCheMS Division of Chemistry and the Environment. Led by the EC’s Director-general for Environment, Mr. Daniel Calleja, this mission included around 40 representatives from European institutions, National and International agencies, associations and leading companies in different sectors of relevance for circular economy. The CEMSA visited Johannesburg, Pretoria and Durban, were the World Economic Forum on Africa 2017 was running in parallel. In the contacts with South African representatives of the Environment, Industry and Research Departments, with business representatives and with social associations, the focus was given to the reuse and valorisation of waste, with emphasis on the need of looking for circular economy solutions specific to the African context and problems as well as involving the creation of jobs and poverty alleviation.
Source: http://www.euchems.eu/
Glyphosate: Harmless Tool or Sneaky Poison?
Earlier this month at the European Parliament, at an event co-organised by MEP Pavel Poc, EuCheMS and the ECTN, chemists and scientists from related fields presented and discussed many of the issues surrounding glyphosate. Speakers explored issues such as existing scientific evidence on possible relation with cancer or antimicrobial resistance; the methodologies used by regulators in reviewing existing studies; lack of harmonised approach in collecting and analysing data on glyphosate, the recent Monsanto Papers, and others. A video with all the interventions as well as materials are available at http://www.euchems.eu/?p=8910.
Source: http://www.euchems.eu/