This year’s United Nation´s (UN) climate conference, COP23, concluded on 18 November with steps forward to ensure global climate action through implementation of the Paris Agreement. Clarity on the design of the so called ‘Talanoa Dialogue’ (Facilitative Dialogue) has been achieved looking at how global climate action can be accelerated in the years to come. The Facilitative Dialogue next year will be the opportunity for political stock-taking for the parties on progress made on the implementation of the Paris Agreement. EuCheMS was present at COP23 with a EU Pavilion side event entitled “Future-Oriented Chemistry”, where Ulrich Schubert presented the EuCheMS white paper Solar-Driven Chemistry. The next UN climate conference (COP24) will take place in Katowice, Poland, in December 2018.
Source: http://europa.eu/
Outcomes of the Fourth Meeting of the Open Science Policy Platform
The Open Science Policy Platform (OSPP), where EuCheMS is represented by Executive Board Member Wolfram Koch, recently met for the fourth time, in Tallinn. During this meeting, the expert group on rewards and skills presented their final reports for discussion, while the OSPP working group on altmetrics presented their recommendations on Next-Generation Metrics. The next meeting of the OSPP will take place on 2 March 2018. Reports, minutes and other materials from OSPP meetings can be found at https://ec.europa.eu/. The OSPP is a high-level advisory group that supports the European Commission on how to further develop and implement open science policy.
Source: http://www.euchems.eu/
Proof of Concept: ERC Awards 51 Grants for Innovation
Fifty-one ERC grant holders receive top-up funding to explore the commercial or innovation potential of the results of their EU-funded frontier research. The selected innovative projects cover a wide variety of topics, and chemistry is present in projects such as imaging-XChem: A computational package for ultrafast electronic control in chemistry (Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Spain) or Graphene as effective anti-fading agent for the protection of artworks (Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas, Greece). Proof of Concept grants, worth €150,000 each and open to ERC grant holders, can be used, for example, to establish intellectual property rights, investigate business opportunities or conduct technical validation. The grantees can apply for funding in three rounds of the call. The budget of the overall 2017 Proof of Concept competition is €20 million.
Source: https://erc.europa.eu/news/proof-of-concept-erc-awards-51-grants-innovation
European Antibiotic Awareness Day
At the 10th Anniversary of the European Antibiotic Awareness day, on 15 November, Vytenis Andriukaitis, Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, and Carlos Moedas, Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation made a joint statement on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), a threat that by 2050 “could potentially kill one person every three seconds and become a more common cause of death than cancer”. In order to address this issue, the EU has created an action plan with three main objectives: 1) Making the EU a best practice region; 2) Boosting research and innovation; and 3) Shaping the global agenda. In more concrete terms, this June, the Commission adopted EU Guidelines on the prudent use of antimicrobials in human health; in September was launched the European Joint Action on Antimicrobial Resistance and HealthCare-Associated Infections (EUJAMRAI), involving 28 countries; and in October, ECDC, EFSA and EMA adopted a Scientific Opinion setting out indicators that address both the human and animal sectors so that the EU and Member States can measure progress. On research, investment will continue under Horizon 2020 where until now, projects with a cumulative budget of €350 million are funded and additional €200 million has been committed to AMR for the next three years. To know more about contribution of chemistry to AMR, read the conclusions of the EuCheMS-EFMC-STOA workshop on this topic.
Source: http://europa.eu/
European Parliament and Member States on Glyphosate
The European Parliament backed a full ban on glyphosate-based herbicides by December 2022 and immediate restrictions on the use of the substance earlier in October. The Parliament opposes the European Commission’s proposal to renew the controversial herbicide licence for 10 years. Instead, MEPs say the EU should draw up plans to phase out the substance, starting with a complete ban on household use and a ban in use for farming when biological alternatives work well for weed control. Glyphosate should then be completely banned in the EU by 15 December 2022, with the necessary intermediate steps, MEPs say. After the European Parliament position, Member States have met twice on this topic but did not reach an agreement regarding the renewal period for glyphosate, whose authorisation period ends by the end of 2017.
To know more about this topic, please consult the outcomes of this EuCheMS-Pavel Poc European Parliament workshop as well as this Chemistry in Europe article.
Source: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/; https://www.politico.eu/; http://www.euronews.com/
Global CO2 Emissions Stable
The annual assessment of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by the European Commission´s Joint Research Centre (JRC) and the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) confirms that CO2 emissions have stalled for the third year in a row. The report provides updated results on the continuous monitoring of the three main greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O). Global GHG emissions continue to be dominated by fossil carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, which however show a slowdown trend since 2012, and were stalled for the third year in a row in 2016. EU’s emissions remained stable with respect to the previous year while Russia, China, the United States, and Japan further decreased their CO2 emissions from 2015 to 2016.
Source: https://ec.europa.eu/
Education and Training in Europe Monitor
The 2017 edition of the Commission’s Education and Training Monitor, shows that national education systems are becoming more inclusive and effective. Yet it also confirms that students’ educational attainment largely depends on their socio-economic backgrounds. Among other findings, the report shows that the employment rate of recent graduates continues to recover from the 2008 crisis, standing now at 78.2%, not far from the goal of 82%. The report also looks into the mismatch between jobs and the skills workers possess, which remains high, particularly among bachelor’s diploma holders. According to the report this should be an incentive for educators to review curricula and education standards, and for students to review their choices of field of study.
Source: http://europa.eu/
Education and Training in Europe Monitor
The 2017 edition of the Commission’s Education and Training Monitor, shows that national education systems are becoming more inclusive and effective. Yet it also confirms that students’ educational attainment largely depends on their socio-economic backgrounds. Among other findings, the report shows that the employment rate of recent graduates continues to recover from the 2008 crisis, standing now at 78.2%, not far from the goal of 82%. The report also looks into the mismatch between jobs and the skills workers possess, which remains high, particularly among bachelor’s diploma holders. According to the report this should be an incentive for educators to review curricula and education standards, and for students to review their choices of field of study.
Source: http://europa.eu/
EUA Proposals for FP9
European Universities Association (EUA) has published its proposals for the Next Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (FP9). EUA proposals cover three key thematic areas: 1) providing long-term policies and funding instruments for research; 2) reinforcing collaboration and minimising discrepancies across the EU; and 3) seeking a stronger alignment of policies for education, research and innovation. Among other, EUA recommends to sufficiently fund a significantly larger number of excellent, collaborative and multidisciplinary research and innovation projects; to promote and support research based on bottom-up initiatives and open-themed calls for smaller, focused, multidisciplinary consortia; or to embed open science in all parts of FP9.
Source: http://eua.be/
A European Education Area by 2025
As part of the ongoing debate on the Future of Europe, the Commission set out its vision and concrete steps to create a European Education Area by 2025.
Even though the primary responsibility for education policies lies with the Member States, the European Union plays a complementary role and the Commission believes it is in the shared interest of all Member States to harness the full potential of education. According to the Commission, the European Area of Education should include, among other, an increase of student mobility; the mutual recognition of diplomas, the promotion of language learning, or the promotion 5% GDP investment in education.
Source: https://ec.europa.eu/
Horizon 2020: Work Programme 2018-2020
The European Commission recently announced the 2018 – 2020 Work Programme for Horizon 2020, which will invest €30 billion in research and innovation. Over the next 3 years, the Commission will seek greater impact of its research funding by focusing on fewer, but critical topics such as a low-carbon, climate resilient future, circular economy, among other. Horizon 2020 will also continue to fund frontier research, with the European Research Council supporting excellent researchers with a budget of nearly €1.86 billion for 2018 alone, and the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions with €2.9 billion budgeted for 2018 – 2020. Horizon 2020 will also be more geared towards boosting breakthrough, market-creating innovation. Horizon 2020 is the EU’s biggest ever research and innovation framework programme with a budget of €77 billion over seven years (2014-2020).
Source: http://europa.eu/
Songrui Zhao – EUCYS EuCheMS Award 2017
Songrui Zhao from China is the winner of the 2017 European Union Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS) EuCheMS Award with her project entitled A Research on Synthesis, Characterization and CO2 Absorptive Character of Pyridinium-based Ionic Liquids. Songrui Zhao synthesized three kinds of pyridium-based ionic liquids as new solvents for CO2 capture. Their physical properties and CO2 absorbing abilities were measured, calculated and analyzed. The cycling abilities and absorbing principle of these liquids were also discussed. The results show that the three kinds of ionic liquids can absorb CO2 efficiently and can be recycled completely. The new liquids can be used in industrial CO2 capture process.
EuCheMS special prize for best chemistry contribution at the European Union Contest for Young Scientist, is attributed every year at EUCYS to a young scientist for hers/his research work in the field of chemistry. EUCYS, an initiative of the European Commission, was set up in 1989 with the goal of promoting cooperation and interchange between young scientists and guiding them towards a future career in science and technology.
Source: http://www.euchems.eu/
EuCheMS at the EC’s Circular Economy Mission to Colombia
EuCheMS participated to the Circular Economy Mission to Colombia, which took place on 16 – 19 October 2017. The delegation was led by the Director General for the Environment of the European Commission, Mr. Daniel Calleja, and included almost 70 representatives from European companies, agencies, research centres and associations. EuCheMS was represented by Dr. Nicola Armaroli, Chair of the EuCheMS Working Party on Energy. This mission to Colombia follows-up on the previous missions to Chile, China and South Africa, in which EuCheMS participated. Circular Economy Missions are high-level political and business meetings outside the EU aimed at communicating and promoting sustainable and resource-efficient policies worldwide.
Source: http://www.euchems.eu/
EuCheMS at United Nations Climate Conference
The workshop “Future-Oriented Chemistry” took place earlier this month in Bonn at the United Nations Climate Conference (COP23). At this COP23 EU Pavilion side event experts from industry, academia and policy makers discussed the role of chemistry in promoting the Sustainable Development Goals through a low-carbon economy. To this end, speakers explored research possibilities, processes and products that already exist, and how these can positively impact climate change and our societies. Ulrich Schubert, EuCheMS former President, presented and explored the possibilities of a solar-driven chemistry. This event was co-organised by EuCheMS; the German Chemical Industry Association (VCI); the International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA); and the International Sustainable Chemistry Collaboration Centre (ISC3). The programme, presentations and photos from this workshop can be found in the link below.
Source: http://www.euchems.eu/
Schools Going Digital
The European Commission has launched the trial version of SELFIE, a new tool to support schools in self-assessing the use of digital technologies. 600 schools from 14 countries have the opportunity to try the new tool in this pilot phase, before it is finalised and made available to interested schools in Europe early 2018. SELFIE stands for Self-reflection on Effective Learning by Fostering Innovation through Educational Technology and is based on the Digitally-Competent Educational Organisations framework that offers a detailed description of what it takes for educational organisations to be digitally competent.
Source: https://ec.europa.eu/
2nd World Open Educational Resources Congress
The second World Open Educational Resources (OER) Congress closed as experts and national delegates from 111 countries adopted by acclamation the 2017 Ljubljana OER Action Plan. This action plan presents 41 recommended actions to mainstream open-licensed resources to help all Member States to build Knowledge Societies and achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal 4 on “quality and lifelong education.” The 2017 Ljubljana OER Action Plan provides recommendations to stakeholders in five strategic areas, namely: building the capacity of users to find, re-use, create and share OER; language and cultural issues; ensuring inclusive and equitable access to quality OER; developing sustainability models; and developing supportive policy environments.
Source: http://www.oercongress.org
Western Balkans Research Foundation
Following the recommendation of the “Joint Science Conference”, which was jointly organised by the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina and the French Académie des sciences, the Heads of State and Government decided at the Western Balkans Conference on 12 July in Trieste, Italy, to establish a foundation to support junior scientists at scientific institutions in the Balkans, the Western Balkans Research Foundation. This foundation is designed to enable outstanding junior scientists from the Balkans and from Europe to build up excellent research labs and teams in the Balkan countries within a period of five years through ad personam grants, enjoying grant portability. The grants will allow a preceding one to two-year training period in top research teams or labs in Europe, thus enhancing scientific links between the Western Balkans and the European Union.
Source: https://wbc-rti.info/in_focus
Impact of ERC Research
A new independent study published in September, shows the impact of the European Research Council’s (ERC) funded research. According to this study, 73% of projects evaluated have made breakthroughs or major scientific advances. The report also found that the ERC is achieving its goals of funding high-risk/high-gain projects and interdisciplinary frontier research. The study furthermore found that impact went beyond scientific spheres (into economy and society), despite that this aspect was not taken into account at the time of funding.
Source: https://erc.europa.eu/
Air Quality in Europe 2017
The European Environment Agency has recently published the 2017 edition of “Air Quality in Europe”. This report presents an updated overview and analysis of air quality in Europe from 2000 to 2015. Among other, it reviews the progress made towards meeting the air quality standards established in the two European Ambient Air Quality Directives, and towards the long‑term objectives of achieving levels of air pollution that do not lead to unacceptable harm to human health and the environment. According to this report, air pollution continues to have significant impacts on the health of the European population, particularly in urban areas with Europe’s most serious pollutants in terms of harm to human health being Particulate Matter (PM), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and ground-level ozone (O3).
Source: https://www.eea.europa.eu/
EU Countries Should use Pesticides More Sustainably
The report on the sustainable use of pesticides Directive recently adopted by the European Commission takes stock of progress made by the EU Member States in applying measures to reduce the risks and impacts of pesticides. It covers a wide range of topics such as aerial spraying, information to the public or training of professionals. The report indicates, among other, that it was found that protection of aquatic environments or specific areas such as public parks is difficult to assess given the lack of measurable targets in most National Action Plans. Moreover, the Integrated Pest Management (which promotes low-pesticide-input pest management) remains underused by Member States even though the number of EU-approved low risk pesticide substances has doubled since 2009.
Source: http://europa.eu/
EU and FAO Join Forces to Take Action on AMR
European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Vytenis Andriukaitis and the Director-General of Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) José Graziano da Silva, recently agreed to increase the collaboration between the two organisations in tackling the issue of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) on farms and food systems. The agreement envisages as possible actions enhancing the exchange of information and evidence related to antimicrobial use in food production; AMR management best practices; joint advocacy and education efforts to promote the responsible use of antimicrobials; supporting countries in drafting legislation of antimicrobial usage; joint trainings and capacity building for tracking the use of antibiotic in food systems and mapping the presence of AMR; and implement standards and guidelines related to AMR adopted by the Codex Alimentarius Commission. To know more about the relation between AMR and chemistry, read the conclusions of EuCheMS-EFMC-STOA workshop on this topic.
Source: http://europa.eu
Current Brexit Negotiations
The fifth round of the Brexit negotiations started earlier this month, and in a speech made at the European Parliament, EU´s Chief Negotiator Michel Barnier stated that “Our attitude will remain resolutely constructive because we want to succeed. We want to build an ambitious and lasting partnership with the United Kingdom – which will become a third country on 30 March 2019, as was its choice – in trade, but also in security and defence or research and innovation.” Earlier in 2017 EuCheMS has informed Michel Barnier about the position of the chemistry community on Research and Education Without Borders After Brexit, urging the negotiators to retain as strong as possible a relationship between EU and UK researchers.
Source: http://europa.eu/
Expert Evaluation Joint Programming on Metrology Research
Earlier this month, the European Commission published the Final evaluation of the European Metrology Research Programme (EMRP) and interim evaluation of the European Metrology Programme for Innovation and Research (EMPIR). The report, prepared by an independent expert group for the Commission, provides a clear endorsement of the metrology initiatives. It supports the full continuation of EMPIR, and suggests increasing the budget for a potential successor initiative. The expert group advocates increasing openness and inclusiveness to involve a wider measurement community, as well as ensuring effective coherence with other programmes. Metrology is the science of measurements and is needed to ensure quality and safety, as well as technological innovation and progress on a wide array of areas such as trade, health, or energy supplies. Given the role of chemistry in metrology, EuCheMS has answered to a public consultation on this topic earlier this year.
Source: http://www.euchems.eu/
Public Hearing on Monsanto Papers and Glyphosate
Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) discussed the EU risk assessment of the herbicide glyphosate, in the light of the so-called “Monsanto Papers”, with experts in a public hearing which took place on 11 October. Glyphosate is a widely used, but highly controversial plant protection product and the active substance in Monsanto’s weed killer Roundup. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) concluded that glyphosate is safe, while the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified it as “probably carcinogenic to humans”. At the hearing, MEPs discussed with experts the scientific basis for the risk assessment of glyphosate and the alleged influence of industry representatives on this assessment in the US and the EU. The hearing took place against the background of the ongoing debate over the renewal of glyphosate’s license in the EU (expiring by the end of 2017). EuCheMS and MEP Pavel Poc organised a workshop on this topic earlier this year, its conclusions can be consulted here.
Source: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/
Identifying Endocrine Disruptors: Parliament Blocks Plans Exempting Some Pesticides
The European Parliament recently blocked an EU Commission proposal which would have exempted some chemicals in pesticides from being identified as endocrine disruptors. Members of the European Parliament say that the Commission exceeded its mandate by proposing to exempt substances which are actually designed to attack an organism’s endocrine system, e.g. in pests, from the identification criteria. The European Commission will therefore have to draft a new version of the text, taking into account Parliament’s input.
EU legislation requires that pesticides or biocide substances have no endocrine-disrupting effects on other species than the ones targeted. To apply this legislation, the EU needs a list of scientific criteria for identifying endocrine disruptors, which is a first step towards measures reducing their presence and protecting citizens’ health. The European Court of Justice ruled in December 2015 that the EU Commission had breached EU law by failing to publish criteria for determining endocrine disrupters due at the end of 2013. MEPs have repeatedly urged the EU to clamp down on the substances. Meanwhile, the Commission has issued a statement on this veto.
Source: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/