1 European Highlights

1 European Highlights, BNU September 2021, Brussels News Updates

Conference on the Future of Europe divides EU scientists

Since the launch of the Conference on the Future of Europe (CoFoE), discussions arose within the European scientific community on the omission of some leading topics within its programme. 

This joint initiative of the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union, and European Commission aims at stimulating citizens to participate in shaping Europe’s future through a free, multilingual, and digital platform – designed as the “hub” of the conference – and various in-person and on-line events organised everywhere across the EU. This forum for EU-wide discussion invites registrants to debate a set of topics, which are:  

The Conference is expected to reach conclusions and provide guidance on the future of Europe by Spring 2022. The recommendations expressed through the CoFoE will be presented to the three Institutions, which will then further examine how to implement follow-up actions and turn these ideas into concrete actions. 

As inclusive and ambitious this project may be, EU researchers raised their voices to denounce the exclusion of “Research and Innovation” among the 9 leading topics (listed above) of the CoFoE. Although R&I can be included in a dedicated category, namely “other”, it minimises the important contribution of scientific research in shaping Europe’s future.  

The European Research Council (ERC) issued a statement denouncing this omission and to urge scientists in Europe to participate actively in the Conference to make their voices heard. Martin Andler, President of Initiative for Science in Europe (ISE) of which EuChemS is an observer member, addressed the Presidents of the three institutions, EU Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth Mariya Gabriel and the Co-chairs of the Executive Board of the CoFoE, Guy Verhofstadt, Ana Paula Zacarias and Dubravka Suica in a letter to alert them about this omission and its consequences for the scientific community.EuChemS President,

Floris Rutjes, also expressed his concerns and invited the European Chemistry community to take part in the CoFoE, in the most recent issue of EuChemS quarterly newsletter Chemistry in Europe: 

“The current pandemic, the climate crisis (the recent IPCC report has shown that the situation is more alarming than we perhaps imagined), and the waste problem – to name a few global challenges – will require significant investments in research and innovation in different scientific areas, thereby unlocking the immense potential of Europe’s researchers. Their contributions are needed to realise fundamental sustainable and digital transitions and at the same time keep Europe operating at the forefront of science in the highly competitive international arena.” 

– Floris Rutjes
EuChemS President
Source: https://bit.ly/2YGqNtj 

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State of the Union 2021: the EU tested by COVID-19

On 15 September 2021, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, conducted her yearly speech “State of the Union” in a plenary at the European Parliament.

President von der Leyen presented a summary of the past year and started by congratulating Europe for its efforts in fighting the coronavirus outbreak. She reported that more than 70% of the European population is now vaccinated and the NextGeneration EU is poised to foster resilience across the EU. Digital improvements have been made, such as the vaccine certificate valid all over the EU . She recognised the effort seen from the younger generation during the pandemic and proclaimed the year 2022 as the “year of the youth”. 

Moreover, she announced new measures related to COVID-19 resilience such as the new health strategy backed up with €50 million by 2027. Innovation and independence were also highlighted in her speech, as well as climate change: the funding for biodiversity will be doubled and the Conference of Parties (COP26) is expected to be groundbreaking with regards to carbon neutrality and environment-related policies next November in Glasgow, Scotland. 

“We have together turned our climate goals into legal obligations, and we are the first major economy to present comprehensive legislation in order to get it done[…] The goal is simple: to put a price on pollution. We will clean the energy we use. We will have smarter cars and cleaner airplanes and we will make sure that higher climate ambition comes with more social ambition” 

 – Ursula von der Leyen
President of the European Commission
Source: https://bit.ly/3kilWqJ

Members of the European Parliament from all parties took the floor to express their position on President von der Leyen’s speech. Main critics from the MEPs were targeting the lack of real actions taken by the European Commission regarding the promises they made.

You can watch the full plenary here. 

 

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EuChemS @ #WiFo 2021

From 29 August to 1 September, EuChemS had the pleasure to join the GDCh Science Forum Chemistry (WiFo) as an exhibitor which was for the first time organised entirely online. GDCh President, Professor Dr. Peter R. Schreiner, welcomed the participants during the WiFo Opening Ceremony on 29 August and presented the programme of the Congress, together with Professor Dr. Peter Gartner, President of the Austrian Chemical Society (GÖCH).  

During the opening ceremony, Professor Dr. Petra Mischnick received the Hildegard Hamm Brücher Prize for Equal Opportunities in Chemistry. Additionally, Professor Dr. Evamarie Hey-Hawkins gave a lecture “From Phosphorus Compounds and Materials to Biological Applications of Carboranes” and received the Karl Ziegler Prize. EuChemS congratulates all the GDCh awardees and is pleased that Professor Dr. Barbara Albert, former chair of the International Award Committee for the EuChemS Lecture Award (IACL), handed to Professor Dr. Evamarie Hey-Hawkins the award. In 2020, Professor Dr. Evamarie Hey-Hawkins gave a talk on “Phosphorus, an essential element to feed the world” during the workshop The value is on circularity – Recycling-reusing-reinvesting on critical raw materials co-organised by EuChemS and MEP Maria Spyraki.  

Other prestigious GDCh prizes have been awarded, such as the GDCh Prize for Journalists and Writers to Dr. Mai Thi Nguyen-Kim. During this digital event, registrants also had the opportunity to attend various conferences from the scientific programme, including discussions on various international top research topics such as infections, energy, sustainability, and climate. In addition, a poster session and a job fair enabled young scientists to present their research. 

WiFo 2021 was also a great opportunity for networking as the digital conference platform offered participants direct chat and video functions. Furthermore, the virtual exhibition enabled companies and institutions to present themselves, including EuChemS, thus offering many opportunities for networking. Registrants interacted with the EuChemS team through its virtual booth. For this occasion, EuChemS also set up a webpage to provide the registrants of WiFo 2021 with the most up-to-date information on the latest chemistry-related and science-policy news, awards, and upcoming events in Europe and beyond. 

You can visit the webpage “EuChemS @ WiFo 2021” here. 

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Meet the recipients of the 2022 European Chemistry Gold Medal and the 2020 EuChemS Lecture Award

We are pleased to announce that the 2022 European Chemistry Gold Medal has been awarded to Professor Dame Carol Robinson and that Professor Victor Mougel is the recipient of the 2020 EuChemS Lecture Award. 

On behalf of all of us at EuChemS: congratulations! 

Professor Dame Carol Robinson was awarded the 2022 European Chemistry Gold Medal for exceptional achievements in the field of chemistry in Europe. She is globally recognised as a leader in the development of mass spectrometry to understand the 3D structure of large molecular compounds, specifically carrying out ground-breaking research on protein folding, ribosomes, molecular chaperones, and membrane proteins. Her cutting-edge work finds many applications from antibiotic resistance to drug design in both academia and industry.
You can read more about the career of Professor Dame Carol Robinson here. 

The 2020 EuChemS Lecture Award has been awarded to Professor Victor Mougel for major achievements in chemistry as a junior scientist. He has made fundamental and application-driven contributions to his field, specifically through the development of efficient bio-inspired electrocatalytic CO2 reduction, constituting an important step towards more sustainable energy storage and conversion.
If you wish to discover more about the achievements of Professor Victor Mougel, click here.  

Both are invited to present their research at the 8th EuChemS Chemistry Congress (ECC8) in 2022, where they will also receive their prize. 

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EuChemS Historical Landmarks Award plaque unveiled at Almadén mines, Spain

After postponements due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we had the pleasure of travelling to Almadén (Spain) on 14 and 15 September 2021, where the mines have been awarded the 2019 EuChemS Historical Landmark (European level).

The ceremony was preceded by a symposium on the history of the mines and the element mercury. From EuChemS, Floris Rutjes, President, Pilar Goya, Vice-President and Nineta Hrastelj, Secretary General, attended the unveiling of the plaque in Almadén. The ceremony also welcomed several  high-level guests from the scientific community, media, politicians and regional organisers. Amongst others, the President of the Spanish Royal Chemical Society (RSEQ), Antonio M. Echavarren Pablos, the RSEQ Secretary General, Sonsoles Martín-Santamaría, and from Universidad of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM) María Antonia Herrero Chamorro and Antonio M. Rodríguez García were present. Additionally, the President of the Portuguese Chemical Society (SPQ), Artur Silva joined the unveiling of the  plaque.

We would like to thank all the people involved in this wonderful gathering, especially María Antonia Herrero Chamorro and Antonio M. Rodríguez García for impeccable coordination.

Read more here.

 

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ECHA updated the Candidate List with 8 new chemicals

On 8 July 2021, ECHA integrated 8 new chemical substances to its Candidate List. The list contains substances of high concern that may harm humans or the environment, which now includes a total of 219 different substances. They are classified according to the REACH regulation.

The newly added substances are:

  • 2-(4-tert-butylbenzyl)propionaldehyde and its individual stereoisomers; known for its toxicity on reproduction (can be found in cleaning agents, cosmetics, scented articles, polishes, and wax blends).
  • Orthoboric acid, sodium salt; known for its toxicity on reproduction (can be found in solvent and corrosion inhibitors).
  •  2,2-bis(bromomethyl)propane 1,3-diol (BMP); known for its carcinogenicity (can be found in manufacture of polymer resins and in one component foam application).
  •  Glutaral; known for its respiratory sensitising properties (can be found in biocides, leather tanning, x-ray film processing, cosmetics).
  • Medium-chain chlorinated paraffins; known for persistence, bioaccumulation, and toxicity (can be found in flame retardants, plasticising additives, sealants, rubbers, and textiles)
  • Phenol, alkylation products with C12-rich branched alkyl chains; known for its toxicity on reproduction and endocrine disruptive properties (can be found in lubricant additive materials and fuel system cleaners).
  •  1,4-dioxane; known for its carcinogenicity, environment, and health damage (can be found in solvent).
  • 4,4′-(1-methylpropylidene)bisphenol; known for its endocrine disrupting properties (can be found in manufacture of phenolic and polycarbonate resin).

Since 8 July 2021, Importers and manufacturers using these substances have 6 months to inform ECHA about it. For safe use, consumers shall be notified when each of these substances exceeds a concentration of 0.1% in consumer products.

More information on the updated Candidate List can be found here.

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EU Code of Conduct on Responsible Food Business and Marketing Practices

On 5 July 2021, the EU Code of Conduct on Responsible Food Business and Marketing Practices was officially launched by the European Commission, together with relevant stakeholders. The Code is part of the Farm to Fork Strategy (F2F) action plan and targets responsible food businesses and marketing practices.

The EU Code of Conduct consists of 7 aspirational objectives, aiming for more sustainable and healthy food choices:

  • Healthy, balanced and sustainable diets for all European consumers, contributing to: reversing malnutrition and diet-related noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and reducing environmental footprint of food consumption by 2030.
  • Prevention and reduction of food loss and waste by supporting improved food management at household level (e.g., promoting more mindful buying) or minimising waste and reducing losses in operations and across the value chain.
  • A climate neutral food chain in Europe by 2050 by reducing energy use and applying sustainable bioeconomy-based solutions while contributing to a circular economy.
  • An optimised circular and resource-efficient food chain in Europe by improving resource efficiency within own operations (e.g., water management practices, waste water quality and water recovery and re-use) and enhancing the sustainability of food and drink packaging.
  • Sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment, and decent work for all by improving resilience and competitiveness (e.g., increasing research and innovation in food sustainability), supporting a skilled workforce, and providing safe and inclusive workplaces for all.
  • Sustainable value creation in the European food supply chain through partnership by supporting improved resilience and competitiveness of the supply chain (e.g., engaging in joint pre-competitive research and innovation like co-innovation product/process/technology) and stimulating sustainable production.
  • Sustainable sourcing in food supply chains by transforming commodity supply chain (e.g., encouraging the uptake of scientifically robust sustainability certification schemes for food) and improving social performance in food supply chains

Every company (regardless of size) involved in food activities or related to food processes can join the EU Code of Conduct. Stakeholders wishing to sign the Code are requested to commit to it over the long-term (at least until 2025) and to provide an annual report in April. Commitment information will be made available to the public and each stakeholder will present its progress at least once a year on a specific and dedicated platform.

In total, 65 signatories (26 food manufacturers, 14 food retailers, 1 from food service sector and 24 associations) attended the High-level stakeholder celebratory event marking the launch of the Code of Conduct in July.

“The EU Code of Conduct on responsible food business and marketing practices is a considerable step forward made by the agri-food ecosystem. Every voluntary commitment counts to achieve the sustainable transition of our food systems, while increasing their resilience. The Commission is committed to mobilising its support instruments, in particular for SMEs, the backbone of the agri-food ecosystem, as we are embarking on this ambitious journey.”

– Thierry Breton
Commissioner for the Internal Market
Source: https://bit.ly/3yocZAL

You can find more information about the EU Code of Conduct here.

 

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Women-TechEU: paving the way for tomorrow’s deep tech champions

The recent publication of most of Horizon Europe’s work programmes has provided insights on European priorities over the 7 coming years. Amongst them, ensuring a fair and equal digital transition is particularly critical.

In response to the low proportion of women-founded innovative start-ups in the EU (15%) and the even lower 2% of all-female teams being granted venture capital money, Horizon Europe’s European Innovation Ecosystems 2021-2022 work programme gives emphasis to gender equality within the digital sector with its 2021 Women-TechEU call.

A call for mentors in leadership positions (investors, researchers and tech experts) was launched under the EIC’s Women Leadership Programme. Introduced at the time of the European Research and Innovation Days (23-24 June), the call will close 10 November 2021.

Enshrined under the SCALEUP – Elevating the scalability potential of European Business destination, WomenTechEU action will be supported by the European Innovation Council’s Accelerator & Pathfinder with a €2 million contribution.

The initiative’s €3.75 million total indicative budget is to be distributed as €75,000 individual grants to support early-stage business development and targets women founders, co-founders or holding a high management position in deep tech start-ups around Europe and associated countries.

The early-stage focus brings novelty with respect to the EIC’s main Accelerator programme – which also supports women-led start-ups development in general – and is expected to generate talent attraction for a greater emergence of women-founded companies in the future.

Women-TechEU also includes assistance in networking and mentoring activities which will be provided by the EIC Business Acceleration Services (BAS) to increase women’s visibility and funding opportunities.

Find out more about Women-TechEU here.

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Clock is ticking, will Europe be “Fit for 55” by 2030?

As the EU is stepping into its new MFF term, the 2030 deadline is getting closer. With this in mind, the European Commission recently (mid-July) presented a myriad of new measures along with law revisions gathered under its newest Fit for 55 package. The initiative is expected to provide the EU with tools to meet the Green Deal’s objectives, comply with the European Climate Law and keep its Paris Agreement commitments.

The scheme’s “55” stands for the EU’s 55% reduction target for greenhouse gas emission to be met by 2030, which had been communicated to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in December 2020 under Germany’s presidency.

The Fit for 55 Package will constitute a main priority on the Slovenian presidency agenda which will strive to foster flexibility for all EU countries to reach the initiative’s goals while meeting its deadlines.

Continuing its efforts on emission reduction since it was launched in 2005, the EU Emission Trading System is to be revised together with the Effort Sharing Regulation with lower carbon emission limits and higher annual reduction targets. The two policies will continue working hand in hand putting a price on the carbon tonne and respectively covering 40% (power sector, manufacturing industry) and 60% (transport, agriculture) of the total current greenhouse gases emissions.

Revisions on the strongly related Renewable Energy Directive and Energy Efficiency Directive are setting a 40% target for sustainably produced energy by 2030. Combined, the two legislations are expected to increase clean energy production while reducing our overall energy consumption (green or not).

Adjustments on the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Directive will back this effort with the implementation of more convenient refuelling and recharging devices for clean transports (e.g. hydrogen trucks) and electric cars. The Directive will be complemented by two newly introduced initiatives: ReFuelEU Aviation and FuelEU Maritime which will strive to boost the use of sustainable fuel alternatives and zero emissions technology in both transport sectors. Both programmes introduce gradually increasing percentages of green fuels within blending mandates (up to 60% of Sustainable Aviation Fuels-SAF by 2050) and incentives towards various cleaner alternatives.

Lastly, a new Social Climate Fund will support EU citizens with green transition-related costs. The expected €72.2 billion budget for the 2025-2032 period will endeavour to align the green transition process with NextGenEU and Resilience and Recovery Facility objectives.

A scheme that doesn’t fit all

Another main measure among the brand new ones is the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism which is to be implemented by 2023 and is meant to protect European firms from environmental dumping while preventing “carbon leakage”.

Further discussions on the upcoming COP26 in November are expected to clarify the situation.

Read more on the various Fit for 55 measures here.

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Pact for R&I: a new start for ERA

On 16 July, the European Commission adopted its proposal for a Council recommendation on “a Pact for Research and Innovation in Europe”. This policy action is dedicated to boosting the implementation of the European Research Area (ERA), which aims to create a single EU-wide market for research and innovation.

The Pact is a long-term plan, with similar goals as the ones for ERA when it was implemented in 2000, but adapted to current challenges (e.g., the COVID-19 pandemic). First recommendations were made to the EU Member States to encourage them to agree on common directives and guidelines for research and innovation at the EU level. Scientists must work in a safe and healthy environment within the EU, which includes gender equality, freedom of scientific research, and ethics. ERA could achieve these goals by bringing more cooperation at the national and European level, with efficient and inclusive working methods.

Furthermore, the Pact will enable each EU Member State to establish an internal market of knowledge within ERA’s action plan. A global engagement through incentives will be implemented and researchers will be at the core of the programme. The reward system will be put in place, similar to the one for the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (ensuring consistency with a well-established and attractive work project). To achieve this, ERA will be fully re-shaped through special tools: a specific policy agenda (clear and actionable targets with direct follow-up implementations), an online policy platform (for reporting the implementations and investments), a scoreboard (monitoring ERA’s objectives with indicators and qualitative analyses) and regular policy dialogues between EU Member States and the European Commission.

“The Pact for Research and Innovation is the first milestone in our ambition for a simplified and more efficient European Research Area. The objective of the Pact is to foster the future dialogue process with key actors putting a clear emphasis on sharing best practices and facilitating the collaboration of Member States to invest in and coordinate on common research and innovation objectives.”

– Mariya Gabriel,
Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth
Source: https://bit.ly/3Aq3kKj

Finally, the Pact will strive to reinforce the role and the legitimacy of ERA with a common approach of the Member States through investing 3% of their GDP in research and innovation by 2030 (1.25% of the EU GDP). Member States lagging behind the EU’s average GDP dedicated to research and innovation should increase their expenses by at least 50% in 5 years.

You can read the full proposal here.

 

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ERC 2022 work programme strives to carry on H2020 accomplishments with its largest annual budget ever

Mid-July has seen the adoption of the European Research Centre 2022 work programme under Horizon Europe. Its €2.4 billion annual budget accounts for 15% of its €16 billion total 2021-2027 allocated funds. It represents a €0.5 billion increase compared to its 2021 budget and a €0.2 billion rise from its 2020 budget under Horizon 2020. Its overall HE budget is €3.5 billion higher than its H2020 budget, but its share has decreased as the programme’s overall budget has risen (18% for H2020, 17% of HE).

Besides ERC’s usual Starting, Consolidator and Advanced Grants, the work programme will be bringing back the Synergy and Proof of Concept Grants which are not featured amongst its 2021 calls. The two latter calls will allow for intensified interdisciplinary research and expanded international cooperation.  Both Synergy and Proof of Concept calls will open on 15 July 2021 with respectively €300 million and €25 million budgets. A second Proof of Concept call is to be launched on 16 November 2021 and will be allocating the second half of its total €50 million dedicated fund.

In terms of priorities, ERC’s 2022 work programme will be fostering its biggest annual budget ever to generate the creation of  “Some 8,000 jobs for post-doctoral fellow, PhD students and other research staff [from across the EU and associated countries, regardless of their nationality] in ERC grantees’ teams.”

It will put emphasis on pressing societal matters with initiatives such as the enforcement of the Gender Equality Plan requirement, which applicants must have finalised by the time the grant agreement is to be signed and which covers the whole project duration.

Its Public Engagement with Research Award will also strive to deliver on Horizon Europe’s key focus on citizen’s involvement by incentivising the building of projects with a wider audience outreach.

Find out more about the ERC 2022 work programme and its calls calendar here.

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EuChemS answered to the public consultation on the UWWTD

The European Chemical Society (EuChemS) has recently responded to the public consultation on the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (UWWTD) launched by the European Commission.

The UWWTD is part of the EU water policy and aims at ensuring that urban wastewater is clean and safe for protecting public health and the environment. Commission adoption is scheduled during the first quarter of 2022.

In its reply, EuChemS identified challenges and needs to address, such as storm water overflows, micropollutants, industrial discharges, etc. You can read EuChemS’ full response here.

 

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Mark your calendar for the upcoming EuChemS activities in September

Celebrating (a part of) the History of Chemistry in Almadén, Spain

On 14 – 15 September, the Spanish Royal Society of Chemistry (RSEQ) is organising the ceremony for the unveiling of the EuChemS Historical Landmark plaque for the Almadén mines, which has been awarded at the European level for its 2019 edition EuChemS Historical Landmarks Award (European level) in recognition of the role it played in the history of chemistry and the European sense of belonging between people and ideas.

This ceremony will be preceded by a symposium on the history of the mines and the mercury element – the greatest volume of mercury production in history has been achieved in these mines.

You can read more about the upcoming celebration here (in the Spanish language).

Follow EuChemS on social networks to not miss out on the ceremony!

 

2021 EuChemS Awards calls for nominations

Four (4) calls for nominations will open in September 2021:

EuChemS at #WiFo2021

From 29 August to 1 September, EuChemS will join the next GDCh Science Forum Chemistry (WiFo) as a classic partner. For 4 days, registrants will be able to interact with the EuChemS team through its interactive virtual booth.

This year’s event will be held online. You can discover more about it and register here.

2021 DAC-EuChemS Lectures Awardees Webinar

The EuChemS Division of Analytical Chemistry (DAC) is organising the ‘2021 DAC-EuChemS Lectures Awardees’ webinar which will be held on Thursday 16 September 2021, from 11:00 to 13:30 CEST.

You can click here to discover more about the programme for this online event.

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The Initiative for Science in Europe’s position paper on the Horizon Europe budget allocation

On 6 July, the Initiative for Science in Europe (ISE) released a position paper on the Horizon Europe programme. EuChemS’ representative within the ISE task force on Horizon Europe could contribute to the building of consistent argumentation and recommendations on the newest European R&I framework.

While welcoming Horizon Europe’s international dimension, ISE highlighted the need for a stronger incentive toward interdisciplinary actions. The multiple suggestions from ISE include recommendations for calls covering more than one Horizon Europe cluster (under pillar II), as well as more budget flexibility across intervention areas.

Although ISE supports the “Widening Participation” cross-cutting action within all the pillars of Horizon Europe, emphasis is given on the importance of addressing the EU15/EU13 gap issues and the lack of collaboration between both groups.

As final proposals for improvement, the ISE position paper underlines the need to build a strong pan-European research community that will be globally competitive.

You can read more about the ISE position paper on Horizon Europe here.

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OECD’s report on reducing the precarity of academic research careers

In May 2021, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) released a policy report on reducing the precarity of academic research careers. This report addresses precarity in research careers and emphasises the importance of making it a top science policy priority in the 38 OECD countries.

It also investigates the working conditions of early-career scientists, who face a shortage of permanent jobs, hence a lack of long-term prospects and job security. The report highlights that the doctorate level attainment is rising worldwide, which increases the competition for academic research positions. The OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) notes in this report that universities mainly focus on preparing postdocs for academic careers and recommends them to train early-career researchers in gaining skills beyond fundamental research to encourage them in pursuing professional careers.

The report also explores the consequences of the COVID-19 outbreak on the precarity of academic research careers, resulting in more inequities and exposing more flaws in the academic organisational system.

The OECD’s report on reducing the precarity of academic research careers is the result of a project that started in September 2019, following an initiative launched during the 2018 OECD Global Science Forum (GSF). You can read the full report here.

In January 2021, Initiative for Science in Europe (ISE) addressed academic precarity in a report. More details are available here.

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ECHA and EFSA begin reviewing Glyphosate renewal assessments

On 15 June 2021, the Assessment Group of Glyphosate (AGG) – composed of France, Hungary, the Netherlands and Sweden – published its draft Renewable Assessment Report (dRAR) on glyphosate. This chemical product, known for its controversial side effects, can be used in the EU until December 2022 (the renewal process must end before this date).

The assessment process started in December 2019, followed by the submission of a comprehensive dossier in June 2020. All applicants were represented by the Glyphosate Renewal Group (GRG), which submitted the data and justifications.

After analysing the dossier, the AGG concluded that there was no justification for glyphosate to be classified in the human health risk area as germ cell mutagenicity, genotoxic or mutagenic, carcinogenicity, reproductive toxicity and specific target organ toxicity. However, the criterion “eye damage” is classified as a justified reason and was retained. For ecotoxicology, the criterion “toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effect” has been retained as well.

This document was sent to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) and the European Food and Safety Agency (EFSA) with a Harmonised Classification and Labelling (CLH) dossier for assessment. EFSA and ECHA will invite all interested parties to contribute through public consultations (scheduled to be released at the beginning of September 2021). Then, the AGG will be asked by EFSA and ECHA to address comments received. EFSA can request additional data from the applicants.

EFSA conclusions are expected in the second half of 2022, as well as the feedback from the Risk Assessment Committee (RAC) of ECHA. Then, the European Commission will prepare a discussion in the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed (SCoPAFF) in which risk managers of all Member States are represented.

EuChemS on Glyphosate

The European Chemical Society (EuChemS) held a workshop: Glyphosate, Harmless Tool or Sneaky Poison ?, which took place at the European Parliament in 2017. Members of the European Parliament, policymakers, and researchers discussed the toxic potential of the chemical in health, environmental and plant protection domains.

 

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Gender gap in the digital sector: an ITRE workshop

On 18 June, the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) hosted the “Bridging the gender gap in digital, research and industry: what is the way forward?” workshop.

Following the introductory words from MEP and Chair Cristain Buşoi and MEP Josianne Cutajar, speakers from three panels could discuss various aspects of the gender gap in the ongoing digital transition and the shortage of women in STEM in the EU.

Cheryl Miller Van Dÿck, Chairwoman at the Women Entrepreneurship Platform and Digital Leadership Institute, Belgium and Caroline Lair, Founder of The Good AI, co-founder of Women in AI France, as members of the 2nd and 3rd panel, emphasised the unevenly distributed uptake of new technologies between genders.

However, focus was also given to the opportunity of using the AI revolution as a tool to fight gender bias rather than letting it exacerbate the already existing ones.

The closing Q&A sessions highlighted the fact that meeting SDG5 objectives requires “gender equality [to] be the leading principle for the digital transition”.

You can watch the recording of the workshop here.

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Maria Leptin appointed next ERC President

On 30 June 2021, the European Commission appointed Maria Leptin as the new president of the European Research Center (ERC). She will take over from ERC interim President, Jean-Pierre Bourguignon, on 1 October 2021. Her term will be of four years, renewable once.

“The European Research Council has since its launch in 2007 built a global reputation for funding excellent, curiosity-driven research. Continued strong leadership and imagination will elevate its standing further. Professor Maria Leptin is the right choice for this task, given her distinguished academic career, international renown, and proven record of innovation and leadership. I would also like to pay tribute to President Jean-Pierre Bourguignon for his remarkable leadership during his terms as ERC President and during the transition from the old to the new EU research and innovation programme.”

–       Mariya Gabriel,
Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth
Source: https://bit.ly/3dwsbmK 

Discover more about Maria Leptin’s appointment and her CV here.

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Third edition of the European and Innovation Days

The third edition of the European Research and Innovation Days was held online on 23 and 24 June 2021. This two-day event was organised by the European Commission and aimed at enhancing cooperation and discussion in the field of R&I by connecting policymakers, researchers, entrepreneurs, and the general public in Europe.

As Commissioner Mariya Gabriel underlined, this year’s edition was marked by the launch of Horizon Europe, the 2021 – 2027 EU R&I framework programme:

“The 2021 edition of the European Research and Innovation Days could not have come at a more important time. Together, we can recover from the coronavirus pandemic and ensure a green and digital future for everyone.”

–       Mariya Gabriel,
Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth
Source: https://bit.ly/3c9ezgM

Furthermore, the 2021 edition of the European R&I Days focused on three main topics:

  • strengthening the European Research Area (ERA);
  • fostering the COVID-19 recovery;
  • shaping a greener and more digital future for Europe.

Click here to discover more about the R&IDaysEU 2021.

MSCA: what’s new under Horizon Europe?

On 1 July 2021, an information session presenting the key novelties of the MSCA calls under Horizon Europe was organised during the Horizon Europe Info Days. Amongst others, new policies have been implemented to reduce the administrative burden and facilitate the application process.

 

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 1 European Highlights, BNU July 2021, Brussels News Updates

2021-2022 Horizon Europe work programme now released

A little bit more than two months after its official budget adoption by the European Parliament and seven years after its predecessor Horizon 2020, Horizon Europe’s first work programme 2021-2022 was officially published in mid-June 2021.

The European Commission’s investment plan for the upcoming months gives an insight into how the first actions from the programme’s 2021-2024 strategic plan will be implemented and provides that €14.7 billion out of the total €95.5 billion will be allocated over 2021-2022.

Ensuring Europe’s recovery is achieved under NextGeneratioEU’s green and sustainable principles while harnessing new digital opportunities are the Commission’s top priorities. With the aim to make Europe the world’s first climate neutral continent by 2050, the Commission also plans to invest around €5.8 billion in Green Deal related R&I while investing about €4 billion in digital innovations.

The crucial need for stronger International cooperation also constitutes a key element to the recently released work programme and will be an urge to stand by the Commission’s Global Approach to Research & Innovation.

On a more specific note, the MSCA body – whose actions strongly revolve around more gender equality in research as well as providing greater opportunities to young researchers – was allocated a €6.6 billion budget for the entire MFF term and €822 million for 2021 alone to be invested in its 5 key action fields.

“Question mark” over Switzerland’s participation in Horizon Europe

Simultaneously, parallel negotiations are casting a shadow upon the above-mentioned encouraging events. As a matter of fact, while the UK participation in the newest European R&I programme as an associated third country has been well prepared, thought over and now ensured, the same consideration may well not be applied to associated Schengen member state Switzerland.

In the recently published Horizon Europe Programme Guide, Switzerland does not appear on the list of third countries associated to Horizon Europe. The notification coming out of the blue has left a number of researchers – who had been encouraged to apply to Horizon Europe ERC’s first calls in spring – puzzled and somewhat speechless.

Discussions are not irrevocably closed but the underlying political tensions still pending make Switzerland’s ability to associate with Horizon Europe highly uncertain at present.

Read more about Horizon Europe’s 2021-2022 work programme here.

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Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU: priority on science, gender balance and youth in pivotal times

Precisely 13 years after its first Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Slovenia stepped into its second mandate on 1 July 2021 and started implementing critical new initiatives while pursuing inherited measures from its direct predecessors as the EU is slowly shifting from crisis-handling times to post-crisis recovery.

Nowadays, being faced with a highly diverse EU and standing by the presidential trio’s common top priorities, Slovenia strives to strengthen the European health system while guaranteeing a fair, sustainable, and digital transition. As a first milestone, the Slovenian Resilience and Recovery Plan (with a €2.5 billion budget) on NextGenerationEU’s recovery package fund utilisation was approved by the European Commission in early July.

 

Then, from a broad perspective, Slovenia will be committed to pursue its predecessors’ ambitions by revolving the forthcoming 6-month term around the success of the new European R&I programme: Horizon Europe – whose work programmes and first calls have just been released – and by ensuring the building of strong links between the programme’s actions and the Recovery .

This commitment comes along with the more specific determination to build a renewed and more inclusive European Research Area (ERA) whose process, as suggested by Slovenia’s presidential motto “Together. Resilient. Europe.”, will strongly rely on the importance of collaborating with third countries in the scientific knowledge field. The upcoming Council’s response to Europe’s global approach to cooperation in research and innovation: strategic, open, and reciprocal is expected to outline Slovenia’s action plan suggestions on this matter.

Within the building of this new ERA but equally throughout the whole programme and its presidential term in general, Slovenia will work on fostering EU private-public partnerships to maximise excellence in research outcomes. What’s more, it will prioritise gender balance as well as the greater professional integration of young researchers.

In the same vein, Slovenia will also take further steps towards the adoption of the Pact for Research and Innovation, laying down the foundations for ERA’s implementation principles and aiming at setting common targets across Europe. The adoption completion would allow Slovenia to bolster the Lisbon Treaty’s initial ambition to “strengthen [the EU’s] scientific and technological bases by achieving a European Research Area in which researchers, scientific knowledge and technology circulate freely” from when it was officially implemented under its previous presidential term.

Echoing Prime Minister Janez Janša’s words when initiating Slovenia’s 2008 Presidency, pledging to “see the environmental-energy dimension as being one of the key issues for the future of the European Union” Slovenia will also strive to foster innovative opportunities in the clean energy field by completing negotiations on the Trans-European Networks for Energy (TEN-E) as well as on the Renewable Energy Sources Directive (RES) and the Energy Efficiency Directive (EE) as announced by State Secretary of the Environment Metka Gorišek.

Furthermore, Slovenia’s valuable resilience illustrated through the development of its eHealth system in response to the COVID-19 crisis and in the cancer detection field as well as its strong AI innovator potential – which led UNESCO to select it as a homeland for its International Research Centre on Artificial Intelligence (IRCAI) – will allow it to bring consistent input to the drafting of general approaches on key EU digital initiatives such as the recently published AI Act.

Slovenia’s Presidency will end on 31 December 2021, thus concluding the Presidential Trio of the Council of the EU made up of Germany, Portugal and Slovenia.

Ljubljana pact on gender parity in research

The Slovenian Presidency is currently drafting the Ljubljana pact on gender parity in research, a document aiming to enhance actions towards gender equality in research and to boost joint efforts between EU member states in this regard.

In its work programme, Slovenia states that “in the European Research Area, special attention will be devoted to efforts to ensure gender equality” (page 30). The Slovenian Presidency will also support the EU Gender Equality Strategy and will work on reaching gender equality in the labour market by promoting women’s participation and reducing the gender pay gap.

You can have a look at the official website of the Slovenian Presidency here.

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 1 European Highlights, BNU July 2021, Brussels News Updates

Data Act: EuChemS answered the European Commission’s roadmap

EuChemS has recently answered to the European Commission’s roadmap on the Data Act & amended rules on the legal protection of databases, which aims to foster business-to-government and B2B sharing, hence strengthening the implementation of Open Access and Open Science.

In its answer, EuChemS welcomed the European Commission’s initiative as part its legislative pathway towards a European Single Data Market and stressed the necessity for the Data Act to comply with the current EU IPR policies in place such as GDPR and ePrivacy Dir. 2002/58/EC while underlining the related overlapping risks.

EuChemS is currently preparing its response to the public consultation of the Commission. In the meantime, you are invited to read more here about the EuChemS’ answer to the roadmap on the ‘Data Act’.

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 1 European Highlights, BNU July 2021, Brussels News Updates

From water to molten salts: geoinspired syntheses and reactivity of nanomaterials

On 23 June, the European Chemical Society (EuChemS) held another successful online event in celebration of the 2019 EuChemS Lecture Awardee. More than 150 attendees from 23 different countries attended this webinar to learn more about the research conducted by David Portehault, who gave a talk on “From water to molten salts: geoinspired syntheses and reactivity of nanomaterials.”  

In his talk, David Portehault explained original nanomaterials synthetisation from the perspective of geology: he presented geo-inspired synthesis conditions, from low temperature chimie douce in water, to liquid-phase synthesis in inorganic molten salts and to high pressures. In addition, two students under the supervision of David Portehault, Yang Song and Fernando Igoa, complemented his presentation, illustrating the cross-disciplinary approach of the group (i.e. nano chemistry, solid-state chemistry, materials science, and high-pressure physics). Their presentations were titled “Design of metal silicide nanoparticles in molten salts for electrocatalytic water oxidation” and “The soft chemistry of extended covalent systems towards boron-based nanomaterials” respectively.  

During the webinar, Floris Rutjes, EuChemS President, handed out the 2019 EuChemS Lecture Awardee to David Portehault virtually, after giving the laudation. David Portehault was selected as the 2019 Prize winner by the EuChemS Executive Board, following the advice of the International Award Committee for the EuChemS Lecture Award (IACL), in recognition of his major achievements in chemistry as a junior scientist.  

“This event was a nice opportunity for some PhD students to speak in front of a wide audience. I think it was important in this context of social distancing.” 

-David Portehault, EuChemS 2019 Lecture Awardee
Closing remarks of the 2019 EuChemS Lecture Awardee webinar 

You are invited to watch the recording of this webinar on the EuChemS YouTube channel.  

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 1 European Highlights, BNU June 2021, Brussels News Updates

ECHA’s Five-year Report on REACH/CLP

On 1 June 2021, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) issued a Five-year Report on the operations of Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction (REACH) and Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) – ECHA’s two central tools for managing the safety of chemicals in the European Union. The report assesses the impact of REACH and CLP by using data available to ECHA over the 2016-2020 period and looks into what needs to change to make these two regulations more effective. Amongst others, the report highlights that synergies between REACH and CLP shall be improved to reach the ‘one substance, one assessment’ ambition. 

Source: European Chemicals Agency (ECHA)

In its report, ECHA highlights five clusters: 

  • Health and Safety for Workers: the self-classification of substances conducted by companies increases transparency of internal information and helps companies in improving safety. 
  • Health and Safety for Consumers: the obligation of clarity in label packaging improved communication with consumers, but further efforts are needed to fully implement the Substance of Very High Concern (SVHC).
  • Environmental Protection: regulations have strengthened the restrictions on the control of authorized substances but the limitation of available data has slowed the process.
  • Functioning of the Internal Market: the functioning improved thanks to the actions taken by companies in participating in joint submissions for the same substance.
  • Innovation and competitiveness: the notification of Product or Process Oriented Research and Development (PPORD) increased by 35% since 2018 and the number of new substances registered increased overall since the entry into operation of REACH. 
  • Promotion of alternative methods of animal testing: this is achieved through effective implementation of REACH, making information available on alternatives and contributing to international activities.

You can read the report here. 

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Mariya Gabriel receives the European Innovation Area Manifesto from MEP Maria da Graça Carvalho

On 1 June, during the knowledge4innovation online event, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth Mariya Gabriel was symbolically handed over the European Innovation Area Manifesto from MEP Maria da Graça Carvalho, member of the ITRE Committee. 

The document, presented as a manuscript, is to be complemented with additional input on the policy orientations that institutions shall pursue in building the European Innovation Area (EIA). A bottom-up method has been implemented by the European Commission to collect expertise from multiple European groups, such as industries and academic bodies, on potential opportunities to foster R&I in the EU.   

The manifesto is in line with the EU’s green and digital goals, and also includes a women-empowering dimension with specific targets on investments in women-led firms and female entrepreneurship. In her speech to the online audience and speakers, Mariya Gabriel emphasised the European Commission’s will to empower women in taking the lead in STEM fields and start-ups. She also mentioned the EU’s overarching intention to “complete the knowledge triangle by connecting the EIA with the European Research Area and the European Education Area”; referring to the EU’s programme synergy strategy for the next MFF term. 

Find out more about it here.

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