On 1 July 2020, Germany has officially taken over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union from Croatia. The COVID-19 pandemic and its recovery plan are at the heart of the 6-months Presidency of Germany, as its motto indicates: ‘Together for Europe’s recovery.’ Hence, research and innovation are put at the forefront of the Germany’s strategic agenda.
In view of the current global health crisis, the German Presidency announced supporting European research and its scientific community by enhancing online platforms and open access.
European research and development play a key role in the prevention of and efforts to overcome healthcare crises. We are therefore committed to making the European Research Area even more dynamic and targeted in a spirit of solidarity with respect to tackling the pandemic. Moreover, we want to discuss how the EU ERAvsCorona Action Plan can be further developed.
– Programme for Germany’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union, I. Europe’s response to COVID-19 pandemic, p.6.
Although the COVID-19 pandemic is at the heart of Germany’s strategy agenda, its representatives will not forget to tackle environmental issues by implementing sustainable solutions in Europe. The German Presidency would like to provide guidance for the EU Strategy on Sustainable and Smart Mobility. Moreover, Germany presented itself as a strong advocate of the European Green Deal. Germany indicated in its agenda its ambition to strengthen international cooperation in research and education areas to successfully implement the European Green Deal. On top of developing open online platforms, supporting green hydrogen initiatives, and further developing civic participation are part of Germany’s Green Deal action plan for Europe.
In the second semester of 2020, the German Presidency of the Council of the EU will also support the Commission’s Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan and will work on digital application to cancer treatments, as well as on advancing cancer treatment and prevention.
On Friday, 3 July 2020, the European Chemical Society held its very first online webinar to celebrate 50 years since the foundation of the Federation of European Chemical Societies (FECS), which is today known as EuChemS.
The rich, diverse and entertaining programme included the premiere of the first EuChemS video, speeches from 17 live speakers, many photographs from the past years of EuChemS, an original international video with congratulations in different languages prepared by the EYCN – European Young Chemists’ Network. The fact that it was organised online did not stop the panellists from blowing out the candles together (from a virtual cake) and reading all the wonderful birthday cards that were sent from around the world.
In case you were not able to join us in person, don’t worry – the event was recorded and is available on the EuChemS YouTube channel and you can subscribe to stay up to date with the videos we will be posting!
On 5 June 2020, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) warned about the increasing commercialisation of non-compliant disinfectants during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a press release, ECHA indicates that twenty Member States of the European Union have reported to ECHA and the European Commission about the growing number of illegal and ineffective hand disinfectants available on national markets.
As a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand of disinfectants increased, and the presence non-compliant products as well (i.e. wrong formulation, no authorisations, lack of hazard labelling, etc.).
The European Commission has published a guidance on the applicable legislation for leave-on hand cleaners and disinfectants. You can read it here.
In March 2020, the European Chemical Society published an article on chemical disinfectants, and more specifically on how alcohol can make a high-level disinfectant.
If you are interested to learn more about it, the article is available here.
The ERCEA supports operationally the ERC Scientific Council. Based in Brussels, the ERCEA is also in charge of the day to day administration of the European Research Council (ERC). Among the many activities conducted by the ERCEA, it is also responsible for the peer review process.
The management team is appointed by the European Commission. It includes a Director and a Steering Committee:
the director, Waldemar Kütt, is in charge of the management and the staff of the agency, as well as for the implementation of the ERCs strategy and positions;
the Steering Committee is composed of 5 members and supervise the operations of the ERCEA. It is chaired by the European Commission’s Director-General for Research and Innovation, Jean-Eric Paquet, two Scientific Council members, and two Commission officials.
On 16 May 2020, Waldemar Kütt started a new mandate as Director of the European Research Council Executive Agency (ERCEA). Waldemar Kütt was acting director of ERCEA since August 2019, when he took over the position from Pablo Amor.
On 4 June 2020, the Industry Committee of the European Parliament (ITRE Committee) has voted to enter into interinstitutional negotiations for five multiannual financial framework files (MFF).
Together with the Council of the European Union and the European Commission, the ITRE Committee can start negotiations on Horizon Europe and other pieces of legislation where it is the lead committee.
As a reminder, the next seven-year framework programme for R&D of the European Commission will succeed Horizon 2020 in 2021. This vote represented the last step to be taken in order to reach an agreement on the legislative files before the launch of Horizon Europe.
In the meantime, the seven-year budget is still debated by the member states: no agreement has been reached yet. In a press release, the ITRE Committee highlighted the necessity to find an agreement as soon as possible to avoid any delays concerning the start of the programmes in January 2021.
On 1 January 2020, Croatia took over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union from Finland. In January 2020, the European Chemical Society dedicated an article on Croatia’s strategic agenda (see our Brussels News Updates article here).
‘A strong Europe in a world of challenges’ was the motto chosen by Croatia before starting its Presidency, and what a challenge Covid-19 has been. The six-months agenda was disrupted by the pandemic and forced Croatia to adapt it to the worldwide crisis: the Council is currently analysing and assessing the Recovery plan for Europe proposal issued by the European Commission. What is more, this Presidency was the first for Croatia since the country joined the European Union in 2013.
The European Green Deal remained an important item on Croatia’s agenda. Among the many actions taken, the Council adopted the EU’s submission to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) on the long-term low greenhouse gas emission development strategy.
In the meantime, the Council also worked on EU space policy matters. On 29 May, Ministers discussed solutions to enhance space-based technologies in order to include them in the sustainable development of the European Union. It was stressed that these space applications can offer solutions to the challenges on the on-going crisis and help the EU to reach its European Green Deal ambitious objectives. You can learn more about this meeting here.
More recently, Coreper* confirmed full agreement on the draft Council conclusions on shaping Europe’s digital future, during the online event held on 5 June 2020.
Croatia will lead the Council of the European Union until 30 June 2020. On 1 July, Germany will take over the position for the fall semester of 2020.
*Coreper stands for the ‘Committee of the Permanent Representatives of the Governments of the Member States to the European Union’.
Following the #EUvsVirus Hackathon, the European Commission organised the #EUvsVirus Matchathon on 22-25 May. The goal of the Matchathon was to connect the 120 winning teams from the hackathon with investors, corporates, public authorities (including hospitals), academia, and research institutions. During this event, the winning teams were able to discuss their needs and secure deals with partners, to have their innovative ideas developed and commercialised.
The closing ceremony was held online on 2 June 2020, with the presence of Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth.
‘We will look back with great pride at this moment. Two months ago, when Europe and the world were thrown into crisis, this was the moment we came together. When we launched #EUvsVirus, we had the bold idea to bring all Europe’s innovators together to crack the most complex challenges created by coronavirus. […] In just two weeks, we organised the biggest hackathon Europe has ever seen.”
Source: here.
You can read our Brussels News Update article on the #EUvsVirus Hackathon here.
#EUvsVirus Matchathon follow-up
The European Commission, via the European Innovation Council (EIC), offered the #EUvsVirus projects to join the EIC Covid-19 Challenge Platform, a collaborative space launched as a follow-up to the Matchathon. The goal of this platform is to extend the collaborations that started during the EUvsVirus Hackathon and Matchathon, but also to enhance new ones. Private and public partners can set up a COVID-19-related challenge and innovators, companies, researchers can forward their solutions.
The European Chemical Society would like to thank the European Young Chemists’ Network (EYCN) for their active participation during the #EUvsVirus Hackathon & Matchathon.
On 15 June 2020, the European Chemical Society endorsed the Statement on inclusion and diversity in the chemical sciences of the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC).
To mark its 50th anniversary since the foundation of the Federation of European Chemical Societies (FECS) in 1970, the European Chemical Society is pleased to organise an online birthday celebration.
The event will be held online on Friday 3 July 2020, from 10:00 to 11:30 (CEST – Brussels time). You are invited to join us, please register here.
We are happy to receive your birthday wishes by posting #50yearseuchems hashtag on your favourite social media channel.
EuChemS 50th anniversary poster anniversary celebration poster is available for download here.
As the European Parliament is working on a strategy for the post-COVID-19 crisis period, MEPs asked to put the Green Deal at the centre of any reconstruction package.
Their proposal is based on conclusions drawn from strict quarantine measures taken everywhere in Europe. Indeed, air pollution has declined due to reduced economic activities (decline in travel, home working, shutdown of industry, etc.). Also, this request by the MEPs goes hand in hand with the EU Climate Law, which aims to make the EU climate neutral by 2050.
Chemistry in Europe 2020-2 includes many interesting articles, among other the Editorial by W. Koch, EuChemS Executive Board member on the Chemistry Europe, an interview with Dr Wolfgang Fritsche, one of the founders of FECS (Federation of European Chemical Societies), a predecessor organisation of EuChemS, a look into the European Parliamentary Committees (ITRE and ENVI Committees), a report from the 15th EYCN Delegate Assembly and many more.
On 20 April 2020, the European Commission, together with EU Members States and research partners, launched a COVID-19 Data Platform. The platform is part of the ERAvsCorona Action Plan and aims to accelerate Coronavirus research by facilitating data sharing and analysis. This joint effort underlines the European Commission’s commitment to Open Science, by making science more accessible and efficient in order to tackle societal challenges.
The platform includes SARS-CoV-2 Data Hubs, which organise the flow of SARS-CoV-2 outbreak datasets and provide comprehensive open data sharing for research communities, as well as the COVID-19 Data portal, which brings together relevant COVID-19 datasets and tools, and facilitates access to other COVID-19 resources.
You can read the European Commission Press release here.
On 4 May 2020, the European Commission announced in a press release the reprioritisation of the Horizon 2020 framework programme funding. To help reach the objectives of the Coronavirus Global Response, €1 billion will be invested to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. It will fund global research on vaccines:
€400 million for developing scientific solutions and health systems
€400 million to finance Research and Developments investments
€150 million for the European Innovation Council’s Accelerator
If you are interested in funding opportunities in relation to Coronavirus, both at the European Union level and the national level, the European Research and Area and Corona Platform offers up-to-date information about Horizon 2020 calls and deadline extensions related to COVID-19 funded and ongoing projects.
As reported by the EuChemS representative in the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), the Committee for Risk Assessment (RAC) of ECHA met in May to address several pressing issues.
During the online meeting, RAC adopted the opinion concerning the limitation of skin sensitizing substances in finished articles made of fabric, leather, hide and fur, placed on the market for the first time. Also, the harmonised classifications of some insecticides used in agriculture have been evaluated, as well as the proposal to classify this insecticide as Carcinogenic.
In the second semester of 2020, the German Presidency of the Council of the EU will also support the Commission’s Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan and will work on digital application to cancer treatments, as well as on advancing cancer treatment and prevention.
On 4 June 2020, the Industry Committee of the European Parliament (
On 1 January 2020, Croatia took over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union from Finland. In January 2020, the European Chemical Society dedicated an article on Croatia’s strategic agenda (see our Brussels News Updates article 
– Mariya Gabriel,
We are happy to receive your birthday wishes by posting #50yearseuchems hashtag on your favourite social media channel.
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