The evaluation will look into the implementation of the Regulation on substances that deplete the ozone layer (ODS), which ensures compliance with the obligations set out in the Montreal Protocol regarding ozone-depleting substances. The current EU Regulation includes additional requirements and is more ambitious than the Montreal Protocol by envisaging quicker phase-out schedules and by controlling more ozone-depleting substances and more uses. It controls substances not just in bulk, but also contained in products and equipment. Legislation in this area was expected to bring technological leadership in finding alternatives to ozone-depleting substances and increased competitiveness and sustainability of EU businesses on the global market.
The European Commission’s Research and Innovation Observatory (RIO) at the Joint Research Centre has published the 2016 edition of the RIO reports, which assess the evolution of the research and innovation systems at country level and identify key challenges. Covering 28 countries of the EU, these reports main aim is to feed into the EU policy process by providing input to the European Semester process and to monitor progress of the European Research Area. Among other conclusions the reports indicate that industry collaboration and commercialisation of public research results are still major challenges for R&I systems in many EU countries and that the demand for human resources is increasingly a central point of R&I policies.
The European Commission has recently released the 2017 European Innovation Scoreboard (EIS), a tool providing a comparative assessment of research and innovation performance and the relative strengths and weaknesses of national research and innovation systems. Overall, innovation performance has improved in 15 countries, though large differences exist between these Member States. Sweden remains the innovation leader while Lithuania, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria and UK are the fastest growing innovators. In a global perspective, the EU is catching up with Canada and the US, but South Korea and Japan are pulling ahead. China shows the fastest progress among international competitors.
The European Research Council (ERC) recently participated in the 11th edition of the Annual Meeting of the New Champions (AMNC), held in Dalian, China. ERC President Prof. Jean-Pierre Bourguignon and 10 ERC grantees discussed the latest scientific findings during several sessions and a press conference. The AMNC, organised by the World Economic Forum and also known as Summer Davos, is one of the main global events on science, technology and innovation. It gathers top researchers and leaders from fast growing enterprises, government, media and civil society from over 90 countries. The 2017 edition addressed the topic “Achieving Inclusive Growth in the Fourth Industrial Revolution”.
The Joint Research Centre (JRC) Data Catalogue is an online platform which provides scientists, policy makers, data journalists and other users quick access to science data on a wide range of topics. The JRC Data Catalogue is an open-access online inventory of data produced by JRC researchers. It currently contains 1629 datasets from 44 dataset collections. The catalogue is updated regularly and feeds into the EU Open Data Portal, which is the single point of access to a growing range of data produced by the EU institutions.
The Western Balkans Regional Economic Area (WBREA) aims at developing an area where goods, services, investments and skilled workers can move without obstacles. This WBREA will be put into operation through a multiannual action plan, endorsed by the Western Balkans leaders at the Trieste Summit on 12 July 2017. The action plan comprises four dimensions: trade, investment, mobility and digital market. On the dimension of mobility, the parties agreed to remove obstacles to mobility of professionals, through regional mutual recognition agreements of professional qualifications and to remove obstacles to mobility of students, researchers and academics.
World´s biggest 20 economies, the Group of 20 (G20), recently met in Germany to, among other topics, discuss global warming. In a joint declaration, the Leaders of G20 countries, apart from the United States of America, agreed that the Paris Agreement is irreversible and that its implementation should move swiftly. G20 also approved an Action plan on marine litter where G20 countries defined priorities and potential policy measures.
The European University Association (EUA) has published a position paper advocating for more ambitious EU funding for research and innovation (R&I) in Europe after Horizon-2020. The paper reiterates the strategic importance of fostering a united and prosperous knowledge-based society in Europe. According to the position paper, Horizon 2020 is significantly underfunded, despite its high-impact on society and economy, with EUA advocating for a quantitative and qualitative increase in EU research funding. The paper also suggests opening a discussion on a possible ring-fencing or shift of funding from European Structural and Investment Funds or other sources for a more ambitious and well-functioning research programme. The paper aims to contribute to the upcoming discussion on the EU’s Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) and the next EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (FP9).
The European Commission has announced the selection of 38 new Erasmus Mundus joint master degree programmes. These new programmes cover a wide range of areas, including the chemical sciences. Together they involve 186 partner universities and almost 600 associate organisations, also representing the world of work, from 84 different countries. These and other Erasmus Mundus programmes will be offering EU-funded scholarships to students from all over the world to start a master programme in autumn 2018.
Earlier this month, Member States representatives voted in favour of the European Commission’s proposal on scientific criteria to identify endocrine disruptors in the field of plant protection products. The adopted criteria will provide a stepping stone for further actions to protect health and the environment by enabling the Commission to start working on a new strategy to minimise exposure of EU citizens to endocrine disruptors, beyond pesticides and biocides. The strategy will aim to cover for example toys, cosmetics and food packaging. In parallel, a substantive new research on endocrine disruptors with an important budget of approximately 50 million euro will be allocated in 2018 to around 10 projects in the next Horizon 2020 work programme.
The European Commission has presented on 29 June a new action plan to tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The action plan is underpinned by a “one health” approach that addresses resistance in both humans and animals. Overall, the action plan contains more 75 actions built on three main pillars: 1) Making the EU a best-practice region; 2) Boosting research, development and innovation; and 3): Shaping the global agenda. More concretely, the Commission will, for example, support the research into the development of new antimicrobials and alternative products; support the establishment of a European-wide sustainable clinical research network; continue to support research into the development of new effective preventive vaccines; and support the establishment of a virtual research institute. The Commission has already adopted the first deliverable of the plan, EU Guidelines on the prudent use of antimicrobials in human health. AMR is a growing threat that is responsible for 25,000 deaths and a loss of €1.5 billion in the EU every year. EuCheMS has provided input on this topic at a STOA event organised (by STOA, EuCheMS and EFMC) last year at the European Parliament.
Existing EU rules on fertilisers cover mainly conventional fertilisers, typically extracted from mines or manufactured with high energy-consumption and CO2 production. Diverging national rules make it difficult for producers of organic fertilisers to sell and use them across the EU single market. The European Parliament Internal Market Committee (IMCO) has recently agreed on amendments to the new draft regulation on fertilisers. The adoption of the proposed amendments would, among others, promote the use of recycled materials for producing fertilisers, thus helping the development of the circular economy; ease market access for innovative, organic fertilisers, which would give farmers and consumers a wider choice and promote green innovation; and establish EU-wide quality, safety and environmental criteria for “CE marked” fertilisers (i.e. those which can be traded in the whole EU single market). The European Parliament plenary session will vote on these IMCO proposed changes in October.
Estonia will hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union during the second semester of 2017. Under the motto “unity through balance”, the Estonian Programme prioritises, among other, the implementation of the Paris Agreement against climate change, the negotiations of the Waste Package, the adoption of Council conclusions on eco-innovation, or the amendment of the Carcinogens and Mutagens Directive. The Presidency will also focus on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) by fostering an expert-level discussion on how to assess AMR action plans. In the field of research, the programme states that “excellent research is an investment in the future” and thus Estonia intends to initiate a discussion on how to simplify the research and innovation partnering instruments, funded from the Framework Programme, and to support the participation of newcomers.
Earlier this month, the conference “Research & Innovation – Shaping our Future”, hosted by Research, Science and Innovation Commissioner Carlos Moedas, brought together policymakers from EU institutions, nearly 700 stakeholders, including EuCheMS to discuss the role of research and innovation for Europe’s future. Using the Commission’s White Paper on the future of Europe as a starting point, participants discussed how research and innovation could transform the European Economy and improve society. The conference also looked beyond Horizon 2020 and discussed the future of EU Research & Innovation Programmes with the High Level Group on maximising the impact of EU Research & Innovation Programmes proposing 11 actions, including to double the budget of post Horizon 2020 Programme. Materials from the conference, including Commissioner Carlos Moedas´ speech, can be found in the link below.
EuCheMS has recently submitted its feedback on the European Commission´s draft Regulation on Establishing Mitigation Measures and Benchmark Levels for the Reduction of the Presence of Acrylamide in Food. According to the European Food Safety Authority, this chemical, that naturally forms in starchy food products during every-day high-temperature cooking, potentially increases the risk of developing cancer for consumers in all age groups.
EuCheMS has recently published its position on Research and Education Without Borders After Brexit. In this position EuCheMS highlights that research and industrial competitiveness across the EU greatly benefit from the input of UK researchers and vice versa. Thus, withdrawal of the UK from the many funding schemes would remove some of the key quality drivers and fundamentally damage research and innovation in Europe as well as in the United Kingdom. As negotiations proceed to determine the relationship between the EU and the UK following the latter’s withdrawal, EU scientists urge the negotiators to retain as strong as possible a relationship between EU and UK researchers. Continued collaboration without borders will improve research across all European countries for the benefit of mankind.
