Brussels News Updates

3 Consultations and Roadmaps, BNU July 2016, Brussels News Updates

Evaluation of the Fuel Quality Directive 98/70/EC of 13 October 1998 Relating to the Quality Of Petrol and Diesel Fuels as Amended

The evaluation should help the Commission to 1) have a better understanding of why and/or how current EU legislation has worked well or not so well, identifying factors which have helped or hampered achievement of the objectives; and 2) Qualify and where possible quantify the impact of the Fuel Quality Directive, in terms of technological impact on vehicle fuel efficiency, engine design, on the refinery sector, the social, economic and environmental impact notably the air quality and health aspects while maintaining a single market for fuels .
Website: http://ec.europa.eu/

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3 Consultations and Roadmaps, BNU July 2016, Brussels News Updates

REFIT Evaluation in on the Implementation of REACH

The EU Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 on Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation, and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) has been in force since June 2007. The 2017 evaluation of the operation of REACH (REACH report 2017) is part of the reporting on the implementation of REACH, to be carried out every five years by Member States, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) and the Commission to monitor progress in the achievement of the objectives of Regulation. The REFIT evaluation will cover the five compulsory evaluation criteria (effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, coherence and EU added value) and put emphasis on potentials for burden reduction and simplification.
Website: http://ec.europa.eu/

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3 Consultations and Roadmaps, BNU July 2016, Brussels News Updates

Public Consultation on the Joint Programming on Metrology Research

The metrology initiatives, set up under Article 185 TFEU, European Metrology Research Programme (EMRP) and its successor European Metrology Programme for Innovation and Research (EMPIR) target joint programming metrology research across Europe. Under these two initiatives the participating states commit to integrate their national metrology programmes into a single joint research programme. The total budget for EMRP is 400M€ and for EMPIR the budget is increased to 600 M€. The European Commission provides half of the funding to the initiatives, while the participating states commit to provide the other half. This consultation gives the opportunity to provide input on the state of play of the European metrology research system and the challenges it is facing. It is specifically seeking contributions to analyse the experience of joint programming preparation and implementation, identify critical issues that need to be addressed, possibly propose adjustments, and assess how the instrument can best contribute to the policy developments.
Deadline: 7 October 2016
Website: https://ec.europa.eu/

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2 Innovation & Entrepreneurship, BNU July 2016

New Emissions Requirements for the Production of Non-Ferrous Metals

The Commission implementing decision on Best Available Techniques (BAT) conclusions for the non-ferrous metals industries has now been published. BAT conclusions are the technical basis for competent authorities in EU countries to set permit conditions for the installations concerned, as stipulated by the Industrial Emissions Directive. BAT conclusions aim to achieve a high level of protection of the environment under economically and technically viable conditions. Non-ferrous metals and their alloy play a centre role in our society, particularly in the sectors of energy generation, computing, electronic, telecommunication and transport industries.
Source: https://ec.europa.eu/

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2 Innovation & Entrepreneurship, BNU July 2016

Aligning Chemicals´ Classification, Labelling and Packaging Regulation

Earlier this year, the European Commission adopted legislation on the classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures (the ‘CLP Regulation’). The CLP Regulation sets rules on the hazard classification of chemicals, how these hazards are communicated through labelling and how the chemicals are packaged. CLP labels provide important hazard information to consumers and workers through pictograms (in the shape of a red diamond), hazard and precautionary statements and other labelling elements. The 8th ATP to CLP entered into force on 4 July 2016. Application of the new rules becomes mandatory from 1 February 2018, although they can be applied voluntarily before this date.
Source: http://ec.europa.eu/

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2 Innovation & Entrepreneurship, BNU July 2016

Bosnia and Herzegovina Joins COSME

SMEs and entrepreneurs from Bosnia and Herzegovina will now be able to participate in COSME, the Competitiveness of Enterprises and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Programme, under the same conditions as their counterparts from EU Member States and other associated countries. COSME will support projects on a wide range of topics that include clusters, SME internationalisation, building entrepreneurship skills, tourism, reducing the administrative burden for companies and protection of intellectual property rights for companies operating in non-EU countries. It will help SMEs identify funding sources. Bosnia and Herzegovina is the tenth country outside the EU to join and contribute to the programme, after Iceland, Montenegro, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Moldova, Turkey, Albania, Serbia, Armenia and Ukraine.
Source: http://ec.europa.eu/

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2 Innovation & Entrepreneurship, BNU July 2016

Raising Awareness About Entrepreneurial Skills

As part of the Skills Agenda for Europe, the Commission has published an ‘Entrepreneurship Competence Framework’ (EntreComp) to raise consensus about what entrepreneurship skills are.
This framework proposes a shared definition of entrepreneurship as a competence and aims to establish a bridge between education and work. The framework develops 15 competences along an 8-level progression model and proposes a comprehensive list of 442 learning outcomes. EntreComp can be used as a basis for the development of curricula and learning activities fostering entrepreneurship as a competence. Also, it can be used for the definition of parameters to assess learners’ and citizens’ entrepreneurial competences.
Source: http://ec.europa.eu/

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1 European Highlights, BNU July 2016, Brussels News Updates

ERC Awards 44 Proof of Concept Grants

Earlier this month, the European Research Council (ERC) announced the names of 44 of its grant holders who will receive top-up funding to explore commercial or innovation potential of the results of their ERC-funded research. These Proof of Concept grants, worth €150,000 each, can be used, for example, to establish intellectual property rights, investigate business opportunities or conduct technical validation. Among other selected projects, one aims to design a new vaccine strategy for RNA viruses, like Ebola, dengue and Zika. The budget of the overall 2016 Proof of Concept competition is €20 million. In the first round of the competition 141 ERC grant holders applied.
Source: https://erc.europa.eu/

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1 European Highlights, BNU July 2016, Brussels News Updates

Knowing More About Citizen Science

The survey on data management in Citizen Science projects was set up as an open call via Citizen Science associations, European Commission departments and other organisations and projects. The rich set of results gives insights into how citizen science projects currently operate, namely the fact that most of the responding projects, 84%, were mostly in the area of environmental research. According to the JRC, the survey has started a global conversation about citizen science data management. Its analysis of the results calls for best practices to be promoted, along with greater collaboration between projects and fields, and suggests topics for further investigation.
Source: https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/

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1 European Highlights, BNU July 2016

Commission Presents Scientific Criteria to Identify Endocrine Disruptors

Following consecutive delays and repeated pressure from the European Parliament, the European Commission has presented last month the criteria to identify endocrine disruptors in the field of plant protection products and biocides. The Commission proposes to the Council and the European Parliament to adopt a strong science-based approach to the identification of endocrine disruptors and to endorse the widely accepted WHO definition. The WHO defines an endocrine disruptor as “an exogenous substance or mixture that alters function(s) of the endocrine system and consequently causes adverse health effects in an intact organism, or its progeny, or (sub)populations”. The criteria also specify that the identification should make use of all relevant scientific evidence, use a weight of an evidence-based approach, and apply a robust systematic review.
Source: http://europa.eu/

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