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© European Union, 2021 Joint Research Centre Work Programme

Joint t 1 Research h Centre European Commission Joint Research Centre

Joint Research Centre - Work programme 2021 - 2022 Manuscript completed in April 2021

Contact information European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC) Directorate A - Strategy, Work Programme and Resources Unit A.2 - Work Programme Unit BE-1049 Brussels Belgium E-mail: [email protected]

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PDF ISBN 978-92-76-38109-9 doi:10.2760/585225 Print ISBN 978-92-76-38108-2 doi:10.2760/197201

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JRC Workprogramme 2021-2022 https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/news/jrc-s-work-programme-2021-2022-adopted

JRC Work Programme 2021-2022

of the Horizon Europe and Euratom Joint Research research and training programme. Centre Work We provide the underpinning science via modelling, monitoring tools and analyses to help design new Programme policy initiatives and to monitor existing ones. Working in partnerships 2021-2022 inside and outside the European Commission, we help identify As the European Commission’s science solutions. We dedicate significant A new push for European democracy and knowledge service, the JRC provides efforts to sharing best practices and independent scientific advice and support organising training events in Member to EU policy, in order to tackle the States, regions, and with interlinked and complex challenges our international partners. faced by our society. New activities this year include The European Commission has set leading the design phase for the its ambition high in how Europe should New European Bauhaus. We will play respond to planetary challenges, climate a strong, crosscutting role in several change and ecosystem degradation, of the Commission’s COVID-19 the digital acceleration, changing initiatives. We will apply our foresight demographics, shifting human geography competencies to new areas such and the future of work, all against as strategic autonomy for the EU. a rapidly evolving geopolitical context. Moreover, we will explore alternative ways for how to engage with citizens, Europe needs to build its own resilience, building on values and identity. and to do so at a time when we are recovering from the effects of a global Over the coming years, we have pandemic. Operating at the interface an unmissable opportunity to between science and policy, the JRC wants strengthen the role of the JRC to strengthen its capacity to be a key at the service of the European project. partner in helping to identify solutions The 2021-2022 work programme to such challenges. comes as we set out on the process of grasping this opportunity. Our next In our 2021-2022 Work Programme, work programme 2023-2024 will we support all Commission’s political aim to demonstrate further progress priorities and most initiatives included against this ambition. I am therefore in the Commission 2021 work programme happy to share this summary and contribute to the implementation of highlights with you.

Stephen Quest Director-General 4 JRC Work Programme 2021-2022

Overview of the JRC’s contribution to the Commission’s political priorities

A new push for European democracy high-performing

Commission A modern

A European Green Deal

A stronger Europe

in the world

Promoting

our European way of life

for people

An economy that works

A Europe fitthe for digital age

5 JRC support for the European Green Deal

The European Green Deal JRC support for aims to enable climate neutrality by 2050, focusing the European on adaptation, on protecting and preserving our environment Green Deal and on a new growth strategy for Europe. It is a driving force that will transform every aspect of our economy, environment and society: the energy we use, the air we breathe, the food we eat, the way we work, travel, produce and consume products and shape our built environment. It will help create jobs and growth, making European economy and industry more innovative, resource-efficient, circular and competitive.

This green transition requires a coordinated and targeted mobilisation of Europe’s scientific knowledge, research, innovation, investment and societal assets, institutions and capacities.

6 JRC support for the European Green Deal

The JRC will underpin a large To do so successfully, number of Green Deal we will work in close coordination initiatives and look beyond with other Commission services them, by anticipating future and with partners at multiple challenges and needs governance levels, both within in the areas of climate action, and outside the EU. sustainable and smart mobility, energy, green and sustainable Important areas of our economy, environment, oceans work under this priority and fisheries, agriculture are to assess potential trade-offs and food systems. between economic, social and environmental objectives Our key enabling role will be and to embed climate action into to provide the scientific, technical all EU policies based on thorough and economic evidence base, interdisciplinary research. as well as foresight, modelling and monitoring, necessary for the transformations.

7 Key support initiatives Key support initiatives

The JRC will integrate its climate, The JRC will lead the design phase sectoral biophysical and economic of THE NEW EUROPEAN BAUHAUS, modelling to ASSESS THE COSTS the initiative that is connecting OF CLIMATE INACTION. The project the Green Deal to our living spaces. considers the impacts of climate change This phase will explore ideas on people, natural and human assets, and shape the initiative, drawing both in Europe and globally. on the engagement and expertise It will improve our understanding of designers, architects, artists, experts, of resilience and vulnerability scientists, entrepreneurs, engineers to climate change, showing why and students. A broad participatory achieving climate neutrality is crucial. co-creation process for the “design” https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/research- will aim at launching calls for proposals topic/impacts-climate-change under the next Multi-Annual Framework in all relevant programmes. https://europa.eu/new-european- bauhaus/index_en

The EDUCATION FOR CLIMATE COALITION, a flagship initiative of the European Education Area, engages students, teachers, schools JRC significantly contributes to and mobilizes their creativity the CHEMICAL STRATEGY FOR for a just green transition by means SUSTAINABILITY. JRC addresses safe of sharing their projects and and sustainable use of chemicals, high knowledge through a pan-European level of human health and environmental community platform. The Coalition protection by running the EU Reference will be implemented through Laboratory for alternatives to animal testing a dedicated partnership between and the Information Platform for Chemical DG EAC and JRC, where the JRC Monitoring. It also contributes to the safe- will run the executive support and-sustainable-by-design objective for service for designing the Coalition chemicals and tackles the potential risks of and for providing community combined exposure to multiple chemicals. management expertise. https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/eurl/ecvam https://europa.eu/!TH44nv

8 Key support initiatives

Our Energy Industry and Geography Within the RESEARCH AND TRAINING Lab will serve as a specialised geospatial PROGRAMME OF THE EUROPEAN ATOMIC data management, visualisation ENERGY COMMUNITY, the JRC provides and analysis hub that will offer a technical and scientific support to EU comprehensive view of the energy, policies in nuclear safety, security and industrial and other infrastructures radiation protection, and carries out cutting- on European ground. It will SUPPORT edge research, knowledge creation and THE DESIGN OF THE UPGRADE AND preservation across its Member States EXTENSION OF THE EUROPEAN on nuclear technologies. In the present context INFRASTRUCTURE in an integrated, of medium and long-term decarbonisation cost-efficient manner, supporting of the energy system in a safe, efficient the growth of a low-carbon energy and secure way, attention will be given to intensive industry in Europe. long-term operation (LTO) of current nuclear reactors, innovation in nuclear energy systems, radioactive waste minimization, management and disposal, decommissioning, and non-electric energy technologies. https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/research-topic/ nuclear-knowledge-management-training- and-education JRC’s analyses on implications and requirements of Connected and Automated Mobility will help regulate the SAFE MARKET DEPLOYMENT OF CONNECTED AND AUTOMATED VEHICLES. Safety will be verified through The JRC will analyse SOCIAL ASPECTS innovative approaches such as OF THE GREEN TRANSITION simulation and testing in virtual reality. to answer key questions related to structural Through multidisciplinary analyses, shifts in the labour market and income the JRC will investigate the synergies distribution. These will include questions between connected vehicles and smart how to create opportunities for jobs infrastructures and the impacts and growth in coal and other carbon of mobility disruptions on EU economy intensive regions, how to best re-skill and jobs in a recovery context. affected workers, how to tackle energy and transport poverty and how to ensure social inclusion and consumer engagement. 9 Key support initiatives Key support initiatives

The JRC plays a key role in the JRC will monitor PLACE-BASED development of the EU TAXONOMY INNOVATION to support the implementation of sustainable economic activities. of the European Green Deal, including This detailed CLASSIFICATION FOR place-based investment priorities, innovation- ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE driven policy strategies and implementation ACTIVITIES identifies which activities in regions and cities. Research topics cover contribute to reaching the main the governance of public and private R&I, EU environmental objectives, assesses education and skills, analysis of innovation the share of financial products or of ecosystems, as well as policy tools and companies’ activities considered green, methodologies for transition to a green and will be instrumental in redirecting and digital economy. capital flows.

To support the future Common Agricultural The KNOWLEDGE CENTRE Policy, THE DIGITAL RURAL LANDSCAPE ON BIODIVERSITY will support LAB uses artificial intelligence and novel the Commission’s needs data capturing methods - combining insights for knowledge on biodiversity from smartphones, farm sensors, street and help mainstream biodiversity level cameras, crowdsourcing, and satellites. into EU policies. It will develop Innovative integration of these data flows EU-wide ecosystem assessments, will improve farm management and refine which provide a baseline to define rural landscape and biodiversity monitoring. smarter targets for the post-2020 biodiversity policy. https://knowledge4policy.ec.europa.eu/ biodiversity_en

10 Key support initiatives

To support the FARM TO FORK The EU SOIL OBSERVATORY will STRATEGY, the JRC will run provide soil information to support European Union Reference of EU initiatives under the Green Deal, Laboratories, the Knowledge for example CAP, Zero Pollution, Farm Centre for Food Fraud and Quality to Fork, Biodiversity Strategy, European and Health Promotion and Disease Climate Law, and Circular Economy Prevention Knowledge Gateway Action Plan. It will address in particular and looking at sustainable use soil erosion, soil nutrients, soil organic of chemicals and pesticides carbon, soil sealing and contaminated sites, risk assessment. and soil contamination by agrochemicals, https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/eurls pesticides, organic wastes and industrial https://knowledge4policy.ec.europa.eu/ emissions. It will also help develop regular food-fraud-quality_en reporting on land degradation https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/ and restoration in the EU. health-knowledge-gateway https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/eu-soil- observatory

SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE provides The KNOWLEDGE CENTRE ON EARTH scientific advice to the Common OBSERVATION will support the uptake Fisheries Policy and monitors of products and information from its performance. Mainly, Copernicus for EU policymaking. it strongly links to the EU Blue It will establish best practices Growth Strategy and building to translate policy needs into concrete on innovative modelling approaches requirements for products and services, and analysis, it feeds data and provide a forum for dialogue information in support to the with the technical implementing Marine Strategy Framework entities associated with Copernicus, Directive, the bioeconomy, and raise awareness on next Sustainable Development Goals generation Earth Observation (SDGs) and Arctic Strategy. science and associated technologies https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/ to enhance the exploitation on Copernicus research-topic/fisheries-and- throughout the policy cycle. aquaculture https://knowledge4policy.ec.europa.eu/ earthobservation_en 11 JRC support for a Europe fit for the Digital Age

Digital is the second component JRC support for a of the ‘twin transition’ in the EU’s political agenda Europe fit for the and a potentially powerful enabler of the green transition. Digital Age The Communication on a Europe fit for the digital age identifies five main streams for action: the European digital strategy, the industrial strategy, digital services, cybersecurity and consumers, and research.

New actions should ensure that digital technologies help Europe develop and pursue its own vibrant, globally competitive, value-based and inclusive economy and society.

12 JRC support for a Europe fit for the Digital Age

In the upcoming years, the JRC We will also conduct fundamental will explore the interplay between research for digital innovation cybersecurity, data protection and and for guaranteeing that European Artificial Intelligence. We will values, citizens and environment analyse the EU’s technological remain embedded in digital sovereignty from the standpoint developments. We will support of current and emerging digital innovation policy and technology technologies applied to security, transfer activities. Finally, we will defence, public safety support standardisation work, and competitiveness. the regulation of data and platform economy and other activities We will map important industrial that support market surveillance sectors and assess critical and compliance. dependencies and longer-term sustainability in EU supply Our work will feed into a broader chains, taking into account EU endeavours making digital specific combinations of key transformation work for people digital technologies (e.g. AI, edge and businesses, while helping computing, or cloud computing) Europe to achieve its targets for specific sectors (e.g. in of a climate-neutrality by 2050. transport, manufacturing, or space).

13 Key support initiatives Key support initiatives

Local policy design and customised The JRC will analyse the impact innovative solutions are essential, of ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE building on territorial diversity and local ON HUMAN BEHAVIOUR. It will strengths and needs. The JRC will help concentrate on analysing the outcome regions designing and implementing and impact of the use of algorithms innovation strategies, provide targeted in socially highly relevant environments, support to enhance their innovation such as decision making in criminal ecosystems, improve technology transfer justice, the occupational impact of and connect better places to new and artificial intelligence and robots, and renewed European Value Chains. the role of social robots on human This will support the TERRITORIAL development. It will also monitor the DIMENSION OF THE EUROPEAN uptake of Artificial Intelligence in RESEARCH AREA. Europe via AI WATCH, as part of the European coordinated efforts to use Artificial Intelligence as a driver for European economy, while respecting European values. https://knowledge4policy.ec.europa.eu/ ai-watch_en In the area of DIGITAL EDUCATION, and to support of the implementation of the Digital Education Action Plan, the JRC carries out foresight studies, leads actions on SELFIE (a tool to help schools assess where they stand with learning in the digital age) and SELFIE for teachers, updates the digital competence framework DigComp and carries out a feasibility study for a common European Digital Skills Certificate. https://ec.europa.eu/education/ schools-go-digital_en https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/digcomp

14 Key support initiatives

In the area of CYBERSECURITY, Work in the interrelated the JRC is investing in foresight SPACE-SECURITY-DEFENCE SECTOR research activities, to identify the will analyse industrial environments cybersecurity needs for tomorrow. for security, defence and space, looking Examples include activities on at value chains and their criticalities blockchain technologies (The JRC from a technological and strategic runs a unique infrastructure for autonomy angle. In the context large scale blockchain testing), of the Observatory of Critical artificial intelligence algorithms, Technologies, it will support the next generation Internet, digital implementation of the European identity, and post-quantum Commission action plan on synergies cryptography. between civil, defence and space industries, leading the action producing a bi-annual report on the monitoring and analysis of critical technologies.

15 JRC support for an economy that works for people

In recent years, globalisation, JRC support for digitalisation and the economic and financial crisis have an economy that challenged the economic and social fabric of the EU. works for people Achieving a deeper and fairer Economic and Monetary Union, boosting investment and creating jobs, and refocusing the European Semester towards green growth and sustainability count among the flagship ambitions under this priority.

To help repair the economic and social damage caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the Commission, the European Parliament and EU leaders have agreed on a recovery plan that will lead the way out of the crisis and lay the foundations for a modern and more sustainable Europe.

16 JRC support for an economy that works for people

In 2021, within this priority, in the largest euro-area countries the JRC will support the and regional and sectoral analyses. development of monitoring We will assess the effects frameworks to assess individual of tax-benefit reforms in Member Member States’ performance over States and examine the impact time, to benchmark and evaluate of reforms of the international convergence between them. corporate tax system.

Moreover, to support of the These activities form part revamped European Semester, of our efforts to inform the JRC will develop models policymakers of developments to assess and monitor the outlook in the economic, financial, for European economies, including employment and social fields. the real-time economic situation

17 Key support initiatives Key support initiatives

The JRC’s forward-looking tool In the sector of TOURISM, the RESILIENCE DASHBOARDS JRC will help respond to the urgent will propose indicators to assess challenges that the sector is facing vulnerabilities and capacities as a consequence of the COVID-19 at EU and Member State level outbreak and subsequent lockdowns, in view of emerging megatrends including the need to design and anticipated challenges, and implement relevant policy action including those associated with at European, national and local level. the COVID-crisis and recovery. Data and analysis related to tourism The tool will monitor the resilience will focus on localised impacts, trends, of the Member States to navigate scenarios and strategies, and on the green, digital and fair transitions, transitions towards sustainable tourism. as well as the geopolitical strengths https://s3platform.jrc.ec.europa.eu/ and weaknesses of countries. tourism

The JRC’s interactive website REOPEN provides citizens with the information they need to plan confidently their European travel and holidays, while staying healthy and safe. The information is frequently updated and available in 24 languages. https://reopen.europa.eu/en

18 Key support initiatives

The JRC is actively engaged The JRC supports the ‘Union in the EUROPEAN SEMESTER of Equality’ policy with the monitoring and the RECOVERY AND RESILIENCE of the EUROPEAN GENDER EQUALITY FACILITY (RRF), which aims to help STRATEGY. This is part of a broader Member States recover from the effort to monitor social progress, COVID-19 crisis and make their starting with development of the social economies more resilient. scoreboard, which will also be updated. The JRC conducts macro-economic forecasts, assessment of tax and social benefit reforms aimed at boosting job recovery and protecting workers´ income, such as the SHORT- TERM WORKING SCHEMES, the implementation of Smart Specialisation, productivity, high growth enterprises, and integration of SDGs into the Semester.

19 JRC in a stronger Europe in the World

Europe strives to strengthen JRC in a its unique brand of responsible global leadership. It aims to be stronger Europe an assertive geopolitical player, the ‘guardian of multilateralism’ in the World and to uphold and update the rules-based global order.

Through this priority, Europe aims to give new impetus to its relationship with Africa and with the Western Balkans, where enlargement policy is an instrument for catalysing comprehensive national reforms.

Europe’s global leadership is closely linked with promoting ambitious environment, climate and energy policies across the world.

20 JRC in a stronger Europe in the World

The JRC’s early warning systems on evidence for policymaking for floods, wildfires, droughts, constitute tangible demonstrations crop yield forecasting and its global of EU science diplomacy, and disaster alert and coordination supports Europe’s commitments systems help countries all over in global and multilateral bodies the world prepare for disasters such as the UN. The JRC and manage crisis worldwide. will continue its cooperation with numerous international Moreover, the JRC cooperates organisations and partnerships with international organisations at the global scale, in line and individual countries on trade, with overarching EU goals. security and defence, nuclear safety and security, nuclear It will work on trade, security non-proliferation and crisis and defence, nuclear safety management. and security, nuclear non-proliferation and crisis Our numerous and world-leading management. efforts in early warning as well as our broader role and emphasis

21 Key support initiatives Key support initiatives

The JRC has launched an AFRICA The JRC will support the UN 2030 KNOWLEDGE PLATFORM that will Agenda and the UN World Water bring together data and knowledge Quality Alliance through its work and act as the single entry point on ONE WATER FOR ALL. This on JRC activities on Africa, across includes capacity-building activities disciplines and topics. Based on on water quality related aspects its empirical evidence and science in the EU neighbouring countries, diplomacy, the JRC will facilitate the Mediterranean, Central Asia the establishment of a mechanism and Africa, with the aim to strengthen to support and monitor the EU ambition to be a global leader the implementation of the “New for sustainability, and to help people get Comprehensive Strategy with Africa”. access to water.

The JRC analyses CHINA’s approach The JRC will contribute to the to attain a dominant position REVIEW OF THE EU ARCTIC POLICY in international markets through and to the international policy a combination of industrial, research framework on Arctic, enhancing and innovation, trade and foreign direct EU’s ’Science for diplomacy’ efforts. investment policies. It offers It will evaluate societal and climate an evidence-based assessment impacts of a changing Arctic, of China’s current position compared and develop indicators for Arctic to the EU and US economic and resilience and sustainable development. innovation systems across a range It will address aspects ranging of dimensions, emphasising quantitative from the marine environment data on China’s development and bio-economy to ecosystems and objectives. and citizen engagement. https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/ facts4eufuture/china-report- challenges-and-prospects

22 Key support initiatives

The JRC will analyse CLIMATE The JRC will support the EU security CHANGE INDUCED MIGRATION. policy by providing its expertise for the It will combine demographic operation of the EU CBRN (CHEMICAL, and climate impact data to estimate BIOLOGICAL, RADIOLOGICAL the relationship between changes AND NUCLEAR) CENTRES OF in population distributions EXCELLENCE. It will support the EU- and slow-onset climatic events, funded projects, which aim at improving with a special focus on Africa. the preparedness of countries in Africa, The JRC will also support a better South Eastern and Eastern Europe understanding of the drivers and and in Asia against threats arising from flows of migration within and from natural disasters or malicious acts Africa, with a focus on YOUTH AND involving chemical, biological, nuclear MIGRATION, examining the impact or radioactive agents. of COVID-19 on remittances. https://europa.eu/cbrn-risk-mitigation/ https://knowledge4policy.ec.europa.eu/ index_en migration-demography_en

The JRC will continue to provide The GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT DATA cutting-edge research, operational TOOL, developed by the JRC together support and capacity-building activities with DG INTPA, supports the in the area of NUCLEAR NON- Commission and EEAS around PROLIFERATION AND SAFEGUARDS. the globe with a wide variety This includes methodologies and of economic and social data, technologies for export control, figures and trends for Africa, quantitative nuclear material the African, Caribbean and Pacific measurement, containment and as well as the Overseas Countries surveillance, particle analysis, and Territories) with the intention nuclear forensics and data analytics. of global coverage by 2021. https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/research- The tool includes 160 indicators topic/nuclear-safeguards-and-security in 10 thematic areas, linking them to SDGs where possible. The tool makes automated generation of country reports possible. 23 JRC in promoting our European way of life

A Europe that protects must JRC in promoting stand up for justice and for the EU’s core values. It has to our European ensure that citizens feel protected and part of a cohesive and way of life inclusive society.

Promoting the European way of life encompasses fostering skills, education and inclusion. It includes ensuring integration of migrants and refugees, and developing a fair and well-managed migration policy. It also addresses the need to fostering security for all those living in Europe, while respecting our values and principles. Additionally, it gives the EU a key role in helping Europeans take care of their health.

24 JRC in promoting our European way of life

By strengthening the European scientific approach Commission’s overall response to support policymaking. to opportunities and challenges In 2021, this includes intensifying related to migration and our already substantial efforts demography and by providing in Europe’s Beating Cancer the underpinning scientific Action Plan. evidence, data and knowledge to inform the policy cycle in areas Since the beginning of the related to migration, mobility, COVID-19 pandemic, the JRC integration and demography, has been involved in numerous the JRC will facilitate the cross-cutting efforts taken by the adaptability and inclusiveness European Commission of the European project. Our key work strands for We will support the goals COVID-19 in 2021 include outlined in the EU Security Union by analysing evolving threat • epidemiological monitoring, landscapes, developing technical modelling and reporting; solutions to foster resilience • use of alternative data and supporting law enforcement and digital technologies; authorities to tackle crime. • testing, genomics, diagnostics and health; On health, we will integrate a wide spectrum of expertise, • socio-economic modelling technologies, determinants and analysis; and factors to ensure • travel, tourism and transport; and a united and interdisciplinary • citizen pulse.

25 Key support initiatives Key support initiatives

The JRC will develop demographic The project ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE projections and analyses to feed FOR SECURITY comprises targeted numerous policy areas, through applications of AI to security, the identification of gender, educational including machine learning to detect and regional disparities in access automatically threats in X-ray images of to innovation and education, and scanned luggage, and investigating the concerning digital technologies robustness of e-gate facial recognition and services. A new Atlas against threats such as morphing of Demography will be launched and adversarial attacks. in 2021. THE KNOWLEDGE CENTRE ON MIGRATION AND DEMOGRAPHY will further develop and upgrade knowledge management tools such as the Dynamic Data Hub (a web-based application to collect, harmonised and visualise a selection of key datasets related to migration and demography) The JRC’s nuclear site (based and the Atlas of Migration (an online in Geel) will act as a living lab tool offering easy-to-read fact sheets to test out technologies about migration for all countries and approaches to develop expert in the world). knowledge on COUNTER DRONE https://knowledge4policy.ec.europa.eu/ MEASURES together with the migration-demography_en Commission services, Member States and other stakeholders. https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/research- facility/living-labs-at-the-jrc

26 Key support initiatives

The KNOWLEDGE CENTRE ON A promising way of fighting metastatic CANCER will provide the evidence- cancers by selective irradiation of based link to connect the Europe’s tumour cells with alpha particles is being Beating Cancer Action Plan with investigated in the RADIONUCLIDES the new Horizon Europe Mission FOR MEDICINE project, which aims on Cancer. The KC will foster one at developing sustainable methods EC coordinated approach to tackling for the production of radio-nuclides cancer, provide up-to-date integrated needed in the context of Targeted systems and databases that address Alpha Therapy. In addition, the project cancer prevention, cancer health aims at studying alternative accelerator- care quality (namely for breast based production routes for existing and colorectal cancer) and cancer and prospective medical radionuclides burden indicators. used for imaging, therapy https://knowledge4policy.ec.europa.eu/ and theranostic. cancer_en https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/research- facility/radionuclide-metrology- laboratories

27 JRC in a new push for European Democracy

In a healthy and thriving JRC support democracy, citizens can freely express their views, choose their for a new push political leaders, and have a say for European about their future. Democracy in the EU faces Democracy challenges from rising extremism, election interference and the spread of manipulative information and hate speech through information technologies, including social media.

The EU needs to address these issues and to strengthen its capacity to anticipate societal challenges, by creating policies that are informed by the best possible evidence. These policies should be responsive to the different values and identities, take into account the regional and territorial specificities, including demography, with the aim to give Europeans a stronger role in decision-making.

28 JRC in a new push for European Democracy

A key project of the JRC in 2021 the JRC will assess challenges will investigate how people’s values and opportunities related and identity affect their attitudes to ageing, depopulation and to democratic foundations and internal migration within the EU, their feelings about the EU, as e.g. from rural areas to cities, well as how we in the European in terms of their possible impacts Commission can take this into on economy, service accessibility, account when designing new public attitudes and political policies closer to European behaviour. citizens and in our communication with them. Linked to the above, we will continue our research that has In response to the challenges that already led to advanced AI-based Europe faces from the point of tools for disinformation detection. view of demographic change, the

29 Key support initiatives Key support initiatives

The JRC is analysing how JRC’s work on DISINFORMATION DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGE in the EU, focuses on three areas: monitoring, both in terms of increasing diversity analysis and reporting to highlight and ageing, may explain the rise key disinformation narratives; of populism and Euroscepticism. the research and development https://knowledge4policy.ec.europa.eu/ of AI-based tools for the detection migration-demography_en and handling of disinformation; and investigation on the psychology of disinformation, pursued in collaboration with international pools of experts.

30 Key support initiatives

The project SCIENCE OF VALUES The newly created COMPETENCE AND IDENTITIES IN THE POLITICAL CENTRE ON PARTICIPATORY AND PROCESS aims to improve DELIBERATIVE DEMOCRACY will the understanding of the values held support citizen engagement across by European citizens’ in general terms the EU policy cycle. This entails and engaged by different political building capacity to foster participative issues. It links these values to citizen’s and deliberative practices across identification with their region, country Commission. Furthermore, the and the EU. A practical toolkit for Competence Centre will support policymakers will help them include the European Democracy Action Plan value considerations in designing and by helping with building the necessary adapting policies and communicating infrastructure to strengthen deliberative them better in value terms. The toolkit democracy practices across the EU. will include an EU wide values and identities data interface, values media monitoring and trainings.

31 JRC support to a high-performing, modern Commission

Knowledge and data JRC support to management play a considerable role in the proper functioning a high-performing, of the Commission. In a world flooded with information from modern Commission a multitude of sources, providing, managing and making sense of knowledge for policy is more important than ever.

In this context of scientific controversies and post-fact politics, evidence-informed policymaking needs advocates and skilled practitioners, both in scientific and policy bodies.

32 JRC support to a high-performing, modern Commission

The JRC will support The JRC will also support the Commission’s services better regulation initiatives, with in their needs for collaboration guidance and advice on methods, and knowledge-sharing practices. modelling, and analysis for ex- This includes the development ante assessments and ex-post of comprehensive, open evaluations. Knowledge Centres, as well as dedicated communication As the leader of the Commission’s initiatives within the JRC to ensure foresight activities, the JRC will complex scientific developments undertake a number of new are made understandable to studies to ensure a forward-looking policymakers. These efforts dimension is addressed support the Commission’s new in new EU policy initiatives. working methods to enhance cross-organisational collaboration, Likewise, we will conduct ambitious internal communication and staff exploratory research to build engagement. new scientific competences for future policy demands in a pro-active manner.

33 Key support initiatives Key support initiatives

‘What Works’ is an activity FORESIGHT will help anticipating that contributes to the creation, potential topics or signals that might sharing and use of HIGH QUALITY shape the future developments in EVIDENCE FOR DECISION-MAKING various areas including health, food and IN THE COMMISSION. It does so by consumer protection. Annual foresight underlining the benefits that can be reports will identify emerging challenges gained when working at the continuum and opportunities in order to steer the of monitoring and evaluation studies – European Union’s strategic choices. benchmarking performance and causal https://knowledge4policy.ec.europa.eu/ analysis– complemented by a strong foresight_en component of behavioural insights.

34 Key support initiatives

C

The COMPOSITE INDICATORS The JRC hosts the CENTRAL & SCOREBOARDS EXPLORER is a INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SERVICE, new JRC tool that brings together a corporate service managing more than 400 composite indicators Intellectual Property (IP) of the and scoreboards just a click away. European Commission, including The ‘Explorer’ allows policymakers, patents, trademarks and copyright analysts, scientists, journalists and other protected IP including software. stakeholders to filter and communicate It provides advice on IP management indexes and scoreboards in ways that to all Commission services and are relevant to them. This online data- organises training for other EU powered tool will allow users to create institutions, to raise awareness among country profiles or policy areas profiles staff about IP and IP risk management, (e.g. Sustainable Development Goals) contributing to sound financial by combining data from multiple management. sources of composite indicators https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/research/ and scoreboards and generate graphs crosscutting-activities/intellectual- and dashboards that can help them property in analysing specific policy questions. https://knowledge4policy.ec.europa.eu/ composite-indicators_en

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GETTING IN TOUCH WITH THE EU In person All over the European Union the rearehundreds of Europe Directin for mationcentres. You can find the address of the centre nearest you at:https://europa.eu/european-union/contact_en On the phone or by email Europe Direct is a service that answers your questions about the European Union. You can contact this service: — by free phone: 0080067891011(certain operators may charge for these calls), — at the following standard number: +32 22999696, or — by email via: https://europa.eu/european-union/contact_en

FINDING INFORMATION ABOUT THE EU Online Information about the European Union in all the official languages of the EU is available on the Europa website at: https://europa.eu/european-union/index_en EU publications You can download or order free and priced EU publications from: https://op.europa.eu/en/publications. Multiple copies of free publications may be obtained by contacting Europe Directory our local information centre (see https://europa.eu/european-union/con- tact_en). EU law and related documents For access to legal information from the EU, including all EU law since 1952 in all the official language versions, go to EUR-Lex at: https://eur-lex.europa.eu Open data from the EU The EU Open Data Portal (https://data.europa.eu/euodp/en) provides access to datasets from the EU. Data can be downloaded and reused for free, for both commercial and non-commercial purposes. KJ-02-21-674-EN-N

EU Science

ISBN 978-92-76-38109-9 doi:10.2760/585225