Science & Policy: What’s on the EU's agenda? December 2014

EUROPEAN COMMISSION JOINT RESEARCH CENTRE

Policy Support Coordination International, Interinstitutional and Stakeholder Relations

SCIENCE & POLICY: WHAT'S ON THE EU'S AGENDA?

1 December 2014

The JRC's monthly briefing to the scientific community, N° 31

Table of Contents

1. Activities of the European Institutions 3 1.1 European Commission 3 1.2 Council 3 1.3 European Parliament 3 1.4 International Relations 4

2. Conferences & Meetings 5 2.1 European Conferences Meetings 5 2.2 International Conferences 6

3. JRC News 7

Correspondence:

Daniele Tagliavia Stakeholder Relations Officer – JRC

European Commission, B-1049 Belgium. Telephone: (32-2) 299 11 11 Office: CDMA 05/155 – Tel. direct line +32 2 29-93204 Email address: [email protected]

2

1. Activities of the European Institutions

1.1 European Commission

Date Event Subject 3 December College Meeting Not yet publicly available Communication de M. le PRÉSIDENT et M. Frans TIMMERMANS Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the 10 December College Meeting Committee of the Regions: Commission Work Programme 2015 1. Presentation of the Work Programme of the Juncker Commission for 2015 16 December College Meeting Not yet publicly available

1.2 Council

Date Event Venue/Location 1 December Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council Brussels 3 December Transport, Telecommunications & Energy Council Brussels 4 December Justice and Home Affairs Council Brussels 4-5 December Competitiveness Council Brussels 9 December Economic and Financial Affairs Council Brussels 9 December Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council Brussels 11 December Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council Brussels 12 December Education, Youth, Culture & Sport Council Brussels 12-15 December Foreign Affairs Council Brussels 15-16 December Agriculture and Fisheries Council Brussels 16 December General Affairs Council Brussels 17 December Environment Council Brussels 18-19 December European Council Brussels

1.3 European Parliament

Plenary Sessions Date Event Subject Venue/Location 15 – 18  First participation of the new President Strasbourg EP Plenary session December of the European Council Committee Meetings Committee on Culture and 1-2 December Brussels Education 3-4 December Committee on Industry, Brussels

3

Research and Energy Committee on 3-4 December Environment, Public Health Brussels and Food Safety Events organised in the EP EP debate with EASAC and "Be Prepared: Reducing the impact of extreme 9 December EP, Brussels Royal Society: weather on people's lives" ‘Impact and potential of collaborative Internet 27 January STOA Workshop EP, Brussels and Additive Manufacturing technologies’

1.4 International Relations

Date Event Venue/Location 1-2 December Meeting of the Joint EU-Australia S&T Cooperation Committee Canberra, Australia

3 December EU-US Energy Council meeting Brussels

3-4 December EU-South Africa Joint S&T Cooperation Committee South Africa

5 December EU-US Cyber-Security dialogue Brussels

8-9 December Joint EU-New Zealand S&T Cooperation Committee Wellington, NZL 10-11 Second Plenary Session of UN Scientific Advisory Board Paris, December 18-23 January 9th Arctic Frontiers Conference Tromso, Norway 2015 17-19 April Spring Meeting of the Group (WBG) and the International Washington 2015 Monetary Fund (IMF) work Spring 2015 17th EU-China Brussels

2-3 June 2015 OECD Forum 2015 Paris

4-5 June 2015 The 41st G7 Summit

June 2015 EU-CELAC Summit Brussels

2015 (tbc) EU-Mexico Summit Brussels

4

2. Conferences & Meetings

2.1 European Conferences Meetings

Date Event Organiser Venue/Location

(EESC), the International Confederation of Popular Co-operative banks: a real model to Banks (CIBP) and the 1 December Brussels finance the real economy European Association of Craft, Small and Medium- Sized Enterprises (UEAPME) 2 December Governing a multi-level Europe Committee of the Regions Brussels DG ENTR, Presidency of the 2-3 December European e-Skills 2014 Conference Brussels Council of the EU European Day of Persons with Disabilities 2-3 December DG JUST Brussels Conference 2014 Euro-CASE Annual Conference: "Evidence- 3 December based Policy Advice and Innovation Policy Euro-CASE Brussels beyond Horizon 2020” Conference on "Transport Safety: Societal DG RTD, Italian Presidency of 4-5 December , Challenges Research Solutions" the Council of the EU 2024 prospects for EU Agricultural 5 December DG AGRI Brussels markets IPTS J2 (IRIMA) + OECD + Conference on Entrepreneurship, Small Business Economics 8-9 December Paris, France Innovation and Enterprise Dynamics (SBE) + the Journal of Technology Transfer (JTT) The 5th Annual European Data Protection 9 December Brussels and Privacy Conference DG ENTR + Italian 9-10 December EC Security research Conference Genoa, Italy Government SET (Strategic Energy technology)-Plan JRC – European Energy 10-11 December Rome, Italy Conference Research Alliance European Economic and 12 December Household over-indebtedness Brussels Social Committee Wind risk management and mitigation 4-5 February Windpower Monthly , UK conference Science Advice to Policy – which way for 6 February JRC Brussels Europe Evaluating Smart Specialization Strategy: 12-13 February Latvian Presidency of the Dynamics, Challenges, Responsibility and Riga, Latvia 2015 Council of the EU Practice JRC – Institute for Innovation in a European Digital Single 17 March 2015 Prospective Technological Brussels, Belgium Market - The Role of Patents Studies

5

EARTO-EIRMA Joint Conference 2015 28-29 April 2015 (Infrastructures and Resources Sharing EARTO and EIRMA Luxembourg between Industry & RTOs in Europe) 23rd European Biomass Conference and 1-5 June 2015 Vienna, Austria Exhibition 2015 14-18 September EU PVSEC 2015 (European Photovoltaic Hambourg,

2015 Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition) Germany

2.2 International Conferences

Date Event Organiser Venue/Location Boston, 30 November – 5 MRS (Materials Research Society) 2014 Materials Research Society Massachusetts, December USA Framework Convention on 1-12 December Climate Change (NFCCC) Convention of the UN Lima, Peru Parties COP-20 The road to Paris: challenges and chances Comment Visions / European 2 December Brussels for EU climate and energy policy Voice JRC (EcoFINDERS project) / 1st Global Soil Biodiversity Initiative (GSBI) 2-5 December Global Soil Biodiversity Dijon, France Conference Initiative (GSBI) 1st Conference on Recent Developments in Melbourne, 4-5 December Deakin University, Australia Financial Econometrics and Applications Australia 5 December World Soil Day FAO Coordinating body: United 14 – 18 March 3rd world Conference on Disaster Risk Sendai City, Nations Office for Disaster 2015 Reduction Risk Reduction (UNISDR) 23-30 April 2015 Arctic Science Summit Week (ASSW) 2015 Toyama, Japan 2-3 June 2015 OECD Forum 2015 OECD Paris, France IAF, the German Aerospace Center (DLR), the European Space Agency (ESA) and the 23-25 June 2015 Global Space Innovation Conference , Germany Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs and Media, Energy and Technology 30 November – 11 United Nations Climate Change UNFCCC Paris, France December 2015 Conference

6

3. JRC News

September- October JRC Newsletter 2014

27 November A healthier future? Four research priority areas for food and diet How can research in food and diets address how we will live and eat in 2050? By supporting the move towards individualised diets; by ensuring the sustainability of the future food system; by improving our understanding of links between food, nutrients and health; and by focusing on integrated policy-making. These are the main findings of a new foresight report that will support work done under Horizon 2020, the EU's Funding Programme for Research and Innovation for 2014-2020..

24 November New method to assess the resource efficiency of products JRC scientists have developed a new method to assess and improve the resource efficiency of energy-using products, with a particular focus on their end-of-life. Most notably, results are being used for the revision of EU Ecodesign implementing measure for electronic displays (TV and computer screens) and the revision of EU Ecolabel criteria for television sets and personal and notebook computers.

20 November RAPID-N tool to assess natural-hazard impact on industrial plants A new web-based system developed by the JRC assesses the risk of and maps the potential impact of natural hazards on industrial installations. RAPID-N allows estimating the risk of hazardous-material releases following natural disasters (known as Natech risk). It also identifies Natech-prone areas to support land-use planning, emergency-response planning, damage estimation and early warning. Such risks are expected to increase in the future due to growing industrialisation, more natural hazards due to climate change, in combination with the vulnerability of an ever more interconnected society. However, there is a lack of methodologies for the assessment of Natech risk. RAPID-N was developed in response to calls by governments for a decision-support tool for Natech risk management. Calculating natural-hazard parameters at the location of the installation and using fragility curves to determine probabilities of structural damage at process and storage facilities, RAPID-N estimates the overall risk of damage and associated consequences. The results are presented as risk summary reports and interactive risk maps.

19 November New tool for understanding the risk of humanitarian crises and disasters The first global open-source risk assessment tool for humanitarian crises and disasters was launched today. INFORM (Index for Risk Management) is designed to support decisions about prevention, preparedness and response, helping humanitarian actors to align their actions in order to reduce crisis and disaster risk and to build resilience. It is the result of joint efforts of a partnership of international organisations and governments, including the JRC. Understanding why and where humanitarian disasters are likely to occur is a fundamental step in saving lives and promoting sustainable development. Most crises can be predicted to some extent, but while they cannot always be prevented, the suffering they cause can often be greatly reduced.

14 November 10 years ensuring the safety of feed additives The JRC-hosted EURL-FA went in operation in November 2004. Its main task is to support the authorisation procedure of feed additives that are used in the . It also provides quality assurance for the analysis of feed additives through the organisation of proficiency tests (PTs). Feed additives play an important role in animal nutrition, addressing aspects such as feed safety, reduction of environmental emissions and sustainability of livestock farming. Before placing feed additives on the market, the industry

7 needs an authorisation for their use as specified in Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003. The authorisation procedure involves a scientific evaluation of data provided by the applicant – via a dossier including methods of analysis – that allow EU Member States' official control laboratories to check whether the use of feed additives are in compliance with legal requirements..

13 November World Expo 2015 meets the European Parliament On 11-14 November 2014, at the European Parliament in Brussels, the EU officially presented its planned activities for the World Exhibition (Expo) in Milan in 2015. The JRC is coordinating the EU's presence and participation in the EXPO. For the first time, and coinciding with a meeting of the national and EU Commissioners General for EXPO organised by the JRC, information and mock-ups of the EU and national pavilions were on display. Thematic presentations, interactive displays and a virtual tour of the EU Pavilion were available, to get the flavour of the future Expo site. The President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, the Commission Vice President and High Representative of the European Union, Federica Mogherini, and the Ambassador of Italy and Representative of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Stefano Sannino, participated in the opening ceremony.

10 November Capping industrial emissions from refineries and paper production The European Commission has recently adopted revised Best Available Techniques (BAT) conclusions for the production of pulp, paper and board, and for the refining of mineral oil and gas, following respective positive votes of the Regulatory Committee foreseen in article 75 of the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) 2010/75/EU. IED Directive regulates emissions to air, water and soil of about 50 000 industrial installations across the EU. BAT conclusions are the technical basis for national authorities in EU countries to set permit conditions for producers in the relevant field, as stipulated by the IED Directive. Best available techniques conclusions aim at achieving a high level of protection of the environment under economically and technically viable conditions.

7 November Improving maritime security off East African coasts New software developed by the JRC is being tested in two maritime operational centres in Kenya and the Seychelles to help fight piracy and improve maritime security. The software provides a live picture of ship traffic activity, indicating current ship positions on a digital map. By combining data from a number of different vessel reporting and earth observation systems, it creates a single maritime picture of the entire western Indian Ocean. This region-wide picture complements the smaller scale coastal one used by individual countries, and can be used also to combat illegal fishing or immigration. The tool furthermore allows producing maps showing past piracy events or historic ship traffic density.

4 November Scientific support to disruptive technologies - the example of the flying car Disruptive technologies can foster the creation of new markets but may generate new challenges before they are brought to real life. A round table discussion organised by the JRC focused on the example of the flying car and explored the role science can play in horizon scanning, regulation and standardisation. The event brought together Commission representatives, including Maroš Šefčovič, Commission Vice-President for the Energy Union, Tibor Navracsics, European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport and a group of transport experts and stakeholders.

8