Euchems Newsletter
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754 CHIMIA 2011, 65, No. 9 The European Association for Chemical and Molecular EuCheMSEuCheMSSeptember 2011 Sciences 2 NEWSLETTER Eliminating chemical weapons New website: Slovak Chemical On 17 March, the Royal Society of Chemistry Chemistry for green solutions (RSC) hosted a special International Year of Society cooperates with BASF Policy Development Group Chemistry event which focused on efforts to As part of the European Commission’s Green abolish chemical weapons around the world. As part of the International Year of Chem- Week dedicated to resource efficiency, The Director General of the Organisation for istry (IYC) 2011, the Slovak Chemical Society, visits Brussels EuCheMS organised an event to underline the the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), BASF and other partners have established a critical role chemistry plays in creating a sus- Ambassador Ahmet Üzümcü, addressed lead- unique online chemistry knowledge base On 16 and 17 May the EuCheMS Policy EU is placing emphasis on linking research tainable future. GreenWeek is the biggest Euro- ingscientists and members of the diplomatic called Chemgeneration.com, which was Development Group visited Brussels, meet- to innovation. EuCheMS underlined that pean environment policy event of the year. It is community at the Chemistry Centre, London. successfully launched in Slovakia in April ing with officials from the European Com- chemistry was probably the most industri- organised by the European Commission's Direc- His presentation was the result of discussions 2011. The main purpose of the website is to mission’s Directorate General for Research ally relevant science and would therefore be torate General (DG) for the Environment, but in- between the RSC, the OPCW and the Foreign attract young people to chemistry and to and Innovation and the European Research critical to Europe’s ambition to become an volves many other organisations including the and Commonwealth Office (FCO). present the fundamental part chemistry Council’s Executive Agency. The main objec- “Innovation Union”. EuCheMS met with the United Nations Environment Programme The Ambassador highlighted the work of the plays in the world, with special emphasis on tive was to ensure that the decision-makers Director and senior managers of the Euro- (UNEP), non-governmental organisations and OPCW and its unique role in ensuring that its key role in the sustainable development Chemgeneration.com: The virtual chemical have a fuller understanding of the critical pean Research Council’s Executive Agency business. chemistry is used only for peaceful purposes of our future. The new website will be intro- classroom attracts young people to chemistry. role of the chemical sciences in addressing and voiced support for the European Re- Launched in February, the Commission’s Re- and in implementing the Chemical Weapons duced in all other ten countries and avail- the great challenges facing society. In partic- search Council’s work in advancing frontier source-Efficient Europe strategy is the seventh Convention, which entered into force in 1997. able in eleven languages over the next few kia. “I decided to support this project to ular, it wasanopportunitytopresent theout- research. EuCheMS would like to reinforce and last of the Europe 2020 flagship initiatives Invited guests included foreign ambassadors, months.Packedwitheye-catchingvisualele- spread good chemistry features among line of the EuCheMS Roadmap for the Chemi- the European Research Council’s commit- setting out Europe’s strategy for the next ten senior representatives from the FCO and the ments in an entertaining style, Chemgene- young people. My regret is that the virtual cal Sciences (see page 4). Officials welcomed ment to excellence and stressed the impor- years. Resource efficiency will now be the guid- Ministry of Defence (MOD) as well as industry ration.com presents history of chemistry, its classroom didn’t exist when I was at school. the EuCheMS visit and were interested to tance of basic research in the future frame- ing principle for EU policies in a wide range of ar- and academia representatives. The Ambassa- greatest achievements and influence on the I might have had a completely different rela- know more about the roadmap and the work programme. eas. Commissioner for the Environment, Janez dor said: “The science of chemistry is today or- mankind’s prosperity. tionship to chemistry,” said Zdenka. “It is a views of Europe’s single voicefor chemis- Over the coming years, EuCheMS will Potocnik, emphasized that business as usual is ganically linked to human progress. But the “The realization of the website is of great great pleasure for me that with the try. Officials said they hoped that the discus- build on the contacts made during the visit. not an option, as we will “quickly hit the physi- misuse of this same science has anguished hu- benefit not only for specialists, but also for Chemgeneration.com project we can effec- sions would be the beginning of a continu- EuCheMS needs to ensure that the role of cal limits of our planet”. He pointed out that a man conscience and tarnished the history of the general public and I believe that this vir- tively support chemistry education in Hung- ing dialogue with the chemical sciences. the chemical sciences is heard in all relevant lot of investment in research and innovation is our modern civilisation.” He explained that, to tual chemical classroom will find its fans,” ary and Central-Eastern Europe,” said Joa- As the EU defines the future of the EU’s themes in the future programme. We need needed, in order to reap the benefits that green achieve the goals of the Convention, it will re- said Viktor Milata, President of the Slovak chim Meyer, Senior Vice President of BASF Common Strategic Framework for Research to ensure that general principles are upheld, and other technologies can bring. quire international cooperation, including that Chemical Society. Zdenka Predná, the final- Business Center Europe Central. and Innovation, EuCheMS will not restrict it- such as the urgent need for simplification of At the EuCheMS event, moderated by Georges of the chemical science community: “The aspi- ist of the first Slovak Idol contest, is the am- self to highlighting the role that chemistry current processes focusing on the end user, Deschamps from the Environmental Technolo- ration of a world free from chemical weapons bassador of Chemgeneration.com in Slova- Viktor Milata, [email protected] could play. For example, whilst we welcom- the support of excellence, the increase in gies Department of DG Research and Innova- will be realised through a high degree of ed the Joint Programming Initiatives as a the overall budget allocated to research and tion, EuCheMS drew attention to the EuCheMS awareness, a shared vision and shared respon- way to allow for more effective use of re- efforts to ensure that research infrastruc- Roadmap for the Chemical Sciences (see page sibility. Scientists, chemists and chemical engi- The EurChem qualification sources and to reduce fragmentation and ture in all European countries is supported. 4) and suggested a number of areas where the neers worldwide are the first line of defence duplication, EuCheMS representatives em- Catherine Feore chemical sciences will play an important role, against abuses of knowledge and skills.” The personal quality label European Chemist phasised the need for a bottom up ap- [email protected] such as sustainable product design, conserva- The RSC is proud of its own advisory role in (EurChem) has been administered and main- proach. They also encouraged the Commis- tion of scarce natural resources, conversion of eliminating chemical weapons; its staff and tained by the EuCheMS European Chemist Re- EurChem title reflects the qualifications, prac- sion to take measures that would encour- biomass and recovery of feedstock. members have been central to international gistration Board (ECRB) since the 1990s. The tice and standards of an individual and helps age individual experts to participate from Michael Roeper, EuCheMS lead expert on re- discussions and lawmaking.To see the video of aim of the EurChem designation is to promote chemists who are moving from one employer countries which are not members of a par- source efficiency, introduced the EuCheMS the event, visit the website www.rsc.org/ the mobility of chemical scientists throughout to another in different member states to re- ticular Joint Programming Consortia ensur- Roadmap.Wim Thielemans, Green Technology chemicalweapons. Europe based on an agreed set of skills, compe- ceive equal treatmentacross Europe. ing that European expertise was repre- Group at the University of Nottingham, provid- Clare Viney, [email protected] tencies and training. The number of title hold- Anyone interested in registering or prolonging sented as comprehensively as possible. ed an overview of green chemistry. The last ers of this qualification differs very much by his or her registration should contact the Sec- The meetings helped shape the final re- speaker was Mike Pitts, Priorities Manager at country. Currently, the most registered Europe- retary of the ECRB, Helena Pokorna c/o Czech sponse of EuCheMS to the consultation on Chemistry Innovation Knowledge Transfer an Chemists are from the UK (321), Nether- Chemical Society, Novotneho Lavka 5 CZ-116 the future of the framework programme, Network. The event made it clear that chem- Ambassador Ahmet lands (153), Spain (121), and Italy (116). Coun- 68 Praha 1,