Key prioritiesEconomic and Monetary Union (EMU)

Internal market: growth, jobs and innovation

Low-carbon economy and resource efficiency (environment, climate change, energy, transport)

Agriculture and global food security

Public health, safety and security

Nuclear safety and security

JointResearchCentre

Examples of collaboration

Contact the JRC

European CommissionJoint Research Centre (JRC)External Communication UnitB-1049 BrusselsBelgiumTel: +32 2 29 74181Web: http://www.jrc.ec.europa.eu/Contact: www.jrc.ec.europa.eu/contact SP

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As the European Commission's in-house science service, the Joint Research Centre's (Joint Research Centre – JRC) mission is to provide EU policies with independent, evidence-based scientific and technical support throughout the whole policy cycle.

Working in close cooperation with policy Directorates-General, the JRC addresses key societal challenges while stimulating innovation through developing new methods, tools and standards, and sharing its know-how with the Member States, the scientific community and international partners.

• 2 800 personnel • 7 scientific Institutes • 5 sites in Belgium, Germany, Italy, the

Netherlands and Spain.

Across Europe, the JRC has built up successful partnerships with a large number of public and private organisations under the EU Research Framework Programmes.

The JRC collaborates with its Croatian partners on:

Together they work in a wide range of areas including climate change, effects of climate change on air pollution, flood alert systems, integrated coastal zone management, soil data, ecosystem, biomass, minerals, nanoparticles, radiological data exchange, food allergies, and regional coordination of scientific and technological cooperation policies.

Framework Programme projects 11

Collaboration agreements 3

Scientific networks 2

Examples of JRC partners in Croatia

National authorities and laboratories

•Croatian Radiation Protection Association, Zagreb

• Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Split•Meteorological and Hydrological Service,

Zagreb•Ministry of Science, Education and Sports,

Zagreb•Priority Actions Programme Regional Activity

Centre (PAP/RAC), Split•Srebrnjak Children's Hospital, Zagreb•State Office for Radiological and Nuclear

Safety, Zagreb•Ruder Boskovic Institute, Zagreb•The Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar,

Zagreb

Croatiaand its collaboration with the European Commission’s in-house science service,

Joint Research Centre

A key JRC partner in the context of the European Radiological Data Exchange Platform (EURDEP) network is the Croatian State Office for Radiological and Nuclear Safety based in Zagreb. The EURDEP network gathers radiological monitoring data from most European countries in near real-time. This information is freely accessible to EURDEP members, while public access to this data is published with a delay imposed in a country-dependent manner. This extensive network brings together 30 countries, and allows

the EU to have an overview of the possible illicit trafficking of radioactive material within Europe. It also helps to avoid potential disasters or contamination, and improves nuclear waste management.The State Office for Radiological and Nuclear Safety in Zagreb consistently delivers automatic monitoring data and participates in the regular EURDEP working group meetings and workshops to discuss and decide on the development of the EURDEP system.

National Contact PointLana ŽutelijaBusiness Innovation Croatian AgencyPlaninska 110 000 ZagrebCROATIATel: +385 (0)1 5494 031Web: www.bicro.hrEmail: lana.zutelija@bicro.hr

Improving management of nuclear waste and safety and security of radioactive material

Improving energy efficiency in Croatian buildings Since 2004, Croatian organisations have been collaborating with the JRC on improving energy efficiency in non-residential buildings under the GreenBuilding Programme. This project, deployed throughout the Member States, is an important initiative promoted and coordinated by the JRC, with the aim of fostering a more energy efficient Europe.The programme promotes energy efficiency through the refurbishment of existing buildings as well as setting high energy efficiency standards in new buildings. Currently the initiative counts

374 partners, totalling 726 buildings. Thanks to measures such as better insulation, more efficient heating and cooling systems, the Programme saves more than 514 GWh (gigawatt hours) per year.Croatia currently has 10 partners taking part, implementing energy efficiency projects in their buildings. The partners which have received the GreenBuildings Award for having achieved exemplary energy savings were the Phoenix (Plaza Retail sector) in 2010 and Vila Vanda (Hotel) in 2012.

The Joint Research Centre's Air & Climate Unit operates the "European Reference Laboratory for Air Pollution (ERLAP)" at its premises in Ispra. The laboratory's activities are dedicated to the support and development of new air pollution legislation, and help Member States and Accession Countries to properly implement existing legislation. Within this context, the Energy and Environmental Protection Institute (EKONERG) and the Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health (IMI) in Croatia contribute to the ongoing harmonisation activities of the JRC. This work is achieved through successful participation in various quality assurance programmes for gaseous and particulate air pollutants. Both institutes are also actively contributing to the AQUILA Network of National Air Quality Reference Laboratories, where implementation and measurement issues of air pollution assessments are discussed. Recently the JRC had the opportunity to welcome the Croatian

Air Pollution Prevention Association (CAPPA) to exchange more ideas, and explore potential future collaboration projects.

Preparation of tubes for air sampling.

Croatian support to the development of new air pollution legislation

The GreenBuilding Programme helps to

reduce Croatia's impact on the environment

while using resources more sustainably.

© Magnus Tangen (stock.xchng)

The Joint Research Centre and Croatia

JRC collaboration with Croatian research organisations – examples

Climate local information in the Mediterranean region: responding to user needs (CLIM-RUN)

• Meteorological and Hydrological Service, ZagrebThe project aims to develop a protocol for applying new methodolo-gies, improved modelling and scaling-down tools for the provi-sion of adequate information on regional and local climate that is relevant to, and usable by, different sectors of society such as policy makers and industry.

Effects of climate change on air pollution impacts and response strategies for European ecosystems (ECLAIRE)

• Meteorological and Hydrological Service, ZagrebThis project investigates the ways in which climate change alters the threat of air pollution on European land ecosystems. Based on field observations, experimental data, and models, it establishes new flux, concentration and dose-response relationships, as a basis to inform future European policies.

Integrated Approaches to Food Allergen and Allergy Risk Management (IFAAM)

• Srebrnjak Children's Hospital, ZagrebThe IFAAM project aims to develop evidence-based approaches and tools for the management of allergens in food and to integrate the knowledge derived from their application into food allergy manage-ment plans and dietary advice.

People for ecosystem based governance in assessing sustainable development of ocean and coast (PEGASO)

• Priority Actions Programme Regional Activity Centre (PAP/RAC), Split

The aim of PEGASO is to build on existing capacities and develop common novel approaches to support integrated policies for the coastal, marine and maritime realms of the Mediterranean and Black Sea Basins in ways that are consistent with the Integrated Coastal Zone Management Protocol for the Mediterranean.

Policy-oriented marine environmental research in the southern European seas (PERSEUS)

• Institute Of Oceanography And Fisheries, SplitThis project aims to identify the interacting patterns of natural and human-derived pressures on the Mediterranean and Black Seas, assess their impact on marine ecosystems, and design an effec-tive and innovative research governance framework based on sound scientific knowledge.

SeaDataNet II: Pan-European infrastructure for ocean and marine data management (SEADATANET II)

• Institute Of Oceanography And Fisheries, SplitThe overall objective of this project is to upgrade the present infra-structure into an operationally robust system and one for providing up-to-date and high quality access to ocean and marine metadata, data and data products.

Sensitive measurement, detection, and identification of engineered nanoparticles in complex matrices (SMART-NANO)

• Ruder Boskovic Institute, ZagrebThe SMART-NANO project will develop an innovative and cost-effective technology platform that provides a solution from sample-to-result for the detection, identification and measurement of nanoparticles in complex matrices such as consumer products, food and the environment.

Coordination of Research Policies with the Western Balkan Countries (WBC-INCO.NET)

• Ministry of Science, Education and Sports, Zagreb • The Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar, Zagreb

The project aims to support the bi-regional dialogue on science and technology (S&T), identify research and development potentials and priorities, and to enhance participation of researchers from the region in European projects of mutual interest and benefit.

Support to the sustainable delivery of non-food biomass feedstock at local, regional and pan-European level (S2BIOM)

• International Centre for Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environmental Systems, Zagreb

S2BIOM aims to support the sustainable delivery of non-food biomass feedstock at local, regional and pan European level through devel-oping strategies that will be informed by a “computerized and easy to use” toolset (and respective databases) with update harmonised datasets at local, regional, national and pan European level for EU27, western Balkans, Turkey and Ukraine.

European Intelligence Network on the Supply of Raw Materials (MINERALS4EU)

• Croatian Geological Institute, Zagreb This network will provide data, information and knowledge on min-eral resources around Europe, through integrating the best avail-able mineral expertise and knowledge base of member geological surveys and other relevant stakeholders. It is expected to make a fundamental contribution to the European Innovation Partnership on Raw Materials (EIP RM), seen by the Competitiveness Council as key for the successful implementation of the major EU2020 poli-cies. The project is designed to meet the recommendations of the Raw Materials Initiative and will deliver a web portal, a European Minerals Yearbook, and foresight studies.

Scientific networksThe JRC collaborates with organisations which share a common interest in specific research areas. This collaboration is essential for the JRC’s work on harmonising and validating methods and measurements, establishing common standards, and providing scientific and technical support for the implementation of EU legislation. The JRC collaborates with over 650 partner organisations in around 60 institutional networks worldwide. Some examples of scientific networks which involve Croatian partners are:

Radioactivity environmental monitoring data bank (REM-REMdb)

• Croatian Radiation Protection Association, ZagrebA data bank for information provided by Member States on levels of radioactive contamination of the various compartments of the envi-ronment (air, water, soil) which is used to produce annual monitoring reports.

The information contained in this leaflet is correct at the time of compilation but may be subject to change.

Collaboration agreementsThe JRC has around 200 operational collaboration agreements and Memoranda of Understanding with public and private research organisations, universities, and national and international bodies. The majority of these agreements concern joint research, information sharing and the exchange of personnel. Some examples of collaboration agreements which involve Croatian partners are:

Memorandum of understanding on the European Flood AlertSystem (EFAS)

• Meteorological and Hydrological Service, ZagrebThis Memorandum of Understanding aims to maintain the network regarding the predictive European Flood Alert System (EFAS) which receives and transmits flood alerts to Member State organisations.

Memorandum of understanding on the European RadiologicalData Exchange Platform (EURDEP)

• State Office for Radiological and Nuclear Safety, ZagrebThis Memorandum of Understanding relates to participation in the EURDEP system during routine and emergency conditions. EURDEP is a network for the exchange of automatic monitoring data. It makes radiological monitoring data from most European countries available in near real-time.

Framework Programme projectsThe JRC is involved in more than 140 collaborative research projects and networks under Europe’s Seventh Framework Programme for research and technological development (FP7), under the same conditions as other organisations. This enables the JRC to form partnerships with major European research players. Activities may involve work carried out at JRC facilities which results in increased access and use of the JRC’s specialised infrastructures and databases. Some examples of Framework programme projects which involve Croatian partners are: