March / April

2014

JRC newsletter

JointResearchCentre

Editorial

Leading scientific advice for EU policies, Vladimír Šucha, JRC Director-General

Munich, Parisand London at the top of the EuropeanICT landscape

“e-Health”:Nordic countriestop implementation,but gap reduced

6 10Global Flood Partnership launched

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Science on the road

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EDIToRIaL

Leading scientific advice for effective, efficient and equitable EU policies

appropriate and timely advice to policy makers, the JRC needs to intervene earlier in the policy making process, helping to define policy agenda priorities. This requires the capacity to pool knowledge from different sources, including building upon EU-funded project results, and developing refined foresight methodologies. Social and behavioural sciences should also be better integrated in the analysis of societal challenges.

However, the JRC cannot do this alone. It needs to collaborate with excellent scientific institutions to share and learn from one another. JRC scientists need to be at the core of these developments in order to strengthen the JRC’s scientific and technical skills, both by building on existing in-house expertise and by attracting talented young researchers from across Europe.

Placed at the interface between science and policy, JRC has the ambition to become a worldwide reference in using scientific evidence to support the entire life cycle of policy making. Complex challenges need well-rounded solutions and science has a pivotal role to play in this. It is only by understanding new and existing challenges that the best policy options can come to fruition, starting from their conception to their impact assessment, implementation and evaluation. Science provides insights that might otherwise go unseen and it’s the JRC’s role, as the European Commission’s in-house science service, to work hand in hand with EU policy makers to bring Europeans to a smart, sustainable and inclusive future.

The world today is confronted with a wide array of pressing challenges spanning climate change, economic inequality, aging populations, energy security and water scarcity to mention just a few. At the same time radical changes are being wrought on our society by globalisation and the Internet. When it comes to sharing knowledge or ideas, national boundaries are blurred, as individuals increasingly interact in new forms of topical and political arenas that transcend traditional affiliations.

All this has vast implications on the way that governments act and public policies are developed across the globe. There is a need to devise new and improved solutions to the problems of today and the challenges of tomorrow. Policies need to be effective, efficient and equitable as well as sustainable from an economic, environmental and ethical point of view.

In this respect, the Joint Research Centre (JRC) has an essential role to play in supporting EU Institutions and Member States by providing high quality, impartial, and science-based advice throughout the entire policy cycle and also by helping to anticipate and understand emerging challenges.

In order to succeed in this mission, the JRC needs not only to remain a leading scientific actor in its areas of excellence, but to acquire expertise in those areas that will become significant in 5-10 years’ time. To provide

“Placed at

the interface

between

science and

policy, JRC has

the ambition

to become

a worldwide

reference in

using scientific

evidence to

support the

entire life

cycle of policy

making.”

Vladimír Šucha, JRC Director-General

Vladimir Šuchawelcomes the par-ticipants at the JRC co-organised workshop on enhanced global nuclear security, held on 20 March 2014 in Amster-dam, The Netherlands.

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The JRC and the Greek General Secretariat for Research and Technology of the Ministry for Education and Religious Affairs on 1st April 2014 signed an agreement on co-operation in research fields of mutual interest. The agreement aims to establish a basis for collab-oration in energy, maritime affairs, food, health environment and security.

Christos Vasilakos, Greece’s Secretary General for Research and Technology and Vladimír Šucha, JRC Director-General signed the agreement in the context of a conference

hosted by Demokritos, the National Centre for Scientific Research. It attracted more than 150 representatives from the Greek and European scientific and policy communities, who discussed issues related to maritime affairs, energy, food and the bio-economy.

The Greek Minister of Education and Religious Affairs Professor Konstantinos Arvanitopoulos gave the welcome address. Nikolaos Kanel-lopoulos, Director and President of the Board of Demokritos, also took part in the opening session, along with Mr Šucha and Mr Vasilakos.

The programme featured three thematic sessions focused on the above mentioned issues, which were identified as areas of JRC work of particular interest for Greece. Each thematic session included presentations by both JRC and Greek researchers, followed by a discussion. The JRC also delivered a presen-tation on how it works with member states and research laboratories.

The JRC and other Directorates-General of the European Commission, as well as the European External Action Service, co-organised a high-level meeting in Amsterdam on 20 March 2014, which focused on knowledge sharing and future initiatives aimed at strengthening nuclear security worldwide.

More than 100 representatives from around 40 countries – including EU Member States, the United States, Japan, Republic of Korea, Canada, Turkey and Vietnam – and international organisations, such as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the United Nations, participated at the event.

Held in the run-up to the Nuclear Security Summit of 24 and 25 March in The Hague, the meeting focused on lessons learnt and upcoming challenges. During the discussions, the participants identified three main enablers for strengthened nuclear security culture: culture and people, legal framework and best practice, and knowledge and technological advancement. Co-operation at all levels and an integrated, holistic approach were singled out as the main drivers towards enhanced nuclear security.

The EU carries out a wide range of initiatives in close cooperation with key partners in this field, such as the G8 Global Partnership Programme

against the spread of weapons and materials of mass destruction, the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism, the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540 Committee and the Border Monitoring Group between the EU, the US and the IAEA.

The JRC is one of the key pillars of the EU’s technical expertise in the field of nuclear safeguards and the combat of illicit trafficking of radioactive and nuclear materials. It has also developed training programmes for European and third countries for first responders and experts in the field of safeguards, nuclear detection, forensics and response.

The JRC and Greece strengthen research links

Enhancing a worldwide nuclear security culture

HIGHLIGHTS

Vladimír Šucha, JRC Di-rector-General and Chris-tos Vasilakos, Greece’s Secretary General for Research and Technology sign the agreement.

Read more:

JRC/Greece collaborationhttp://ec.europa.eu/dgs/jrc/downloads/jrc_country_leaflet_el_el.pdf

Joint JRC/EEAS Staff Working Document: EU efforts to strengthen nuclear securityhttp://ec.europa.eu/dgs/jrc/downloads/swd_2014_107_nuclear_security_final.pdf

Contribution to globalnuclear security discussions

culture

Internationalcooperation

nuclear securityworldwideto enhance a

http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/jrc/downloads/jrc_country_leaflet_el_el.pdfhttp://ec.europa.eu/dgs/jrc/downloads/jrc_country_leaflet_el_el.pdfhttp://ec.europa.eu/dgs/jrc/downloads/jrc_country_leaflet_el_el.pdfhttp://ec.europa.eu/dgs/jrc/downloads/jrc_country_leaflet_el_el.pdfhttp://ec.europa.eu/dgs/jrc/downloads/swd_2014_107_nuclear_security_final.pdfhttp://ec.europa.eu/dgs/jrc/downloads/swd_2014_107_nuclear_security_final.pdfhttp://ec.europa.eu/dgs/jrc/downloads/swd_2014_107_nuclear_security_final.pdfhttp://ec.europa.eu/dgs/jrc/downloads/swd_2014_107_nuclear_security_final.pdfhttp://ec.europa.eu/dgs/jrc/downloads/swd_2014_107_nuclear_security_final.pdf

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“Roads? Where we are going we don’t need roads,” says Doctor Emmett Brown when travelling to the year 2015 in Back to the Future.

A reality check however confirms that roads are still crucial to cope with the rising number of cars. Although flying vehicles are still a distant dream, innovation is making cars safer, more efficient and more sustainable, and science is making transport systems increas-ingly smarter. The JRC’s scientists investigate a wide array of transport-related topics, ranging from electric vehicles to modern emergency systems, so that the EU ś future transport brings no pollution, accidents or traffic jams.

Emissions testing for Euro standards

Since its inauguration in 2000, the JRC’s vehicle emissions laboratory (VELA) has been contrib-uting to the conception, development and imple-mentation of European emission standards for all vehicle categories. In the early nineties “Euro 1” standards to reduce emissions from passenger cars entered into force and were progressively tightened and extended up to “Euro 5” in 2009. “Euro 6” standards will be introduced in the near future. The EU also worked on similar emission standards for heavy duty vehicles; the latest “Euro VI” was introduced last year.

The JRC has particularly taken a leading role in developing the stringent Euro 5 and 6, and Euro VI emissions standards thanks to its expertise and advanced facilities. VELA is composed of two well-equipped chemical and physical analysis labs and seven major facilities. Its staff are able to investigate environmental aspects of advanced technologies, new engines, after-treatment systems, on-board diagnostic systems and new, reformulated, bio and gaseous fuels.

The JRC’s laboratory emissions tests are comple-mented with real-driving tests using portable emissions measurement systems (PEMS), which capture the wide range of driving conditions encountered on the road. This real-driving test procedure will be further developed, and may be gradually implemented together with more stringent regulatory standards, becoming fully effective from 2017 onwards.

In future transport scenarios reduced CO2 emissions go hand in hand with more energy efficient options, such as hybrid, hydrogen and fuel-cell vehicles, and also electric cars. The JRC is therefore expanding the VELA laboratory with two new facilities dedicated to electric vehicles to investigate energy efficiency and to address issues related to electro-magnetic compatibility. In addition, JRC scientists will also conduct research on battery and hydrogen energy storage and safety.

Transport safety

It’s not only measures to make mobility more sustainable which are needed; action also needs to be taken to reduce and avoid traffic accidents. A safety alert system, called eCall, could automatically alert the emergency services in case of an accident, even if the driver is uncon-scious or unable to dial 112, Europe’s single emergency number. The Commission suggested having eCall introduced in all Member States by 1 October 2015. The JRC has been asked by the European GNSS Agency (GSA) to conduct a test campaign to assess the compatibility and readiness of eCall modules to support the reception and processing of Galileo signals, Europe’s initiative for a state-of-the-art global navigation satellite system. The tests in the JRC’s European Microwave Signature Laboratory (EMSL) can be extended to also cover EGNOS (European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service) compatibility.

For the last ten years, the JRC provided its technical expertise to the design and imple-mentation of the tachograph, a device which records driving and resting times, thereby making fraud more difficult whilst enhancing road safety and reducing the controls burden for road operators. The JRC is now responsible for two essential services: the European Root Certi-fication Authority (ERCA) which generates and distributes encrypted root keys, the secret code used in authentication processes, to all national authorities; and the Laboratory for Interoper-ability Certification (IOT) responsible for issuing one of the three certifications needed for the tachograph to enter the market.

A real driving test performed by the JRC using PEMS.

CoVER SToRy

Rethinking mobility: science on the road

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Earlier this year, a new regulation was adopted to introduce a smart tachograph, for which the JRC will continue to investigate the technical aspects in order to maintain the appropriate security level of these upgraded devices.

E-vehicles

As transport technologies become more advanced, current facilities must be adapted to meet new progress. Innovative vehicles and charging stations should interact seamlessly with cross-border and international smart grids – intelligent electricity systems. To have such an integrated system, common standards in electric mobility should be promoted in Europe, across the Atlantic and globally.

The JRC therefore works on technology harmoni-sation, together with the US Department of Energy (DoE). This collaboration resulted in the opening of the first Interoperability Centre at the Argonne National Laboratories near Chicago. A second is to be opened at the JRC Ispra and Petten sites in the near future.

The Interoperability centres will collaborate, for example, to develop and verify connectivity technologies in order to enable interoperability, reduce costs and guarantee a safe and secure operation. They will also support the estab-lishment requirements, specifications and test procedures to ensure that electric vehicles are compatible with products from multiple global suppliers. Collaboration will furthermore focus on identi-fying gaps where new standards or technologies are needed and on recommending solutions.

Fears of not being able to cover long distances, high costs and inconvenient long charging hours, however, are perceived barriers that are impeding the e-car from really getting off the ground.

The JRC investigated many demographic, economic, political and social factors that could be important for developing lead markets and identifying potential hubs, not only for electric but also for hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles. Infra-structure availability, privileged access to dedicated lanes, parking facilities, adapted city centres, commuting behaviour, the environmental footprint and fuel cost savings all turned out to be important drivers. The assessments indicated that Sweden, Finland and Austria show some of the highest lead market scores for hydrogen cell vehicles in 2030.

The results of such JRC studies can help policy makers identify the right measures to foster the build-up of electric and hydrogen lead market regions, which goes hand-in-hand with the devel-opment of the related infrastructure.

From “well to wheels” analysis

The JRC also works within a consortium to estimate greenhouse gas emissions, energy efficiency and industrial costs of all automotive fuels and power-trains options significant for Europe after 2010.

A new version of the well to wheels study has been recently published. It includes a longer term outlook by expanding the time horizon to beyond 2020. It additionally includes an assessment of electrically chargeable vehicle configurations, such as plug-in hybrid, range extended, battery and fuel-cell electric vehicles. It also introduces an update of natural gas pathways, taking into account the addition of a European shale gas pathway. Furthermore, biofuel pathways, including an entirely new approach to nitrous-oxide emissions from farming, were thoroughly revised.

The JRC has well-known expertise in the field of biofuels emissions estimations. Another recent study performed in collaboration with the Inter-national Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) covers the progress in greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) estimates of Indirect Land Use Change (ILUC) from biofuels.

Results show that with the same assumptions as in the previous analysis, ILUC emissions values reported in the 2012 Commission impact assessment and policy proposal are confirmed. Refining some of the assumptions resulted in slightly higher ILUC emissions data, mainly for cereals.

Total investment in electric car R&D projects per component co-funded by Member States and the EU (the pie chart shows total budget of projects co-funded by the EU).

Munich, Paris and London at the top of the EuropeanICT landscape

Indicators to monitor excellence in research

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ICT excellence is highly concentrated in just a few areas in Europe, which are closely clustered amongst themselves. These are the main conclusions of a JRC study which maps ICT

activity and ranks European regions based on their performance.

The study shows that most ICT activity takes place in 34 EU regions (out the 1303 analysed) located in 12 countries, which represent a large share of the total EU ICT activity. Based on a composite indicator that analyses three ICT activities (business, R&D and Innovation) and values their intensity, their internationalisation and the network role, three main poles of excellence are identified. Out of 100 points, Munich gets the maximum 100, London 98 and Paris 96. On the other end, 1115 regions (86%) score below 20, with some 300 scoring zero.

Conclusions show that excellence builds on long-standing assets that reflect a history of several decades. The exclusive assets of capital cities, a deeply rooted industrial tissue, the long-term outcomes of policies, the presence and development of major players such as educational institutions concur with today’s ICT performance of a small set of European regions.

Still, if certain conditions are met, new names can emerge in the ICT landscape. Darmstadt, a city of 150 000 people located in Germany, ranks 7th among all regions in Europe, and comes 2nd in Universities ranking, 3rd in scientific publications, and 1st in new business investments, according to its size.

To improve the monitoring of national research systems and the structural changes towards more knowledge-intensive economies, the JRC produced four studies that offer a thorough analysis of research interactions, excellence of scientific and technological research, and efficiency in the production of excellent research.

One of the outcomes of these studies is a Research Excellence index that benchmarks countries based on their most top-cited publications, high-value patents output, world class universities and public research organisations, and highly valued scientific grants. This output-oriented measure allows further investigation into the links between financing, resource input and excellence. It was found that in leading countries in this field, public expenditure on research and development (R&D) amounted to at least 0.7% of the GDP,

whilst business R&D expenditure varied between 0.9% and 3.9% of the GDP.

Openness to the world also stands out as crucial: higher levels of research excellence are found in countries that foster scientific collaborations with international partners as opposed to just European Research Area (ERA) countries.

The results of this research featured in the 2013 Innovation Union Competitiveness report.

NEWS

Read more:

The Atlashttp://ipts.jrc.ec.europa.eu/publications/pub.cfm?id=7140

Interactive access to the indicators of all NUTS3 regionshttp://is.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pages/ISG/eipe/atlas.html

Munich, Paris andLondon: the top 3regions which excel in ICT.

http://ipts.jrc.ec.europa.eu/publications/pub.cfm?id=7140http://ipts.jrc.ec.europa.eu/publications/pub.cfm?id=7140http://ipts.jrc.ec.europa.eu/publications/pub.cfm?id=7140http://ipts.jrc.ec.europa.eu/publications/pub.cfm?id=7140http://is.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pages/ISG/eipe/atlas.htmlhttp://is.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pages/ISG/eipe/atlas.htmlhttp://is.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pages/ISG/eipe/atlas.htmlhttp://is.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pages/ISG/eipe/atlas.html

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Worldwide exports responsible for China’s 25% GHG emissions and… jobsRecent JRC research describes both the employment and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions embodied in worldwide exports between 1995 and 2008. In that period, emissions linked to trade almost doubled, from 4.9 Gigatonnes (Gt) to 9.4 Gt (representing 24% of the global emissions in 2008) and employment associated to worldwide exports increased by 80%, from 332 to 598 million jobs, representing 20.1% of the jobs in 2008.

In 2008 the EU-27 was the region with the largest emission deficit (the difference between emissions produced in the country and emissions embedded in its demand) accounting for 1.6Gt; China was the world’s largest net exporter of emissions, with a surplus of 2.1 Gt (25% of its total emissions were due to products consumed elsewhere). The EU-27 and the USA were the largest net employment importers through international trade (their demand creates employment abroad), with a negative balance of 136 and 107 million jobs respectively. China was the world’s largest net employment recipient, with 182 million jobs (23.5% of its total employment was due to exports).

For all the sectors analysed, China’s and India’s ratio of GHG emissions per unit of output was much higher than that of the EU-27. This gap shows room for improvement in terms of cleaner technologies.

Supporting the structural reform of the EU banking sector

Earlier this year the Commission proposed new rules to stop the biggest and most complex banks from engaging in risky trading activities. The JRC worked on the preparation of the quantitative analyses underpinning this proposal.

The JRC developed a statistical study setting quantitative thresholds allowing the identification of banks to be considered for reform, and quantified the implicit state subsidy that EU banks have enjoyed in recent years. The analysis shows that funding advantage implied by this distortion is substantial and is driven by the size of the banks and their business model.

In addition, the JRC found that banks have unintended regulatory incentives to engage

more in trading activities than in traditional, commercial banking activities, including lending to firms and households. JRC analyses demonstrate that the return per unit of minimum capital requirement was much higher for trading activities than for commercial ones.

Finally, the JRC has contributed to the assessment of costs and benefits of structural bank reform using the JRC’s Systemic Model of Banking Originated Losses (SYMBOL). Complementing earlier reforms, the current proposal aims to address remaining concerns arising from banks being too big or interconnected to fail.

NEWS

Read more:

The game of trading jobs for emissions, Arto, I., et al., Energy Policy (2013)http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421513011531

Proposal for the Regulation to further reform the banking sectorhttp://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX: 52014PC0043:EN:NOT

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421513011531http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421513011531http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421513011531http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421513011531http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421513011531http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX: 52014PC0043:EN:NOThttp://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX: 52014PC0043:EN:NOThttp://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX: 52014PC0043:EN:NOThttp://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX: 52014PC0043:EN:NOThttp://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX: 52014PC0043:EN:NOThttp://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX: 52014PC0043:EN:NOThttp://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX: 52014PC0043:EN:NOT

Mapping the world’s drought hotspots A JRC paper published in the International Journal of Climatology provides an overview of the areas most hit by drought events in the past 60 years (1951-2010). The article maps the frequency, duration and severity of meteorological droughts, showing the hotspots that occurred in three 20-year periods.

The regions most exposed to prolonged and severe droughts during 1951–1970 were the Central United States, the Argentinian Pampas, Russia, and Central Australia; during 1971–1990 they were Southern Chile, the Sahel, and Siberia; during 1991–2010 they were the Amazon Forest, the Congo River Basin, Mongolia, North Eastern China and Borneo.

In general terms, there was a slight overall increase for the three indicators Chronologically, drought frequency generally decreased in the Northern Hemisphere while significant increases in drought

frequency, duration, and severity were seen in Africa, Eastern Asia, the Mediterranean, and Southern Australia.

With global warming, the world is likely to become increasingly prone to drought events. Droughts are natural disasters that develop slowly, propagating through the full hydrological cycle, often with long-term social, economic and environmental impacts on large areas and populations.

About half of the Earth’s land area is susceptible to drought, which killed more than 11 million and affected more than 2 billion people from 1900 to 2011. Over the past few decades, droughts have become more recurrent in Europe, causing approximately EUR 100 billion of damage from 1976 to 2006.

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Soil contamination: progress report on the managementof contaminated sites

Large volumes of waste production and widespread use of chemicals during the past decades have resulted in soil contamination.The overarching policy objective is to impede any potential risk to the environment and human health. While existing EU legislation helps to prevent new contamination of soil, efforts should still be made to deal with historical soil contamination.

A new JRC report presents the current state of knowledge on the management of contaminated sites in Europe. Among the main findings are an estimated 2.5 million potentially contaminated sites in Europe, where detailed investigations are needed. Out of the circa 115 000 already identified contaminated sites, nearly half (46%) have already been remediated. ‘Traditional’ techniques such as

excavation and off-site disposal are most often used to manage these sites.

The report summarises the information obtained from National Reference Centres for Soil that belong to the European Environment Information and Observation Network (EIONET). Out of the 39 network members, 27 participated in the 2011-2012 voluntary data collection campaign organised by the European Soil Data Centre managed by the JRC.

The report identifies mining activities, metal industries and gasoline stations as the most frequently reported sources of soil and groundwater contamination. However, the range of polluting activities varies considerably from country to country. The most frequently occurring contaminants are mineral oils and heavy metals. According to input from network members, annual national expenditure for the management of contaminated sites is on average about EUR 10 per capita.

Since the last data request in 2006, an additional nine countries have established policy targets, with 17 countries in total reporting on the management of contaminated sites.

Read more:

Progress in the management of Contaminated Sites in Europehttp://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/bitstream/111111111/30755/1/lbna26376enn.pdf

Gasoline stations, metal industries and mining activities are the most frequent sources of soil and groundwater contamination.

Spinoni, J., Naumann, G., Carrao, H., Barbosa, P. and Vogt, J. (2013), World drought frequency, duration, and severity for 1951–2010

http://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/bitstream/111111111/30755/1/lbna26376enn.pdfhttp://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/bitstream/111111111/30755/1/lbna26376enn.pdfhttp://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/bitstream/111111111/30755/1/lbna26376enn.pdfhttp://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/bitstream/111111111/30755/1/lbna26376enn.pdfhttp://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/bitstream/111111111/30755/1/lbna26376enn.pdfhttp://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/bitstream/111111111/30755/1/lbna26376enn.pdf

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Copernicus emergency mapping service celebrates two yearsof operation

Global Flood Partnership launched The Global Flood Partnership (GFP), launched in March 2014 is a unique international forum aimed at developing global flood observational and modelling infrastructure for better predicting and managing flood disaster impacts and flood risk.

By bringing together the scientific community, service providers (satellite and weather), national flood and emergency management authorities, humanitarian organisations and donors, this international forum will provide operational and globally-applicable flood forecasting and monitoring tools and services, complementary to national capabilities.

It is led by the JRC and the Dartmouth Flood Observatory (University of Colorado). The JRC has unique expertise in this area, as it contributed to the set up, and managed the development of, the first operational hydrological network in Europe; the European Flood Awareness System (EFAS). The JRC also developed, together with the Dartmouth Flood Observatory, the Global Flood Detection System, which provides up-to-date information on the impact and extent of the floods.

In Europe, hydro-meteorological information and early warning systems save hundreds of lives and avoid between 460 million and 2.7 billion EUR of disaster losses per year (figures for 2012), according to World Bank estimates. While early warning systems are well established across Europe, many regions around the world do not have access to this kind of information. The potential for savings in losses and damages through early warning systems in developing and less developed countries is estimated to be between 4 and 36 billion USD per year.

Read more: Global Flood Partnershiphttp://portal.gdacs.org/Global-Flood-Partnership

Copernicus Portal http://emergency.copernicus.eu

1st April marked the second anniversary of the launch of Copernicus Emergency Management Service (EMS) - the European mapping service which provides civil protection authorities and humanitarian aid agencies with timely and relevant information based on satellite imagery and other data in disaster management contexts.

The JRC is responsible for the technical coordination of EMS, ensuring performant, reliable and relevant emergency mapping at the service of the European Commission and EU Member States. The JRC also evaluates the relevance and effectiveness of EMS products through an independent validation service.

Since 2012 it has provided geo-spatial information and maps in support of 72 major disasters and emergencies within and beyond the EU borders. The service has also been activated 12 times to address the information needs of users on disaster risk reduction, mitigation and preparedness.

Entering its third year of operations as a mature and well recognised service among the European and International emergency mapping communities, Copernicus will aim for further improvements in the service when its second

operational phase begins in February 2015. With the technical coordination of the JRC, one of the main priorities includes improving satellite tasking efforts – a process in which, at request, a satellite looks into a determined area in order to supply new information. In addition, the focus will be on improved timeliness and quality of products, enhanced data output in support of disaster risk reduction and mitigation, and further integration of the new generation of digital space and airborne sensors.

The 2014 flooding in the UK in the vicinity of the rivers Thames and Somerset is the most recent major event whose flood extent was mapped by the Copernicus EMS.

Early warning systems for floods could save billions of euros per year.

http://portal.gdacs.org/Global-Flood-Partnershiphttp://portal.gdacs.org/Global-Flood-Partnershiphttp://portal.gdacs.org/Global-Flood-Partnershiphttp://emergency.copernicus.euhttp://emergency.copernicus.eu

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Control over import and export of hazardous chemicals handedover to ECHAOn 1st March 2014 an important page turned on the JRC’s work on chemicals. As new rules concerning the export and import of very hazardous chemicals have become opera-tional, the JRC handed over administrative and technical responsibility to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA).

For more than two decades, the JRC has been providing scientific and technical support for the implementation of European legislation in this field, notably through the management

of the European centralised database of export and import of certain hazardous chemicals and pesticides, EDEXIM. Between 2003 and 2013, the number of export notifications increased from around 200 to almost 3 700.

Detailed figures on importing and exporting countries are available at the EDEXIM page. The JRC will continue to give IT support to the ECHA and maintain the EDEXIM database until 1st March 2015.

EDEXIM databasehttp://edexim.jrc.ec.europa.eu/

Read more:

European Hospital Survey: Benchmarking Deployment of e-Health Services (2012–2013) project websitehttp://is.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pages/TFS/EHS.html

e-Health: Nordic countries top implementation, but gap reducedTop performing countries for e-health deployment, with e-health broadly defined as the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in health products and services, are Denmark (66%), Estonia (63%), Sweden and Finland (both 62%), according to a series of JRC reports resulting from the recently concluded project “European Hospital Survey: Benchmarking Deployment of e-Health Services (2012–2013)”. The project explored

e-health deployment, availability, and use in European acute hospitals.

Electronic health record systems exist in 75% of the surveyed hospitals. The availability and usage of certain e-health functionalities remains very heterogeneous. The two most available functionalities are the ones allowing viewing or inputting information about laboratory test results (64%) and about financial or billing processes (59%).

Telehealth functionalities score the lowest. Remote monitoring of patients is available in only 4% of hospitals and the exchange of medical patient data with any healthcare provider in another country in only 5% of hospitals.

The country-by-country results on the uptake of e-health in the EU-28, Iceland and Norway, show that the gap has been narrowing between more advanced countries (mostly Nordic countries) and those where hospitals have been lagging behind (mostly eastern European countries and Greece).

The JRC has been investigating the impact of ICT on the health sector for some years.

JRC hands down control of hazardous chemicals import and export to ECHA.

http://edexim.jrc.ec.europa.eu/http://edexim.jrc.ec.europa.eu/http://is.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pages/TFS/EHS.htmlhttp://is.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pages/TFS/EHS.htmlhttp://is.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pages/TFS/EHS.html

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Certified reference material for better monitoringof Campylobacter outbreaks

Safer borders: towards certified detection equipment againstillicit trafficking

Campylobacteriosis is a zoonosis, meaning that the bacterium can be transmitted to humans from animals or animal products. The main route of transmission is generally believed to be foodborne, via undercooked meat and meat products, as well as raw or contaminated milk.

According to the World Health Organization, Campylobacter infections in humans, while usually mild, can be fatal among very young children, elderly and immunosuppressed individuals. With over 190 000 human cases annually, this disease is the most frequently reported foodborne illness in the EU. The cost of campylobacteriosis to public health systems and

to lost productivity in the EU is estimated by EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) to be around EUR 2.4 billion a year.

EU Directive 2003/99/EC on the monitoring of zoonosis and zoonotic agents obliges Member States to collect relevant and, where applicable, comparable data of zoonoses, zoonotic agents, antimicrobial resistance and foodborne outbreaks, including Campylobacter.

The JRC’s new certified reference material CRM IRMM-313 is a valuable tool for method validation or as a quality control material for molecular typing of Campylobacter.

The JRC has launched the second phase of the Illicit Trafficking Radiation Detection Assessment Programme (ITRAP+10), which will focus on testing mobile radiation detection equipment and investigating the integration of radiological, nuclear and explosives detection techniques. By organising a proficiency test, phase II takes a step towards the establishment of a network of accredited laboratories in the EU able to certify radiation detection equipment against international or European standards.

It will also provide valuable information on radiation detection and identification instruments, which are essential for customs controls at borders and harbours, and for the screening of passengers and cargo at airports. The lessons learned during the first phase will feed the improvement of the standards in view of the adoption of the IEC standards as European Standards by the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC).

During phase I (2009-2013), the JRC tested 65 detection instruments commercially available in Europe. Some of them were also tested in the U.S. to assure comparability. Results showed that none of these instruments fully passed all the tests. This first part of the project was carried out

in partnership with the U.S. government and the IAEA, which conducted a parallel test.

Within the EU’s Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Action Plan, ITRAP+10 phase II is being carried out by the JRC and the Directorate-General for Home Affairs in close cooperation with their US counterparts.

Spectrometric personal radiation detectors.

Read more:

Reference materials cataloguehttp://irmm.jrc.ec.europa.eu/reference_materials_catalogue/catalogue/Pages/index.aspx

http://irmm.jrc.ec.europa.eu/reference_materials_catalogue/catalogue/Pages/index.aspxhttp://irmm.jrc.ec.europa.eu/reference_materials_catalogue/catalogue/Pages/index.aspxhttp://irmm.jrc.ec.europa.eu/reference_materials_catalogue/catalogue/Pages/index.aspxhttp://irmm.jrc.ec.europa.eu/reference_materials_catalogue/catalogue/Pages/index.aspxhttp://irmm.jrc.ec.europa.eu/reference_materials_catalogue/catalogue/Pages/index.aspxhttp://irmm.jrc.ec.europa.eu/reference_materials_catalogue/catalogue/Pages/index.aspxhttp://irmm.jrc.ec.europa.eu/reference_materials_catalogue/catalogue/Pages/index.aspx

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All fuelled up to face the challenges of alternative energy

“I am passionate

about the

environment,

and about

defending it.”

Luisa Marelli, co-ordinator for JRC’s biofuels taskforce.

MEET THE SCIENTIST

“Life is a competition, but not in a bad way,” Luisa Marelli states. “It is full of challenges that keep you going.” This is a lesson she picked up at a very early age when she was participating in ski races. Now she has quite different challenges to tackle as head of the JRC’s scientific team that investigates the sustainability of bio- and other alternative fuels.

“I am passionate about the environment, and about defending it. There are many different ways to do this, and studying bioenergy is one since there are still many open questions waiting for an answer.”

At school she had a feeling that physics could provide her the majority of responses to her questions, and she was fascinated by the experiments. She felt that they could teach her best how the world works. Logically, she went on to study physical science and took a PhD in optics, which led to an interesting turn in her career.

“I started as a researcher applying science to art and archaeology, before obtaining a grantholder position with the JRC” she explains. She went on to research air pollution and climate change for six years.

“It was very motivating to work in both domains, as you can apply science to something that is very tangible, very close to people’s hearts. But working with biofuels,” she continues “is also very stimulating from a different perspective.”

Marelli became coordinator of the JRC’s biofuels taskforce in 2008. At that time the debate on biofuels was only starting, so it was a very exciting opportunity to take. Her work is a mix of desktop work to model and assess the sustainability of biofuels and team coordination. In addition, she follows policy discussions in the field and has exchanges with a vast array of peer experts and policy makers.

Although carrying out research on biofuels gives Marelli a lot of professional satisfaction, it is not always a walk in the park. “The topic is quite sensitive and therefore you always have to be careful about what you say, as you always receive criticism from the stakeholders. You have to be able to constantly work under this kind of stress,” she says. “But I believe in the importance of this work, otherwise I would not do it. The support I get also confirms that the research goes in the right direction.”

Research for example has shown that conventional or first generation biofuels, made from sugar, starch or vegetable oil, are not the best solution due to the many environmental and economic concerns connected to it. Future generation biofuels, such as those from algae, seem more promising as they are less critical for the environment, but are still very expensive or at “research and development” stage, and thus not economically viable at the moment. Second generation biofuels – from residues and waste – are an improvement in comparison to their precursors, but their sustainability should still be under constant scrutiny. Other options, such as restoring degraded land or using land which is not useful for agriculture, are also being examined.

“Six years after biofuels were regulated and the discussion really started flaring up, there are still many possibilities to explore, like assessing the impacts of an increased use of forest biomass for bioenergy. As long as science can continue to contribute to improvements in this field of research,” asserts Marelli, “the challenge is still on.”

13

Read more:

RE2nAF (Renewable Energy for Rural Electrification in Africa) toolhttp://re.jrc.ec.europa.eu/re2naf.html

RE2nAF tool: Renewable Energy for Rural Electrification in Africa

Agreement with the Potsdam Institute forClimate Impact Research

Preserving soil

The JRC has developed an online tool to support national governments in deciding which energy options would better accommodate their needs for off-grid, rural electrification. It enables geographically-based exploratory analysis for off-grid electricity production options in Africa. It overlays the latest diesel and photovoltaic panels costs, population features (settlements), infrastructure (transmission electricity grids, roads), and national boundaries to map the current lowest-cost electricity option for rural electrification.

It includes information on:

• Settlements: more than 6 700, with estimated population data for 2010 • Electricity grid: more than 230 000 km in 46 countries • Power plants: more than 900 in 54 countries • Global irradiation data • Diesel based electricity cost: for 2008, 2010 and 2012 • PV based electricity cost: estimated for 8 module prices (from 0.75 to 2.5€/Wp)

This tool is part of the broader involvement of the JRC in renewable energy issues in Africa. Contributing to achieving the objectives

of the Sustai¬nable Energy for All ini¬tiative, the JRC promotes the use of renewable energy technologies in the continent through several research projects under the EU Energy Initiative and the Africa-EU Energy Partnership. JRC activities focus on providing high quality resource information, developing technical and socio-economic criteria for assessing rural electrification projects, and developing a web-based network of renewable energy research centres under the African Renewable Energy Technology Platform.

The JRC and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research signed a collaboration agreement with the objective of better understanding and tackling scientific issues linked to the impact of, and adaptation to, climate change.

The future cooperation – as outlined in the agreement signed on 30 January 2014 – will focus on multi-sectoral, integrative assessment of climate change impact and better integration of biophysical climate impact knowledge in economic modelling frameworks. The two parties

will work together to deepen the understanding of the consequences of climate change, including economic, and will study possible climate adaptation at European and global level. Research will also include the study of climate change in urban areas, and of the interaction between climate action and development, particularly on the African continent.

The Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research is a public institute with a mission to address climate change impact as well as sustainable development.

The JRC and the Soil Conservation Service of Iceland (SCSI) signed a research collaborative arrangement focusing on ecological restoration and better understanding of soil and degradation issues on 11 February 2014.

The SCSI is a governmental agency supporting research in the fight against desertification, soil erosion, sustainable land use and restoration of degraded soil.

CooPERaTIoN aGREEMENTS

DISCoVER JRC’S SCIENTIFIC TooLS aND DaTabaSES

http://re.jrc.ec.europa.eu/re2naf.htmlhttp://re.jrc.ec.europa.eu/re2naf.htmlhttp://re.jrc.ec.europa.eu/re2naf.html

José M. Rueda-Cantuche of the JRC’s Institute for Prospective Technological Studies (IPTS) has been invited to join the editorial board of the United Nation’s Handbook of Input Output Table Compilation and Analysis. This manual, first issued by the UN’s Statistics Division in 1999, is meant to support international organisations and regional commissions in their efforts to implement the System of National Accounts (SNA), the internationally agreed standard set of recommendations on how to compile measures of economic activity.

The editorial board will revise the 1999 version with the aim to incorporate the changes since then in the underlying international economic accounting standards and classifications, to extend the scope of the handbook, and to turn it into a practical compilation guidebook, especially for those countries with a less developed statistical system.

The editorial board consists of 12 members of several institutes from different countries all over the world, including Canada, Chile, Denmark, Germany, Japan, Norway, the US, the UK and the Netherlands. The revised version is scheduled to be published in 2014 by the UN Statistics Division.

14

JRC joins editorial board for UN Statistics Handbook

Counter Nuclear Smuggling workshop

International symposium on fisheries information

A counter nuclear smuggling workshop organised by the JRC’s Institute for Transuranium Elements (ITU) in collaboration with the US Department of State on 11-13 February 2014 brought together experts to share their knowledge in leveraging investigative and technical capabilities to counter nuclear smuggling.

The workshop aimed to advance commitments made at the Nuclear Security Summit 2012, as well as those outlined in the Nuclear Security Summit Communiqués and Work Plan. The areas focussed on included law enforcement, the use of radiation detection systems, nuclear forensic capabilities to support an investigation, and international cooperation.

The second international symposium on fishery-dependant information, co-organised by the JRC and several other international marine institutes, was held at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) premises in Rome on 3-6 March 2014.

The symposium explored the most effective ways to collect and integrate fishery dependant data with a focus on the challenges facing fishery management including improving cost effectiveness, whole ecosystem management and the integration of fishers and fishing communities in data collection and handling.

Over 150 players from across the fishing sector took part in the event, providing an excellent platform to improve collaboration between governments, academia, and the fishing industry. Several important findings came about as a result of the symposium, including the need to establish a trustworthy environment for improved collaboration and management in the field.

ExTERNaL RECoGNITIoN

PaST EVENTS

Read more:

Event page http://itu.jrc.ec.europa.eu/index.php?id=537&type=0

Fishery Dependent Information 2014http://www.imr.no/prosjektsiter/fdi/en

The conference ran under the motto: Sustainability, Inclusivity, Accuracy.

http://itu.jrc.ec.europa.eu/index.php?id=537&type=0http://itu.jrc.ec.europa.eu/index.php?id=537&type=0http://itu.jrc.ec.europa.eu/index.php?id=537&type=0http://itu.jrc.ec.europa.eu/index.php?id=537&type=0http://www.imr.no/prosjektsiter/fdi/enhttp://www.imr.no/prosjektsiter/fdi/en

15

JRC - Greek Presidency Flagship Conference: Scientific Supportto Agriculture: Competitiveness, Quality and Sustainability

The JRC and the Hellenic Ministry of Rural Development and Food are organising a high level conference on “Scientific support to agriculture: competitiveness, quality and sustainability”, to be held on 23 April 2014 in Athens.

Organised under the auspices of the Greek Presidency, the conference will bring together key representatives from the Greek government, scientific and business communities, as well as JRC experts who aim to stimulate debate and improve the science-based understanding of the challenges before the agricultural-environmental-climate system. This understanding should serve as a basis for formulating policy recommendations on how to act in the most efficient way.

The conference reflects the importance of agriculture for the Greek economy and the importance of the JRC’s scientific work in support of sustainable and competitive European agricultural policies.

UPCoMING EVENTS

Africa PVSEC: the first African Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and ExhibitionOn 27–29 March, the JRC co-organised the first ever Africa Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference (Africa PVSEC) which took place in Durban, South Africa. The event highlighted the rapidly growing African scientific community in the field, as well as the increasing installation of solar photovoltaic electricity generation systems in many African countries.

The event’s participants discussed three main topics: fundamental material research, business

and policy assessments. Moreover Africa PVSEC created an international platform where the latest developments in photovoltaic energy could be discussed, furthering networking opportunities as well as increasing visibility towards industrial and policy stakeholders for solar photovoltaic electricity as a key tool in meeting the rapidly growing energy demands in Africa.

Read more:

Africa PVSEC 2014http://www.africap vsec.info/cms/

Read more:

Conference page http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/jrc/index.cfm?id=1410&obj_id=4840&dt_code=EVN&lang=en

The conference welcomed 280 attendees from 40 countries.

http://www.africapvsec.info/cms/http://www.africapvsec.info/cms/http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/jrc/index.cfm?id=1410&obj_id=4840&dt_code=EVN&lang=enhttp://ec.europa.eu/dgs/jrc/index.cfm?id=1410&obj_id=4840&dt_code=EVN&lang=enhttp://ec.europa.eu/dgs/jrc/index.cfm?id=1410&obj_id=4840&dt_code=EVN&lang=enhttp://ec.europa.eu/dgs/jrc/index.cfm?id=1410&obj_id=4840&dt_code=EVN&lang=enhttp://ec.europa.eu/dgs/jrc/index.cfm?id=1410&obj_id=4840&dt_code=EVN&lang=en

16

The JRC Newsletter is a bi-monthly publi-cation intended to provide JRC customers, stakeholders and other interested parties with an overview of recent highlights from the JRC’s scientific achievements, policy support, contributions to events and other news.

To subscribe to the electronic version of this newsletter, please visit: www.jrc.ec.europa.eu/newsletter

Editor in chiefDavid Wilkinson

Production team

Geraldine Barry, Elena Gonzalez Verdesoto, Branka Kostovska, Mary Raveendran, Barbara Piotrowska, Nadia Spirito,Miriam Tessens.

www.jrc.ec.europa.eu Contact: www.jrc.ec.europa.eu/contact

Neither the European Commission nor any person acting on behalf of the Commission may be held responsible for the use to which information contained in this publication may be put, nor for any errors which may appear despite careful preparation and checking. This publication does not necessarily reflect the view or the position of the European Commission. © European Union, 2014

Pictures credits

All images copyright European Union, except:

Cover page: BrokenSphere (Wikimedia Commons)p. 8 Contaminated sites: Restoration Science & Engineering (LLC)p. 8 Drought: Jenny Rollo (Stock.xchng)p. 11 Campylobacter: Janice Carr (Wikimedia Commons)

As the Commission’s in-house science service, the Joint Research Centre’s 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 stimu-lating innovation through developing new methods, tools and standards, and sharing its know-how with the Member States, the scientific community and international partners.

VaCaNT PoSITIoNS

Read more:

Jobs at the JRC http://www.jrc.ec.europa.eu/jobs

Jobs at the JRCRecently published – Applicants must submit their application no later than the indicated deadline

Petten, The Netherlands

Senior researcher (Cat 40) • Senior expert in operational safety of NPPs

04 May

Sevilla, Spain

Auxiliary Contract Staff (FGIV) • Researcher/Modeller

27 April• Technical support officer on energy issues

27 April• Technical support officer on energy market issues

27 April• Scientific / Technical Project Officer - ICT Officer

04 May

Ispra, Italy:

Trainee• Nanosafety Regulation Support

21 April• Nanoparticles characterisation

24 April• Energy yield prediction and monitoring for

photovoltaic modules 28 April

• Modelling the electrical performance of organic photovoltaic devices 28 April

www.jrc.ec.europa.eu/newsletterwww.jrc.ec.europa.euwww.jrc.ec.europa.eu/contacthttp://www.jrc.ec.europa.eu/jobshttp://www.jrc.ec.europa.eu/jobs