European Highlights
Priorities for the Maltese Presidency of the Council
Malta will hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union during the first semester of 2017, following six months of Slovak Presidency. Research is one of the Maltese Presidency priorities, with a focus on strengthening the Euro-Mediterranean cooperation in research and innovation, primarily through ensuring legislative deliberations on the Partnership for Research and…
EuCheMS Answer to the Interim Evaluation of H2020 Consultation
EuCheMS has recently submitted its response to the public consultation on the interim evaluation of Horizon 2020. In its answer, EuCheMS reaffirms the importance of Horizon 2020 as a research funding mechanism, the need for further simplification in the application process, the importance of further European collaboration as to avoid fragmentation and unnecessary duplication of…
Council Approves the EU's Legislative Priorities for 2017
The Council of the European Union has recently approved the EU's legislative priorities for 2017 as agreed beforehand with the European Parliament and the European Commission. This will help the three EU institutions to pool their efforts and to ensure substantial progress in fields where they are most needed. In this concise document the EU…
Commission Registers “Ban Glyphosate” European Citizens' Initiative
Earlier this month, the European Commission has decided to register a European Citizens Initiative (ECI) inviting the Commission "to propose to Member States a ban on glyphosate, to reform the pesticide approval procedure, and to set EU-wide mandatory reduction targets for pesticide use". Should the ECI receive one million statements of support within one year,…
Car Emissions Committee: First Findings and Draft Recommendations
The ad hoc European Parliament Committee of Inquiry into Emission Measurement in the Automotive Sector (EMIS), has presented last month its findings and draft recommendations. The draft text is a result of 10 months’ intensive work to reconstruct the events and collect evidence, in particular on the role of the EU Commission and member states…
New Rules for Member States to Drastically Cut Air Pollution
In order to achieve the 2030 objectives of the Clean Air Programme, the Directive on the reduction of national emissions of certain atmospheric pollutants has entered into force on 31 December 2016. This Directive sets national reduction commitments for the five pollutants (sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, ammonia and fine particulate matter) responsible…
European Open Science Cloud
The European Parliament´s Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) Committee voted a draft resolution welcoming the European Open Science Cloud model proposed by the Commission, including the plan to extend its use to the industry and to governments. ITRE Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), stated that this open cloud initiative would allow development…
ERC Consolidator Grants: € 605 million to 314 ambitious researchers
The European Research Council (ERC) has recently announced the awarding of its Consolidator Grants to 314 top researchers in Europe. The funding, worth a total of € 605 million, will give them a chance to have far-reaching impact on science and beyond. The grants fall under the ' Excellent Science' pillar of Horizon 2020, the…
Towards 2017 - Progress made in Science, Research and Innovation in Western Balkans
In its 2016 annual Enlargement Package, the European Commission assessed where the countries of the Western Balkans and Turkey stand in implementing key political and economic reforms, and what needs to be done to address the remaining challenges. Related to Science, Research and Innovation there is a good level of preparation in Macedonia, Montenegro and…
Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Scientific Advice to Support Step-by-Step Development of New Biosimilars
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) will launch a pilot project in February 2017 to test the added value and feasibility of tailored scientific advice for the development path of biosimilar medicines. Through this new initiative, EMA aims to provide developers of biosimilars with advice on the studies/tests they should be conducting, on the basis of…
Chemical Safety for Workers Targeted by EU Enforcement Project
Enforcement authorities in the EU will inspect how safety information on hazardous chemicals is compiled, communicated in the supply chain and followed at workplaces. One of the objectives of this enforcement project is to ensure that workers handling hazardous chemicals, especially those dealing with substances of very high concern, receive sufficient and correct safety information.…
Endocrine Disruptors: Guidance Plans Outlined
EFSA and the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) have published an outline of the Guidance they are developing on how to identify substances with endocrine disrupting properties in pesticides and biocides.The Guidance will enable applicants and regulatory authorities to identify endocrine disruptors among chemical substances proposed as pesticides and biocides using hazard-based scientific criteria currently being…
Consultations and Roadmaps
Public Consultation on Draft Guidance on Dermal Absorption of Chemical Plant Protection Products
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has made available for public consultation its draft Guidance on dermal absorption of chemical plant protection products (PPPs). The Guidance, which updates the document published by EFSA in 2012, was drafted in the light of newly available human in vitro studies. As requested by the European Commission, the…
Public Consultation on the Active Substance Ampelomyces quisqualis AQ10
EFSA will assess all comments from interested parties regarding the active substance Ampelomyces quisqualis AQ10. Input is requested on the following: physical/chemical properties; details of uses and further information; methods of analysis; mammalian toxicology; residues; and environmental fate and behavior.
Deadline: 11 March 2017
Website: http://www.efsa.europa.eu/
Roadmap - Initiative for the Sustainable Development of the Blue Economy in the Western Mediterranean
This initiative aims to promote sustainable economic and social prosperity of the western Mediterranean region through growth and jobs creation by improving its competitiveness and attractiveness, while at the same time preserving healthy and balanced marine and coastal ecosystems. The western Mediterranean Sea has an enormous wealth in natural resources, cultural assets and diversity of…
Calls for Funding and Awards
- Horizon Prize for CO2 Reuse
- Call for Proposals for a Framework Partnership Agreement with a European Policy Network on Teachers and School Leaders
- Erasmus+ Knowledge Alliances 2017
- Raw Materials International Co-operation
- Towards a robust and comprehensive greenhouse gas verification system
- Raw Materials Policy Support Actions
- Peer Learning of Innovation Agencies
EuCHeMS Events
- Café Chimique on the Future for Collaborative Research and Innovation in Europe
- e-WISPOC 2017 - 11th European Winter School on Physical Organic Chemistry
- Circular Economy in Drugs
- Glyphosate: Harmless Chemical or Silent Killer?
- ICCE 2017 – 16th EuCheMS International Conference on Chemistry and the Environment
- ISOS 2017 – International Summer School on Organic Synthesis “A. Corbella”
- Bienal 2017 – XXXVI Biennial Meeting of the Spanish Royal Society of Chemistry (RSEQ)
- 7th EuroVariety - 7th European Variety in University Chemistry Education
Other Events
- Seafood Safety: New Findings and Innovation Challenges
- EIT Health Matchmaking Event
- The Future for UK Science and Innovation Funding and Policy
- Industrially Contaminated Sites and Health Network - 3rd Plenary Conference
- How Best to Attract Talented Researchers