European Highlights
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2016
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2016 was awarded jointly to Jean-Pierre Sauvage (University of Strasbourg, France), Sir J. Fraser Stoddart (Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA), and Bernard L. Feringa (University of Groningen, the Netherlands) “for the design and synthesis of molecular machines”. 2016’s Nobel Laureates in Chemistry have taken molecular systems out of equilibrium’s stalemate…
EuCheMS Responds to Public Consultation on the Joint Programming on Metrology Research
Earlier this month, EuCheMS has provided its input to the Public Consultation on the Joint Programming on Metrology Research (EMRP and EMPIR), a topic in which chemistry plays a major role. In its answer, EuCheMS highlighted that diversity in European metrology should be taken into consideration and that capacity building actions are needed. Metrology is…
MEPs Call for More Safety Rules on Materials in Contact with Food
Only four out of 17 EU-listed Food Contact Materials (FCMs) are currently covered by specific safety measures foreseen in existing EU legislation: plastics, ceramics, regenerated cellulose and “active and intelligent” materials, while others have yet to be fully tested. EU-wide safety rules are needed for more materials in contact with food, such as those used…
Launch of Endocrine Active Substances Information System
The European Commission has recently launched the Endocrine Active Substances Information System (EASIS). This web-based application, developed by the Joint Research Centre (JRC), allows searching and collecting results from different scientific studies on chemicals related to endocrine activity, and aims to facilitate the creation of toxicity predicative models. The system currently contains data on 513…
EuCheMS-ECTN Meeting and Closer Collaboration
EuCheMS and the European Chemistry Thematic Network Association (ECTN) met earlier this month to discuss, among other, chemistry, teaching, education, Eurolabels, and open data with the objective of strengthening their European collaboration. From now EuCheMS and ECTN will have a common administrative support structure, a synergy which will allow them to better collaborate in key…
Decrease in Ozone Depleting Substances in 2015
According to a recent report by the European Environment Agency, ODS consumption in 2015 was the lowest negative level since 2006. A significant contributing factor to the low consumption was a 12% decrease in imports compared to 2014. Moreover, destruction of controlled substances increased between 2014 and 2015. Stratospheric ozone absorbs most of the…
EFSA to Share Raw Data on Glyphosate
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is to release the raw data used in the recent EU safety evaluation of glyphosate, as part of its commitment to open risk assessment. The information will be shared with a group of Members of European Parliament (MEPs) following a public access to document request. When combined with the…
Global Leaders Commit to Act on Antimicrobial Resistance at the United Nations
For the first time, on the 21 of September at the United Nations, heads of state committed to taking a broad, coordinated approach to address the root causes of antimicrobial resistance AMR across multiple sectors, especially human health, animal health and agriculture. This is only the fourth time a health issue has been taken up…
Western Balkans Joins the European Open Science Agenda
Seven Western Balkans’ economies joined the European Union (EU) in pursuing the EU Open Science Agenda at the Open Data and Access in Science meeting organised by the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) during the International Open Data Conference (IODC) on 6-7 October 2016. These countries agreed to appoint national points of reference on Open Science…
European Commission at the China-EU Education Ministers Conference
As referred at the conference, there are nearly 3,000 students and professors selected to move between Europe and China under the Erasmus+ calls in 2015 and 2016, and dozens of Chinese universities participating in joint academic projects China-EU Cooperation. Mr Tibor Navracsics, Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, mentioned in his speech the “proven…
Congratulations to Christian Schärf, Paul Rathke, and Friedrich Wanierke - EUCYS EuCheMS Award 2016
Christian Schärf, Paul Rathke, and Friedrich Wanierke, from Germany, are the winners of the 2016 EUCYS EuChEMS Award with their project entitled "Alpha-aluminium oxide-based gemstones: Development of a chemical synthesis process prompted by current mining conditions".
EuCheMS special prize for best chemistry contribution at the European Union Contest for Young Scientist, is attributed every year…
Erasmus+ Programme Guide and Calls 2016
The Erasmus+ Programme Guide and Call for Proposals for 2016 is out with more than €1,85 billion funding available. This year´s programme presents new opportunities in Vocational Education and Training Mobility, more targeted Strategic Partnerships, and a revised format of Sector Skills Alliances. Erasmus+ promotes, among other, the mobility of young students, researchers,…
45 ERC Grantees Receive Top-up Innovation Funding
Forty-five European Research Council (ERC) grantees will bring the results of their frontier research closer to market thanks to Proof of Concept grants. This top-up funding will help them explore the innovation potential of their ERC-funded discoveries. These Proof of Concept grants, worth €150,000 each, can be used for example to establish intellectual property rights,…
Innovation & Entrepreneurship
REACH 2018 - How Safe is your Substance?
Companies registering the same substance must work together to compile and share information on the uses, hazards and risks of their substance to demonstrate safe use. If new data involving animal testing needs to be generated, alternatives must always be considered first. All this information on the uses, hazards and risks should be reported in…
The European Patent Office Survey - The use of Information in the Innovation Process
The European Patent Office (EPO) is conducting a Pan-European survey in order to understand what kind of information supports an organisation’s innovation process. EPO offers inventors a uniform application procedure which enables them to seek patent protection in up to 40 European countries.
Source: https://www.iprhelpdesk.eu/news/
Consultations and Roadmaps
Consultation on the Interim evaluation of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology
The objective of the consultation is to ensure that, in addition to the organisations and individuals directly involved in or benefitting from the activities of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), wider stakeholder groups as well as the general public have a say in its future direction.
Deadline: 20 November 2016
Public Consultation on the Active Substance Methoxyfenozide
EFSA will assess all comments from interested parties regarding the active substance methoxyfenozide. 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: 20 November 2016
Website: http://www.efsa.europa.eu/
Evaluation Roadmap - Directive on Batteries and accumulators and Waste Batteries and Accumulators
The evaluation will address all substantive provisions in the Directive and will consider all relevant aspects, i.e. legal (e.g. legal base, internal coherence, consistency with other legislation in approaches, terminology and legal concepts), environmental (e.g. main environmental impacts of batteries along the whole life cycle of batteries, efficiency of measures), economic and social (e.g. access…
Revision of the Clean Vehicles Directive
The objective of the Directive is to increase the demand and deployment of cleaner vehicles thus strengthening the competitiveness of the EU industry while decreasing CO2 and pollutant emissions of transport. To achieve this goal, the specific policy objectives of this initiative can be defined as 1) increasing the public procurement of all categories of…
Call for Funding and Awards
2017 IUPAC-SOLVAY International Award for Young Chemists
Independent Advisory Panel on Characterising Flavours in Tobacco Products
EU Prize for Women Innovators 2017
EUREKA Network Projects Call with Chile
Bio-based Products: Mobilisation and Mutual Learning Action Plan
Blue Green Innovation for Clean Coasts and Seas
EuCheMS Events
CCE 2017 – 16th EuCheMS International Conference on Chemistry and the Environment
EICC-4 – 4th EuCheMS Inorganic Chemistry Conference
ISSNP 2017 – International Summer School on Natural Products
EuCOMC 2017 – 22nd European Conference on Organometallic Chemistry
EuCheMS aisbl - Rue du Trône 62, 1050, Brussels, Belgium; www.euchems.eu. Produced for EuCheMS by Nineta Hrastelj Majcen. This newsletter has been carefully prepared and only contains correct information to the best of EuCheMS´ knowledge, however this does not exclude the possibility of existence of incorrect information. EuCheMS cannot be liable for the use or misuse of any information, whether correct or incorrect, present at this newsletter. Intellectual property belongs to its rightful owners, always explicitly traceable on each article. Compilation Copyright © 2016 EuCheMS