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General European Highlights


Let there be Light – Solar-Driven Chemistry
2015 is the International Year of Light and Light Based Technologies, with many light-related scientific events occurring throughout all the continents.
Light has many applications in chemistry research, namely through the use of synchrotron light to determine and understand the properties of materials such as nanostructures. But other than using light to study and to develop the materials of the future, chemistry is also studying how use solar light to solve the climate challenge by developing artificial photosynthesis.
Source: www.light2015.org
 
European Parliament Backs GMO opt-out for EU Member States
New legislation to allow EU member states to restrict or ban the cultivation of crops containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs) on their own territory, even if this is allowed at EU level, was passed by MEPs. The legislation, informally agreed by Parliament and Council in December, was originally tabled in 2010 but was then deadlocked for four years due to disagreement between pro- and anti-GMO member states. The new legislation will come into force in spring 2015.
Source: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/
 
Commission Reveals 2015 Work Programme
In its 2015 Work Programme, the European Commission has revealed it will adopt a Strategic Framework for the Energy Union which will amongst other, promote research and innovation in the energy field, decarbonise the energy mix and improve energy efficiency. EuCheMS firmly believes that chemistry will play a central role in achieving these objectives.
Source: http://ec.europa.eu/  

Latvia takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union
The Latvian Presidency of the EU, which started this January, will focus on three overarching priorities: Competitive Europe, Digital  Europe and Engaged Europe.
In its programme, the Latvian presidency clearly states that research and innovation are of pivotal importance for European competitiveness and employment as providers for new sources for growth. It also mentions the need to bridge research and innovation through fostering networks without barriers and the full exploitation of the potential of national research and innovation systems, namely through building strong links between the Innovation Union and the European Research Area.
Source: https://eu2015.lv/

EU Backs Top Early-Career Researchers with €485 Million
The European Research Council (ERC) has selected 328 first class scientists, with an average age of 35 years old, to receive its prestigious Starting Grants, worth up to €2 million each. The awarded €485 million contributes to supporting a new generation of top scientists in Europe developing ambitious high-risk, high-gain research projects in any field.
The funding will allow the Starting grantees to build their own research teams, engaging in total over 1400 postdocs and PhD students as their team members.
Source: http://europa.eu/

EFSA publishes EU Report on Pesticide Residues in Food
More than 97% of all samples analysed as part of the latest Europe-wide monitoring programme of pesticides in foods contain residue levels that fall within legal limits - with over 54% of samples free from any detectable trace of the chemicals. These findings are part of the European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA) 2012 annual report on pesticide residues in food. The report is based on the analysis of almost 79 000 food samples carried out by 27 EU Member States, Iceland and Norway.
Source: http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/
 
A New Strategy to Improve Acute Systemic Toxicity Assessment with Fewer Animals
The European Union Reference Laboratory for Alternatives to Animal Testing (EURL ECVAM) of the European Commission's Joint Research Centre has released a strategy on how to reduce, refine and eventually avoid the use of animals for acute mammalian systemic toxicity testing. The strategic aims and associated objectives identified are intended to progress the field on multiple fronts and to provide a framework for prioritisation of alternative methods submitted for validation.
Source: https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/
 
RESAVER - A Pan-European Pension Fund for Researchers
The mobility of researchers is a driver of excellence in research. However, researchers face many difficulties in preserving their supplementary pension benefits when moving between different countries. To overcome this problem, the European Commission is supporting a consortium of employers, through Horizon 2020, in creating a single European pension arrangement (RESAVER) that will offer a defined contribution plan, tailor-made for research organisations and their employees. The establishment of RESAVER is foreseen to occur during 2015 and Brussels News Updates will inform you as soon as there are any new developments.
Source: http://ec.europa.eu/euraxess/ 
 

Funding Updates and Awards


Call for Nominations for the EuCheMS European Prize for Organometallic Chemistry 2015
Deadline: 20 February 2015
Source: www.euchems.eu/
 
Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 - Call 4: Stage 1
Deadline: 11 February 2015
Source: http://www.imi.europa.eu/
 
CATRENE – Cluster for Application and Technology Research in Europe on NanoElectronics
Deadline: 13 February 2015
Source: http://www.catrene.org/
 
Erasmus+ Key Action 1 - Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degrees
Deadline: 4 March 2015
Source: https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/erasmus-plus/
 
Selection of Calls for Nanotechnologies, Advanced Materials and Production
Deadline: 26 March 2015
H2020-NMP-CSA-2015: http://ec.europa.eu/research/;
H2020-NMP-2015-two-stage: http://ec.europa.eu/research/
and H2020-NMP-PILOTS-2015: http://ec.europa.eu/research/
 
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Research and Innovation Staff Exchange (RISE)
Deadline: 28 March 2015
Source: http://ec.europa.eu/research/

Consultations and Roadmaps


Public Consultation on the Active Substance Beauveria Bassiana 147
Deadline: 15 March 2015
Source: http://www.efsa.europa.eu/
 
 

Business Updates


Commission Supports Innovative SMEs with €117 Million in New Grants
Over 275 innovative small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are on track to receive a total of €117 million in new grants from Horizon 2020. These are the latest results of calls under the new €3 billion SME Instrument, launched under Horizon 2020 to help innovative small firms get ideas from the lab to the market and help generate growth and jobs for Europe..
Source: http://ec.europa.eu/research/
 
From Ideas to Business and from Business to Ideas
If you need a certain technology or innovation to complete your business or a business application for your technology, the Enterprise Europe Network might be your answer. By using Europe’s largest database of cutting-edge technologies, containing more than 23,000 profiles, the Network brings together research and commercial applications. The database is updated with new profiles on a weekly basis and registration is free of charge.
Source: http://een.ec.europa.eu/
 

Upcoming EuCheMS Recognised Events

9th European Winter School on Physical Organic Chemistry
01 - 06 February 2015
Bressanone, Italy
Website: http://www.chimica.unipd.it/wispoc
 
Bunsentagung 2015
14 - 16 May 2015
Bochum, Germany
Website: http://www.bunsen.de/bunsentagung2015
 
Energy Science Technology Conference 2015
20 - 22 May 2015
Karlsruhe, Germany
Website: http://www.est-conference.com/

Energy Science Technology 2015

20 - 22 May 2015
Karlsruhe, Germany
Website: http://www.est-conference.com/
 

Forthcoming Events


“EU: Leading Global Technology and Innovation in the Renewable Sector” - World Future Energy Summit
19 January 2015
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Website: http://europa.eu/
 
Nanotechnology for Water Treatment
20 – 21 January 2015
Barcelona, Spain
Website: http://ec.europa.eu/research/
 
The SEURAT-1 Annual Meeting
21 – 22 January 2015
Barcelona, Spain
Website: http://www.seurat-1.eu
 
Destination Europe
12 February 2015
San Jose, California
Website: http://ec.europa.eu/research/
 

EuCheMS Newsletter February Issue

Do not miss the latest issue of EuCheMS Newsletter featuring President´s letter "Europe Should be a Chemical Free Zone", highlights from EuCheMS General Assembly 2014, EuCheMS Lecture Award 2014, policy updates, and much more! You can read it all here.

 
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Produced for EuCheMS by Nineta Majcen.
The information given by EuCheMS in this EuCheMS Brussels News Update has been carefully formulated but is necessarily based on information available and consequently EuCheMS does not accept responsibility if it is in any way inaccurate or incomplete. In this respect EuCheMS does not accept any duty of care and will not be liable for any losses or damages arising from inaccurate or incomplete information. EuCheMS acknowledges that a disclaimer cannot restrict liability at law for personal injury or death arising through a finding of negligence.
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