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General European Highlights


Italy takes over presidency of the EU
Growth and employment, strengthening citizens’ rights and a stronger role for Europe in the world will be Italy’s priorities during it six-month presidency of the EU. The Italian presidency coincides with the first six months of a new European Parliament and the start of a new trio of presidencies, with Latvia and Luxembourg to follow Italy.
Italy wants to encourage structural reforms and innovation in EU countries. The aim is to encourage an “industrial renaissance” to tackle unemployment and boost competitiveness. There will be a particular focus on small businesses and on energy and climate policy in the run-up to 2030. Italy also plans to promote investment in sectors vital for the future of children, such as environmental protection, infrastructure and digital services. Sustainable development is another key issue, and will feature at Expo Milano 2015, the theme of which is “Feeding the planet. Energy for life”. EuCheMS will participate to Expo Milano 2015 together with the Italian Council of Chemists.
Source: http://ec.europa.eu  
 
Eight new countries to join EU's Horizon 2020
Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Israel, Turkey and the Republic of Moldova signed up to join Horizon 2020, the European Union's (EU) seven-year research and innovation programme. The eight countries signed association agreements which will allow their research and innovation entities to make use of the funding opportunities offered under Horizon 2020.
Source: http://europa.eu
 
Public-private partnerships under Horizon 2020: launch of activities and first calls
Seven public-private partnerships, established under Horizon 2020, have being launched: Innovative Medicines Initiative 2; Fuel Cells and Hydrogen 2; Clean Sky 2; Bio-based Industries; Electronic Components and Systems for European Leadership; Shift2Rail and Single European Sky ATM Research. They represent a total investment of €19.5 billion into research and innovation over the next seven years.
Together with four more public-public partnerships with Member States (European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership 2; European Metrology Research Programme; Eurostars 2 and Active and Assisted Living Research and Development Programme), they form an Innovative Investment Package representing an investment into Europe's future of over €22 billion.
Source: http://europa.eu
 
Candidate list updated with four new substances of very high concern (SVHCs)
The European Chemicals Agency has added cadmium chloride, a phthalate and two boron substances to the candidate list, as first step of the authorisation procedure. Cadmium chloride is a carcinogenic, mutagenic, toxic for reproduction (CMR) substance and is also identified as being of an equivalent concern based on probable serious effects to human health, specifically due to the effects on kidney and bone. The three further substances are identified as being toxic for reproduction.
Source: http://echa.europa.eu
 
Launch of the European science and technology network on unconventional hydrocarbon extraction
To deepen the knowledge on extraction technologies and practices of unconventional gas and oil and minimise potential health and environment risks, the European Commission has launched the European science and technology network on unconventional hydrocarbon extraction. The network aims to bring together practitioners from industry, research, academia and civil society, so as to ensure a fair and balanced exchange of ideas. It will collect, analyse and review results from exploration projects and assess the development of technologies used to extract unconventional gas and oil.
Source: https://ec.europa.eu
 
Higher recycling targets to drive transition to a circular economy
The Commission adopted proposals to turn Europe into a more circular economy and boost recycling in the Member States. Achieving the new waste targets would create new jobs, while making Europe more competitive and reducing demand for costly scarce resources. The proposals also mean lower environmental impacts and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. The plans ask Europeans to recycle 70 % of municipal waste and 80 % of packaging waste by 2030, and ban burying recyclable waste in landfill as of 2025. A target is also included for reducing marine litter along with food waste reduction objectives.
Source: http://europa.eu

Funding Updates and Awards


First ERC advanced call opens under Horizon 2020
ERC advanced grants are open to excellent established researchers who have a recent research track-record which identifies them as leaders in their respective field of research. ERC advanced grants allow research leaders of any nationality and any age to pursue ground-breaking, high-risk projects that open new directions in their respective research fields or other domains.
Deadline: 21 October 2014
Source: http://ec.europa.eu
 
Cefic-LRI grant openings 2014
The Long-range Research Initiative (LRI) programme of the European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic) is now accepting grant applications to carry out research in the following areas:
LRI-AIMT6: Eye irritation testing in vitro in practice
LRI-ECO27: The use of ecosystem services in targeting risk assessment of chemicals in the environment
LRI-ECO29: Improving assessment of persistency through including adaptation
LRI-ECO30: Mining data (bases) to expand the domain of applicability of chemical activity
Deadline: 31 August 2014
Source: http://www.cefic-lri.org
 
A selection of Horizon 2020 calls
 
Fuel Cells and Hydrogen 2 Joint Undertaking
Decentralized hydrogen production from clean CO2-containing biogas
Deadline: 6 November 2014
Source: http://ec.europa.eu
 
Research in electrolysis for cost effective hydrogen production
Deadline: 6 November 2014
Source: http://ec.europa.eu
 
Call for Nanotechnologies, Advanced Materials and Production
ERA-NET on Materials (including Materials for Energy)
Deadline: 26 March 2015
Source: http://ec.europa.eu
 
Extended in-service service of advanced functional materials in energy technologies
Deadline: 26 March 2015
Source: http://ec.europa.eu
 

Consultations and Roadmaps


Public consultation on the draft scientific opinion on acrylamide in food
The European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain (CONTAM) has launched an open consultation on its draft scientific opinion on acrylamide in food. This document includes an assessment of the dietary exposure to acrylamide, an evaluation of the toxicological hazards and a characterisation of the risks to human health.
Deadline: 15 September 2014
Source: http://www.efsa.europa.eu

Consultation on the quality of drinking water in the EU
The aim of this consultation is to get a better understanding of citizens’ views on the need and the possible range of actions which could be undertaken in order to improve the supply with high quality drinking water. The results of the consultation will be used as input to decide if and where the EU Drinking Water Directive 98/83/EC might need improvement.
Deadline: 23 September 2014
Source: http://ec.europa.eu

Consultation on ‘Science 2.0’: science in transition
‘Science 2.0’ describes the on-going evolution in the modus operandi of doing research and organising science. These changes in the dynamics of science and research are enabled by digital technologies and driven by the globalisation of the scientific community, as well as the need to address the grand challenges of our times.
The goal of the consultation is to better understand the full societal potential of 'Science 2.0' as well as the desirability of any possible policy action.
Deadline: 30 September 2014
Source: http://ec.europa.eu

Consultation on Horizon 2020 Science with and for Society Work Programme 2016-2017
The aim of this consultation is to obtain views and contributions from a broad constituency on the potential priorities for the 'Science with and For Society' work programme part covering the period 2016-2017. The present consultation is structured around a set of questions, which take into account the policy thrust and general framework set by Europe 2020, Innovation Union and the European Research Area, and builds upon the Science with and for Society part of the Horizon 2020 Work Programme 2014-2015.
Deadline: 12 October 2014
Source: http://ec.europa.eu
 
Roadmap: defining criteria for identifying endocrine disruptors in the context of the implementation of the Plant Protection Product Regulation and Biocidal Products Regulation
Chemicals with endocrine disrupting properties impact on the hormone system of animals and humans. Although provisions on endocrine disruptors are in force in some sectorial EU legislation, no formal criteria have been established, internationally or at the EU level, for identifying endocrine disruptors.
The first problem addressed in this initiative is the absence of criteria for endocrine disruptors in the BPR and the PPPR, while endocrine disruptors are regulated in these pieces of legislation. These criteria have to be operational, i.e. they have to allow for science-based regulatory decision-making. The second problem is that, since endocrine disruptors are referred to in numerous legislation, these criteria should be developed with the aim of enabling their "horizontal" application in the wider legislation covering the regulation of endocrine disruptors in different regulatory settings.
Source: http://ec.europa.eu

Business Updates

 
EU and EIB Group join forces to support up to €48 billion in R&I investment
The European Commission and the European Investment Bank Group (EIB and EIF) have launched a new generation of EU financial instruments and advisory services to help innovative firms access finance more easily. Over the next seven years, it is expected that the "InnovFin – EU Finance for Innovators" products will make available more than €24 billion of financing for research and innovation (R&I) by small, medium and large companies and the promoters of research infrastructures. This finance is expected to support up to €48 billion of final R&I investments.
Source: http://ec.europa.eu  
 
EU-industry partnerships seek innovation boost with first €1 billion for projects
Research partnerships between the EU, the private sector and Member States presented their first calls for projects and partners under Horizon 2020, worth a total of €1.13 billion in public funding, which will be complemented by a comparable amount from the private partners. The first round of funding will go into projects that will improve people's lives as well as boost international competitiveness of Europe's industry.
Source: http://europa.eu

Forthcoming Events


5th International Conference on Nanotechnology: Fundamentals and Applications
11 - 13 August 2014
Prague, Czech Republic
Website: http://icnfa.com/
 
Horizon 2020 Brokerage Event on Energy and Environment
9 October 2014
Lille, France
Website: http://brokerage-h2020.com/  
 
Information Days on the Research PPPs
21 October 2014
Brussels, Belgium
Website: http://ec.europa.eu

5th EuCheMS Chemistry Congress

31 August - 4 September 2014
Istanbul, Turkey
http://www.euchems2014.org/
 

Upcoming EuCheMS Recognised Events


23rd International Symposium on Medicinal Chemistry
7 - 11 September 2014
Lisbon, Portugal
Website: http://www.ldorganisation.com 
 
22nd Conference on Isoprenoids
7 - 10 September 2014
Prague, Czech Republic
Website: http://www.vscht.cz
 
15th Ružička Days
11 - 12 September 2014
Vukovar, Croatia
Website: http://www.ptfos.unios.hr
 
Ischia Advanced School of Organic Chemistry
21 - 25 September 2014
Ischia, Italy
Website: http://www.iasoc.it 

 
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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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