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 «Brussels in Brief - Interface Europe’s Newsletter» - April 2010

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  General EU Information

  • Council of the EU

    2010-04-30 - Presidency highlights upcoming European Plan for Research and Innovation

    The Spanish Minister of Science and Innovation, Cristina Garmendia recently highlighted the aspects of innovation that the Spanish Presidency of the Council Presidency of the EU believes should be included in the future European Plan for Research and Innovation.

    Further information

  • European Parliament

    2010-04-07 - Brussels Session

    European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek on Wednesday condemned last week's terrorist attacks in the Moscow underground and paid tribute to the victims of the Katyn massacre 70 years ago. Mr Buzek was speaking at the start of the special plenary session in Brussels being held to allow MEPs to debate the recent EU summit with European Council President Herman Van Rompuy and the Commission.

    Further information

    2010-04-19 - 2010-04-22 - Plenary Session - Strasbourg

    The plenary session of the European Parliament is going ahead with a modified agenda because of the air travel disruption: most debates will take place as planned but the votes are postponed to the next session on 5-6 May. Parliament will debate the wider issues surrounding the airspace closures and their impact with Commission President Barroso on Tuesday.

    Further information
• 

  EU policies and funding programmes for Research, Innovation, Training and Competitiveness

  • Research Policy

    • General points

      2010-04-22 - How pressure to publish impacts research quality

      New EU-funded research shows that the ever-growing pressure to produce publishable results can adversely impact the quality of scientific research. Support for the work came from the OBJECTIVE SCIENCE ('Quantifying objectivity in the natural and social sciences') project, which received more than EUR 161,000 under the People Specific Programme of the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) to assess the level of bias in the natural and social sciences. The research findings are published in the Public Library of Science (PLoS) ONE journal.

      Further information

      2010-04-26 - MY SCIENCE project builds bridges between EU R&D and young European journalists

      The MY SCIENCE ('My science European program for young journalists') project, funded under the EU's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) and coordinated by the European Academy of Bolzano in Italy (EURAC Research), selected 85 young journalists from all over the European Union and Associated Countries to support training activities in EU-funded research laboratories. With a budget of EUR 252,612, enhancing the relevant role of the scientific dissemination is the main objective of this transnational and collaborative action.

      Further information

      2010-04-29 - Commission to boost research and innovation by making it easier to apply for and manage EU grants

      The European Commission has unveiled a plan to simplify the procedures for taking part in EU-funded research projects. The overall aim is to make participation transparent and attractive to the best researchers and innovative companies in Europe and beyond. Ensuring European research realises its full potential is crucial to the EU's Europe 2020 Strategy, given the need to consolidate economic recovery and develop new sources of growth and jobs to replace those lost in the crisis. Complementing the proposals on simplification, the Commission has also appointed a group of independent experts to review all aspects of the current Seventh Framework Programme.

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    • European Research and Innovation projects

      • ICT

        2010-04-08 - Genesis project helps wireless connections go global

        A research project has successfully operated a prototype communication platform using broadband wireless technology in a remote part of northeastern Spain. The aim of the scheme was to test the feasibility of bringing telephone and multimedia services via the Internet to customers in isolated rural areas. Its success paves the way for telephone companies and internet providers to expand into new markets in both remote areas and emerging economies. The 2-year Celtic Genesis project was supported by EUREKA, a 38-member platform for market-oriented R&D (research & development) entrepreneurs in Europe and beyond that offers research and innovation support to SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises), universities, research institutes and industry.

        Further information
        2010-04-08 - Could EU-funded study herald the dawn of a new transport era?

        Are cooperative systems in transport a thing of the future? Researchers from the CVIS ('Cooperative vehicle-infrastructure systems') project say they are. CVIS received nearly EUR 22 million in EU funding to develop, demonstrate and evaluate selected reference applications of cooperative systems in both urban and inter-urban environments, as well as for freight and fleet and public transport management. The mega CVIS project is supported under the 'Information society technologies' Thematic area of the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6).

        Further information
        2010-04-21 - How MONNET will help make web multilingual

        A new EU-funded project is building multilingual internet programmes that will facilitate the presentation and retrieval of online information across a range of languages. The programmes will meet government, industry and business needs to make full use of the Internet's information dissemination potential. Launched in March of this year, the MONNET ('Multilingual ontologies for networked knowledge') project has received EUR 2.4 million under the 'Information and communication technologies' Theme of the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7). The Ontology Engineering Group, part of the School of Computing at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid in Spain, is coordinating the project which is scheduled to end in 2013.

        Further information
        2010-04-23 - Home help robot will give the elderly independence

        A new EU-funded project will build an intelligent robot that operates in a 'smart home' to help elderly people secure a better quality of life and allow them to live independently for as long as possible. The KSERA ('Knowledge service robots for ageing') project has a total budget of EUR 4 million, EUR 2.9 million of which comes from the 'Information and communications technologies' (ICT) Theme of the EU's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7). KSERA got underway in February 2010 and will run for three years. The project is coordinated by the Department of Engineering and Innovation Sciences at the Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) in the Netherlands and brings together seven partners from five EU countries.

        Further information
        2010-04-23 - New web portal to target EU-US S&T synergies

        International cooperation is the cornerstone of the EU's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7), and the BILAT-USA and Link2US projects, which are funded under FP7's Capacities programme, are making major headway in fostering research synergies between the EU and US. BILAT-USA and Link2US have now launched a new web portal offering the latest information on joint EU-US activities and initiatives, as well as key documents and overviews that will advance transatlantic research cooperation. BILAT-USA ('Bilateral coordination for the enhancement and development of S&T [science and technology] partnerships between the European Union and the United States of America') and Link2US ('European Union United States research cooperation network: Link to the United States') both kicked off in October 2009 seeking to raise greater awareness of potential S&T cooperation activities on both sides of the Atlantic. The strategic projects have received financial support totalling around EUR 870 000.

        Further information
        2010-04-28 - Web science experts join forces to shape Net's future

        A network of international, world-class web researchers has created an alliance to support research and education programmes into web science. The Web Science Trust Network of Laboratories (WSTNet) will count some of the leading academic researchers in web science among its members and will help enhance the growing influence of the Web. The announcement of the network's creation was made at the WebSci10 conference, held in Raleigh, South Carolina, US, on 26 to 27 April. WSTNet's goal is to foster multidisciplinary research into web science. The network will be run by the Web Science Trust, which is hosted by the University of Southampton in the UK, and will bring together top players in academia and industry as well as business leaders, entrepreneurs and policymakers from all over the world to push forward the frontiers of the Internet and address its future challenges, potential and direction.

        Further information
        2010-04-28 - On the right path in genomics research

        EU-funded researchers are shedding new light on the highly complex mechanisms controlling the activity of our genes. The results of the 3-year, EU-funded GENNETEC project ('Genetic networks: emergence and complexity'), which is funded with EUR 1.48 million under the Information society technologies Thematic area of the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6), will help take the potential of genomics a step further with new ways of identifying the regulators controlling specific genes.

        Further information

      • Health

        2010-04-06 - Cell division caught on film

        EU-funded scientists have recorded almost 200,000 films that reveal the human genes involved in a range of functions including one of the most fundamental processes of life: cell division. Details of their groundbreaking work are published in Nature. The MITOCHECK ('Regulation of mitosis by phosphorylation - a combined functional genomics, proteomics and chemical biology approach') project was funded to the tune of EUR 8.58 million by the 'Life sciences, genomics and biotechnology for health' Thematic area of the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6).

        Further information
        2010-04-07 - Scientists connect the dots in Parkinson's research

        EU-funded researchers in Germany have discovered that three factors need to coincide for the neurodegenerative disorder Parkinson's disease to develop. The findings, which are published in the journal Public Library of Science (PLoS) Biology, are an important step forward in our understanding of what causes the debilitating condition. The new findings are an outcome of the NEURONE ('Molecular mechanisms of neuronal degeneration: from cell biology to the clinic') project, financed with EUR 8.3 million under the 'Life sciences, genomics and biotechnology for health' Thematic area of the EU's Sixth Framework Programme (FP6), and of the MOLPARK ('Molecular mechanisms of neuronal restoration: novel approaches for Parkinson's disease') project, financed with EUR 3.47 million under the Health Theme of the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7). Further support was given by the EU's Marie Curie scheme.

        Further information
        2010-04-08 - Older brain regions key to unconscious learning

        New research bolsters the idea that older brain regions are involved in our unconscious learning ability. The findings could potentially be used in the development of novel treatments for conditions such as Parkinson's and Huntington's disease, which involve these parts of the brain. The study, published online ahead of print in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) journal, involved scientists from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, which is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the US.

        Further information
        2010-04-09 - Lifestyle changes key to diabetes prevention

        EU-funded researchers and clinicians have gone head to head with diabetes and it looks as though they are winning the fight. The partners of the IMAGE ('Development and implementation of a European guideline and training standards for diabetes prevention') project have developed the first-ever pan-European strategy for the prevention of this disease which refuses to step out of the limelight. IMAGE received EUR 1.2 million in support from the European Commission's Directorate General (DG) for Health and Consumer Protection.

        Further information
        2010-04-09 - EU-funded study investigates kidney regeneration potential

        A paper published in The Lancet journal, as part of a series on renal medicine, has questioned if kidney regeneration may be possible in human beings as it is in fish and other lower vertebrates. The work is part of an ongoing EU-funded research project on the possibilities of kidney regeneration, and was carried out by a team from the Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research in Bergamo, Italy. The study is part of the 3-year, 10-partner STAR-T REK ('Set up and comparison of multiple stem cell approaches for kidney repair') project, which received EUR 3 million under the Health Theme of the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7). The aim of the project is to examine how kidney regeneration could be accomplished, a treatment that is becoming imperative given the increasing rates of end-stage renal failure.

        Further information
        2010-04-12 - Scientists ready to tackle African sleeping sickness

        Groundbreaking research from Canada and the UK has given scientists the edge they need to identify new treatments for the fatal African trypanosomiasis (HAT), known as sleeping sickness. The disease impacts the lives of thousands of Africans each year and is the cause of hundreds of deaths. The scientists present their novel approach in the journal Nature. HAT is a parasitic disease that is eventually fatal. Parasites infect the brain, affecting the patient's sleep cycle.

        Further information
        2010-04-13 - New method paves way for more sensitive and precise diagnostics

        EU-funded scientists in Sweden have developed a novel method to study genetic variation directly in individual cells and in tissues. Their findings, published in the journal Nature Methods, provide valuable new insights into gene expression in humans that could significantly improve diagnostic tests. The new method is an outcome of two EU-funded projects: COMICS ('Comet assay and cell array for fast and efficient genotoxicity testing'), which received EUR 3.2 million under the 'Life sciences, genomics and biotechnology for health' Thematic area of the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6) to develop reliable ways to test the effects of chemicals on human genetic material without resorting to animal experiments, and READNA ('Revolutionary approaches and devices for nucleic acid analysis'), financed with EUR 12 million under the Health Theme of the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) to revolutionise nucleic acid analysis methods.

        Further information
        2010-04-14 - Brain chemistry breakthrough in focal epilepsy

        New research has shown that focal epilepsy occurs when brain cells called astroglia are activated causing nearby neurons to generate an epileptic discharge. The findings may lead to a new research direction for neurologists studying the origins of epilepsy and seeking new drug therapies. The study, funded in part by the EU, is published in the Public Library of Science (PLoS) Biology journal. The findings are an outcome of the four-year, seven-partner NEUROGLIA ('Molecular and cellular investigation of neuron-astroglia interactions: understanding brain function and dysfunction') project, which received EUR 3 million under the Health Theme of the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7).

        Further information
        2010-04-14 - New studies shed light on genetic factors in kidney disease

        An international team of researchers, funded in part by the EU, has identified genetic variants that could explain why some individuals are more susceptible to chronic kidney disease than others. Two studies published in the journal Nature Genetics provide important new insights into the specific causes of chronic kidney disease. One of the studies was financed part by the GENECURE ('Applied genomic strategies for treatment and prevention of cardiovascular death in uraemia and end stage renal disease') project, which received EUR 2.25 million in funding under the 'Life sciences, genomics and biotechnology for health' Theme of the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6). GENECURE partners sought to systematically assess the role of genetic factors in cardiovascular risk in patients with renal failure.

        Further information
        2010-04-14 - Mimicking the body's natural processes

        An EU-funded research team at Norway's University of Bergen is using nanotechnology to find a way of mimicking the body's natural processes, including inducing cells to create new blood vessels for biomedically engineered tissues. The University of Bergen is involved in several major EU-funded projects, such as VascuBone ('Construction kit for tailor-made vascularized bone implants'), which has 15 partners and EUR 12 million of research funding under the Cooperation Programme of the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7). The project's remit is to improve the formation of blood vessels during the regeneration of new bone tissue.

        Further information
        2010-04-16 - Scientists drive cancer genome decoding initiative

        A pioneering plan unveiled by the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) will give scientists the ammunition they need to fight human cancer. The genomes from 25,000 cancer samples will be decoded and a data resource will be established with access provided to all cancer researchers. Writing in the journal Nature, the researchers of this strategy also highlight the importance of how projects in the EU and abroad are making significant contributions to cancer-fighting efforts. The ICGC members are presenting the progress of their projects at the annual conference of the American Association for Cancer Research in Washington DC on 17 to 21 April 2010.

        Further information
        2010-04-16 - Eat less for a longer, healthier life, new research suggests

        A UK-US research team has discovered that restricting calorie content can lengthen life. The results of the study, published in the journal Science, show that eating fewer calories can lead not only to a longer life, but a healthier one too, avoiding much of the disease that often plagues people in their later years.

        Further information
        2010-04-16 - Europeans investigate impacts of toxic exposures on babies

        An EU-funded team of researchers is successfully investigating the impacts on babies of exposure to environmental and food-related toxic chemicals during pregnancy, as well as well how these exposures affect the risk of developing childhood cancers and immune disorders. The NEWGENERIS ('Development and application of biomarkers of dietary exposure to genotoxic and immunotoxic chemicals and of biomarkers of early effects, using mother-child birth cohorts and biobanks') project has received almost EUR 13.6 million under the 'Food quality and safety' Thematic area of the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6).

        Further information
        2010-04-20 - How yeast cells use shmoos to schmooze

        Men and women usually know very quickly after meeting if they are attracted to each other, and it seems that yeast often works in the same way. A new study by Canadian and UK researchers shows that yeast cells decide if they want to mate within two minutes of encountering each other. The findings, published in the journal Nature, could be helpful for scientists studying how cancer cells and stem cells develop.

        Further information
        2010-04-23 - EU-funded transporter protein study delivers a world first

        A team of EU-funded researchers has become the first in the world to work out the structure of a transporter protein in all three main structural states. Transporter proteins are responsible for ferrying substances into and out of cells and the new findings, published in the journal Science, could lead to new drugs for a range of diseases and disorders. EU support for the work came from the E-MEP ('European membrane protein') project, which is financed under the 'Life sciences, genomics and biotechnology for health' Thematic area of the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6) and the EDICT ('European drug initiative on channels and transporters') project, which is funded through the Health Theme of the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7).

        Further information
        2010-04-26 - Worm gives up its secret to body part regeneration

        UK scientists have discovered the clever gene behind the planarian worm's ability to regenerate its own head, brain and other body parts after amputation. The ability to mimic this remarkable natural phenomenon could one day make the regeneration of damaged human organs and tissues possible. The study is published in the journal Public Library of Science (PLoS) Genetics.

        Further information
        2010-04-29 - EU-funded study sheds light on DNA changes in human embryonic stem cells

        Scientists in Europe have discovered that the prolonged culture of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) can trigger changes resulting in chromosomal abnormalities. Published in the journal Nature Biotechnology, the findings are an outcome of the ESTOOLS ('Platforms for biomedical discovery with human ES cells') project, which received EUR 12 million under the 'Life sciences, genomics and biotechnology for health' Thematic area of the EU's Sixth Framework Programme (FP6). ESTOOLS set out to develop the skills, tools and techniques needed for medical, pharmaceutical and bioindustrial applications of human ES and induced pluripotent stem (IPS) cell research.

        Further information
        2010-04-30 - Tick tock! Researchers show the workings of the body clock

        We all know that feeling when spring arrives and the days start to get longer. Our energy levels increase and we feel healthier, more active and more positive. But the questions remain: why do we feel this way, and what are the mechanisms that control this internal body clock? A research team from the UK has discovered the processes that control seasonal changes in hormones. The findings, published in the journal Current Biology, could help lead to treatments for seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

        Further information

      • Environment

        2010-04-09 - Life in minimum-oxygen ocean zones at risk

        Even areas of the deep ocean with very low oxygen concentrations can be awash with life. However, these habitats are threatened by global climate change, as it has the potential to cause further oxygen depletion. New research, published in the journal Marine Ecology, analysed biodiversity in oxygen-minimum zones (OMZs) in the Arabian Sea, eastern Pacific and Bay of Bengal. The study was supported by the EU-funded HERMIONE ('Hotspot ecosystem research and man's impact on European seas') project, part of the Environment Theme of the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7). HERMIONE has received EUR 8 million in financial support.

        Further information
        2010-04-12 - United effort to stop Mediterranean degradation

        Over the next 4 years, more than 60 researchers from 15 countries will work together to improve the coastal management of the Mediterranean Sea. For the first time under the one research agenda, the EU-funded project will undertake an all-inclusive study of the sea, its coasts and marine ecosystems in a bid to build consensus on the future governance and prosperity of the ailing basin. The PEGASO ('People for ecosystem based governance in assessing sustainable development of ocean and coast') project was funded with EUR 6.99 million under the Environment Theme of the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7).

        Further information
        2010-04-19 - Deep sea treasures underpin life on Earth

        Scientists from across the globe are piecing together information on tiny microbes and other hard-to-see species that live at the bottom of the sea and are connected to almost all other life on the planet. The study is part of Census of Marine Life, one of the biggest international collaborations ever undertaken in the history of science, with the participation of more than 2,000 researchers from over 80 countries.

        Further information
        2010-04-21 - Bird backpacks provide new insight into leadership

        Using a high-tech, miniature backpack fitted with a global positioning system (GPS), EU-funded researchers in Hungary and the UK have achieved new insights into the roles of leaders and followers. Studying the rapid, collective decision making of pigeons in flight, the scientists observed that the leadership role of any given pigeon fluctuates over time. The results, published in the journal Nature, open up intriguing questions about hierarchies generally. The study received funding from two projects that received financial support from the EU totalling EUR 2.35 million. The findings are an outcome of two projects: COLLMOT ('Complex structure and dynamics of collective motion'), financed with EUR 1.25 million under the Ideas Programme of the EU's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7), and STARFLAG ('Starlings in flight: understanding patterns of animal group movements'), which received approximately EUR 1.1 million under the 'New and emerging science and technologies' (NEST) activity of the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6). STARFLAG researchers sought to gain insight into group behaviour in humans (including collective economic choices) by investigating the collective movement of flocks.

        Further information
        2010-04-27 - Working together means recycling better, Italian study shows

        Researchers in Italy have proposed a new reverse-logistics model to help manufacturers manage returned electronics equipment more efficiently. EU legislation passed in 2003 requires all Member States to have an operational system for recovering discarded electronics. The new study, published in the International Journal of Logistics Systems and Management, offers valuable insights into how the product take-back system might be optimised as a whole. Advances in technology, together with the shortening lifespan of electronic goods, has led to an increasing volume of electronic waste being generated every year. Indeed, this category of waste, which poses significant environmental risks, represents a growing fraction of the 1.3 billion tonnes of rubbish produced in the EU annually.

        Further information

      • Agriculture

        2010-04-19 - Cleaning up the hydrocarbon act

        News of oil spills and leaks from cargo ships remind us of the great threats to our precious marine environments. Now a new EU-funded project is set examine how bacterial communities have the potential to support the clean-up of toxic hydrocarbons at contaminated sites. The MAGICPAH ('Molecular approaches and metagenomic investigations for optimizing clean-up of PAH [polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon] contaminated sites') has been funded to the tune of EUR 3 million under the Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, and Biotechnology Theme of the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7).

        Further information
        2010-04-19 - Unlocking the secrets of flowering time

        An EU-funded team of biologists has discovered that a single plant protein called APETALA1 (AP1) regulates over a thousand genes and helps create the tissues that go on to form its flowers. The work was supported by the EU through the TRANSISTOR ('Trans-cis elements regulating key switches in plant development'), project, which received EUR 2.11 million from the Marie Curie scheme under the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6). The results, which are published in the journal Science, could have enormous implications for the future of plant breeding and food production.

        Further information
        2010-04-29 - New techniques to help forest land flourish in Mediterranean area

        Scientists from the University of Granada in Spain have developed new afforestation procedures for farmland based on the relationship between land and plants in order to enhance the survival and development of plants in the Mediterranean environment. The results of the study were partially published in the journal Annals of Forest Science.

        Further information

      • Nanosciences

        2010-04-07 - Enzyme in white blood cells can break down carbon nanotubes

        An EU-funded study of carbon nanotubes by scientists in Ireland, Sweden and the US has shown that these extraordinarily strong molecules can be broken down into carbon and water by an enzyme found in white blood cells. The discovery, published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology, offers hope that this new material may be exploited safely in medicine and industry. The findings are an outcome of the NANOMMUNE ('Comprehensive assessment of hazardous effects of engineered nanomaterials on the immune system') project, financed with EUR 3.36 million under the NMP ('Nanosciences, nanotechnologies, materials and new production') Theme of the EU's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7).

        Further information
        2010-04-15 - Laser technology takes a quantum leap

        An EU-funded research team from Austria's University of Innsbruck has invented a single atom laser which works on the same principle as a classic laser but also has quantum mechanical properties in its atom-photon interactions. The results of the research, which are published in the journal Nature Physics, will lead to a better understanding of the properties of lasers and will be used for measuring trace gases and carbon isotope compositions in the air and soil. EU support for the work came from the projects QUBITS ('Quantum based information processing and transfer using single atoms and photons'), and QUEST, both financed through the Fifth Framework Programme (FP5), and from the SCALA project ('Scalable quantum computing with light and atoms') which is funded under the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6). Additional funding came from the Federation of Austrian Industry Tirol and the Austrian Science Fund.

        Further information

      • Space

        2010-04-12 - Volcanic activity offers clues to (geological) life on Venus

        Earth's closest neighbour, Venus, may still be geologically active, the European Space Agency (ESA) has announced. The ESA's Venus Express spacecraft has identified young lava flows that reveal the planet is still able to produce volcanic eruptions. The discovery supports the theory that volcanoes are behind the planet's unusually smooth surface. Findings from the study are published in the journal Science.

        Further information
        2010-04-28 - New technique set to aid exploration of comets

        Astronomers can now identify the active regions on a comet's surface thanks to a new method developed by scientists in Germany and Spain. The technique, described in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics, could help researchers work out safe routes for space probes travelling to comets in the future.

        Further information

      • Energy

        2010-04-29 - EU project targets 4G telecom energy savings

        The EU is committing more than EUR 9.5 million to a research-business consortium's drive to reduce the energy consumption of 4th Generation (4G) mobile wireless communication networks. The EARTH ('Energy aware radio and network technologies') project is funded under the 'Information and communication technologies' (ICT) Theme of the EU's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7). The EARTH consortium, which is made up of top academic institutions, telecommunications service providers and component and infrastructure vendors, hopes to slash energy consumption by 50% between now and 2012. The project aims to cut carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the ICT sector and facilitate the implementation of environmentally sustainable broadband wireless services.

        Further information

    • Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Development 2007- 2013 (FP7)

      • News

        Become an expert evaluator for FP7

        The website to register as an expert for research activities is available on CORDIS. The call for experts is open both for individuals and for organisations.

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      • European Technology Platforms

        Advanced Engineering Materials and Technologies (EuMaT)

        No events planned

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        Advisory Council for Aeronautics Research in Europe (ACARE)

        No events planned

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        European Technology Platform for Wind Energy (TPWind)

        No events planned

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        European Technology Platform on Smart Systems Integration (EPoSS)

        2-3 February 2012, Besancon - dMEMS 2012
        20 March 2012, Zurich - MEMS Executive Congress Europe
        20-21 March 2012, Berlin - Microsys Berlin - micro-optics and micro-optical systems convention
        21-22 March 2012, Zurich - SSI 2012: International Conference & Exhibition on Integration Issues of Miniaturized Systems
        10-13 April 2012, Brussels - Graphene Conference 2012
        8-10 May 2012, Nuremberg - SMT Hybrid Packaging - System Integration in Micro Electronics
        30-31 May 2012, Berlin - AMAA 2012
        10-14 June 2012, Montecatini Terme - 4th International Conference "Smart Materials, Structures and Systems"
        13-15 June 2012, Graz - EURIPIDES Annual Forum 2012
        26-28 September 2012, Paris - EPoSS General Assembly & Annual Forum 2012

        Further information
        European Technology Platform Food for Life (Food)

        No events planned

        Further information
        Forest Based Sector Technology Platform (Forestry)

        7-8 February 2012, Helsinki - 4th WoodWisdom-Net Research Programme Seminar
        22 February 2012, Basque Country - ROK-FOR Conference: Innovative and Sustainable Wood Arquitecture and Construction
        28 February 2012, Brussels - PROsumer.NET workshop on innovation
        21 March 2012, Copenhagen - International Conference on Research Infrastructures - ICRI2012
        26-29 March 2011, London - Planet Under Pressure 2012 conference
        15 May 2012, place tbc - FTP joint Partnering Event together with COST
        21-24 May 2012, Tours - Tackling climate change: the contribution of forest scientific knowledge
        18 June 2012, Milan - 20th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition
        8-13 July 2012, Lisbon - 2012 IUFRO Conference
        23 October 2012, Helsinki - 4th Nordic Wood Biorefinery Conference

        Further information
        Embedded Computing Systems (ARTEMIS)

        1-2 February 2012, Madrid - ITEA 2 PO Preparations Days 2012
        1-3 February 2012, Toulouse - ERTS2 2012
        1-4 February 2012, Vilamoura - HEALTINF 2012
        22-23 February 2012, Stockholm - CELTIC-PLUS EVENT 2012
        28 February-1 March 2012, Nuremberg - ARTEMIS Spring Event 2012
        6-10 March 2012, Hannover - CEBIT 2012

        Further information
        Nanoelectronics Technologies 2020 (ENIAC)

        7-8 February 2012, Frankfurt - Common Brokerage Event
        26-28 February 2012, Munich - ISS Europe 2012 - 25th Anniversary
        12-16 March 2012, Dresden - DATE Conference
        9-11 October 2012, Dresden - SEMICON Europa
        20-21 November 2012, Munich - European Nanoelectronics Forum 2012

        Further information
        European Rail Research Advisory Council (ERRAC)

        17-19 April 2012, Dubai - GulfRail 2012
        23-26 April 2012, Athens - TRA (Transport Arena)
        24-26 April 2012, Stockholm - 10th UIC ERTMS World Conference "ERTMS - Global Dimensions"
        10-13 July 2012, Philadelphia - UIC HIGHSPEED 2012, 8th World Congress on High-Speed Rail
        18-21 September 2012, Berlin - INNOTRANS

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        European Road Transport Research Advisory Council (ERTRAC)

        14 February 2012, Brussels - Electrification Roadmap workshop
        15 February 2012, Brussels - Steering Group meeting
        15 March 2012, Brussels - ERTRAC Plenary

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        European Space Technology Platform (ESTP)

        No events planned

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        European Steel Technology Platform (ESTEP)

        No events planned

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        European Technology Platform for the Electricity Networks of the Future (SmartGrids)

        No events planned

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        Future Manufacturing Technologies (MANUFUTURE)

        No events planned

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        European Technology Platform for the Future of Textiles and Clothing (Euratex)

        29-30 March 2012, Brussels - 7TH ANNUAL PUBLIC CONFERENCE: "FROM FP7 TO HORIZON 2020"

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        Fuel Cells and Hydrogen (FCH)

        9 February 2012, Brussels - FCH public information session and Brokerage event
        24 April 2012, Paris - Workshop of the International Energy Agency on On-site H2 supply

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        Industrial Safety ETP (IndustrialSafety)

        No events planned

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        Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI)

        27 February 2012, Brussels - Open Info Day: 5th Call for proposals

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        Integral Satcom Initiative (ISI)

        22-23 March 2012, Bradford - PSATS 2012
        10 April 2012, Brussels - 15th ISI General Assembly
        11 April 2012, Brussels - 5th SatCom Event
        18-20 April 2012, Poznana - European Wireless Conference

        Further information
        Mobile and Wireless Communications (eMobility)

        10-11 May 2012, Aalborg - Future Internet Assembly (FIA)
        4-6 July 2012, Berlin - Future Network & Mobile Summit 2012

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        Nanotechnologies for Medical Applications (NanoMedicine)

        27 February-2 March 2012, Dublin - NanoImpactNet – QNano conference
        29 February-9 March 2012, Saarbrücken - Biological Barriers 2012
        3 April 2012, Brighton - Tissue Regeneration Strategies and Innovative Biomaterials in Orthopaedic Surgery
        16 April 2012, Brussels - Innovation in Healthcare without borders
        19-20 April 2012, Berlin - Spring Conference “Nanomedicine: Visions, Risks, Potential”
        7 May 2012, Basel - European Summit for Clinical Nanomedicine 2012
        18 June 2012, Varese - Nanobio-Europe 2012
        30 June 2012, Thessaloniki - ISSON12 Summer School on Nanosciences & Nanotechnologies:Organic Electronics & Nanomedicine
        3 July 2012, Thessaloniki - NN12 - 9th International Conference on Nanosciences & Nanotechnologies
        15 July 2012, Amsterdam - Colloids and Nanomedicine 2012
        13-15 November 2012, Grenoble - Nanosafe 2012

        Further information
        Networked and Electronic Media (NEM)

        22-23 February 2012, Stockholm - Celtic-Plus-Towards a Smart Connected World
        20 March 2012, Brussels - 13th NEM General Assembly
        10-11 May 2012, Aalborg - Future Internet Assembly
        4-6 July 2012, Berlin - Future Network and MobileSummit 2012

        Further information
        Networked European Software and Services Initiative (NESSI)

        No events planned

        Further information
        Photonics21 (Photonics)

        4-9 February 2012, San Diego - SPIE Medical Imaging 2012
        14-16 February 2012, Munich - FTTH Council Europe 2012
        16 February 2012, London - The Smart Building of the Future
        4-8 March 2012, Los Angeles - OFC/NFOEC 2012
        5 March 2012, Brussels - Intensive Training on Entrepreneurship in Photonics
        27-28 March 2012, Brussels - Photonics21 Annual Meeting 2012
        31 March-3 April 2012, Tunis - 1st EOS Topical Meeting on Photonics for Sustainable Development – Focus on the Mediterranean (PSDM 2012)
        2-4 April 2012, Eindhoven - Photonics PhD Event 2012
        16-20 April 2012, Brussels - SPIE Photonics Europe 2012
        17-20 April 2012, Moscow - Photonics. World of Lasers and Optics 2012
        23-27 April 2012, Baltimore - SPIE Defense, Security and Sensing 2012
        15-17 May 2012, Florence - Fotonica 2012
        5-7 June 2012, Lyon - LumiBat - The international indoor lighting trade fair
        19-21 June 2012, Jena - ICOB 2012
        2-4 July 2012, Amsterdam - SPIE Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation 2012
        2-6 July 2012, Thessaloniki - 2nd International Exhibition on Nanotechnologies & Organic Electronics
        4-6 July 2012, Berlin - Future Networks and Mobile Summit
        12-16 August 2012, San Diego - SPIE Optics + Photonics 2012
        17-22 September 2012, St Petersburg - Sixth International Congress on Advanced Electromagnetic Materials in Microwaves and Optics – Metamaterials 2012
        24-27 September 2012, Edinburgh - SPIE Security and Defence + Remote Sensing
        21-22 November 2012, Paris - ForumLED Europe 2012

        Further information
        Photovoltaics (PV Platform)

        No events planned

        Further information
        Plants for the Future (Plants)

        No events planned.

        Further information
        Robotics (EUROP)

        22-23 February 2012, Vienna - CogSys 2012
        5-7 March 2012, Odense - European Robotics Forum 2012
        5-8 March 2012, Boston - HRI 2012
        8-9 March 2012, Megève - The third Augmented Human International Conference (AH 2012)
        19-21 March 2012, Island of Kos - IEEE-ICIT'12 International Conference on Industrial Technology
        11 April 2012, Guimarães - Robotica 2012
        14-18 May 2012, St Paul - ICRA 2012
        22-25 May 2012, Munich - Automatica 2012 - International Trade Fair for Automation and Mechatronics
        4-8 June 2012, Valencia - AAMAS 2012
        18-24 June 2012, Mexico City - RoboCup 2012
        24-28 June 2012, Puerto Vallarta - International Symposium on Robotics and Applications (ISORA 2012)
        24-28 September 2012, Thun - ELROB 2012

        Further information
        European Technology Platform for Sustainable Chemistry (SusChem)

        17-18 April 2012, Brussels - SusChem's 10th Annual Stakeholder Event

        Further information
        Sustainable Nuclear Energy Technology Platform (SNE-TP)

        11–12 January 2012, Paris - NUGENIA Executive Committee n. 1
        30–31 January 2012, Karlsruhe - Executive Committee n. 13
        20 March 2012, Brussels - NUGENIA General Assembly n. 1
        21 March 2012, Brussels - Governing Board n. 9

        Further information
        Water Supply and Sanitation Platform (WSSTP)

        15-16 May 2012, Brussels - “Water Innovation Europe” event

        Further information
        Waterborne ETP (Waterborne)

        22 February 2012, Brussels - SG 42 + Mirror Group
        11 April 2012, Athens - TRA 2012

        Further information
        Zero Emission Fossil Fuel Power Plants Technology Platform (ETP ZEP)

        7 February 2012, London - Carbon Capture and Storage: demonstration programmes and the 2050 roadmap
        14-16 February 2012, Warsaw - COAL: Here to Stay. The Reality of Europe’s Energy Mix
        15 February 2012, Edinburgh - Carbon Capture and Storage Club
        27-28 February 2012, London - Platts 6th Annual European Carbon Capture and Storage Conference
        12-18 March 2012, Leszcze - CGS Europe Spring School on CO2 geological storage
        22-23 March 2012, Shanghai - Asia Green Fossil Power Plant Summit 2012
        26-27 March 2012, Edinburgh - Third EAGE CO2 Geological Storage Workshop: Understanding the Behaviour of CO2 in Geological Storage
        29-30 March 2012, Beijing - 8th Annual Clean Coal Forum 2012
        17 April 2012, Abu Dhabi - Higher Technology Conference
        17-19 April 2012, Venice - 7th CO2GeoNet Open Forum and CGS Europe Workshop
        26-27 April 2012, Brussels - European Business Summit
        15 May 2012, Brussels - 3rd Annual Brussels Carbon Capture and Storage Summit
        15-17 May 2012, Bali - Clean Power Asia 2012
        4-5 June 2012, Malta - Eurelectric Annual Conference
        12-18 August 2012, Beijing - 6th IEAGHG International CCS Summer School
        2 October 2012, Brussels - ZEP General Assembly
        9-10 October 2012, Copenhagen - Global Green Growth Forum
        18-22 October 2012, Pittsburgh - One Young World Summit 2012
        22-26 October 2012, Perth - CSLF Annual Meeting

        Further information
        European Technology Platform on Renewable Heating & Cooling (RHC)

        13 February 2012, Brussels - Meeting of the HWG on Shared SRA
        13 February 2012, Brussels - Steering Committee meeting of the Cross-cutting Technology Panel
        14 February 2012, Brussels - Board Meeting of the RHC-Platform.
        15 February 2012, Brussels - Meeting of the Biomass Technology Panel  Steering Committee
        1 March 2012, Offenburg - Meeting of the Geothermal Technology Panel
        26-27 April 2012, Copenhagen - 3rd Annual conference of the RHC-Platform

        Further information

      • Joint Technology Initiatives

        Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI)

        27 February 2012, Brussels - Open Info Day: 5th Call for proposals

        Further information
        Embedded Computing Systems (ARTEMISA)

        1-2 February 2012, Madrid - ITEA 2 PO Preparations Days 2012
        1-3 February 2012, Toulouse - ERTS2 2012
        1-4 February 2012, Vilamoura - HEALTINF 2012
        22-23 February 2012, Stockholm - CELTIC-PLUS EVENT 2012
        6-10 March 2012, Hannover - CEBIT 2012

        Further information
        Nanoelectronics Technologies 2020 (ENIAC)

        7-8 February 2012, Frankfurt - Common Brokerage Event
        26-28 February 2012, Munich - ISS Europe 2012 - 25th Anniversary
        12-16 March 2012, Dresden - DATE Conference
        9-11 October 2012, Dresden - SEMICON Europa
        20-21 November 2012, Munich - European Nanoelectronics Forum 2012

        Further information
        Aeronautics and Air Transport (Clean Sky)

        29 February 2012, Madrid - Clean Sky Info Day - presentation of 2012 work programme
        13 March 2012, Amsterdam - Clean Sky Symposium
        11-16 September 2012, Berlin - ILA Berlin

        Further information
        Fuel Cells and Hydrogen (FCH)

        9 February 2012, Brussels - FCH public information session and Brokerage event
        24 April 2012, Paris - Workshop of the International Energy Agency on On-site H2 supply

        Further information

  • Information society

    2010-04-20 - ICT research: EU invests €500 million in Future and Emerging Technologies (FET) to improve people's lives

    Developing intelligent artificial hands for hand amputees, neural devices to help people suffering from vertigo, dizziness and other vestibular disorders and the possibility to see how your brain responds while learning are a few examples of European research carried out in the area of future and emerging information and communication technologies (FET) that are being presented in the European Parliament in Strasbourg today. Twelve outstanding science projects funded under the European Commission's Future and Emerging Technologies programme will be showcased at the exhibition on "Science beyond Fiction: an Excursion into Future and Emerging Technologies". Europe is taking the lead in FET by proposing to invest around €500 million in exploratory research into high risk future Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs).

    Further information
• 

  Other EU Policies and funding programmes supporting the Lisbon Strategy

  • Internal Market

    2010-04-06 - Commission services issue an analysis of the main innovative financing options

    The European Commission services published today a staff working document assessing the main sources of innovative financing under discussion. The analysis shows that for some of the instruments a "double dividend" of both raising revenues and improving market efficiency and stability could be reaped, in particular by putting a price on risk-taking in the financial sector and on carbon emissions. It also emphasises that global coordination will be essential for a successful implementation of most instruments of innovative financing. It shows, however, that actions at the EU level alone should not be discarded.

    Further information

  • Environment

    2010-04-09 - Eurobarometer: Europeans not well informed about biodiversity loss. European Commission launches campaign to raise awareness

    The European Commission has published a Eurobarometer survey which shows that many Europeans do not understand what is meant by biodiversity and do not feel well informed about biodiversity loss. The Commission has at the same time launched a campaign aimed at informing the public about the loss of biodiversity in the EU.

    Further information

  • Health

    2010-04-15 - The European Commission welcomes the first EU ‘Joint Programming Initiative’ to boost research on Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases

    Leading researchers from across Europe will gather today in Stockholm to develop a European-wide research strategy to tackle neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease. This is the first of the new European Union (EU) Joint Programming Initiatives which are designed to address ‘grand challenges’ which cannot be tackled effectively and efficiently by any one Member State acting alone. Joint Programming Initiatives aim to confront these common challenges through publicly funded research, by bringing together researchers, existing research evidence and national funding bodies and by sharing tools, techniques and other resources more efficiently among Member States. Such efforts can make a substantial contribution to achieving the objectives of the Europe 2020 Strategy, which focuses on research and innovation as the key means of delivering both improved quality of life and new sources of growth.

    Further information

    2010-04-15 - Commission announces a further €21 million for tackling breast and kidney cancer

    The European Commission has earmarked €21 million for two new research projects on cancer, as part of an international research effort coordinated since 2007 by the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC), which aims to elucidate comprehensively the changes in the human genome - the organism's hereditary information including genes - present in many forms of cancer. Understanding these mutations is paramount for advancing prevention, early detection, monitoring and treatment of a disease which killed 7.5 million people worldwide in 2007.

    Further information

  • Transport

    2010-04-28 - Clean and energy efficient vehicles: European Commission tables strategy

    The European strategy for encouraging the development and eventual widespread use of clean and energy efficient vehicles aims to help the European car industry to strengthen its leading role globally basing its production on clean and energy-efficient technologies. This strategy is laid down in a Communication, tabled by the European Commission today. It delivers on the consensus between Member States and European Commission Vice-President Antonio Tajani's commitment to move on from short-term recovery measures to a medium-term orientation that strengthens the competitiveness of the European automotive industry by linking it to clean technologies. The strategy also contributes to the Europe 2020 objectives of smart and sustainable growth. It contains an Action Plan composed of concrete and ambitious measures to be implemented by the Commission.

    Further information

  • Space

    2010-04-22 - Commission and EIB back launch of prototype satellite Alphasat

    Europe will launch an innovative telecoms satellite in 2012 with up to € 225 million in backing from the EU's Risk-sharing Finance Facility (RSFF), jointly created by the European Commission and European Investment Bank. The Alphasat mission is a joint undertaking of the European Space Agency and Inmarsat Plc, a UK-based satellite communications company. An agreement will be signed in Brussels on Thursday at 16h00 by European Investment Bank President Philippe Maystadt and Inmarsat Chief Operating Officer Perry Melton in the presence of European Research, Innovation and Science Commissioner Máire Geoghegan-Quinn and ESA Director of Telecommunications and Integrated Applications Magali Vaissiere. There will be a photo- opportunity at the signing.

    Further information

  • Agriculture and fisheries

    2010-04-12 - The future of European agriculture policy Call for a public debate

    The European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Dacian Cioloş, today launched a public debate on the future of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in the European Union. Since its creation, the CAP has always been adapted to respond to the challenges of its time. Significant reforms have been made in recent years, notably in 2003 and during the CAP health check in 2008, to modernise the sector and make it more market-oriented. The Europe 2020 strategy offers a new perspective. In this context, through its response to the new economic, social, environmental, climate-related and technological challenges facing our society, the CAP can contribute more to developing intelligent, sustainable and inclusive growth. The CAP must also take greater account of the wealth and diversity of agriculture in the EU’s 27 Member States. The debate launched relates to the CAP’s future objectives in the new perspective of the Europe 2020 strategy. A discussion on funding will come later.

    Further information

  • Energy

    2010-04-15 - Council adopts position at first reading on the energy performance of buildings directive

    The Council adopted on 14 April 2010 a position at first reading (5386/10 ADD 1) on the energy performance of buildings directive (5386/10) which aims to clarify, strengthen and extend the scope of the current Directive 2002/91/EC and to reduce the large differences between Member states' practices in this sector.

    Further information

    2010-04-15 - Council adopts position at first reading on the labelling of energy-related products

    The Council adopted on 14 April 2010 a position at first reading (5247/10 REV 1 ADD 1) on the Directive on the indication by labelling and standard product information of the consumption of energy and other resources by energy-related products (5247/10 REV 1). The main aim of this recast directive is to extend the scope of the current Directive 92/75/EEC, restricted to household appliances, to allow for the labelling of all energy related products including the household, commercial and industrial sectors and some non-energy using products.

    Further information

  • Culture

    2010-04-27 - Commission launches public consultation on future of cultural and creative industries

    The European Commission launches an online public consultation today aimed at unlocking the full potential of Europe's cultural and creative industries. The consultation is linked to a new Green Paper which highlights the need to improve access to finance, especially for small businesses, as key to enabling the sector to flourish and to contribute to sustainable and inclusive growth.

    Further information
• 

  Research, Innovation, Training and Competitiveness related EU events

  • List of opened calls for proposals launched by the European Commission

    To consult our updated table of calls, click on our dedicated webpage below

    Further information

Special chapter on training opportunities

Next Sessions in English in Brussels

Prochaines sessions en français à Paris et Bruxelles

Próximas sesiones en español a Madrid