Earlier this month in Malta, EuCheMS brought together researchers and policy-makers to discuss the unique environmental and economic opportunities of circular economy in the field of pharmaceuticals. All materials and conclusions from the workshop From Waste to Health will soon be published at EuCheMS´ website but in the meantime, you can already watch the video of MEP Miriam Dalli´s intervention at the event.
Source: http://www.euchems.eu/
Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Pavel Poc, EuCheMS and ECTN would like to invite you to a debate on glyphosate taking place on the 10 May at the European Parliament in Brussels. Join this debate with ECHA representatives and leading experts on glyphosate and discuss glyphosate’s possible negative effect on human health, specifically in relevance to the biological molecular processes, metabolism, genotoxicity, endocrine disruptors, antimicrobial resistance, and other serious health related concerns. Registration is now open here. In preparation for this workshop you can read news on glyphosate not being classified as a carcinogen by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) as well as a paper on glyphosate written by MEP Pavel Poc and Pavel Drašar, Member of the EuCheMS Executive Board and President of ECTN.
Source: www.euchems.eu/
The European Association for Chemical and Molecular Sciences, EuCheMS, condemns in the strongest possible terms the continuing use of chemical weapons in the Syrian conflict. It calls on the perpetrators to be tried for War Crimes at the earliest possible moment. The use of chemical weapons is a crime against humanity of the severest kind and no one who orders attacks using chemical weapons should be allowed to remain free. We further call on all parties in the Syrian conflict immediately to inform the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) of all know stockpiles of chemical weapons held by them or their opponents and to allow them to be removed and destroyed at the earliest possible opportunity.
Source: www.euchems.eu/
On 28 February 2017, the European Commission´s Joint Research Centre (JRC) and the Slovenian Ministry of Education, Science and Sport signed a Memorandum of Understanding to boost cooperation and scientific excellence. The Memorandum envisages strengthening the activities in the framework of EU’s macro regional strategies for the Danube, Alpine, and Adriatic–Ionian regions, as well as a particular focus on implementing and monitoring the Smart Specialisation Strategy.
The Memorandum opens new avenues for scientific exchange and synergies in the fields of energy, transport, public health, security, climate change, digital transformation, and biotechnology, among others. Another emphasis of the future joint scientific work is expected to be in the field of sustainability and resources, with a specific focus on marine and freshwater research, agriculture, forests, and raw materials.
Source: https://ec.europa.eu/
Some 7,000 top researchers, including six who later became Nobel Prize Winners, have been supported in Europe by the European Research Council (ERC) to expand the frontiers of our knowledge and draw us nearer to the solutions. To mark the tenth anniversary, research institutions and national authorities in Europe will hold various events during the “ERC Week” from 13 to 19 March 2017. Celebrations will also take place throughout 2017 and around the world, in the USA, India, Japan and other countries. Among more than 100 events, there will be citizens’ science experiments at the Tate Gallery in London, a citizens´ dialogue session with Commissioner Carlos Moedas and Nobel laureate and ERC grantee Jean-Marie Lehn in Strasbourg, an exhibition at the Madrid Science and Technology Museum, and an ERC celebration with the European Parliament President Antonio Tajani in conjunction with the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome that established the European Communities. The ERC Week will conclude with a scientific conference and celebration in Brussels on 21 March.
Source: https://erc.europa.eu/
Bacteria found in humans, animals and food continue to show resistance to widely used antimicrobials, says the latest report on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in bacteria by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). The findings underline that AMR poses a serious threat to public and animal health and show the urgency to advance with the measures defended by EuCheMS regarding research in this field. Infections caused by bacteria that are resistant to antimicrobials lead to about 25,000 deaths in the EU every year.
Source: http://www.efsa.europa.eu/
Earlier this month, the European Union celebrated the one hundred thousandth fellow benefiting from the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA). To mark this milestone in the history of the MSCA, 30 highly promising researchers, including five fellows from the chemical sciences, have been selected to showcase the EU’s actions dedicated to excellence and worldwide mobility in research. By enabling researchers to go abroad and supporting cooperation between institutions and industry, the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions aims to strengthen Europe’s research and innovation capacity.
Source: http://europa.eu/
Is informal learning recognised everywhere in Europe for entry into higher education? How common are work placements as part of higher education programmes? These questions are answered in a series of thematic overviews published by the Eurydice Network. The publications examine education structures, policies and reforms in five key areas, namely in higher education and graduate employability. Each publication looks at a number of key indicators and features up-to-date figures, definitions, country notes, and analyses of recent key policy developments and reforms. The information covers 40 European education and training systems, and has been collected through a questionnaire completed by national experts and representatives of the Eurydice Network. The Eurydice is a network whose task is to explain how education systems are organised in Europe and how they work.
Source: https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/
In the context of the State of the Energy Union report, the European Commission adopted in February the second implementation report on the Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Directive, which lays down the rules for the safe geological storage of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the EU. The report concludes that the provisions of the CCS Directive have been consistently applied across the EU Member States during the reporting period from May 2013 to April 2016. Some Member States have advanced in their assessments of storage capacity, but further and more detailed assessments will be needed for any new projects.
Source: https://ec.europa.eu/
The European Commission has recently published the third edition of the European Research Area (ERA) Progress Report. The 2016 Report summarises the state of play of ERA and the progress on ERA implementation over the period 2014-2016. For the first time, progress on ERA is measured for each country on each priority, based on the ERA Monitoring Mechanism, a set of 24 core indicators jointly defined by Member States, research stakeholders and the European Commission. The report shows strong progress over the last years on all priorities, but there are still large disparities between Member States.
Source: https://ec.europa.eu/
New legislation restricting the use of mercury, a persistent pollutant that has adverse effects on the environment and human health, was recently adopted by the European Parliament. The bill, already informally agreed with the Council of Ministers, aims to close the gap between existing EU legislation and the United Nations Minamata Convention against mercury pollution. The legislation will replace the 2008 mercury export ban regulation, while incorporating its provisions. It also restricts mercury imports, bans its use in artisanal and small-scale gold mining, and phases out its use in manufacturing processes. The legislation also aims to phase out the use of mercury in dental amalgam by 2030. EuCheMS provided input on this topic through an open consultation organised by the European Commission.
Source: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/
Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) voted earlier this month on four directives concerning waste management, mainly waste from households and small firms, representing 8% of total waste. These plans are a first step towards creating a circular economy where products are designed in order to facilitate reuse. One of the key issues is how ambitious targets should be for recycling rates and limiting landfilling, which is probably the most harmful way of getting rid of waste. The share of waste to be recycled would rise to 70% by 2030, from 44% today. MEPs also want the waste package plans to limit the share of landfilling, which has a big environmental impact, to 5% and to deliver a 50% reduction in food waste by 2030. Parliament will now negotiate with the Council.
Source: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/ & http://www.europarl.europa.eu/
EuCheMS will be publishing in March calls on its awards promoting excellence in chemistry: 1) a call for nominations for EuCheMS Award for Service 2017; 2) a call for the members of jury of EuCheMS Lecture Award 2017; and 3) a call for the jury of the new EuCheMS award, the European Chemistry Gold Medal. The official announcements for all three calls, as well as an online submission system, will be made available at EuCheMS website.
Source: www.euchems.eu
Online course to improve university laboratory teaching practice, a paper exploring the possibilities of an online course on teaching in laboratory classes, has been recently published. This paper relates to the work of the ECTN working group Lecturing Qualifications and Innovative Teaching Methods, which is developing an online course on teaching in laboratory classes entitled “Developing best practice in university laboratory education”. The course is targeted at relatively inexperienced (young) university teachers. In this paper, the argumentation for the chosen content of the course is given based on the inquiry among university teachers and students, the structure of the course and its component modules are described and the course design is briefly discussed. Among others, the paper is authored by Iwona Maciejowska, Chair of EuCheMS Division on Chemical Education, and Nineta Hrastelj, EuCheMS General Secretary.
Source: http://www.euchems.eu/
The Chemistry – a European Journal editorial Ethical and Social Dimensions of Chemistry: Reflections, Considerations, and Clarifications is now available online. “Ethics in Chemistry” is a huge topic with various viewpoints and arguments on what it actually is and what compliance to ethical guidelines and participation in ethical discourse imply, covering principles of science and research ethics, profession ethics, and technology ethics. The authors, who are members of the EuCheMS Working Party on Ethics in Chemistry, present an attempt to collect and sort the ethically relevant aspects and challenges that chemists are confronted with, as well as strategies for ethical action.
Source: http://www.euchems.eu/
The registrations for the EuCheMS workshop From Waste to Health are now open online. This event, taking place in Malta on 5 April, will look into the possibilities of a circular economy approach in the pharmaceutical sector while taking into consideration the role of chemistry in this field and the current European Union legislative proposals on circular economy – from water re-use, to greener formulation of pharmaceuticals and the collection of secondary raw materials. The debate will count with the diverse views of researchers, innovators and policy makers.
Source: http://www.euchems.eu/
European chemists working in Europe or abroad and chemists from everywhere based in Europe are invited to the 2nd Employment Survey for European Chemists.
ESEC2, which is anonymous, is accessible at http://www.euchems.eu/esec2/ from 1 March until 31 March 2017, and its main objective is to create a clear snapshot of the chemistry labour market. This snapshot will allow an analysis of educational offer and labour market needs, gender balance, salary differences, etc. As the situation of chemistry greatly differs from country to country (as the previous iteration of this survey shows) it is important that enough specific information from all European countries is gathered in order to allow a detailed country-level analysis. Having such a level of detail will be in the best interest of European employees, employers, and universities.
Source: http://www.euchems.eu/
133 ERC grantees are bringing the results of their frontier research closer to the market thanks to Proof of Concept grants, awarded in three rounds during 2016. The winners of the last round have been announced in January and will receive top-up funding to explore the innovation potential of their ERC-funded discoveries. Chemistry-related research is also within these projects, for instance in the development of affordable synthetic superhydrophobic surfaces that could collect water from fog in arid areas. The Proof of Concept grants, worth €150,000 each, can be used for example to establish intellectual property rights, investigate business opportunities or conduct technical validation. The scheme is open to ERC grant holders only. The grantees can apply for funding in one of the three rounds of the yearly call.
Source: https://erc.europa.eu/
The study From University to Employment: mapping higher education provision and labour market needs in the Western Balkans focuses on higher education provision and labour market needs in the Western Balkans, offering concrete data for policy reform in both higher education and labour sectors. This study, published by The Western Balkans Platform on Education and Training, answers questions on how many degrees are given by year and in which field, on the obstacle of entry into the labour market by graduates and on what employers are looking for in terms of skills. The study offers a set of concrete recommendations to tackle the identified issues, both at individual country level and at regional level. EuCheMS is also currently preparing a survey on the topic of Education and Labour Market Needs, the Employment Survey for European Chemists.
Source: https://ec.europa.eu/
The European Commission has launched in January the celebrations of the 30th anniversary of the start of Erasmus, one of the most successful programmes of the European Union. Throughout 2017 activities will highlight the positive impact of Erasmus both on individuals and society as a whole, and to give all those involved the opportunity to debate how the programme should evolve in the future. The Commission also published the Erasmus+ Annual Report, showing that in 2015, Erasmus+ enabled 678,000 Europeans to study, train, work and volunteer abroad, more than ever before. In the same year, the EU invested €2.1 billion in over 19,600 projects involving 69,000 organisations. The current Erasmus+ programme aims to support 4 million people between 2014 and 2020.
Source: http://europa.eu/
The European Professional Card (EPC), created to help EU professionals move within the EU more easily, was launched one year ago. EPC is the result of joint efforts and efficient cooperation between the European Commission and public administrations in EU countries. The EPC targets the most mobile professions. Currently, it applies to nurses responsible for general care, pharmacists, physiotherapists and others but in the future, the EPC procedure may be extended to other professions. In the first year, 2,100 EPC applications were submitted and more than 700 EPCs were issued. EuCheMS also has an initiative in this field, the European Chemistry Designation (EurChem). The aim of the EurChem designation is to promote the mobility of chemical scientists throughout Europe based on an agreed set of skills, competencies and training.
Source: http://ec.europa.eu/
The aim of this Guide is to provide laboratories with guidance on best practice for the analytical operations they carry out. This third edition reflects changes that were introduced with the publication of the 2005 version of ISO/IEC 17025. The terminology has also been updated to take account of ISO/IEC 17000:2004, ISO 9000:2015 and the 3rd edition of the International Vocabulary of Metrology – Basic and general concepts and associated terms (JCGM 200:2012 – VIM). The Guide is freely available on the link below.
Source: https://www.eurachem.org/index.php/publications/guides/qa
OpenFoodTox is the new European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) database that provides instant access to a wealth of information from over 1,650 EFSA scientific outputs about the toxicity of chemicals found in the food and feed chain. Since its inception in 2002, has produced risk assessments for more than 4,400 substances in over 1,650 Scientific Opinions, Statements and Conclusions through the work of its Scientific Panels, Units and Scientific Committee. For each individual substance, a summary of human health, animal health and ecological hazard assessments has been collected and structured into OpenFoodTox. This database provides open source data for substance characterisation, links to the relevant EFSA output, background regulations and summaries of critical toxicological endpoints.
Source: http://www.efsa.europa.eu/
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is increasing its transparency to stakeholders by introducing video streaming of open meetings of its Scientific Panels. This is intended to boost the number of observers by allowing remote attendance. Online submission of questions to EFSA’s scientists will also be possible.
Source: http://www.efsa.europa.eu/
The priorities of the Maltese Presidency of the EU Council were outlined to parliamentary committees by Maltese ministers at a series of meetings taking place in January and February. At the Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) Committee, the Maltese Parliamentary Secretary for Research, Innovation, Youth and Sport Chris Agius pointed PRIMA (the partnership for research and innovation in the Mediterranean Area) and the strengthening of research reporting and monitoring obligations among the Presidency´s priorities in research. At the Environmental Committee (ENVI) José Herrera, Minister for Sustainable Development, the Environment and Climate mentioned climate change, the circular economy, the 2030 sustainable development agenda, and antimicrobial resistance as Presidency´s priorities. Minister José Herrera will be one of the speakers at EuCheMS circular economy workshop taking place in Malta in April – From Waste to Health.
Source: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/