In 2020, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), checked 1,900 substances and conducted 271 compliance checks addressing 258 substances in 240 draft decisions. In order to improve the assessment process, ECHA checked similar chemical substances in groups.
For the first time, ECHA published the list of evaluated substances and issued request in 2020. The document is available here.
Read more about it on the ECHA’s website.
With a budget of €10 billion for the period of 2021 – 2027, the new European Innovation Council (EIC) is the key innovation of Horizon Europe. By supporting startups, SMEs and research teams, the new EIC aims to identify, develop and scale-up breakthrough technologies and disruptive innovations. Particular focus is given to projects supporting the goals of the Green Deal and the Recovery Plan for Europe.
The launch of the new European Innovation Council will take place online, on 18 and 19 March 2021. The first calls for applicants are planned to be released during this two-days event.
On the first day, the launch ceremony will be followed by sessions dedicated to the contribution of the EIC to the economic recovery of Europe. The second will be an ‘applicants’ day’, during which concrete information on how the EIC works, how to apply to the calls and who is eligible, as well as funding opportunities, will be provided to potential beneficiaries and interested stakeholders. The’ applicant’s day’ will be webstreamed here.
Read more about it on the EIC’s website.
The Education for Climate Coalition kicked off with an initial focus group meeting on 11 March 2021, with the participation of Commissioner Mariya Gabriel.
This initiative aims to support a fair, green and digital societal transition in Europe by mobilizing the education and training community. The actions of the coalition support and compliment other European Green Deal projects, including the European Climate Pact (EuChemS answered to the Public Consultation on the European Climate Pact in June 2020, you can read the complete response here).
The priorities of Education for Climate Coalition are the following:
Individuals and collective actors at the local, regional and national levels will be invited to contribute to the Coalition’s efforts by making pledges for actions on a dedicated online platform that will be released in order to connect stakeholders in the field of education and to enhance innovation and the sharing of knowledge.
A survey of the European Commission to express interest in supporting the work of the Coalition towards realizing the climate goals of the EU received 576 contributions.
Read more about it here.
The European Commission, together with EU member states, is developing initiatives to work towards the creation and implementation of the European Education Area. The implementation of such a framework will aid in developing a common European space of learning, boosting exchange programmes to send students abroad, recognizing school and higher education qualifications across the EU, and developing a sense of European belonging.
On 30 September 2020, a new post on the European Education Area was published: the European Commission adopted two initiatives to implement the European Education Area by 2025.
Read the Press release of the European Commission about the EEA here.
Earlier in February 2021, the ENVI Committee adopted the report ‘Towards a WTO-compatible EU carbon border adjustment mechanism’. This report is an initiative of the ENVI Committee and addresses the creation of a carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM), proposed by the European Commission in its communication on the European Green Deal.
To deliver on the European Green Deal carbon neutrality ambitions, the European Union is setting grounds for a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).
The aim of the CBAM is to encourage third-world countries to reduce their carbon emissions by placing a carbon price on the imports of certain goods from outside the European Union.
The CBAM will help to increase climate ambitions beyond EU countries and reduce the risk of ‘carbon leakage’.
Read more about it here.
On 23 February 2021, the European Commission proposed to set 10 new European Partnerships between the EU, member states and industry to develop long-term cooperation. Nearly €10 billion will be invested in order to expedite the European green and digital transition, tackling health emergencies and boosting collaboration between academia, research and industry. These partnerships are provided by Horizon Europe and will contribute towards reaching the objectives of the European Green Deal.
The ten partnerships are as follows:
Read more about the 10 new European Partnerships in the European Commission’s press release here.
Today we propose🔟new #EUPartnerships between 🇪🇺, Member States and industry!
With nearly €10 billion from 🇪🇺, they will:
🔹 Better tackle health emergencies
🔹 Support green and digital transitions
🔹 Boost collaboration academia, research, industry
👉https://t.co/qY3N8ImZk6 pic.twitter.com/wOAbcuvyDj— Mariya Gabriel (@GabrielMariya) February 23, 2021
The European Commission released Horizon Europe’s first Strategic Plan 2021 – 2024 on 15 March 2021. This strategic plan is a novelty in Horizon Europe and it sets the strategic orientations and research and innovation of the programme’s first four years, which includes:
These four key strategic orientations are supported by 15 impact areas.
In this strategic plan, eight key specific issues will be taken into account in the implementation of Horizon Europe 2021-2024. The horizontal issues addressed in the plan are the following:
While the focus is on Pillar II of Horizon Europe, the strategic plan also covers relevant activities in Pillars I and III, as well as the part ‘Widening Participation & Strengthening the ERA’, in order to promote synergies between them.
The priorities defined in the strategic plan will be implemented through the work programme of Horizon Europe, which sets out funding opportunities for Research and Innovation activities through thematic calls for proposals and topics. The first calls for proposals are expected to be launched in the spring this year and will be presented at the EU R&I Days on 23 and 24 June 2021.
The strategic plan has been prepared following an ambitious co-design process involving the European Commission, EU Member States, EEA members, the European Parliament, stakeholders and the public – more than 8,000 contributions have been submitted in various stages of the strategic planning process.
Read more about it here.
For Horizon Europe to remain ‘open to the world’, negotiations to open up the 2021-2027 research framework programme for Research and Innovation to non-EU countries are currently on the table. Under Horizon 2020, 16 non-EU countries participated in EU projects under the same conditions as the 27 member states, as ‘associate partners’. For the first time, the UK will become an associate partner, alongside Iceland, Norway, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Turkey, Israel, Moldova, Switzerland, Faroe Islands, Ukraine, Tunisia, Georgia and Armenia.
However, association agreements have yet to be finalized by the EU as discussions are still taking place regarding negotiations.
The European Chemical Society, EuChemS, is organising a webinar ‘The Carbon element – Key towards a sustainable society’ which will be held on 22 April 2021, from 10:00 to 16:30 CEST.
The scope of this webinar is to focus on the scientific and technological challenges of decarbonization and discuss some key issues such as the carbon cycle, the reserves of fossil fuels and the perspectives of carbon sequestration and utilization in the energy and chemical sector. This online webinar will also provide an opportunity to discuss the EuChemS Periodic Table.
For the programme of the webinar, please click here.
On 11 February 2021, on the occasion of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) announced the 12 awardees of the IUPAC 2021 Distinguished Women in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering.
EuChemS is proud to see Dr Rachel Mamlok-Naaman, the Chair of the EuChemS Division of Chemical Education, as one of the awardees. On behalf of all of us at EuChemS, we congratulate Rachel Mamlok-Naaman on her award!
The IUPAC 2021 Distinguished Women in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering Awards is an annual programme established in 2011. It aims to acknowledge and promote the work of women chemists or chemical engineers worldwide. The awards will be given to the 12 winners during the IUPAC World Chemistry Congress to be held in August 2021.
You can read IUPAC’s announcement here.
Dr Rachel Mamlok-Naaman, from the Israel Chemical Society, is currently the Chair of the EuChemS Division of Chemical Education. She is employed in the chemistry group at the Department of Science Teaching, the Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel, where she served both as the head of the National Center for Chemistry Teachers (until present), and as the coordinator of the chemistry group at the Department of Science Teaching (until June 2016). Thus, her publications focus on the topics which are related to students’ learning and to teachers’ professional development. For her work on chemistry teachers’ professional development in Israel, she got the 2016 Maxine Singer Prize for outstanding scientists at the Weizmann Institute. She is the coordinator of chemistry teachers’ programs in the framework of the Rothschild-Weizmann MSc program for science teachers, and of projects in the framework of the European Union.
Initiative for Science in Europe (ISE) released a report on the precarity of academic careers in Europe. As ISE considers that precarity of academic careers is one of the most pressing issues of the research system, the ISE Researchers’ Careers Task Force focused its reflection on the causes for precarity in the academic sector:
This short report includes proposals addressed to the EU member states research ministries, research councils, funders, and EU science-policy decision makers. In order to enhance the conversation with relevant stakeholders, ISE is organising a series of webinars on the topic.
You can read the ISE paper on the precarity of academic careers here.
About ISE:
The Initiative for Science in Europe (ISE) is an independent platform which supports all fields of research at a European level, involves researchers in the design and implementation of European science policies, and advocates strong independent scientific advice in European policy making.
The European Chemical Society (EuChemS) is one of the 16 members of the ISE.
On 5 February, the European Innovation Council (EIC) announced that 35 projects from 10 European countries were selected in its last Innovation Launchpad call. In total, 118 proposals were submitted for this Innovation Launchpad call.
The selected projects include innovations in various sectors, such as railways, artificial intelligence, energy, and much more. The list of the awarded projects is available here.
The aim of EIC Innovation Launchpad call is to bring innovations closer to the market. Each project received a budget of €100.000 euros.
Read more about it here.
With the transition from ‘Horizon 2020’ to ‘Horizon Europe’, the new seven-year framework programme for Research and Innovation, the European Research Council (ERC) postponed the publication of the first ‘Horizon Europe’ calls, until the programme is adopted by the European Commission.
The ERC will inform the scientific community as soon as possible about the pending grant competitions. In the meantime, applicants are encouraged to prepare their proposals.
Read more about it here.
On 4 February 2021, the European Commission launched the new European Research Area (ERA) Forum for Transition. It is composed of EU Member States’ representatives, and it also includes one representative from each EEA/EFTA country.
The main goal of the ERA Forum for Transition is to provide recommendations to the Directorate-General Research and Innovation (DG-RTD) on the governance structure of the ERA, and on the development of the first ERA policy agenda.
In a press release, the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) demanded that EU cities and regions become more involved in the new ERA Forum for Transition, and in the ERA in general.
‘The Committee therefore advocates taking a cross-cutting approach closely linked to regional policies, involving a wide range of stakeholders – academia, industry, the public sector at various levels, the general public and civil society – and also highlights the need to fully recognise the role of smart specialisations and their collective and entrepreneurial process as one of the cornerstones of European research and innovation performance.’
Press release – The European Research Area: Towards full recognition of Regional Innovation Hubs,
European Committee of the Regions (CoR),
4 February 2021
Read more about the new ERA Forum for Transition here.
About ERA:
The European Research Area (ERA) is a system of scientific research programmes across Europe. It enables free circulation of researchers, science, and technology by integrating the scientific resources of the European Union. The original ERA plan was launched in 2000, and a process to revitalise it began in 2018.
On 2 February 2021, the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union and the European Commission hosted the launch event of ‘Horizon Europe’, the European Union’s most ambitious Research and Innovation framework programme for the 2021-2027 period.
The opening remarks were given by Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, Cristian-Silviu Buşoi, Chair of the ITRE Committee, European Parliament, and Manuel Heitor, Minister for Science and Technology and Higher Education in Portugal.
During this online event, the European Commission reaffirmed the important role of ‘Horizon Europe’ for Research and Innovation: the next seven-year framework programme will focus on societal challenges, including public health, population aging, security and defence, as well as pollution and climate change. Furthermore, the programme will continue to strongly support frontier research in every EU region. As a reminder, the total and final budget for Horizon Europe is €95.5 billion, making it the most powerful research and innovation programme in the world (read our article Budget breakdown of Horizon Europe in the BNU December 2020 issue).
You can watch the launch of ‘Horizon Europe’ here.
Read the Portuguese Presidency of the EU Council’s announcement here.
Proud to present #HorizonEU, our most ambitious #research & #innovation programme, together with @2021PortugalEU today!
Let’s build a #green, #digital and #healthy future for everyone.
👉https://t.co/bRVHOOYU5Z pic.twitter.com/lU23J7e5jZ
— Mariya Gabriel (@GabrielMariya) February 2, 2021
The 2020 Yearbook is a form of a EuChemS annual report which looks back at the activities and achievements carried out by the European Chemical Society and its community over the year. It also offers an insightful overview of EuChemS Professional Networks and their work. Divided between chapters, the Yearbook explores the 2020 initiatives and actions in policy areas, meetings, events and webinars, as well as awards and the activities related to the 50th anniversary celebration of the European Chemical Society.
We invite you to read and download the EuChemS Yearbook 2020 here.
On the occasion of the Global Women’s Breakfast 2021 #GWB2021, an IUPAC initiative, the European Chemical Society (EuChemS) organised its first own event on Tuesday, 9 February 2021, from 10:00 to 11:00 CET.
Pilar Goya, EuChemS Vice-President, hosted and chaired a panel with an impressive line-up of speakers from the European Chemistry community who engaged with more than 150 attendees on various inclusion-related topics, including work-life balance, building professional networks and STEM education for school-age kids. The attendees were invited to ask questions and answer polls. Their feedback will be carefully considered by the EuChemS Task Group on Inclusion and Diversity, for follow up actions.
Also, the LinkedIn group “European Chemistry Network on Inclusion and Diversity” was launched to promote inclusion, equity, and diversity in the chemical sciences. This LinkedIn group aims at connecting chemists across Europe through a European-wide network and focuses on science opportunities, discussions, news, events and jobs within the chemistry sector. We hope this group will inspire people to post, discuss, and exchange experiences, which will hopefully get the ball rolling for further actions and projects in this respect.
“EuChemS, the European Chemical Society, representing over 150.000 chemists, will continue to promote inclusion and diversity in the chemical sciences and will strive to eradicate any form of discrimination.”
– Pilar Goya, EuChemS Vice-President,
Opening speech of the EuChemS @Global Women’s Breakfast
9 February 2021
We invite you to watch the recording of this online event here, where you can also subscribe to the EuChemS YouTube channel.
On 21 March 2021, the new regulation on the transparency of risk assessment in the food chain will become applicable. This regulation aims at ensuring more transparency of the EU risk assessment in the food chain, increasing the independence of studies used by European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), strengthening the governance and the scientific cooperation of EFSA to guarantee its long-term sustainability, and developing comprehensive risk communication.
This new regulation was developed in response to a European Citizens’ Initiative on pesticides. On 10 May 2017, the European Chemical Society (EuChemS) co-organised the workshop Glyphosate: Harmless Tool or Sneaky Poison? at the European Parliament.
Read more about it here.
Sources:
The panel for the Future of Science and Technology (STOA) and the European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS) are entering into a partnership on artificial intelligence (AI) with the OECD’s Global Parliamentary Network (GPN). Joining forces will enhance the dialogue and exchange of best practices across Parliaments on AI related issues. Subsequently, it will boost the outreach, relevance and value of both organisations to parliamentarians, policymakers and citizens worldwide.
In 2020, the STOA panel launched its Centre for AI (C4AI) to intensify its actions in the field of AI. The purpose of C4AI is to provide expertise to policymakers and to enhance the debate on AI through various activities (e.g., producing studies, organising events, etc.).
Read more about it in the STOA announcement.
Earlier in January, the European Commission announced in a press release the first round of direct equity investment through the new European Innovation Council (EIC) Fund. EIC acquires a financing of around €178 million to invest in 42 start-ups and SMEs.
The EIC Fund was established in June 2020, and it aims to make direct equity investments (between €500.000 and €15 million each) in the capital of start-ups and SMEs in Europe. This Fund will help start-up companies to scale-up and translate their innovative scientific projects into commercial success.
New instruments for a new generation of #innovators!🇪🇺
The new @EUeic Fund supports 42 #startups with €178 Million.
The first direct equity investments by @EU_Commission in startups to bridge the #equity gap and to crowd in #investors.
👉https://t.co/8sJbi3Qfj9 pic.twitter.com/T1yRtlyH5Z— Mariya Gabriel (@GabrielMariya) January 6, 2021
Read the press release here.
On 1 January 2021, Portugal has officially taken over the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union from Germany, 35 years after its accession to the European Union. This is the fourth time that Portugal chairs the Council of the European Union. Portugal is part of the Trio Presidency during the period from 1 July 2020 to 31 December 2021, with Germany and Slovenia.
Given the current global pandemic situation, Portugal is committed to promoting a resilient, social, green, digital and global Europe. ‘Time to deliver: a fair, green and digital recovery’ is Portugal’s motto for its 6-month Presidency, which is in line with its three major work priorities:
We agreed that it is time to implement an economic and social recovery anchored in the climate and digital transitions, and to strengthen the EU’s Social Pillar as a basis for the confidence of Europeans. Together we will promote the strategic autonomy of an EU open to the world. pic.twitter.com/GUzm6o8aBh
— António Costa (@antoniocostapm) January 5, 2021
Research and Innovation is at the forefront of the Portuguese Presidency’s programme and emphasis will be given to encouraging the coordination of efforts and synergies between European scientific communities. To this end, the Portuguese Presidency re-expressed its target to reach 3% GDP investment by 2030 (2/3 private sector, 1/3 public sector). Furthermore, they will work on the professionalisation of research careers and include them in the European Quality Assurance Reference Framework, in order to improve working conditions and salaries and reduce precarious employment.
In accordance with the Trio Presidency, Portugal will support the renewing of the European Research Area (ERA): the Portuguese Presidency will host a debate on the 20th anniversary of the ERA.
Scheduled for 2 February 2021, the official launch event of the Horizon Europe programme will take place in Lisbon, Portugal. The Portuguese Presidency announced that visibility will be given to this event as well as on the finalisation of the regulations necessary for the creation of the European partnerships and the launch of the of the missions.
‘We aim to contribute to wider and more diverse access to science and research, enabling citizens to acquire skills. We will encourage citizens’ involvement in setting scientific agendas and support European initiatives in the field of ‘citizen science’.’
– Programme for Portugal’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union,
Competitiveness, Research and Innovation, p.20.
You can read the programme for the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union here. The Programme was adopted by the Council of Ministers on 17 December 2020.
Portugal’s Presidency will last until 30 June 2021.
For more information, you can visit the German Presidency of the Council of the European Union website.
The year 2021 starts with some changes at the EuChemS Executive Board.
On 1 January, Professor Floris Rutjes started his mandate as the EuChemS President. He succeeds Professor Pilar Goya, who will continue to serve at the Executive Board as the Vice-President.
The EuChemS Executive Board also welcomes three newcomers: Professor Renáta Oriňaková, Professor Slavica Ražić and Professor Péter Szalay.
EuChemS continues to look forward to very many upcoming activities in and for Chemistry in Europe kicked off by the renewed Executive Board and reiterates its thanks to the former Executive Board members whose mandates ended on 31 December 2020: Dr Nausicaa Orlandi, Professor Francisco Javier Pérez Trujillo, Professor Marco Arlorio and Professor Anna Trzeciak.
Discover more about the role of the EuChemS Executive Board and its members here.
The European Chemical Society cordially invites you all to join our 1st Global Women’s Breakfast on Tuesday 9 February 2021, 10:00 CET, on Zoom.
During this online event, panellists from the European Chemistry community will discuss diversity empowerment in the chemical sciences. Focus will be given to leadership development, building professional networks and STEM education for school-age girls.
Pilar Goya, EuChemS Vice-President, will be hosting and chairing the breakfast.
This online event is FREE to attend ➡️ REGISTER HERE
More information about EuChemS @Global Women’s Breakfast 2021 is available here.
EuChemS had the honour to contribute to the inaugural issue of AsiaChem with an article on the long-standing EuChemS-FACS collaboration. In this contribution, EuChemS President, Pilar Goya, EuChemS Vice-President, Floris Rutjes and EuChemS Past-President, David Cole-Hamilton, congratulate the Federation of Asian Chemical Societies (FACS) on the 40th anniversary of its foundation and on the introduction of this new Chemistry magazine.
The Editor-in-Chief of AsiaChem is Ehud Keinan, President of the Israel Chemical Society (a EuChemS Member Society), a former member of the EuChemS Executive Board and the awardee of the 2019 EuChemS Award for Service.
The inaugural issue is now available both in print and online HERE.
Read more about EuChemS’ contribution to the first issue of AsiaChem here.
The European Chemical Society attended the Committee for Risk Assessment (RAC) online meetings of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) in November and December 2020.
Many topics were discussed, including the Occupational Exposure Limits (OEL) assessments. Special attention was given to the first draft opinion and the report on the scientific evaluation of limits values for Cadmium and its inorganic compounds at the workplace. It takes into account the cumulative Cadmium exposure from all sources (inhalation, food, hand to mouth, dermal) and discusses how to protect workers, also after their occupational career. RAC discussed uncertainties concerning setting an air limit value but supported the value of 0,001 mg/m3 (inhalable fraction) as a starting point, currently set in the Carcinogens and Mutagens Directive. More justification on the air limit value would need to be inserted in the final opinion. Further discussion and agreement on the values (OEL and BLV) is foreseen at the next RAC meeting.
RAC also discussed restrictions on undecafluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA) and classification of Bisphenol S.
Read more about it RAC-55 meetings here.
On 10 December 2020, the European Commission announced in a press release its proposition to modernise EU legislation on batteries. With new mandatory requirements for all batteries placed on the EU market, the European Commission would like to establish a sustainable batteries value chain in the EU by restricting the use of hazardous substances. Furthermore, these new measures will also focus on recycling targets to prevent the waste of critical raw materials used in batteries.
These stricter environmental measures are part of the actions announced in the new Circular Economy Action Plan – one of the main building blocks of the European Green Deal. Reducing the environmental impact of batteries is one step towards climate neutrality in 2050.
Read the press release of the European Commission here.
During the 12th European Innovation Summit, the European Young Chemists’ Network (EYCN) of the European Chemical Society (EuChemS) co-organised the session ‘The Role of Early-Career Professionals in Driving Sustainable Innovation’. The session was hosted by MEP Victor Negrescu. This interactive session brought together speakers from various sectors, such as IUPAC, the European Commission, University, and Industry. Speakers provided their inputs as early-career professionals on innovative technologies relevant to the European Green Deal and global long-term sustainability. They also discussed the involvement of early researchers in this process. This webinar ended with a Q&A session during which the speakers actively engaged with the participants.
The 12th European Innovation Summit was organised by Knowledge4Innovation and held online from 7 to 11 December 2020. Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, launched the event during the Opening Ceremony on 7 December. During this online event, she presented her ideas for the creation of a European single market for Innovation: a European Innovation Area (EIA).
‘We have a single European single space for researchers. And one for education. But we need to create one for innovators and entrepreneurs.’
– Mariya Gabriel,
Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth
Opening Ceremony of the 12th European Innovation Summit
Read more about it here.
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