January 2010

“Brussels in Brief”:
Highlights on EU policies and funding programmes related to the knowledge-based economy: The “Lisbon Strategy”

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  • General EU Information

    General EU Information

    • Council of the EU

      2010-01-05 - Spain takes over EU Council Presidency

      Spain has pledged to drive forward the realisation of the European Research Area (ERA) during its six-month Presidency of the Council of the EU, which started on 1 January.

      Plus d'information

    • European Commission

      2010-01-14 - Commissioner designate for Research, Innovation and Science promises 'action and delivery' to MEPs

      The European Commissioner designate for Research, Innovation and Science, Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, pledged to move research, innovation and science 'to the heart of European policy' in her hearing at the European Parliament on 13 January. Speaking to the European Parliament's committees on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) and Culture and Education (CULT), the new Commissioner designate said that the European Union must become an Innovation Union.

      Plus d'information

    • European Parliament

      2010-01-15 - 2010-01-18 - Plenary Session - Strasbourg

      President Jerzy Buzek led a minute's silence for Haiti's victims at the opening of the plenary Monday. A debate on helping Haiti was held Tuesday afternoon. Also this week in Strasbourg, catch the last hearings for the Commissioners designate. On the plenary agenda, Spain's PM Zapatero unveiled the priorities for their Presidency of the Council. There were also debates on Iran and its uranium enrichment project on Tuesday and the situation in Iraq and Yemen. A full round up of the week is here.

      Plus d'information
  • EU policies and funding programmes for Research, Innovation, Training and Competitiveness

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

    • Research Policy

      • European Research & Innovation projects
        • ICT
          2010-01-12 - CAALYX project takes medical innovation to new heights

          Social changes and a growing ageing population call for innovative solutions. Enter the EU-funded CAALYX ('Complete ambient assisting living experiment') project, whose partners have successfully developed a prototype system comprising a home monitoring system, a mobile roaming monitoring system and a caretaker centre. This system will be particularly beneficial for the elderly and patients living at home. The CAALYX team has already launched two follow-up projects to help bring the technology to the market. CAALYX received more than EUR 1.8 million in funding under the EU's Sixth Framework Programme (FP6).

          Plus d'information
          2010-01-18 - Scientists control 'chaos' in robot behaviour

          German scientists have developed a simpler way for an autonomous robot to perform a variety of tasks. The six-legged robot mimics human and animal behaviour and can now perform the same task with less effort and more flexibility. Published in the journal Nature Physics, the results of the study are part of the EU-funded PACO-PLUS ('Perception, action and cognition through learning of object-action complexes') project, which received almost EUR 7 million under the 'Information society technologies' Thematic area of the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6).

          Plus d'information
          2010-01-19 - Medical devices sense patients who need help

          The development and launching of ambulatory assisting devices protect people in need by offering better safety and security. The SENSACTION-AAL ('Sensing and action to support mobility in ambient assisted living') project, funded under the 'Information society technologies' (IST) Thematic area of the EU's Sixth Framework Programme (FP6) to the tune of EUR 2 million, is introducing smart body-fixed sensor-based technology that enables doctors to initiate interventions for patients at home.

          Plus d'information
          2010-01-20 - EU funds effective translation tool

          Europeans recognise the importance of communicating in other languages as well as their native tongue, and the availability of effective tools facilitating high-quality translation of texts between multiple languages is pivotal to this. Enter the MOLTO ('Multilingual on-line translation') project, which has received over EUR 2.3 million under the 'Information and communication technologies' Theme of the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) to develop such a reliable translation tool.

          Plus d'information
          2010-01-26 - Estonians put ROBOSWARM technology to the test

          Invent Baltics, an Estonian research and development (R&D) consultancy group, has successfully tested the swarm coordination technology demonstrator that was designed and developed by the EU-funded ROBOSWARM ('Knowledge environment for interacting robot swarms') project. ROBOSWARM received almost EUR 1.7 million under the 'Information society technologies' Thematic area of the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6).

          Plus d'information
          2010-01-27 - The DIAMOND project - a semiconductor's best friend?

          A new EU-funded project is set to simplify life for Europe's semiconductor and electronics industries by making it easier to detect and correct errors. Called DIAMOND ('Diagnosis, error modelling and correction for reliable systems design'), the EUR 3.8 million, 3-year project is funded under the Information and communication technologies (ICT) Theme of the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7).

          Plus d'information
        • Health
          2010-01-04 - Study finds mushroom derived drug may help fight cancer

          A British study published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry says that a drug derived from a mushroom used in traditional Chinese medicine and first scientifically identified in the West in the1950s could be made more effective in the fight against cancer.

          Plus d'information
          2010-01-06 - Study uncovers costs of drug resistance for bacteria

          Developing resistance to certain antibiotics may come at a price for the bacteria, new Swedish research suggests. Sara Thulin Hedberg of Örebro University studies the bacteria Neisseria meningitidis, one of the main causes of meningitis. She found that bacteria that are resistant to the drug rifampicin do not reproduce as fast as non-resistant bacteria and are not as good at infecting people. She hopes that her findings, which form part of her doctoral dissertation, will lead to the development of new, more effective antibiotics.

          Plus d'information
          2010-01-07 - Let your hands do the talking

          Pointing, gesticulating and other similar examples of body language are regarded in many cultures as rude and ill-mannered. But the results of a new study published in the journal Psychological Science say that using gestures along with words is the best way to get your point across in communications.

          Plus d'information
          2010-01-07 - Study finds gender differences in brain activity

          Scientists at the Jagiellonian University Medical College in Poland have discovered that brain patterns differ in men and women following positive and negative stimuli. The findings were presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) in November.

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          2010-01-08 - Complementary and alternative medicine finally gets a break

          A growing number of people are turning to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for disorders they feel cannot be treated with conventional therapy. This number tops the 100 million mark in the EU alone. However, the challenge faced by CAM practitioners is the lack of funding and scientific cooperation that hampers this area of medicine. Enter the EU-funded CAMBRELLA project that is determined to solve this problem. With EUR 1.5 million in support under the 'Health' Theme of the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7), CAMBRELLA kick-started on 1 January 2010.

          Plus d'information
          2010-01-12 - Virtual liver set to improve surgery outcomes

          European researchers have developed a virtual liver that promises to improve the prospects of recovery for patients with diseases such as liver cancer and cirrhosis of the liver. The initial work was carried out in the framework of the EUREKA project Odysseus. EUREKA promotes international, market-oriented research.

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          2010-01-14 - Study sheds new light on the mechanics of depression

          A joint French and US research team has discovered what makes a brain particularly vulnerable to depression and anxiety and less likely to respond to antidepressant treatment. The study was published in the journal Neuron and may lead to new treatments for such conditions.

          Plus d'information
          2010-01-14 - Study finds breast milk is not key factor in baby's health

          Researchers in Norway have discovered that breast milk is not as important to the health of children and mothers as was previously thought. The study's results provide relief to mothers who do not breastfeed.

          Plus d'information
          2010-01-15 - Researchers propose framework for neglected tropical diseases treatment

          Researchers partially supported by the European Union have come up with a framework for the development of an integrated monitoring and evaluation system which aids in the effort to combat neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Published online in The Lancet, the research team compared disease-specific protocols for mapping, monitoring and surveillance; they also examined the integration of mitigation efforts and detailed innovative solutions being proposed, and offered a conceptual framework.

          Plus d'information
          2010-01-18 - New genetic markers discovered for diabetes traits

          The work of an international team of scientists has helped unravel the biological blueprint of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Funded in part by the EU, the two major parallel studies were conducted by researchers representing more than 100 institutes and using genetic data from over 100,000 individuals. The discovery of common genetic variants associated with T2D risk and blood glucose levels is published in two corresponding reports in Nature Genetics.

          Plus d'information
          2010-01-19 - New technique to fight flu infection

          EU-funded researchers have identified 287 human genes that the flu virus exploits when it infects us. Importantly, many of the genes are used by different strains of the influenza virus. Writing in the journal Nature, the researchers suggest that the virus would struggle to become resistant to drugs that block the action of these human genes.

          Plus d'information
          2010-01-21 - Research throws new light on evolution of bacteria

          Researchers in Germany have discovered that a relatively obscure group of related bacteria possesses proteins that were previously thought to exist only in eukaryotes (organisms that have a nucleus). The results of the study, funded in part by the EU, could lead to new model organisms and help biologists obtain a clearer picture of the evolution of eukaryotic cells in the human body. The findings are published in the journal PLoS (Public Library of Science) Biology.

          Plus d'information
          2010-01-22 - Human brains use grids to represent space

          Scientists partially funded by the European Union have for the first time identified a specific type of cell which acts like a spatial map in the human brain. Published in the journal Nature, the finding may help to explain how people create internal maps of new environments.

          Plus d'information
          2010-01-27 - Research team corrects mistake on protein linked with cancer

          A previously held belief about the behaviour of a human protein that is linked to the formation of cancer is being challenged. The study in question, published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, will lead to new research into ways to prevent the protein from 'turning on' genes that are involved in the process of abnormal cell production. The research was partially supported by the MAP Kinase project, which received funding under the 'Quality of life and management of living resources' budget line of the EU's Fifth Framework Programme (FP5).

          Plus d'information
          2010-01-27 - The fast way to fight the flu

          What is the best way to fight influenza? Quickly, say health experts. Enter the EU-funded PORTFASTFLU ('Portable automated test for fast detection and surveillance of influenza') project, which targets the development and validation of a rapid diagnostic test for influenza. Supported under the Health Theme of the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) with almost EUR 3 million, PORTFASTFLU will use this diagnostic test as point-of-care (POC) systems in developed and developing countries.

          Plus d'information
        • Environment
          2010-01-05 - Study sheds new light on the origins of species

          A team of EU-funded researchers has demonstrated how sexual selection and environmental pressures could interact to cause a species to split into two, even where there are no geographical barriers separating the new species. EU support for the study, which was published online by the journal Science, came from an Outgoing International Fellowship from the Marie Curie researcher mobility programme.

          Plus d'information
          2010-01-06 - Second-hand is cheaper but wreaks havoc on environment

          Developing countries purchase second-hand merchandise like factories and tools from Europe and the US to save money and make good use of items that are still too young for the bin. But has anyone ever considered what these products do to the environment? Writing in an upcoming issue of the International Journal of Global Environmental Issues, researchers from France and Luxembourg contend that the export of old tools and technologies abroad has deterred countries from adopting technology that is both non-polluting and friendlier to the environment.

          Plus d'information
          2010-01-06 - Climate change early warning system on the cards

          Researchers have developed a new way to measure the absorption of carbon dioxide (CO2) by oceans, and have successfully mapped the CO2 uptake of the North Atlantic. The study's results are part of the EU-funded CARBOOCEAN project, which received EUR 14.5 million in support under the 'Sustainable development, global change and ecosystems' Thematic area of the EU's Sixth Framework Programme (FP6). The findings were published in the journal Science.

          Plus d'information
          2010-01-12 - Focus on 2050, says new climate change study

          Policymakers seeking to cut greenhouse gas emissions must focus on what needs to be achieved by 2050 if we are to keep options viable for all possible climate change scenarios, says new research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

          Plus d'information
          2010-01-15 - WRECKPROTECT investigates underwater cultural heritage threat

          Shipworms, commonly referred to as 'termites of the sea', are launching an attack on the Baltic Sea, putting large maritime archaeological sites at risk. Researchers from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, currently participating in the EU-funded WRECKPROTECT project to investigate which artefacts are at risk, speculate that climate change is responsible for this threatening tide of shipworms.

          Plus d'information
          2010-01-21 - Global emissions impact springtime ozone increase above western North America

          Western North America is recording higher springtime ozone levels, triggered mostly by the air that flows eastward from the Pacific Ocean, new research shows. Published in the journal Nature, the study's findings are part of the EU-funded MOZAIC ('Measurements of ozone and water vapour by Airbus in-service aircraft') project, which was initially supported under the Third Framework Programme (FP3), and continued under the Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Programmes (FP4, FP5 and FP6 respectively).

          Plus d'information
          2010-01-21 - Key gene helps plants adapt to climate change

          A group of researchers from the UK has discovered through genetic experiments how plants control their development through their response to changing temperatures. The research team, which received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) and the John Innes Centre, studied genes from the Arabidopsis plant to ascertain which genes regulate temperature response and how they can be adapted to increasing temperatures due to climate change.

          Plus d'information
          2010-01-22 - Biodiversity affected by temperature fluctuations

          As the climate warms and more fluctuations in temperature are recorded, scientists fear the worst for biodiversity and ecosystems. A new study of zooplankton in freshwater lakes, though, has shown that the greatest variety of the microscopic organisms is found in lakes that have the greatest variation in temperature. The report, published in the journal Ecology Letters, shows that climate change and global warming can have a variety of unexpected effects on ecosystems.

          Plus d'information
          2010-01-26 - Research may help check deadly infection threatening toads

          EU-funded scientists have discovered that midwife toads living high in the mountains are more likely to die from a serious fungal infection than their counterparts living at lower altitudes. The findings, which are published in the journal Ecology Letters, could help conservationists develop strategies to stop the spread of the disease.

          Plus d'information
        • Agriculture
          2010-01-05 - Research reveals rapid mutation rate of plant genomes

          New research published in the journal Science describes how a research team studied the entire genome sequence of a plant over 30 generations to understand the speed at which genetic mutations occur in plants. The findings shed new light on how plants become resistant to herbicides and could aid efforts to develop plants that are resistant to drought, for example.

          Plus d'information
          2010-01-13 - How plants flower helps us understand gene control

          Researchers from the UK and Poland have shed new light on how plants adapt their flowering to climate as well as on how genes are controlled. The results of the research are part of the SIROCCO ('Silencing RNAs: organisers and coordinators of complexity in eukaryotic organisms') project, which received almost EUR 12 million under the EU's Sixth Framework Programme (FP6). Additional EU support for the work came from a Marie Curie Early Stage Training Fellowship. The findings were published in the journals Science and Nature.

          Plus d'information
        • Transport
          2010-01-13 - EU researchers investigate extreme weather effects on transport

          How extreme weather impacts the EU transportation system is a question that weighs heavily on the minds of policymakers and the general public. Enter the EWENT ('Extreme weather impacts on European networks of transport') project which aims to identify and define these extreme weather phenomena and their effects. The project partners received almost EUR 1.5 million in support under the 'Transport' Theme of the EU's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7).

          Plus d'information
        • Nanosciences
          2010-01-09 - New EU technology for better products and safer work environments

          EU-funded researchers at the University of Leicester in the UK are exploring alternatives to the use of harmful toxic acids inherent in many manufacturing processes. One of the aims of their research is to improve the working conditions of those exposed to carcinogenic toxic acids and electrolytes that are used in some processes today, such as those relating to commercial metal finishing and energy storage.

          Plus d'information
          2010-01-15 - Study discovers atoms can bond

          The molecule 'beryllium dimer' has mystified chemists for many years. Recent measurements have helped scientists identify 11 vibrational levels, and now a US-Czech team of researchers sheds light on a 12th level. The findings were published in the journal Science.

          Plus d'information
          2010-01-20 - Link found between golden ratio and atomic symmetry

          Researchers in Germany and the UK have discovered symmetry hidden in solid state matter at very small scales. The findings, published in the journal Science, indicate that symmetry involves the golden ratio famous from art and architecture. The research was supported in part by the NMI3 ('Integrated infrastructure initiative for neutron scattering and muon spectroscopy') project, which was funded under the 'Coordination of research activities' Thematic area of the EU's Sixth Framework Programme (FP6) to the tune of EUR 21 million.

          Plus d'information
        • Space
          2010-01-04 - Fermi telescope unlocks microquasar mystery

          NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope successfully made the first clear detection of high-energy gamma-rays from Cygnus X-3, one of the stronger binary systems in the sky. Located some 37,000 light years away, Cygnus X-3 pairs a hot, massive star with a compact object that blasts twin radio-emitting jets of matter into space at the speed of light. The findings will offer scientists new insight into the acceleration and movement of high-energy particles. The research, published in the journal Science, is part of the 'GAMMARAYBINARIES' project, which received almost EUR 750,000 in funding under the Ideas Theme of the EU's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7).

          Plus d'information
          2010-01-07 - Lakes found on Mars

          Contrary to what most people think, Mars was a warm and wet planet 3 billion years ago, new research suggests. Writing in the journal Geology, scientists from Imperial College London and University College London (UCL) in the UK speculate that the 'red planet' was actually home to huge lakes (each some 20km wide) generated by melted ice during the Hesperian Epoch, the second of three Martian geologic epochs marked by lava flows.

          Plus d'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.

          Plus d'information
        • European Technology Plateformes
          Advanced Engineering Materials and Technologies (EuMaT)

          23-25 June 2010, Guildford - The 3-Day International ‘HIDA - 5’ Conference

          Plus d'information
          Advisory Council for Aeronautics Research in Europe (ACARE)

          No events planned

          Plus d'information
          European Technology Platform for Wind Energy (TPWind)

          No events planned

          Plus d'information
          European Technology Platform on Smart Systems Integration (EPoSS)

          23 March 2010, Como - SSI 2010: European Conference and Exhibition on Integration Issues of Miniaturized Systems
          10-11 May 2010, Berlin - 14th International Forum on Advanced Microsystems for Automotive Applications
          26-28 May 2010, Berlin - pHealth 2010: 7th International Conference on Wearable Micro and Nano Technologies for Personalized Health
          7 July 2010, University of Patras - 4th International Conference from Scientific Computing to Computational Engineering
          13-16 September 2010, Berlin - 3rd Electronic System Integration Technology Conference
          27-29 September 2010, Brussels - Info ICT 2010: Digitally Driven
          20-21 October 2010, Brussels - 2nd European Conference SmartGrids and E-Mobility

          Plus d'information
          European Technology Platform Food for Life (Food)

          3rd March 2010, Brussels - ETP ‘’Food for Life’’ 5th anniversary stakeholder event

          Plus d'information
          Forest Based Sector Technology Platform (Forestry)

          No events planned.

          Plus d'information
          Embedded Computing Systems (ARTEMIS)

          1 March 2010, Nürnberg - ARTEMIS Call 2010 Information Day
          1-2 March 2010, Nürnberg - ARTEMIS Spring Event 2010
          5 March 2010, Rome - ARTEMIS / ENIAC Information Day
          9 March 2010, Paris - ARTEMIS Information Day
          18-19 March 2010, Vienna - International policy conference: Strategies for Embedded Computing Research

          Plus d'information
          Nanoelectronics Technologies 2020 (ENIAC)

          1-2 March 2010, Nuremberg - ARTEMIS Spring Event 2010
          8-12 March 2010, Dresden - DATE 2010 - The European Event for Electronic System Design & Test
          16-17 June 2010, Turin - Nanoforum
          27-29 September 2010, Brussels - ICTO 2010
          19-21 October 2010, Dresden - Semicon Europa

          Plus d'information
          European Rail Research Advisory Council (ERRAC)

          No events planned

          Plus d'information
          European Road Transport Research Advisory Council (ERTRAC)

          21 April 2010, Brussels - ERTRAC Steering Group
          7-10 June 2010, Brussels - TRA 2010
          29 September 2010, Brussels - ERTRAC Steering Group
          14 October 2010, Brussels - ERTRAC Plenary

          Plus d'information
          European Space Technology Platform (ESTP)

          No events planned

          Plus d'information
          European Steel Technology Platform (ESTEP)

          No events planned

          Plus d'information
          European Technology Platform for the Electricity Networks of the Future (SmartGrids)

          25-26 May 2010, London - SmartGrids 2010: Making them a reality
          6-10 December 2010, Albuquerque - 4th Internacional Conference on Integration of Renewable and Distributed Energy Resources

          Plus d'information
          Future Manufacturing Technologies (MANUFUTURE)

          No events planned

          Plus d'information
          European Technology Platform for the Future of Textiles and Clothing (Euratex)

          24-25 March 2010, Brussels - 5th Annual Public Conference of the European Technology Platform

          Plus d'information
          Fuel Cells and Hydrogen (FCH)

          No events planned

          Plus d'information
          Industrial Safety ETP (IndustrialSafety)

          11 March 2010, Brussels - 4th Mirror Group meeting focused on the preparation of the ERANET Industrial Safety
          14-18 June 2010, Stuttgart - iNTeg-Risk Conference 2010
          23-25 June 2010, Guildford - PLANT INTEGRITY, DEFECT ASSESSMENT FITNESS-FOR-SERVICE, RISK BASED INSPECTION & MAINTENANCE
          5-9 September 2010, Rhodes - ESREL 2010
          7 September 2010, Brussels - ‘Industrial Technologies’ conference 

          Plus d'information
          Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI)

          No events planned

          Plus d'information
          Integral Satcom Initiative (ISI)

          13-15 September 2010, Cagliari - 5th Advanced Satellite Multimedia Systems Conferences
          13-15 September 2010, Cagliari - 11th Signal Processing for Space Communications Workshop

          Plus d'information
          Mobile and Wireless Communications (eMobility)

          3-5 March 2010, Brussels - Cable Congress 2010
          15-18 March 2010, Barcelona - eHealth week 2010
          14-16 April 2010, Valencia - 5th Future Internet Assembly
          16-19 May 2010, Taipei - 2010 IEEE 71st Vehicular Technology Converence VTC2010-Spring
          19 May 2010, Athens - The 5th Workshop on "Shaping the Future of Mobile and Wireless Communications" (NCSR, Athens)
          20 May 2010, Athens - Working Group on Leading Edge Applications, 6th meeting in Athens (NCSR)
          23-27 May 2010, Cape Town - ICC2010 IEEE Communications Society's flagship conference: International Communications Conference
          16-18 June 2010, Florence - Future Network & MobileSummit 2010 Conference and Exhibition
          16 September 2010, Venice - eMobility GA6
          26-30 September, Istanbul - PIMRC 2010 21st Annual IEEE International Symposium on Personal, Indoor and Mobile Radio Communications
          27-29 September 2010, Brussels - ICT 2010

          Plus d'information
          Nanotechnologies for Medical Applications (NanoMedicine)

          9-12 March 2010, Lausanne - Second NanoImpactNet Conference

          Plus d'information
          Networked and Electronic Media (NEM)

          12-13 April 2010, Valencia - The 5th Annual Celtic Event
          13-14 April 2010, Valencia - 4th EU Conference on the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7)
          15-16 April 2010, Valencia - The Future Internet Assembly (FIA) Workshop 2010
          18-20 May, Berlin - 6th International Conference on Testbeds and Research Infrastructures for the Development of Networks & Communities
          27-29 September 2010, Brussels - ICT event 2010
          13-15 October 2010, Barcelona - NEM Summit 2010: 3rd NEM Summit

          Plus d'information
          Networked European Software and Services Initiative (NESSI)

          22-26 March 2010, Paphos - European Joint Conferences on Theory And Practice of Software
          12-13 april 2010, Valencia - NESSI Projects Summit
          13-14 April 2010, Valencia - The European RTD Framework Programmes : From Economic Recovery to Sustainability R2S
          14-16 April 2010, Valencia - FIA
          28 June - 2 July 2010, Heraklion - The Second Service and Software Architectures, Infrastructures and Engineering (SSAIE) Summer School
          27-29 September 2010, Brussels - ICT Conference
          22-23 October 2010, Warsaw - e-Challenges
          16-17 December 2010, Brussels - EU Collaboration days
          16-17 December 2010, Ghent - FIA

          Plus d'information
          Photonics21 (Photonics)

          No events planned

          Plus d'information
          Photovoltaics (PV Platform)

          No events planned

          Plus d'information
          Plants for the Future (Plants)

          No events planned

          Plus d'information
          Robotics (EUROP)

          02-05 March 2010, Osaka - 5th ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction
          08-09 March 2010, Nagoya - International Symposium on Robotics and Intelligent Sensors
          10-12 March 2010, Donostia-San Sebastian - EURON/EUROP Annual Meeting - Workshops and Agenda
          14-17 March 2010, Viña del Mar - IEEE-ICIT 2010
          22-26 March 2010, Lausanne - ACM SAC 2010
          24 March 2010, Leiria - ROBÓTICA2010
          24 March 2010, London - Robotics and Vision
          27-29 March 2010, Shenyang,Liaoning Province - The 2nd IEEE International Conference on Advanced Computer Control
          30 March - 1 April 2010, Leicester - Second International Symposium on New Frontiers in Human-Robot Interaction
          06-08 September 2010, Lecce - FAC 7th Symposium on Intelligent Autonomous Vehicles IAV 2010

          Plus d'information
          European Technology Platform for Sustainable Chemistry (SusChem)

          03-04 March 2010, Luxembourg - Setting the future materials research agenda for Sustainable Chemistry

          Plus d'information
          Sustainable Nuclear Energy Technology Platform (SNE-TP)

          30 May - 3 June 2010, Barcelona - European Nuclear Conference - Scientific and Technical conference on the advances of nuclear energy

          Plus d'information
          Water Supply and Sanitation Platform (WSSTP)

          15 March 2010, Amsterdam - Water Treatment

          Plus d'information
          Waterborne ETP (Waterborne)

          10 March 2010, Le Havre - "PORTS and ENVIRONMENT"

          Plus d'information
          Zero Emission Fossil Fuel Power Plants Technology Platform (ETP ZEP)

          2-4 March 2010, Amsterdam - Carbon Market Insights 2010
          11-12 March 2010, Berlin - EAGE & CO2GeoNet - CO2 Storage Workshop
          19 March 2010, London - EastEuro Link’s Carbon Capture and Storage 2010
          30 June-3 July 2010, Ischia - Processes and technologies for a sustainable energy
          19-23 September 2010, Amsterdam - 10th International conference on Greenhouse gas control technologies

          Plus d'information
        • Joint Technology Initiatives
          Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI)

          No events planned

          Plus d'information
          Embedded Computing Systems (ARTEMISA)

          1 March 2010, Nürnberg - ARTEMIS Call 2010 Information Day
          1-2 March 2010, Nürnberg - ARTEMIS Spring Event 2010
          5 March 2010, Rome - ARTEMIS / ENIAC Information Day
          9 March 2010, Paris - ARTEMIS Information Day
          18-19 March 2010, Vienna - International policy conference: Strategies for Embedded Computing Research

          Plus d'information
          Nanoelectronics Technologies 2020 (ENIAC)

          1-2 March 2010, Nuremberg - ARTEMIS Spring Event 2010
          8-12 March 2010, Dresden - DATE 2010 - The European Event for Electronic System Design & Test
          16-17 June 2010, Turin - Nanoforum
          27-29 September 2010, Brussels - ICTO 2010
          19-21 October 2010, Dresden - Semicon Europa

          Plus d'information
          Aeronautics and Air Transport (Clean Sky)

          No events planned.

          Plus d'information
          Fuel Cells and Hydrogen (FCH)

          No events planned

          Plus d'information

    • Regional policy

      2010-01-15 - Commissioner Samecki backs EU 2020 Strategy to get Europe back on growth track (Territorial Dialogue, Palma de Mallorca)

      Regional Policy Commissioner Paweł Samecki will make a keynote speech at the Conference on Territorial Dialogue in Palma de Mallorca on 18 January. This high-level meeting, co-organised by the EU Committee of the Regions and the Spanish Presidency of the European Union, will provide a forum for local and regional stakeholders to exchange views on the new strategy for sustainable growth and employment, known as the EU 2020 Strategy.

      Plus d'information

    • Information society

      2010-01-28 - Europeans' Privacy will be big challenge in next decade, says EU Commissioner

      Our privacy faces new challenges: behavioural advertising can use your internet history to better market products; social networking sites used by 41.7 million Europeans allow personal information like photos to be seen by others; and the 6 billion smart chips used today can trace your movements. The European Commission today – Data Protection Day – warned that data protection rules must be updated to keep abreast of technological change to ensure the right to privacy, legal certainty for industry, and the take-up of new technologies. EU rules say that a person's information can only be used on legitimate grounds, with their prior consent. With the Lisbon Treaty and the Charter of Fundamental Rights now in force, the Commission today said it wants to create a clear, modern set of rules for the whole EU guaranteeing a high level of personal data protection and privacy, starting with a reform of the 1995 EU Data Protection Directive.

      Plus d'information
  • Other EU Policies and funding programmes supporting the Lisbon Strategy

    Other EU Policies and funding programmes supporting the Lisbon Strategy

    • Environment

      2010-01-19 - What next for biodiversity protection in the EU?

      Today the European Commission marked the opening of the International Year of Biodiversity with a paper setting out future options for biodiversity policy. Despite past efforts, species extinctions are continuing at alarming rates, and a new vision is required to halt these losses. The Communication sets out a vision and outlines four possible targets to reach it, with different levels of ambition. The aim is to launch and facilitate a debate between Member States with a view to developing a post-2010 biodiversity policy framework for the EU before the end of the year. New targets are needed, as the current EU and global biodiversity targets expire after 2010.

      Plus d'information
      2010-01-28 - Pursuit of sustainability drives innovation in the chemical industry

      By adopting measures to increase resource and energy efficiency, and developing improved production processes, the European chemical industry is lessening its overall environmental impact. In addition to addressing sustainability within the chemical industry, innovation and new technologies are enabling chemical companies to develop sustainable solutions for society as a whole.

      Plus d'information
      2010-01-28 - Copenhagen climate adaptation forum calls for innovation in thinking and technology

      Key recommendations from the forum included the need not only to develop new technologies but also to remove barriers to exploiting existing ones. Participants strongly supported the need for longer-term decision making by politicians as climate-change is inherently a political process with costs in terms of both finance and opportunities. There is also a need to review legal constraints with better communication and co-ordination between different policy groups.

      Plus d'information
      2010-01-28 - Online waste exchange schemes redistribute reusable resources

      A law passed by the Portuguese government in September 2009 paved the way for an electronic marketplace to trade waste. The intention is to stimulate the exchange of diverse types of waste. By providing companies with the opportunity to both sell and purchase reusable waste, this will enable users to maximise the value of their waste.

      Plus d'information

    • Transport

      2010-01-07 - Commission awards major contracts to make Galileo operational early 2014

      The European Commission announced today the award of three of the six contracts for the procurement of Galileo’s initial operational capability. The contract for the system support services is awarded to ThalesAleniaSpace of Italy , that for a first order of 14 satellites to OHB System AG of Germany and that for the launch services to Arianespace of France. This will allow the initial deployment and service provision of Europe’s satellite navigation system as of early 2014.

      Plus d'information

    • Agriculture and fisheries

      2010-01-19 - € 18 million EU support for the promotion of dairy products

      The European Commission has approved 13 programmes in 11 Member States to promote milk and milk products in the European Union. The total budget of the programmes, running for a period of three years, is € 35.8 million of which the EU contributes € 17.9 million. This was one of a set of measures proposed by the Commission in July 2009 to address the difficult market situation faced by the dairy sector (see IP/09/1172 ). The Commission committed itself to adopt an additional round of dairy product promotion programmes on the internal market.

      Plus d'information
      2010-01-25 - New study on "Public Goods provided by Agriculture in the European Union"

      The Common Agricultural Policy plays a critical role in helping farmers to deliver environmental goods and services, provided that policies are targeted in the right way. This is the key message of a report published today for DG Agriculture and Rural Development by the Institute for European Environmental Policy. The report is a first ever attempt to identify the full range of environmental public goods provided by farmers across Europe and sets out the arguments for paying for their delivery via the public purse. The study identifies a wide range of diverse environmental and social public goods that are provided by European farmers, including valued cultural landscapes; farmland birds, such as the globally threatened Great Bustard and Imperial Eagle; and the species-rich meadows that are found across Europe. In addition, farmers manage the land for carbon storage and help to maintain high quality water and soils. The results of this study come at a time when the debate about the future of the CAP is intensifying and when the objectives and priorities of the CAP for the period after 2013 are being discussed. The study concludes that a well targeted policy, with clear objectives and sufficient budgetary resources, will be essential to ensure the delivery of public goods in line with society's expectations.

      Plus d'information
      2010-01-29 - Rural development: €5 billion in total injected into rural development programmes following last vote on Health Check and Recovery package changes

      The Rural Development Committee has voted on the last proposals from Member States/regions for using EU Recovery Plan and CAP Health Check funding and other transfers within the CAP to address issues including the economic and dairy crisis, and climate change. In the period October 2009 – January 2010, all rural development programmes were modified and the additional funding of about €5 billion is now ready to be invested in agriculture, the environment and broadband in rural areas. The January 2010 RDC voted on the last 7 of these modifications (see IP/09/1568 , IP/09/1813 and IP/09/1945 for October, November and December approvals). (See annex 1 tables). The majority of the funds will be concentrated in the areas of bio-diversity (31.2% of all funds, or €1.5 billion) and water management (26.9% or €1.3 billion). Dairy restructuring received 14.5% of the total budget (0.7 billion), climate change measures account for 14.2% or €0.7 billion, with renewable energy re-enforcement being 5.6% of the total additional budget ( €0.3 billion). The development of broadband infrastructure remains an important policy issue for rural areas. Member States have thus decided to invest 35% of the EU Recovery funds for broadband, which equals €360.4 million out of the available €1 billion.

      Plus d'information
      2010-01-29 - Negotiations between the EU and Norway on agricultural products: initialling of Agreed Minutes

      Norwegian and EU negotiators initialled agreed minutes concluding negotiations that have been ongoing for the last three years with a view to further liberalising bilateral trade in agricultural products. The draft accord is subject to the approval of the respective authorities. This is part of the regular process of progressive trade liberalisation in agriculture foreseen by the EEA Agreement. It will allow the EU exporters to reinforce their position on the Norwegian market. The additional liberalisation represents roughly 20% of the current value of EU exports to Norway; when taking into account already existing bilateral preferences, around 60% of EU exports to Norway will be completely freed (in term of trade value).

      Plus d'information

    • Energy

      2010-01-18 - EU and Iraq sign a Strategic Energy Partnership Memorandum of Understanding

      The European Union and the Republic of Iraq have today signed in Baghdad, Iraq, a Memorandum of Understanding on a "Strategic Energy Partnership" which provides a political framework for reinforcing energy relations between Iraq and the EU. It also outlines priorities for future cooperation, taking into account the possible role of Iraq as a natural gas supplier for the Southern Corridor and that Iraq has the world's third largest proven petroleum reserves; Iraq could become an energy bridge between the Middle East, the Mediterranean and the EU.

      Plus d'information
      2010-01-28 - Commissioner Piebalgs welcomes the creation of the "European Nuclear Energy Leadership Academy"

      Energy Commissioner, Andris Piebalgs has welcomed the establishment of the European Nuclear Energy Leadership Academy (ENELA) by 6 nuclear energy companies which signed today the founding treaty covering the essential strategic, legal and financial aspects of the academy and held the first shareholders meeting. The academy, which will be based near Munich (Germany), aims to attract university graduates to the nuclear energy sector and train future leaders in this field.

      Plus d'information
  • Research, Innovation, Training and Competitiveness related EU events

    Research, Innovation, Training and Competitiveness related EU events

Special chapter on training opportunities

Next Sessions in English in Brussels

Management of FP7 Research Projects

Date : mardi 20 avr 2010

How to efficiently manage a European research project under FP7 ?

Training being held by former EC Officers having hands on experience in EU R&D projects.

Venue : Brussels - training language : English

Price : 590€ VAT excl

Register to this session

Further information

Audits and controls of FP7 contracts

Date : mercredi 21 avr 2010

How to get prepared and how to react?

Training being held by former EC Officers having hands on experience in EU R&D projects.

Venue : Brussels - training language : English

Price : 690€ VAT excl

Register to this session

Further information

Prochaines sessions en français à Paris et Bruxelles

Audits et contrôles de votre contrat européen de recherche

Date : mardi 16 mar 2010

Les audits et contrôles de votre contrat européen de recherche.
Comment s’y préparer et comment y réagir?

Formations dispensées par d’anciens "Project Officers" de la Commission européenne ayant une expérience pratique des projets européens de R&D.

Lieu : Paris - Langue de formation : Français

Prix : 690€ HTVA

S'inscrire à cette session

Plus d'information

Le management de projets européens de recherche

Date : mercredi 17 mar 2010

Management de projets européens de recherche. Comment gérer efficacement et simplement un projet européen de recherche sous le 7e PCRD ?

Formations dispensées par d’anciens "Project Officers" de la Commission européenne ayant une expérience pratique des projets européens de R&D.

Lieu : Paris - Langue de formation : Français

Prix : 590€ HTVA

S'inscrire à cette session

Plus d'information

Négociation contractuelle et accord de consortium (7ème PCRD)

Date : mercredi 16 jun 2010

Comment se préparer et négocier le contrat avec la CE et l’accord de consortium ?

Formations dispensées par d’anciens "Project Officers" de la Commission européenne ayant une expérience pratique des projets européens de R&D.

Lieu : Paris - Langue de formation : Français

Prix : 590€ HTVA

S'inscrire à cette session

Plus d'information

Le management de projets européens de recherche

Date : jeudi 17 jun 2010

Management de projets européens de recherche. Comment gérer efficacement et simplement un projet européen de recherche sous le 7e PCRD ?

Formations dispensées par d’anciens "Project Officers" de la Commission européenne ayant une expérience pratique des projets européens de R&D.

Lieu : Paris - Langue de formation : Français

Prix : 590€ HTVA

S'inscrire à cette session

Plus d'information

Audits et contrôles de votre contrat européen de recherche

Date : vendredi 18 jun 2010

Les audits et contrôles de votre contrat européen de recherche.
Comment s’y préparer et comment y réagir?

Formations dispensées par d’anciens "Project Officers" de la Commission européenne ayant une expérience pratique des projets européens de R&D.

Lieu : Paris - Langue de formation : Français

Prix : 690€ HTVA

S'inscrire à cette session

Plus d'information

Próximas sesiones en español a Madrid