Joint Research Centre - European Commission

A new map developed by the JRC provides a more accurate picture of how population is distributed in the EU. With a resolution of 100 x 100 metres, the map allows visual, quantitative and qualitative comparisons between different territories, cities and regions. This is thanks to the combination of statistical population data reported at commune level with several detailed cartographic datasets on the location of residential areas.

This new JRC report, entitled 'Science for Standards: a driver for innovation', gives an insight into how standards act as a cornerstone for a wide range of topics in areas as diverse as health and consumer protection, energy and transport, nuclear safety and security, and the environment. It gives a comprehensive overview of how the JRC provides scientific and technical support to EU policies in the field of standardisation.

A high-level event in Bratislava, co-organised by the European Commission and the Government of the Slovak Republic, today launched six scientific clusters to support economic development in the Danube Region. The six clusters will focus on: water; land & soil; bio-energy; air; data exchange & harmonisation; and smart specialisation.

The European Commission's central platform for disaster response, the Emergency Response Centre (ERC), was inaugurated today in Brussels on the occasion of the Civil Protection Forum, which aims to address the EU's increasing role in disaster management.

This new Centre relies extensively on three JRC platforms used for the forecast and monitoring of floods, fires, humanitarian natural disasters and tsunamis, as well as on the JRC's monitoring and analytical capabilities (ie: flash situation reports, map services…). The JRC also co-ordinates the Copernicus Emergency Mapping Service, which provides accurate geospatial information derived from satellite remote sensing which is completed by available in situ or open data sources.

A recently published article, co-authored by a JRC scientist, explores potential solutions to the increasing competition for scarce global freshwater resources by analysing the water footprint of consumption (WF_cons) for different diets in the EU28 (EU27 and Croatia). The article, published in Ecological Indicators, finds that reducing meat consumption could help make significant water footprint (WF) savings.

The water footprint concept links the use of water resources to the consumption of goods. The EU28 water footprint of consumption is defined as total volume of freshwater that is used to produce the goods consumed by its inhabitants.