JRC headlines

Following the announcement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture that an unapproved variety of genetically modified, herbicide resistant wheat was found in a field in Oregon, the JRC, as European Union Reference Laboratory for GMOs, was requested to work out an efficient control system.

An article on the main causes of forest fires in Europe, co-authored by scientists from the JRC and IRSTEA (French national research Institute of S&T for environment and agriculture), has been recently published in the Environmental Management journal. The article analyses the factors driving forest fire ignition in the EU Mediterranean region, where most (85%) of European forest fires are recorded.

The aerospace sector is likely to tap into the automotive hydrogen fuel cell technology in the years to come, according to an article co-authored by the JRC and the European Space Agency (ESA) in the scientific journal Acta Astronautica. The article examines the current hydrogen activities in the terrestrial and aerospace industries, highlighting potential performance improvements and cost savings.

The JRC has just published a new study on the place of short supply chains in the distribution of agricultural and food products in the European Union. It provides policy recommendations to potential legislative proposals on the labelling of products under 'local farming and direct sales' as foreseen by the EU Regulation on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs (No 1151/2012).

The OECD–FAO 2013 Agricultural Outlook for the period 2013-2022 has been released yesterday. It projects a slow-down in the medium-term expansion of world agricultural production because of limited area expansion and slower productivity growth. Agricultural commodity prices in real terms will be held above pre-2007 levels by tight market conditions and higher input costs. Agricultural trade is expected to increase, with most of the export growth coming from developing countries.

Since beginning of June central Europe has faced, once again, severe flooding of the rivers Elbe and Danube and their tributaries with severe damage already reported. The flood waters are threatening to cause more damage as the flood waves travel down river.

In the run up to Croatia's accession to the EU, which will take place on 1 July, the JRC has today organised an information day in Zagreb, in order to update the Croatian scientific and policy community about the different possibilities of cooperation with the European Commission's in-house science service.

The latest edition of the JRC Newsletter has been published and can be downloaded here. This issue features an editorial by the Irish Minister for Research & Innovation, Sean Sherlock T.D. The cover story presents in detail the first Soil Atlas of Africa, produced by the JRC in collaboration with the African Union, FAO, the African Soil Science Society and soil scientists from Africa and Europe. It also provides an insight into JRC’s activities in assessment of soil resources at European and global scale.

The JRC conducts research activities to support climate change mitigation strategies and policies to improve air quality. They will be presented at the occasion of the EU's Green week, taking place between 4 and 7 June and devoted this year to the theme "cleaner air for all".

The JRC has contributed to the recently published ‘Annual European Union greenhouse gas inventory 1990–2011 and inventory report 2013’, prepared by the European Commission's Directorate-General for Climate Action, the European Environment Agency‘s (EEA), the European Topic Centre for Air Pollution and Climate Change Mitigation (ETC/ACM) and Eurostat, the EU's statistical office.

Europeans live longer and healthier lives than in the past, partly due to successful environmental policies that have reduced the exposure to harmful environmental contaminants in air, water and food, according to a joint EEA/JRC report published today. However, these contaminants are still a problem, and several new health risks are emerging, for example, from new chemicals, new products and changing lifestyle patterns.

Six companies have received the 2013 European Code of Conduct for Data Centres Award for their respective investment in innovative energy efficient technologies, which have resulted in major reductions in energy use. The winning data centres have implemented most of the best practices recommended by the Code of Conduct.

The JRC and the Centre for Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency (ECREE) of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance collaboration at the occasion of the Vienna Energy Forum, organised by the UN Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO). This cooperation framework will facilitate the development of common tools (e.g. country specific maps with renewable energy based electricity costs), validation of results and publication. In addition, it will be expand the network between the JRC and regional partners for African-related research activities in the field of renewable energies and energy efficiency.

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 (WFcons) 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.

Energy-saving efforts in ten new and refurbished buildings in 6 European countries (Austria, Germany, Sweden, Netherlands, Poland, Denmark) have today been recognised with the European Commission's GreenBuilding Awards. Buildings are responsible for about 40% of total energy consumption in the EU. The average energy savings of 51% achieved by the winners shows that real savings can be made in buildings, towards meeting the EU's targets for energy reduction. The highest energy savings (75%) came from a refurbished Austrian office building (Amtshaus Schlagergass), which installed a newly insulated roof, heat absorption glazed windows and dynamic shading devices.  

On Saturday, 4 May 2013, over 10 300 visitors followed the invitation to spend a day dedicated to science exploration and discovered how the European Commission's in-house science service helps to promote growth, jobs and innovation, a healthy and safe environment, consumer protection and secure energy supplies.

A JRC report assessing Europe's potential for pumped hydropower, the most used electricity storage, revealed that for a set of countries for which comparable data are available, the current storage capacity could be increased by up to 10 times when new plants are based on one existing reservoir. A larger capacity to store energy would allow a higher penetration of renewable energies and would support the EU's efforts to reach its goal of 20% of energy from renewables by 2020.

Today the Commission published a Communication setting out a strategy to enable the EU to have a world-class technology and innovation sector fit for coping with the challenges up to 2020 and beyond. The document stresses the need for accelerating innovation in cutting edge low-carbon technologies and innovative solutions, for reducing costs rapidly and speeding up the introduction of new technologies to the market.

A study on the mobility of actinides in peat carried out by JRC scientists and partners revealed plutonium has migrated downwards to a much larger extent than uranium reaching layers corresponding to the pre-nuclear age. The analysed peat core was collected from an undisturbed ombrotrophic peat bog, receiving water only from atmospheric precipitation. It represents an excellent sample for the investigation of radionuclides from stratospheric weapon tests fallout. The results are important to evaluate the risks associated with other kinds of nuclear contamination, like those of nuclear accidents or releases from nuclear facilities and nuclear waste disposal repositories.

A 'hot off the press' copy of the Soil Atlas of Africa, coordinated by the JRC, was presented today by European Commissioner for Climate Action Connie Hedegaard at the meeting between the European Commission and the African Union Commission in Addis Ababa. For the first time ever, this atlas collects vital information on African soils and highlights the importance of this non-renewable resource.

In the framework of the European Forum of Science and Industry, the JRC has co-organised today a roundtable with the Directorate-General for Enterprise and Industry on the scientific support to Key Enabling Technologies (KETs) and innovative small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

The JRC is addressing the challenges of standardisation in a two-day event, with a special focus on Eco-Innovation. Organised jointly with the European Association of Research and Technology Organisations (EARTO), the European Standards Organisations (CEN and CENELEC) and the European Commission Directorate-General Enterprise and Industry, this initiative aims at linking the science, industry, standards and policy-making communities in order to facilitate the screening of emerging areas and identify early needs for standards.

The JRC has published today the 2012 update of the 2011 report "Smart Grid projects in Europe: lessons learned and current developments ", which is the most comprehensive inventory of smart grid and smart metering initiatives across the European Union, Croatia, Switzerland and Norway. The current release of the inventory focuses specifically on the smart grid research, development and demonstration projects.

The European Commission this week launched a public consultation on the prevention and insurance of natural and man-made disasters. This Green Paper examines the market penetration of insurance in this area throughout the EU; it investigates disaster risk awareness and claims handling and looks at the combination of natural and man-made disasters. Some quantitative figures in the green paper about insurance practices for floods, storms, earthquakes and droughts in the EU countries rely on the JRC's study "Natural Catastrophes: Risk relevance and Insurance Coverage in the EU".  

The JRC and the College of Europe have organised today the second high-level roundtable on scientific support to financial stability. It stems from the 1st roundtable , in which the need for further scientific support and advice for Banking Union and structural reform of the EU banking sector was identified.

The European Commission has today launched a new European nuclear security training centre (EUSECTRA), located in the JRC premises in Karlsruhe. The training centre will instruct front-line officers, trainers and experts on how to detect and respond to illicit trafficking of nuclear or other radioactive materials.

Following the European Commission Recommendation on the data protection, privacy and security aspects of RFID-enabled applications (May 2009), the JRC and the Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology (DG CNECT) have studied the best available techniques to deactivate tags at the point of sale in the retail sector. The study concludes that the implementation of RFID technology is still limited and that few operators are fully implementing the recommendation foreseeing the deactivation of the tags.

The European Commission has published this week the new "Best Available Techniques" (BAT) conclusions, which is the reference for setting permit conditions for the production of cement, lime and magnesium oxide in the EU. These conclusions, produced by the JRC's European Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Bureau (EIPPCB), address the most effective techniques available for production in these three sectors to achieve a high level of protection of the environment under economically and technically viable conditions.

Identifying good practices and challenges in linking universities and businesses through innovation and technology transfer – this was the focus of the round table "JRC-Universities: how to increase the contribution of universities to science and innovation", held today in Brussels. The event attracted nearly 100 senior representatives from academia and research organisations, industry, liaison offices, member states and regional authorities, as well as EU officials.

The JRC has conducted a screening of typical European situations of sewage sludge in order to support the identification and prioritisation of chemical pollutants in biodegradable waste. In collaboration with European wastewater treatment plants, JRC scientists have evaluated the concentration of 114 chemical substances in 63 samples originating from 15 countries.

Among the numerous threats for large cetaceans, ship strike and noise pollution are likely to be the highest. While the Mediterranean Sea is a major forage ground for the endangered fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) it also represents 30% of all international maritime traffic concentrated within only 0.8% of the global ocean surface.

The annual report provides an overview of the JRC's main achievements in the past year, highlighting the scientific and technical support to financial stability, to growth, jobs and innovation, as well as to agriculture and global food security, low carbon economy and resource efficiency. The report also addresses public health and safety and security, including nuclear safety and security.

An expert group, chaired by the JRC, confirms that the scientific identification of endocrine disrupting substances should be based on the demonstration of both endocrine activity and an adverse effect caused by it. A wide range of substances are under scrutiny for endocrine disrupting properties, such as plastic additives in consumer goods, a number of industrial chemicals, cleaning agents, pesticides and by-products of industrial processes like dioxins.

85-90% of jobs will require Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) skills by 2020, according to the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training. Although internet job searches by unemployed people have increased dramatically in Europe (46% in 2011 according to Eurostat), and significantly reduced unemployment duration in some countries - like the USA - employers and labour market intermediaries, including public and private services, might not yet be exploiting the full potential of ICT.

The conference held today focused on the role of efficient buildings, vehicles and equipment as an essential driver to economic success. As Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, expressed during the opening: "efficiency is crucial not only for achieving our energy security and climate goals; it will also give a real boost to the economy by bringing important savings and job creation, in addition to environmental benefits. These are three key sectors that represent huge potential to trigger investment and innovation in the EU".  

Nine EU-based companies have today been recognised for their energy-saving efforts, thanks to the installation of energy-efficient lighting technologies. The winners of the 2013 GreenLight Awards have achieved yearly electricity savings equal to the total consumption of around 1200 households (3 568,5 MWh - on average, a household consumes 3MWh/year). The winners include the international brewer AB Inbev (Belgium), which, by renovating its production facilities, achieved average energy savings of 73% in its lighting. The French fast food chain Quick, which refurbished 52 of its restaurants in France, Belgium and Luxembourg, achieved energy savings of 991 MWh/year, a 69% drop in lighting energy consumption. Brussels Airlines upgraded a maintenance hangar, reducing consumption by 68%.

The latest edition of the JRC Newsletter has been published and can be downloaded here. This issue features an editorial by Amalia Sartori, Member of the European Parliament and chairwoman of its Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) Committee. The cover story provides new JRC data on how globalisation affects resource use and pollution worldwide.  Both variables clearly show a steadily increasing trend. However, while industrialised countries have managed to stabilise and/or reduce their impact within their boundaries, emerging economies are increasing their domestic environmental impact.

By measuring reference decay data for a suite of novel therapeutic nuclides (uranium -230, actinium-225, bismuth-213 and thorium-226) to be used in alpha-immunotherapy, the JRC has improved the accuracy of the doses received during cancer treatment. Alpha-particle emitting radionuclides are particularly effective in killing cancer cells, because they can deliver a high amount of energy at short range, without affecting surrounding healthy human tissue. The received dose is proportional to the energy.

More than 130 participants from various scientific organisations from the Danube region meet today and tomorrow to discuss their possible contribution to the JRC initiative on scientific support to the Danube strategy. Representatives from science academies, universities, research and technology organisations, will aim to define concrete cooperation activities and possible synergies to be undertaken in the framework of water, land, soil, air and bio-energy while supporting innovation.

The JRC's biggest research site is located in Ispra (North of Italy). Every 2 years, the centre opens its doors to visitors so that they can enjoy a first-hand experience of the science that supports EU policies. On this occasion, the theme chosen is 'Science for you', in the context of the European Year of Citizens 2013.

Two JRC-developed tools have recently been launched: the EHRO-N locator, which helps find nuclear training and facilities, and an online course on water-water power reactors (WWER), aiming to preserve knowledge on this type of reactor. The European Human Resources Observatory for the Nuclear Energy sector (EHRO-N) was set up at the initiative of the European Commission to address concerns about insufficient numbers of nuclear experts in Europe. The JRC has created an online tool to locate stakeholders and power plants, as well as training facilities, providers and databases across the EU.

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from livestock represent between 12 and 17% of the EU's global emissions (2007 data). A recently published study, co-authored by the JRC, looks at the production and consumption of livestock products, focusing particularly on the beef and dairy sectors. Results show that livestock emissions in the EU could be mitigated by up to 60% (around 377 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent), particularly by reducing consumption of animal products, minimising food waste and by producing beef and dairy on grassland instead of using intensive grain-fed production.  

The JRC hosted today a round table on the potential applications of quantum science and the development of new technologies in the areas of computation, simulation, communication, metrology and sensing. It also focused on the challenges that these new technologies may bring to the European policy making landscape. The event included the participation of 2012 Nobel Prize Winner in Physics, Serge Haroche, for his work on quantum systems. The JRC and DG Enterprise Directors-General and the JRC Deputy Director-General, along with several representatives from research and industry also took part.

The JRC has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (Tübitak). With this, both organisations set the basis for cooperation in the following fields: energy and clean transport, environment and climate change, agriculture and food security, health and consumer protection, information society and cyber security, crisis and hazard management and safety and security.

Forest fragmentation is the process of breaking up forest area into individual patches leading to an increase in forest edge length and to isolation of forest fragments. In Europe, this is mainly caused by human activities such as clearing for roads, agriculture and urban settlements or forest fires. In a recently published report, the JRC describes forest landscape patterns and forest fragmentation in Europe, highlighting that 70% of the European territory has poorly connected woodlands. Despite an average annual increase of 0.4% in forest area within Europe, new forest areas do not always enhance connectivity between forest fragments.

The report reviews current sources of information on accidents and their availability to operators, authorities and the public. It also analyses some landmark accidents and examines the lessons learned for the industry and the regulatory authorities, linking them to the phases of the risk management chain: prevention, mitigation, emergency preparedness, response and recovery. In addition, statistical information on the frequency and severity of accidents is included.  

At the initiative of the European Commissioner for Internal Market and Services, Michel Barnier, the JRC has organised today a roundtable on "Scientific support to Internal Market".  It brought together high-ranking researchers, businesses, consumer associations and EU policymakers.  Around 90 experts discussed how science-based advice can further develop the EU's internal market. Besides Commissioner Barnier, JRC Director General, Dominique Ristori, OECD's Deputy Secretary-General, Yves Leterme and European Parliament's STOA (Science and Technology Options Assessment) Committee chairman, Antonio Correia de Campos, addressed the participants at the opening.

The European Commission has recently adopted a new implementing decision establishing the best available techniques (BAT) conclusions on industrial emissions for the tanning of hides and skins. These conclusions define the reference for setting the permit conditions for these installations in Europe under the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) 2010/75/EU. The IED currently regulates emissions to air, water and soil of about 50 000 industrial installations across the EU.

In the run-up to more widespread autonomous emergency braking (AEB) systems in conventional cars, the JRC has conducted a series of measurements to check the efficiency of pedestrian dummies in testing these devices. These dummies are used by the automotive industry to mimic pedestrians for the AEB sensors, and since their widespread use, there was a clear need for harmonised test and evaluation procedures and standards.

JRC participation at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), one of the world’s largest and most prestigious general science gatherings, focuses on topics as diverse as scientific support to policymaking, security research, healthy living and actinides. This year’s AAAS conference, titled “The Beauty and Benefits of Science”, brings together thousands of researchers, policymakers, science journalists and other curious individuals from 60 different countries. Hundreds of sessions, lectures, presentations and seminars will be held in the framework of the conference from 14 to 18 February 2013 in Boston, the USA.

The bioeconomy is currently estimated to be worth €2 trillion and to account for 22 million jobs in the European Union. It has the potential to add one full time equivalent job for every €35 000 invested in research and innovation by 2020. The bioeconomy observatory, launched today by European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, will gather data to follow the evolution of markets and to map EU, national and regional bioeconomy policies, research and innovation capacities and the scale of related public and private investments. Through the coordination of this observatory, the JRC will help map progress and measure the impact of the European Commission's bioeconomy strategy.

In Europe the compliance of emissions from passenger cars with regulatory standards is measured during a predefined test procedure in the laboratory (i.e. the current Euro 5 standard for diesel cars allows for 180 mg NOx emissions per kilometer). Research done by the JRC suggests that this laboratory test does not accurately capture the amount of nitrogen oxides emitted by diesel cars on the road, which is substantially higher.

The latest edition of the JRC Newsletter (January/February) has been published and can be downloaded here.  The issue features an editorial by Derek Hanekom, Minister of Science and Technology of the Republic of South Africa. The cover story provides an insight in JRC’s research on electro mobility aimed at making transport pollution a thing of the past. Among the news are features about the best available techniques for heating and cooling, the adoption of criteria for boosting glass recycling, the JRC contribution to EU water protection efforts, EU companies investing in innovation despite the crisis and the monitoring of human exposure to chemicals in food across the EU.

In the run-up to the 4th European Conference on Corporate R&D and Innovation (CONCORDi-2013), the JRC has launched a call for papers on the topic of this edition: "Financing R&D and innovation for corporate growth in the EU: Strategies, drivers and barriers". The conference will take place on 26 and 27 September 2013 at the premises of the JRC’s Institute for Prospective Technological Studies (JRC-IPTS) in Seville, Spain. It will address the financial challenges affecting the link between innovation and growth of European companies.  

Coinciding with its 50th anniversary, the JRC's Institute for Transuranium Elements (ITU), located in Karlsruhe, is engaged in a large renovation and upgrade of its infrastructure in order to maintain the highest safety and security of its installations and to be able to provide state of the art support in the nuclear field. Today, the official inauguration of the new office building has taken place in the presence of European Commissioner Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, responsible for research, innovation and science, and Günther Oettinger, EU Commissioner for energy. German representatives from the federal ministry for education and research and from the State of Baden-Württemberg ministry for environment, climate and energy industry also took part in the ceremony.

World Cancer Day 2013 on 4 February intends to raise collective awareness and improve general knowledge around and about cancer and dismiss misconceptions about the disease which, according to latest figures available, affected 2.4 million Europeans in 2008. On this occasion, the European Commission presents a snapshot of concrete EU action on cancer prevention and reduction across the EU. The JRC strongly supports this action, in particular the development a harmonised cancer information system for Europe and the improvement of breast cancer services and screening guidelines.

According to the results of the new JRC report "A European map of living forest biomass and carbon stock" , the total carbon stock in European forests amounts to approximately 9 900 million tonnes, which is equivalent to the total amount of CO2 emitted by the whole EU in approximately 9 years. Forests provide a diversity of benefits and services to European citizens, including their role as carbon sinks. Forest biomass is composed of the living or dead organic matter in the trees, and around 50 % of this biomass is constituted by carbon. The carbon stocks in forests increase every year in Europe. For EU countries it amounts to about 430 million tonnes of CO2 per year for the period 2005-2010. This is equivalent to around 10% of total greenhouse gas emissions during this period. In addition to the absorption of CO2, forests play an important role in providing biomass for energy production, accounting for more than 50% of the EU's renewable energy production. 

A selection procedure for fixed-term positions has been launched today to set up a database of over 3000 successful candidates with a research background. They will be placed on a reserve list and called for interview according to the needs of the services (auxiliary contract staff - function group IV ). Registration is done via the EPSO website until 1 March 2013 (12:00 CET). The selection is aimed at researchers in the following areas: Natural sciences, Quantitative sciences, Human and social sciences, Agricultural, environmental and earth sciences, Health sciences.

The European Commission publishes annually the Prospects for Agricultural Markets and Income in the EU. The latest issue, recently published, projects the trends for major EU agricultural commodity markets until 2022. According to the outlook, EU commodity markets are projected to remain balanced - on average - over the outlook period.

The JRC and the Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI) have signed today, in Brasilia, in the context of the 6th EU-Brazil Summit, a Cooperation Arrangement to strengthen and further structure scientific and other cooperative activities in the areas of disaster prevention and crisis management; climate change and sustainable management of natural resources and ecosystem services; energy, including bioenergy and smart grids; food security; bioeconomy; information and communication technologies (ICT), as well as nanotechnologies.

Which country in the world has the biggest carbon footprint? How many emissions are released in China to produce goods consumed elsewhere? How much water is used in Brazil to support consumption in the US? Which countries lead in the extraction of resources worldwide? To what extent is land used by Japan enough to satisfy its consumption level? The JRC has just published a series of indicators on "global resources use and pollution", aimed to provide answers to these, and other relevant questions.

A study co-authored by the JRC published today in Science advocates a global, harmonised observation system for delivering regular and timely data on biodiversity change. It discusses a basis for worldwide monitoring to support the implementation of agreed international biodiversity goals, i.e. to reduce the rate of biodiversity loss and to prevent dangerous changes in biodiversity. The article in Science's Policy Forum presents the Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBVs) discussed by the Group on Earth Observations Biodiversity Observation Network (GEO BON) to support the Aichi Targets for 2020 by Parties to the United Nations (UN) Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

According to a JRC co-authored article published today in Nature Scientific Reports, the shark and ray communities in the Adriatic Sea have been highly depleted in recent years, with fishing being a key driver of the decline. The study combined and standardised catch data from five trawl surveys conducted between 1948 and 2005 to evaluate long-term trends in the Adriatic Sea elasmobranch (a subclasses of cartilaginous fish) populations, which counted 33 different species (12 shark species, 20 rays and one chimaera). Since 1948, catch rates of these populations have declined by 94% and 11 species have ceased to be detected. Shark and rays are important components of the marine ecosystem and their loss can severly impact food web dynamics.  

Most existing driving patterns of European car drivers are compatible with the use of electric vehicles, according to a JRC-led survey carried out in six EU countries (France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom). At EU level, 75% of new passenger cars were sold in these countries in 2011. The main purpose of the study was to examine driving profiles in order to be able to estimate potential matches with charging profiles of electric vehicles. The results show that electric vehicles fit mobility habits.