http://ec.europa.eu//research/index.cfm?pg=whatsnew en Fri, 17 May 2013 13:50:21 GMT http://ec.europa.eu/research/index.cfm?pg=rss For more RSS news feeds click the link above. Fri, 17 May 2013 13:50:21 GMT http://ec.europa.eu/research/index.cfm?pg=rss http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-efas&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29997 In August 2002 Europe was struck by a disastrous flood when the Elbe and Danube overflowed, affecting the Czech Republic, Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Romania and Croatia. The cities of Dresden and Prague particularly suffered extensive damage. In response to this disaster, the European Commission's in-house science service, the Joint Research Centre (JRC), launched the European Flood Awareness System (EFAS). ]]> Wed, 15 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-15:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-efas&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29997 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-procas&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29934 The seas are Europe’s lifeblood. With the highest ratio of shoreline to land area of any continent, Europe is very much a maritime continent. Now, an EU-funded tool called EMIS (Environmental Marine Information System) allows policymakers and citizens to monitor those seas at the click of a button.]]> Fri, 10 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-10:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-procas&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29934 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-pegaso&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29924 Where better to enjoy a relaxing coastal trip than the Mediterranean? However, with large areas of this and the Black Sea basin under threat from environmental change, collaboration within the local scientific communities is more important than ever. ]]> Wed, 08 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-08:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-pegaso&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29924 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-map2era&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29922 The use of plants in medicine is as old as medicine itself. Today, in the age of high-tech drug design, the pharmaceutical industry continues to draw on naturally occurring compounds in its search for new treatments. The fragrance and nutritional supplement industries are perhaps even more reliant on plant-sourced chemicals. ]]> Wed, 08 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-08:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-map2era&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29922 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-mira&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29919 The Mediterranean sea is a huge marine ecosystem with an area of 2.5 million km². The wellbeing of this unique ecosystem is vital for the health of the 427 million people living in the countries around it and the 175 million visitors it receives each year. Nevertheless, it remains fragile and continues to deteriorate due to the devastating effects of pollution. Effective decontamination is crucial and this is just one area where the Mediterranean Innovation and Research coordination Action (MIRA) is making a welcome impact. ]]> Tue, 07 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-07:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-mira&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29919 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-incam&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29918 There are some problems that are more complicated than others, and some problems that are more common than others. Unfortunately, when it comes to disease, complex diseases are also the most common ones. ]]> Tue, 07 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-07:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-incam&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29918 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-fate&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29917 Imagine you are an enthusiastic gardener and cherish a perfect lawn. Instead of picking the weeds by hand you use an herbicide that kills all the weeds except the grass. The result is that you will have added a considerable amount of chemicals to the soil, some of which are nasty, persistent and will stay around for a long time. The rain will transport these chemicals via sewage systems to rivers, and ultimately these chemicals will end up somewhere, in lakes or the sea. There they will enter the food chain, and be part of your next fish dinner. ]]> Tue, 07 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-07:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-fate&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29917 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_04_22_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29733 Water is the most vital resource for human life. However, urbanisation, extensive irrigation and variations in rainfall patterns due to global climate change have led to serious water scarcity in many areas of the world. A European research project has developed a transport system consisting of water-bags and tugboats to bring fresh water to the hardest-hit coastal and island regions around the Mediterranean. Areas under increasing pressure from water scarcity, particularly in the summer months, include small cities and islands along the coasts of Spain, Greece and Italy, among others.]]> Mon, 22 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-04-22:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_04_22_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29733 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_04_04_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29555 Millions of people in the Ganges basin depend on water resources from melting snow and ice as well as from monsoon rainfall. However, developments such as retreating glaciers, changing monsoon patterns, and declining groundwater levels coupled with increasing population and enhanced water demand for irrigation are likely to place water resources under considerable stress.]]> Thu, 04 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-04-04:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_04_04_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29555 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=326&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29554 Known as the tiger of the sea, the bluefin tuna or Thunnus thynnus, can grow to more than half a tonne, glide at speeds of up to 70km/hour, and migrate over thousands of kilometres. But for many people, the bluefin’s majesty and grace in the water count for far less than the delicious taste of its rich, creamy red flesh: in January 2012, a 269kg bluefin tuna fetched a record 56.49 million yen (€564,000) at a Tsukiji market auction in Tokyo. Demand for the lucrative fish is driving it to extinction: despite global initiatives to limit the hunting, bluefin tuna populations have fallen an estimated 80% since 1970. ]]> Wed, 03 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-04-03:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=326&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29554 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_03_26_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29513 Health-care products, cosmetics and infant formulas are just a few everyday products that use molecules derived from marine organisms. A ground-breaking EU project has discovered several new sources of these compounds and developed a new method of sustainably manufacturing them. The benefits for Europe, from major pharmaceuticals to regional development, could be immense.]]> Tue, 26 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-03-26:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_03_26_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29513 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-ecochange&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29514 Human well-being is strongly linked to the biodiversity and functioning of the Earth's ecosystems. To maintain biodiversity and enable future generations to derive the same benefits our planet now provides us with, consolidated policy and management efforts are needed. The findings of the EcoChange project could be instrumental in this endeavour. ]]> Tue, 26 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-03-26:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-ecochange&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29514 http://ec.europa.eu/research/index.cfm?pg=world-water-day-2013 Fri, 22 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-03-22:/index.cfm?pg=world-water-day-2013 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-vocat&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29362 A university Chair funded under the European Commission's Marie Curie Actions (MCAs) has pioneered ground-breaking research into the chemical transformation of organic compounds which take place high in the sky - an area where the biological dimension is traditionally ignored. ]]> Wed, 13 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-03-13:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-vocat&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29362 http://ec.europa.eu/research/index.cfm?pg=events&eventcode=5F22E65F-DF57-AC01-3D66BC1065648C3C Tue, 12 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-03-12:/index.cfm?pg=events&eventcode=5F22E65F-DF57-AC01-3D66BC1065648C3C http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_02_25_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29313 Covering 72% of the Earth and supplying half its oxygen, oceans are our planet's life support system. They play a crucial role in distributing heat, carbon, oxygen, nutrients, and, of course, water around the world, influencing our climate and our weather. The effects of global warming on sea levels, currents and water heat are still only partly understood, making predictions for future climate conditions difficult. But a worldwide programme using thousands of plastic floats is currently monitoring the oceans and - with crucial help from European researchers - is finding answers to what moves the seas. ]]> Mon, 25 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-02-25:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_02_25_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29313 http://ec.europa.eu/research/index.cfm?pg=events&eventcode=8BC0003D-A1CF-088C-CE2523C64D9B810B Wed, 30 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-01-30:/index.cfm?pg=events&eventcode=8BC0003D-A1CF-088C-CE2523C64D9B810B http://ec.europa.eu/research/environment/index_en.cfm?pg=publications&tab=10 Tue, 15 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-01-15:/environment/index_en.cfm?pg=publications&tab=10 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_01_08_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=28914 The bioeconomy concept is rapidly growing in importance on a global scale. It embraces the sustainable use of biological resources from the land and sea, as well as waste, as inputs to food and feed, industrial and energy production, and also covers the use of bio-based processes inindustry. This is vital as we continue to consume the Earth's resources, many of which are not renewable, at an accelerating rate.. The bioeconomy is already a reality. For example, bio-fuels (ethanol and diesel), are being made directly from agricultural crops, and even bio-waste has the potential to become an alternative to chemical fertilizers or to generate bio-energy, which could meet 2 % of the EU renewable energy target. Indeed Europe is leading the way in various fields of biosciences and technologies but international competitors are catching up.]]> Tue, 08 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-01-08:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_01_08_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=28914 http://ec.europa.eu/research/index.cfm?pg=events&eventcode=2D334377-DF21-5657-AE9CE3D49BAEE248 Fri, 23 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2012-11-23:/index.cfm?pg=events&eventcode=2D334377-DF21-5657-AE9CE3D49BAEE248 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_12_10_29_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=27753 Underneath our feet, below the Earth's surface invisible to us, but vital for our needs is groundwater. It is a major source of drinking water in Europe and plays an important role in several aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. In Germany alone groundwater accounts for two thirds of drinking water. Groundwater however is not lifeless, it contains at least 2 000 known species and numerous microorganisms which help to clean the groundwater and improve the quality of drinking water. Despite its importance, both to us and the ecosystem as a whole, its protection has not yet been established in law. The study was presented in Nature Scientific Reports.]]> Mon, 29 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2012-10-29:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_12_10_29_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=27753 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_12_10_23_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=27633 It is tragic whenever any species is lost. Now it appears that the impact of species loss is far-reaching, much more than previously thought. The symbiotic relationships that develop in the environment as a result of high biodiversity make ecosystems more resilient to change. The loss of a species can knock that ecosystem out of balance, weakening its resilience thereby making it more susceptible to events such as climate change. These findings were revealed in a new study from biologists at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden and published in the journal Ecology Letters.]]> Tue, 23 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2012-10-23:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_12_10_23_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=27633 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_12_10_22_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=27613 Water: about 60 % of our body weight is made up of it; it is the body's principal chemical component. Every system in our body depends on it; it carries nutrients to our cells and it takes toxins out of vital organs. Without it we couldn’t survive. It also acts in a similar way for the Earth. The Global Water Cycle plays a central role in global atmospheric circulations, controlling the global energy cycle (through latent heat) as well as the carbon, nutrient and sediment cycles. Recent research indicates that afternoon storms are more likely to develop when soils are parched. The study was funded in part by the WATCH ('Water and global change') project, which was backed with EUR 9.9 million under the 'Sustainable development, global change and ecosystems' Thematic area of the FP6.]]> Mon, 22 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2012-10-22:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_12_10_22_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=27613 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_12_10_19_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=27573 Cod was once a staple diet across many European countries, and so important in fact that in the past some countries have even gone to war over this important resource. Their popularity, however, meant that they have become overfished in some areas leading to a shortage of large and old cod, which in turn has led to the fish becoming more sexually mature at a younger age. This, according to research conducted by the University of Gothenburg, Sweden has led to a serious change in cod stocks and could severely impact the fish's health, physiological ageing and reproductive capacity.]]> Fri, 19 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2012-10-19:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_12_10_19_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=27573 http://ec.europa.eu/research/index.cfm?pg=events&eventcode=68B7A719-B353-6639-82DF9F700AAF1C16 Tue, 16 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2012-10-16:/index.cfm?pg=events&eventcode=68B7A719-B353-6639-82DF9F700AAF1C16