skip to main content
European Commission Logo
en English
Newsroom

News

Answer to a written question - Ageism in cancer related healthcare

Answer given by Ms Kyriakides on behalf of the European Commission (10.7.2024) The Union of Equality strategies adopted by the Commission in 2020 and 2021 stress, among other things, the need to combat stereotypes, fight age-based discrimination, and foster equal chances to thrive.

 
ReThink and Reduce Inequalities in HPV Vaccination through Personalized Communication & Training (ReThinkHPV) project support to the Council Recommendation on Vaccine Preventable Cancers

We are aligning with the Council Recommendation on Vaccine Preventable Cancers by enhancing communication about vaccination among parents and young people, and by addressing and countering mis- and disinformation related to HPV vaccination. We created a training curriculum focused on HPV vaccination communication methods and tools, and we are implementing a pilot project aimed at improving communication of the anti-HPV Vaccination benefits, in two Romanian counties with low vaccination rates—Arges and Vrancea.

 
Addressing ageism: a key priority for a society of longevity

Addressing ageism – stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination based on age - is crucial for ensuring that policies are successful in promoting the well-being and participation of older persons in society. The European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) looks at the prevalence and impact of ageism on individuals and society in a series of science for policy briefs.

 
Gross ecosystem product in macroeconomic modelling

JRC scientists introduced a new Gross Ecosystem Product (GEP) module in the macroeconomic model MAGNET. MAGNET explicitly represents the economic linkages across the sectors of each regional economy, allowing to analyse policy effects in sectors that are vertically linked with each other, such as bioeconomy sectors. This report provides an example of a practical application of the GEP module: a forward-looking policy scenario that assumes a notable change in consumption patterns. The results of preliminary simulations show that such an impact can significantly differ both between GDP and GEP and across particular ecosystem services.

 
7 Books About the Interplay of Technology and Humanity

This blog post highlights seven novels that delve into the complex relationship between humans and technology. These works explore themes of happiness, virtual reality, identity, and the impact of technology on society and individuals.

 
New Agreements with Universities around the EU

Over the last year, the CCBI has set up an agreement with EU universities wanting to give their MSc students (trained in behavioural sciences) the possibility of a 3-5 months traineeship in our centre. The “visiting studentship” provides top-level students the opportunity to get hands-on experience of our work within the EU policymaking cycle. We hosted the first visiting student in 2023, and are looking forward to welcoming two more after this summer. Currently, 10 EU universities have signed an agreement with us: KU Leuven (BE), University of Cyprus (CY), Lyon (FR), Heidelberg, Nürnberg (DE), UCD Dublin (IE), Siena, Trento (IT), Universidade Catholica Portuguesa (PT) and Radboud (NL). We are looking to expand this list, especially covering EU Countries not yet represented.

 
6th Edition of the CCBI Newsletter

Welcome to the 6th edition of the Newsletter of the Competence Centre on Behavioural Insights. As you will see below, the last half-year has again been busy and we are happy to share news on a number of our activities. First, we want to highlight two initiatives in particular.

 
Addressing climate change with behavioral science: A global intervention tournament in 63 countries

Effectively mitigating climate change necessitates global behavioural shifts, yet optimal strategies remain uncertain. A global study tested 11 expert-crowdsourced interventions on 59,440 participants from 63 countries, focusing on four outcomes: beliefs, policy support, information sharing, and tree planting. Results showed interventions had small effects, mainly on non-sceptics, and varied by outcome. Beliefs improved by reducing psychological distance (2.3%), policy support by writing to future generations (2.6%), and information sharing by inducing negative emotions (12.1%). However, no intervention boosted the effortful task of tree planting, with some even reducing it. Intervention effectiveness depended on initial climate beliefs, highlighting the need for tailored approaches.