date: Mon, 10 Jun 2002 16:43:23 +0100 from: "Janice Darch" subject: Fw: [Elos] EN02:12 UKRO - European News (6 June 2002) to: , Item 6 Environmental action plan Janice ________________________________ Dr. J.P. Darch Research Administrator School of Environmental Sciences University of East Anglia Norwich NR4 7TJ U.K. Tel : 44 (0)1603 592994 Fax : 44 (0)1603 593035 ----- Original Message ----- From: "Anna Cain" To: "Bob Lowson" ; "Andrew Thomson" ; "Alicia Meldrum" ; " Gillian Murphy" ; "Brian Salter" ; "Caroline Ball" ; "Catherine Bramwell" ; "Eric Homberger" ; "Fiona Poland" ; "Helen Brownlee" ; "Ian Harvey" ; "J Vanden-Broeck" ; "Janice Darch" ; "Jaqui Farrar" ; "John Charmley" ; "Laura Tedesco" ; "Maggie MacLure" ; "Margaret O'Brien" ; "Nikolaos Tzokas" ; "Paul Chilton" ; "Stephen Davies" ; "Tim Jickells" ; "Tim Southon" Sent: Monday, June 10, 2002 1:02 PM Subject: FW: [Elos] EN02:12 UKRO - European News (6 June 2002) > > > -----Original Message----- > From: elos-admin@lists.bbsrc.ac.uk [mailto:elos-admin@lists.bbsrc.ac.uk] > On Behalf Of ukro ukro (UKRO) > Sent: 06 June 2002 16:59 > To: elos (Mailman List) > Cc: ukro-users (Mailman List); 'research-support@qub.ac.uk' > Subject: [Elos] EN02:12 UKRO - European News (6 June 2002) > > > ********************************************************* > EN02:12 UKRO - European News (6 June 2002) > ********************************************************* > News on non-Framework Programme 5, programmes & policy > ********************************************************* > > GENERAL: > 1. UKRO Annual Conference - Reminder > 2. Commission Adopts Consumer Policy Strategy > 3. JRC Offers New Research Fellowships > > LIFE SCIENCES: > 4. Pesticide Monitoring Report 2000 > 5. Public Health Projects 2001 > > ENVIRONMENT: > 6. Parliament Plenary Adopts Sixth Environmental Action Programme > 7. EU Ratifies the Kyoto Protocol > > INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES: > 8. New Directive on Re-Use of Public Sector Information > 9. Commission Presents eEurope 2005 Action Plan > 10. Council Adopts Resolution on Digital Content > > INDUSTRY & TECHNOLOGIES: > 11. Full Steam Ahead for European Maritime Safety Agency > 12. UNICE Supports Increase in Research Spending > 13. Corporate Social Responsibility > > SOCIAL SCIENCES: > 14. Work is good for you! > > CULTURE: > 15. Eurovision Result > 16. European Cinema Heritage Week > > COLLABORATION WITH NON-EU COUNTRIES: > 17. INTAS prize > > ********************************************************* > > 1. UKRO Annual Conference - Reminder > > ELOs are reminded that registration forms for the UKRO Annual Conference > should be received by 17 June 2002 to ensure participation. Places are > filling quickly, with more than 140 participants so far! Places are limited > by the size of the venue, and by the size of breakout rooms for parallel > sessions. Book now to avoid disappointment. > > FURTHER INFORMATION: > Full information, including online registration, is available from: > http://www.ukro.ac.uk/public/conf2002/main2002.htm > > > 2. Commission Adopts Consumer Policy Strategy > > After lengthy discussions, the European Commission has adopted a Consumer > Policy Strategy to be implemented over the next 5 years. The document sets > out its three main objectives for the period 2002-2006 as: a high common > level of consumer protection; effective enforcement of consumer protection > rules; and the involvement of consumer organisations in EU policies. These > objectives, to be implemented through a short-term rolling programme, are > designed to integrate consumer concerns into all other EU policies, to > maximise the benefits of the Internal Market for consumers and to prepare > for enlargement. The strategy covers safety, economic and legal issues > relevant to consumers in the marketplace, consumer information and > education, the promotion of consumer organisations and their contribution > with other stakeholders to consumer policy development. Food safety issues > are not covered by the scope of this strategy as they have their own > legislative agenda. > > FURTHER INFORMATION: > The full text of the Commission Communication on a new Consumer Policy > Strategy is available at: > http://europa.eu.int/comm/consumers/policy/intro/consumer_policy_strategy_en > .pdf > > > 3. JRC Offers New Research Fellowships > > The Joint Research Centre of the European Commission has launched a call for > interest for PhDs and post-doctoral fellowships. > > The fellowships aim to reinforce the Commission's scientific capacity in all > of its areas of involvement in the Framework programmes for research and > technological development and encourage young scientists to enhance their > experience in an international, multicultural and multidisciplinary > environment. > > The minimum duration of the grants is six months and the maximum is three > years for PhD fellowships and two years for post-doctoral fellowships. In > the case of PhD grants, applicants must be in possession of a university > degree. For post-doctoral grants, they must hold a PhD or have at least four > years full-time research experience at post-graduate level other than > doctoral studies. The call is open to scientists not older than 35 years of > age from EU Member States or those States associated to the European > Community Framework programme for research and training activities, or > residing in the Community for at least five years. > > FURTHER INFORMATION: > http://www.jrc.cec.eu.int > > > 4. Pesticide Monitoring Report 2000 > > The Commission's Food and Veterinary Office has published the outcomes of > the EU-wide, co-ordinated Pesticide Residue Monitoring Programme for the > year 2000. The report highlights the results of the analysis of pesticide > residues in 45,000 samples of fruits, vegetables and cereals. Whilst 61% of > the samples contained no detectable pesticide residues and a further 35% had > levels below the maximum safety limits, the remaining 4.5% of samples > exceeded Maximum Residue Limits. Further, samples containing 4 or more > residues increased to about 3%, in part due to more effective testing. > Although this may not necessarily present a health risk to consumers, it > suggests that there is scope for further research and for progress in > reducing residue levels. > > FURTHER INFORMATION: > The full report, including detailed data, is available from: > http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/fs/inspections/fnaoi/reports/annual_eu/index_ > en.html > > > 5. Public Health Projects 2001 > > DG Health and Consumer Protection have produced a list of the projects > funded in 2001 as part of the Health Monitoring Programme. These results > complete the publicity for funded projects in each of the Public Health > Programme activities for 2001. > > FURTHER INFORMATION: > The funded projects for each of the activities may be found from: > Health Monitoring > http://europa.eu.int/comm/health/ph/programmes/monitor/proj01indx_en.htm > Health Promotion > http://europa.eu.int/comm/health/ph/programmes/health/proj01indx_en.htm > AIDS > http://europa.eu.int/comm/health/ph/programmes/aids/2001indx.htm > Cancer > http://europa.eu.int/comm/health/ph/programmes/cancer/fp01_sommaire.htm > Rare Diseases > http://europa.eu.int/comm/health/ph/programmes/rare/fundproj2001_list.htm > Injury Prevention > http://europa.eu.int/comm/health/ph/programmes/injury/proj2001_index_en.htm > Pollution Related Disease > http://europa.eu.int/comm/health/ph/programmes/pollution/ph_poll_fp01_sommai > re.htm > Drug abuse > http://europa.eu.int/comm/health/ph/programmes/drugs/fp01_list.htm > > > 6. Parliament Plenary Adopts Sixth Environmental Action Programme > > On 30 May the European Parliament plenary approved the Sixth Environmental > Action Programme in third reading, after conciliation. > > The new Environmental Action Programme addresses the Parliament's concerns > over the key issues of environmentally harmful subsidies, eco-taxes, Kyoto > Protocol emission targets and thematic strategies for tackling environmental > priorities. It will: > - help to mainstream environmental concerns into all EU policy making; > - support the reform of "environmentally damaging subsidies"; > - encourage environmentally related taxes and incentives "at the appropriate > national or Community level"; > - set tougher targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions in the post-2012 > Kyoto Protocol period; > > As part of the EU's efforts to reduce greenhouse gases by 8 per cent, the > Commission will by the end of this year issue a paper on quantifiable > targets for a sustainable transport system, including the rising volumes of > urban traffic. The EU's Sixth Environment Action Programme sets out the EU's > environmental policy priorities until 2012 and forms the basis for the > environmental dimension of the EU's Sustainable Development Strategy. > > FURTHER INFORMATION: > http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/en/com/pdf/2001/en_501PC0031.pdf > > > 7. EU Ratifies the Kyoto Protocol > > The European Union has ratified the Kyoto Protocol. This act reaffirms the > commitment of the EU and all its Member States to pursue multilateral > solutions to issues of global concern and fulfils the EU's ambition to > enable the Kyoto Protocol to come into force before the World Summit on > Sustainable Development in August/September 2002. > > FURTHER INFORMATION: > Commission Press Release IP/02/794 of 03/06/02 available from: > http://www.europa.eu.int/rapid/start/cgi/guesten.ksh > > > 8. New Directive on Re-Use of Public Sector Information > > A new draft Directive on the re-use of public sector information, presented > by the Commission on 5 June, aims to lower the barriers for EU wide > information services and products based on public sector information. > > In January 1999, the Commission published a Green Paper on public sector > information in the Information Society. During the following consultation, > the information industries strongly signalled the need for clear rules on > the re-use of public sector information. In October 2001 the Commission > adopted a Communication on the re-use of public sector information. Earlier > this year the Commission held an online consultation on this Communication. > > The Commission's draft Directive aims to lower the barriers which EU content > companies face to develop a new generation of information services and > products based on public sector information. These barriers are mainly of a > legal and practical nature, with differing rules and practices in the 15 > Member States concerning charges, response times, exclusive arrangements and > the general availability of information for re-use. This draft Directive > introduces a single set of rules for the exploitation of public sector > information, covering issues such as fair trading, charges and response > times. The economic value of EU's public sector information is estimated to > be 68 billion euro. > > The proposal for a directive will be submitted to the EU's Council of > Ministers and the European Parliament for adoption under the co-decision > procedure. It is on the Council agenda on 17 June 2002. > > FURTHER INFORMATION: > ftp://ftp.cordis.lu/pub/econtent/docs/consultation_0102.pdf > > > 9. Commission Presents eEurope 2005 Action Plan > > On 28 May the Commission presented an eEurope 2005 Action Plan, due to be > adopted by the European Council in Seville on 21-22 June 2002. > > The eEurope 2005 states that by 2005 Europe should have: > - modern online public services; > - e-government; > - e-learning services; > - e-health services; > - a dynamic e-business environment. > and, as an enabler for these: > - widespread availability of broadband access at competitive prices; > - a secure information infrastructure. > > To achieve these objectives, the 2005 Action Plan comprises four separate > but interlinked tools: > - policy measures to review and adapt legislation at national and EU level, > such as a cyber security task force; > - facilitation of the exchange of experience, good and bad; > - policy measures to monitor and better focus, by benchmarking the progress; > - an overall co-ordination of existing policies will bring out synergies > between proposed actions. > > FURTHER INFORMATION: > http://europa.eu.int/information_society/eeurope/news_library/eeurope2005/in > dex_en.htm > > > 10. Council Adopts Resolution on Digital Content > > On 23 May the Culture and Audiovisual Affairs Council adopted a Resolution > on preserving digital content for future generations and decided the > Television without Frontiers Directive should undergo an in-depth review. > > The Culture and Audiovisual Affairs Council recently adopted the following > decisions: > - a Resolution on preserving digital content for future generations; > - a consensus Decision that the Television without Frontiers Directive > should undergo an in-depth review, with all EU stakeholders being involved; > - a Resolution on a new work plan on European cooperation in the field of > culture; > - an extension of the Culture 2000 Programme to 2006; > > FURTHER INFORMATION: > Resolution on preserving digital content > Resolution on a new workplan in the filed of culture > > > 11. Full Steam Ahead for European Maritime Safety Agency > > The European Parliament's Transport Committee gave the go ahead for the > proposal to set up a European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA). Seeking to > avoid any unnecessary delay in the establishment of the agency, MEPs > approved the Council common position with only minor amendments. > > The new agency will provide Member States and the Commission with technical > and scientific support to implement Community legislation in the fields of > maritime safety and the prevention of pollution from ships. It will also > monitor the implementation of legislation and evaluate the results of > measures in force. > > The proposal forms part of the second raft of measures put forward by the > Commission in the wake of the Erika tanker disaster off the French coast in > 1999. Apart from the establishment of EMSA, the package provides for the > introduction of a European maritime traffic control system and a European > compensation fund for oil spills. > > This recommendation for second reading is scheduled for debate at the July > plenary session in Strasbourg. > > FURTHER INFORMATION: > European Parliament Press Release of 22/05/2002 on the outcomes of the > Committee on Regional Policy, Transport and Tourism, available from: > http://www.europarl.eu.int/press/index_en.htm > > > 12. UNICE Supports Increase in Research Spending > > Representatives of the Union of Industrial and Employers' Confederations of > Europe (UNICE) have announced their support for the planned increase in > European research and technological development (R&D) spending from the > current average of 1.9% of GDP to 3 % by 2010 agreed at the European Council > in Barcelona in March 2002. Businesses across Europe currently fund, on > average, 55% of research, compared to more than 66% in the USA. Thus, in > addition to increasing research spending, it is proposed that businesses > should increase their share of research funding. However, the business and > industry organisation stressed that, in order to meet this objective, public > bodies would have to mobilize to significantly improve the conditions for > research investment in the EU. > > FURTHER INFORMATION: > Commission Press Release number IP/02/762 of 23/05/2002, available from: > http://www.europa.eu.int/rapid/start/cgi/guesten.ksh > > > 13. Corporate Social Responsibility > > A new study by the Commission, reveals that half of Europe's small and > medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) engage in socially responsible activities. > > The new study by the Commission on 'European SMEs and social and > environmental responsibility' is based on a survey of over 7600 SMEs in 19 > European countries. The main conclusions of the study are: > - 50% of European SMEs are already involved in socially responsible > activities; > - Support for sports, cultural and health/welfare activities is the most > common type of community involvement; > - Geographically, the share of socially engaged SMEs ranges from 32% in > France to 83% in Finland; > - three-quarters are able to identify business benefits for their CSR > activities, although SMEs mainly state ethical reasons for their involvement > in CSR. > > Following the outcome of the study the Commission is expected to in July > issue a policy paper proposing an EU-wide approach to corporate social > responsibility. > > FURTHER INFORMATION: > http://europa.eu.int/comm/enterprise/enterprise_policy/analysis/doc/smes_obs > ervatory_2002_report4.pdf > > > 14. Work is good for you! > > An independent report, published by the European Commission, has shown a > positive link between employment and health. The study, by researchers from > Berlin University of Technology, aimed to assess the impact of unemployment > and employment rates on mortality patterns in the EU and the USA, has shown > that the main factors influencing mortality and life expectation relate to > economic trends such as employment and unemployment rates and economic > growth. > > The focus on social well-being - specifically physical and mental health - > has not only indicated that trends toward full employment lead to decreased > mortality but that high unemployment could be directly related to heightened > mortality rates and decreased life expectancy. In addition, national wealth > per capita was indicated as a simultaneous source of improvement in the > health and longevity, despite a tendency toward increased consumption of > tobacco, alcohol and animal fats, all of which are known to exert great harm > on a nation's health. > > FURTHER INFORMATION: > Commission Press Release number IP/02/760 of 24/05/2002, available from: > http://www.europa.eu.int/rapid/start/cgi/guesten.ksh > > > 15. Eurovision Result > > Latvia has won the 2002 Eurovision Song Contest for the first time with a > Latin-influenced song called "I Wanna". The winning entry, sung by Marie N, > took 176 votes, 12 points ahead of second-placed Malta. > > FURTHER INFORMATION: > http://www.eurovision.tv > > > 16. European Cinema Heritage Week > > Organised for the first time and running between 15 and 23 November 2002, > European Cinema Heritage Week will consist of a programme of major European > cinema films in cinemas and film libraries, with special showings organised, > particularly for schools. > > The Week will have a dual aim: to raise the awareness of Europeans, and > particularly young people, of the great wealth of European cinema cultures, > with the hope of encouraging them to go and see more non-national European > films, but also to promote discussion of the visual image and approaches to > education in the visual image. > > Specifically, the Week, which the Commission intends to make an annual > event, will include: > - mobilisation of the European networks of film libraries and of the "Europa > Cinémas" network in approximately 50 European cities, with a special > programme of films considered to be representative of the various European > cinema cultures; > - encouragement for a similar mobilisation of European public and > private-sector television; > - a series of measures in schools with encouragement and support from > education ministers. These measures may include cinema-related games, a > competition for short films and a discussion by educationalists of the role > played by the image in our societies; > - close cooperation with Netd@ys 2002, an annual operation by the Commission > based on new information and communication technologies, which this year > will have as its theme education in the visual image and European cinema. > > FURTHER INFORMATION: > http://europa.eu.int/comm/avpolicy/media/cineday_en.html > > > 17. INTAS prize > > Deadline: 13 September 2002. > > INTAS - international association promoting scientific co-operation between > its members states and its NIS (New Independent States of the former Soviet > Union) partners - has launched its second writing competition for NIS young > scientists, who were awarded an INTAS grant. Prizes will reward the best > three articles. > > Young scientists who were awarded a grant, either in the INTAS fellowship > program or as an individual grant in an INTAS project, can submit an article > presenting their research results to a lay audience, such as industry, > policy-makers, non-scientists, etc. > > INTAS will announce the winners of the competition in November 2002. The > author of the best article will receive EUR800. There is also a prize of > EUR400 for the runner-up, and one of EUR200 for the third place competitor. > All winning texts will be featured on the INTAS web site. > > FURTHER INFORMATION: > For additional information and guidelines on this competition, please > contact Joelle Lepot at lepot@intas.be, or Aoife Leydon at leydon@intas.be, > or by fax on +32-2-549 01 56. > For more information about INTAS in general, please consult the web site: > http://www.intas.be > > ********************************************************* > > European documents (ISBNs) and Official Commission documents (reference 'Com > (year 2 digits) number') are available from your local European > Documentation Centre at: http://www.cec.org.uk/relays/relhome.htm or from > the Stationery Office, Tel 0171 873 8372, fax 0171 873 8463. > > Please note that European News is sent directly to European Liaison Officers > only. ELOs can decide how to disseminate it within their institution. > European News is accessible via the web at http://www.ukro.ac.uk > (subscribers only). > > INFORMATION FROM THIS PUBLICATION MUST NOT BE FORWARDED OR COPIED OUTSIDE OF > YOUR INSTITUTION. No liability shall be incurred by UKRO for use of the > information provided in this publication. > > UKRO > Rue de la Loi 83 > 1040 Brussels, Belgium > Tel: 0032 2 230 5275 / 1535 > Fax: 0032 2 230 4803 > Email: ukro@bbsrc.ac.uk > URL: http://www.ukro.ac.uk > > ********************************************************* > > >