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  • 1.
    book.ebook
    Impact of engineered nanomaterials on health : considerations for benefit-risk assessment. EASAC Policy report No. 15. European Commission. Joint Research Centre.
    Publication
    Luxembourg : Publications Office, 2011.
    Summary
    Nanotechnology encompasses the design, characterisation, production and application of materials and systems by controlling shape and size at the nanoscale (nanometres). Nanomaterials may differ from other materials because of their relatively large specific surface area, such that surface properties become particularly important. There has been rapid growth in investment in nanotechnology by both the public and private sectors worldwide. In the EU, nanotechnology is expected to become an important strategic contributor to achieving economic gain and societal and individual benefits. At the same time there is continuing scientific uncertainty and controversy about the safety of nanomaterials. It is important to ensure that timely policy development takes this into consideration. Uncertainty about safety may lead to polarised public debate and to business unwillingness to invest further. A clear regulatory framework to address potential health and environmental impacts, within the wider context of evaluating and communicating the benefit-risk balance, must be a core part of Europe's integrated efforts for nanotechnology innovation. While a number of studies have been carried out on the effect of environmental nanoparticles, e.g. from combustion processes, on human health, there is yet no generally acceptable paradigm for safety assessment of nanomaterials in consumer and other products. Therefore, a working group was established to consider issues for the possible impact of nanomaterials on human health focussing specifically on engineered nanomaterials. This represents the first joint initiative between EASAC and the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission. The working group was given the remit to describe the state of the art of benefits and potential risks, current methods for safety assessment, and to evaluate their relevance, identify knowledge gaps in studying the safety of current nanomaterials, and recommend on priorities for nanomaterial research and the regulatory framework. This report focuses on key principles and issues, cross-referencing other sources for detailed information, rather than attempting a comprehensive account of the science. The focus is on human health although environmental effects are also discussed when directly relevant to health.
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  • 2.
    book
    2007 ESARDA course : nuclear safeguards & non proliferation. European Commission. Joint Research Centre.
    Publication
    Brussels: European Commission, 2007.
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  • 3.
    book.ebook
    NPK : will there be enough plant nutrients to feed a world of 9 billion in 2050? European Commission. Joint Research Centre.
    Publication
    Luxembourg : Publications Office, 2012.
    Summary
    Will there be enough plant nutrients to feed a world of 9 billion in 2050? is the central question addressed by a JRC study. This exercise was based on consultations with experts and a thematic workshop focused on three areas of interest: 1) the demand for fertilizers to sustain crop production necessary to feed the world in 2050; 2) perspectives on the supply of Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K) to world agriculture and 3) the role of innovation and technology in changing the match between demand and supply of fertilizers. Implications of the main findings for current EU and international policies were addressed. Overall, analysis of existing literature and discussions with major experts and stakeholders led to the conclusion that while the situation is currently not critical with respect to the production and availability of plant nutrients, it is important to remain vigilant. The question of reserves (P and K), access, changing geopolitical conditions, economic development, energy costs (mainly for N) and environmental constraints (N and P) could lead to shortfalls and possibly crisis situations in some regions of the world. The situation of Africa deserves particular attention as production, access and use of fertilizers represent key limiting factors in boosting food production in that continent.
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  • 4.
    book
    An overview of research programmes and prospective technology in the development of more secure supply chains: the case of shipping containers. European Commission. Joint Research Centre.
    Publication
    Luxembourg : Publications Office, 2012.
    Summary
    The development of new, more secure, container systems should consider the main techno-economic items and devise a solution that, not only provides increased tamper-resistance, but also contains economically beneficial buy-in features that will motivate the adoption of new container models by the shipping trade. This report provides an overview of these aspects within the context of EU policy and R&D programmes in this area.
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  • 5.
    book.ebook
    Support to the review of the thematic strategy on air pollution [er] : JRC’s contribution to the 2nd stakeholder meeting, January 2012. European Commission. Joint Research Centre.
    Publication
    Luxembourg : Publications Office, 2012.
    Summary
    Although efforts of the EU to reduce air pollution have led to important reductions of emissions within the Member States, millions of people are still exposed to air pollutants at concentration levels that may endanger their health and air pollution is still causing relevant damage to crops and ecosystems. On this background, the European Commission has decided to review its Thematic Strategy for Air Pollution (TSAP) by 2013 at latest, and do this through a consultation process, led by DG ENV, with a broad group of stakeholders. The present report contains the presentations made by JRC staff at the second Stakeholder Meeting, held in January 2012. The presentation by R. Van Dingenen discusses the possibilities of designing air pollution policies that also helps to mitigate climate change. Such policies are possible because many air pollutants, llike CO2, are emitted by the burning of fossil fuels and some air pollutants have an important warming effect on climate. F. Dentener presents an analysis of the impact of hemispheric transport of air pollutants, particularly for the case of tropospheric ozone. It is found that emissions outside of the European region have increasing influence on ozone trends in Europe. The talk by P.Thunis links the European scale modelling with urban and street scale. The advantages of having high spatial resolution of models and emission inventories are discussed and the importance of good quality monitoring data is stressed. A. Borowiak tells about the AQUILA network and its planned contributions to the review. The AQUILA Network was founded in 2001 and is composed of the National Air Quality Reference Laboratories of the EU Member States. The Forum for Air Quality Modelling (FAIRMODE) is a joint action of the JRC and the Euorpean Environmental Agency. S. Galmarini illustrates the work of this body that aims at bringing together air quality modellers and users and promote the use of harmonized models within the EU.
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  • 6.
    book.ebook
    Global soil organic carbon stocks from amended Harmonized World Soil Database [er]. European Commission. Joint Research Centre.
    Publication
    Luxembourg : Publications Office, 2012.
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  • 7.
    book
    The forests of the Congo basin : state of the forest 2010. European Commission. Joint Research Centre.
    Publication
    Luxembourg : Publications Office, 2012.
    Summary
    The 2010 State of the Forest report (SOF) benefited from financial support from the European Union, the United States, Germany, France and UNESCO. It represents the collaborative effort of over 100 individuals from a diversity of institutions and the forestry administrations of the Central African countries. The SOF process began with the selection and definition of indicators relevant to monitoring the state of forests in Central Africa. The indicators are structured around three thematic areas: (i) forest cover; (ii) management of production forests; and (iii) conservation and biodiversity. They are presented in a hierarchical structure at the regional, national and management unit (i.e. logging concessions and protected areas) levels. The indicators were vetted by a representative panel of stakeholders of forest management in Central Africa. The indicators are used to guide an annual data collection process carried out between April and August by national groups of four to ten individuals working within the forestry administrations. The data reported on in the 2010 SOF were primarily collected in 2009 and 2010. Results were validated in national workshops attended by government officials as well as representatives of environmental NGOs, the private sector and development projects. The data provided an important basis for the authors of the 11 chapters of the 2010 SOF, which were under the coordination of a scientific committee of international renown. A final workshop was held 29-30 March, 2011 in Douala to review a draft report. Following amendments based on comments from a wide audience of experts the final layout was completed.
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  • 8.
    book
    CERTA-TN, consolidation of integral system experimental databases for reactor thermal-hydraulic safety analysis : European thematic network. European Commission. Joint Research Centre.
    Publication
    Brussels : European Commission, 2003.
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  • 9.
    book
    Les forêts du bassin du Congo : état des forêts 2010. European Commission. Joint Research Centre.
    Publication
    Luxembourg : Publications Office, 2012.
    Summary
    Le rapport sur l’état des Forêts 2010 a bénéficié d’un support financier majeur de l´Union européenne, des États-Unis, de l’Allemagne, de la France, et de l’UNESCO. Il a profité de la participation de plus d´une centaine de personnes provenant d’institutions diverses et variées et a enregistré une forte implication des administrations forestières des pays d’Afrique centrale. Le processus d’élaboration de l’EdF 2010 a débuté par la sélection et la définition des indicateurs permettant d'effectuer le suivi de l'état des forêts d'Afrique centrale. Ces indicateurs sont structurés autour de trois thèmes: (i) état et évolution du couvert forestier, (ii) gestion des forêts de production et (iii) conservation et valorisation de la biodiversité. Ils se rapportent également à une structure hiérarchique à trois niveaux : le niveau régional, le niveau national et le niveau des unités de gestion (particulièrement les concessions forestières et les zones protégées). Ces indicateurs ont tous été validés par un panel représentatif des différentes parties prenantes de la gestion forestière en Afrique centrale. Les indicateurs ont guidé la collecte des données qui s’organise chaque année d’avril à août autour de groupes nationaux, de quatre à dix membres selon les pays, tous travaillant au sein des administrations publiques en charge des forêts. Les données collectées, qui concernent en majeure partie les années 2009 et 2010, ont ensuite également fait l’objet d’une validation au cours d’ateliers nationaux auxquels ont participé les responsables des administrations publiques, des représentants des ONG environnementales, du secteur privé et des projets de développement. Ces données ont servi de support aux rédacteurs des chapitres du présent rapport placés sous la supervision d’un comité scientifique de renommée internationale. Enfin, lors d’un atelier qui s’est déroulé à Douala les 29 et 30 mars 2011, une version préliminaire de l’EdF 2010 a été commentée par un large public d’experts et a, après amendements, été utilisée pour la mise en page du présent rapport.
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  • 10.
    book.ebook
    Monitoring industrial research [er] : the 2008 EU survey on R&D investment business trends. European Commission. Joint Research Centre.
    Publication
    Luxembourg : OPOCE, 2009.
    Summary
    This document presents the findings of the fourth survey on trends in business R&D investment. While continuing along similar lines as previous editions, it contains further insights into (mainly larger) company expectations about their future R&D investments and the underlying motivations. The results are drawn from 130 responses from the 1000 EU-based companies listed in the 2007 EU Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard. These 130 companies are responsible for R&D investment worth almost €40 billion, constituting 30% of the total R&D investment by the EU Scoreboard companies.
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  • 11.
    book
    Renewable energies in Africa : current knowledge. European Commission. Joint Research Centre.
    Publication
    Luxembourg : Publications Office, 2011.
    Summary
    This report summarizes current knowledge at the Joint Research Centre regarding Renewable Energy in Africa. It assesses current energy consumption and the share of renewables in African states, and attempts to estimate the technical potential of available resources of solar, wind, biomass and hydropower which could be economically used to provide energy for the increasing population. Existing Statistical data on energy supply and demand have a large uncertainty, both in terms of quantity and costs or price. The available data which were used for this report indicate a wide range both of per capita energy consumption (100 to 2000 kgoe/cap/y) and per capita electricity consumption (50 to 4000 kWh/cap/y). Relative to the average of the European Union, this corresponds to up to 35 times less regarding all energy, and up to 100 times less regarding electricity. Even though electrification made considerable progress in the past 10 years, 600 Mio of rural population has no access to electricity at all. This report assesses in detail the renewable energy options for electricity production in rural areas, where the de-centralised feature of these technologies allow an economically viable competition with conventional grid extension. It is particularly true in remote areas where the nearest grid infrastructure is already unreliable and overloaded. In areas where household density is low (<50 cap/km2), any investment in larger grid infrastructure would never be cost competitive. This report enhances also insight in the transport costs of conventional fuel, taking a population density to be served and transport infrastructure into account.
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  • 12.
    book.ebook
    Scientific support to the European Commission Marine Strategy Framework Directive [er] : management group report, March 2010. European Commission. Joint Research Centre.
    Publication
    Luxembourg : Publications Office, 2010.
    Summary
    The Marine Strategy Framework Directive (2008/56/EC) (MSFD) requires that the European Commis-sion (by 15 July 2010) should lay down criteria and methodological standards to allow consistency in approach in evaluating the extent to which Good Environmental Status (GES) is being achieved. ICES and JRC were contracted to provide scientific support for the Commission in meeting this obligation. A total of 10 reports have been prepared relating to the descriptors of GES listed in Annex I of the Di-rective. Eight reports have been prepared by groups of independent experts coordinated by JRC and ICES in response to this contract. In addition, reports for two descriptors (Contaminants in fish and other seafood and Marine Litter) were written by expert groups coordinated by DG SANCO and IFRE-MER respectively. A Task Group was established for each of the qualitative Descriptors. Each Task Group consisted of selected experts providing experience related to the four marine regions (the Baltic Sea, the North-east Atlantic, the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea) and an appropriate scope of relevant scien-tific expertise. Observers from the Regional Seas Conventions were also invited to each Task Group to help ensure the inclusion of relevant work by those Conventions. This is the report of the MSFD Management Group.
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  • 13.
    book
    Proceedings of the 5th joint UNECE TFEIP & EIONET workshop on emission inventories and projections. European Commission. Joint Research Centre.
    Publication
    Brussels : European Commission, 2004.
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  • 14.
    book.ebook
    ESARDA 33rd annual meeting [cd] : symposium on safeguards and nuclear material management, Budapest, Hungary, 16-20 May 2011. European Commission. Joint Research Centre.
    Publication
    Luxembourg : Publications Office, 2011.
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  • 15.
    book.ebook
    Research at JRC in support of EU climate change policy making [er]. European Commission. Joint Research Centre.
    Publication
    Luxembourg : OPOCE, 2009.
    Edition
    3rd updated edition
    Summary
    The present and third edition of “Research at the JRC in Support of EU Climate Change Policy Making” shows the concrete research activities and results that contributed to EC policy initiatives in preparation for the COP15. They include the Commission’s Communications “Towards a comprehensive climate change agreement in Copenhagen” and “Stepping up international climate finance: A European blueprint for the Copenhagen deal”, the White Paper “Adapting to climate change: towards a European framework for action” and the EU Greenhouse Gas Monitoring System. This booklet also presents activities, coordinated within the JRC’s Climate Change Priority Area, that will contribute to a sound foundation of scientific information for future policy actions.
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  • 16.
    book.ebook
    Design of lightweight footbridges for human induced vibrations [er] : background document in support to the implementation, harmonization and further development of the Eurocodes. European Commission. Joint Research Centre.
    Publication
    Luxembourg : OPOCE, 2009.
    Summary
    Nowadays, it is well-known that for the structural safety verification of footbridges, and for the comfort guarantee of its users, it is fundamental to consider the effect of human induced vibrations, particularly: vibrations due to pedestrian traffic should be within acceptable limits for users; the lock-in phenomenon should be prevented; and, the footbridge structural safety should be guaranteed if subjected to intentional excitations. Recognizing a gap in lightweight footbridges design procedures, a guideline is presented in this document proposal for footbridges design taking into account human induced vibrations. First, the proposed methodology is detailed. Attention is devoted also to the response measurements, identification tests and instrumentation used in the evaluation of the dynamic properties of footbridges. The potential strategies to control the vibration response of footbridges are reviewed. Finally, three worked examples of application of the proposed design methodology are exposed, namely a simply supported beam and two existing footbridges.
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  • 17.
    book
    Impact analysis of the Joint Research Centre and its direct actions under the EU research framework programmes : final report (August 2011). European Commission. Joint Research Centre.
    Publication
    Luxembourg : Publications Office, 2011.
    Summary
    This report presents an impact analysis of JRC’s direct research actions, in line with the Commission’s principles to focus on EU added value, impacts and results and following recommendations from earlier JRC programme evaluations. The report uses an analytical framework built around policy impact (i.e. the impact of JRC work in the policy process) as well as technical impacts, economic impacts and intangible impacts. It looks at the JRC’s achievements, impacts and results with a special focus on costs and benefits and contains four parts : • Demonstrable policy impacts of JRC activities in 2010. • Five case studies with specific impacts and benefits of JRC support activities. • An estimation of the JRC’s overall economic impact. • The JRC and Europe 2020. The report closes with a number of findings and forward-looking conclusions of the Steering Group experts who guided the impact analysis, highlighting the JRC’s added value, rooted in its impartiality as well as its pan-European scope and range of action.
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  • 18.
    book
    Marine Strategy Framework Directive : task group 10 report : marine litter, April 2010. European Commission. Joint Research Centre.
    Publication
    Luxembourg : Publications Office, 2010.
    Summary
    The Marine Strategy Framework Directive (2008/56/EC) (MSFD) requires that the European Commission (by 15 July 2010) should lay down criteria and methodological standards to allow consistency in approach in evaluating the extent to which Good Environmental Status (GES) is being achieved. ICES and JRC were contracted to provide scientific support for the Commission in meeting this obligation. A total of 10 reports have been prepared relating to the descriptors of GES listed in Annex I of the Directive. Eight reports have been prepared by groups of independent experts coordinated by JRC and ICES in response to this contract. In addition, reports for two descriptors (Contaminants in fish and other seafood and Marine litter) were written by expert groups coordinated by DG SANCO and IFREMER respectively. A Task Group was established for each of the qualitative Descriptors. Each Task Group consisted of selected experts providing experience related to the four marine regions (the Baltic Sea, the Northeast Atlantic, the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea) and an appropriate scope of relevant scientific expertise. Observers from the Regional Seas Conventions were also invited to each Task Group to help ensure the inclusion of relevant work by those Conventions. This is the report of Task Group 10 Marine litter.
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  • 19.
    book
    Analysis of tunnel-accident data and recommendations for data collection and accident investigation : an analysis performed in the frame of the SafeT Thematic Network. Final report. Part II. European Commission. Joint Research Centre.
    Publication
    Luxembourg : Publications Office, 2005.
    Summary
    Work package 4 of the Safe-T Thematic Network focuses on accident investigation and evaluation. Task 4.1 within this Work package addressed the collection of information on incidents in road, rail and metro tunnels, as well as a survey on the methodologies used for accident investigation. Moreover, a trend analysis of the collected data was carried out. The objective of Task 4.2 was the development of recommendations for the collection of data on tunnel incidents, while Task 4.3 focused on the development of recommendations for a methodology for accident investigation. The results of Tasks 4.1 – 4.3 will feed into the development of general recommendations for Guidelines on Tunnel Safety. This report addresses the work performed by the Joint Research Centre in the frame of the above mentioned tasks and constitutes Part II of the Final Report of Work package 4. The work on the data collection and the survey on accident-investigation methodologies carried out by another partner in the project as part of Task 4.1 are reported separately in Part I of the Final Report.
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  • 20.
    book.ebook
    Proceedings of the fifth international conference on NDE in relation to structural integrity for nuclear and pressurised components [cd] : 10-12 may 2006 - San Diego, USA. European Commission. Joint Research Centre.
    Publication
    Luxembourg: OPOCE, 2007.
    Summary
    This conference, the fifth in a series on NDE in relation to structural integrity for nuclear and pressurized components, was held from 10 to 12 May 2006, in San Diego, USA. The scientific programme was produced by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre, Institute for Energy (EC-JRC/IE), the conference coorganiser. It was locally organised by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). The first conference, under the sole responsibility of EC-JRC was held very successfully in Amsterdam, 20-22 October 1998. The second conference was locally organized by the EPRI NDE Center in New Orleans, 24-26 May 2000, the third one by Tecnatom in Seville, 14-16 November 2001, and the fourth one by the British Institute of Non Destructive Testing in London, 6-8 December 2004. The theme of this conference series is to provide the link between the information originated by NDE and the use made of this information in assessing structural integrity. In this context, there is often a need to determine NDE performance against structural integrity requirements through a process of qualification or performance demonstration. There is also a need to develop NDE to address shortcomings revealed by such performance demonstration or otherwise. Finally, the links between NDE and structural integrity require strengthening in many areas so that NDE is focussed on the components at greatest risk and provides the precise information required for assessment of integrity. These were the issues addressed by the papers selected for the conference.
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