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1.

Population exposure and migrations linked to climate change in Africa [er] : evidence from the recent past and scenarios for the future. European Commission. Joint Research Centre.

Publication

Luxembourg : Publications Office, 2021.

Summary

Many public debates and political discourses in the recent years have highlighted the impact of climate change on migration. These debates are still influenced by early estimates, which predicted that millions of people would be fleeing climate change effects. Part of this alarmist narrative is linked to a lack of definition of climate migrants which also hinders the design of policies to tackle the issue. Over the years, EU policy has evolved from ad hoc initiatives and definitions of migration and climate change as threat multipliers towards a more holistic, balanced and integrated approach. This reflects the fact that climate change impacts stretch across policy areas, institutional boundaries and geographic borders and therefore cannot be addressed in isolation. The main purpose of this report is to contribute to the ongoing integration of EU policies on climate change, adaptation and migration. The specific objectives are: to identify associations between climate change and displacement in Africa, in recent decades; to provide spatially explicit estimates of populations exposed and vulnerable to climate change impacts up to 2070 for several scenarios of climate change and socio-economic development, and to discuss the implications for climate-driven migration in Africa. For the part dealing with the future, the report quantifies the size of population that could be exposed and vulnerable to climate change impacts on agricultural productivity. For the purpose of this study, vulnerable populations are defined as those living in rural areas, with low education and in poverty. For the past, the report tries to identify associations between displacement (intended as the difference between immigration and emigration from a certain area independently of the origin and destination of the flows) and a series of climate change variables. These macro analyses are complemented by case studies on the relation with urbanisation in Egypt, with drought in the Sahel regions and with conflicts in Sudan and South Sudan. Finally, the report considers individual perspectives of African citizens using survey data on their perceptions about climate change and the desire to migrate.

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2.

Financing energy renovations at local and regional levels [er] : European status and good practices. European Commission. Joint Research Centre.

Publication

Luxembourg : Publications Office, 2021.

Summary

It is widely recognised that much of the energy we use in buildings is largely wasted due to old construction practices, many of which preceded the adoption of energy performance standards. With over 80% of today’s buildings expected to be still in use in Europe by 2050, the building sector must be at the centre of decarbonisation efforts in the EU. Energy upgrades through comprehensive renovations can drive much needed energy savings in the sector, boost economic growth, generate new jobs, support local businesses and strengthen industrial competitiveness. Renovations can also play a crucial role in the European recovery of the COVID-19 pandemic due to the labour-intensive nature of the building sector and large domination of local businesses. In light of the close link of regional and local authorities with European citizens, this report assesses the role of municipalities and regions in stimulating energy upgrades in residential, commercial and public buildings today. Based on data collected through a survey conducted with the help over 80 experts across European regions and municipalities, the report assesses the main financial and fiscal instruments and identifies their main characteristics. Good practices are discussed based on the selection of various design, implementation and impact criteria, ranging from funding sustainability to scalability and success at addressing hard-to-reach groups.

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3.

Towards animal-free in vitro methods in the thyroid validation study [er] : final report. European Commission. Joint Research Centre.

Publication

Luxembourg : Publications Office, 2021.

Summary

Development of alternative research and testing methods, such as in vitro, in silico and in chimico assays, contributes to the reduction of animals used for scientific purposes, as per the EU Directive 2010/63/EU,2. However, in vitro methods, especially these based on cell culture, are often developed with the use of animal-derived ingredients, such as animal sera, animal proteins or antibodies. Their production raises ethical concerns, while their use may compromise the reproducibility of in vitro assays due to undefined composition, batch-to-batch variation and risk of contamination of cells with pathogens. In the context of development of in vitro methods for regulatory testing of chemicals, the advantage of in vitro approach is the ability to dissect molecular mechanisms underlying chemical-induced adverse effects. Currently, there are no such validated in vitro mechanistic methods relevant for the disruption of thyroid hormone signalling. To this end, a network of validation laboratories across European Union, in liaison with method developers and Unit F.3 of the Joint Research Centre, has been working towards the validation of 17 in vitro mechanistic methods assessing the disruption of the key events in thyroid hormone signalling. These methods contain animal-derived ingredients. Their replacement by chemically defined animal-free ingredients could improve method reliability and reproducibility, enhance the relevance for human physiology and reduce the number of animals used for their production. The aim of this project is to systematically map animal-derived ingredients present in the in vitro methods assessing thyroid signalling disruption, to evaluate the accessibility of animal-free alternatives to those ingredients and to plan the implementation of such refined protocols. The results of this investigation will be relevant to the test systems and assays beyond these focusing on thyroid signalling disruption, thus contributing to the global shift towards fully animal-free in vitro methodologies in biomedical research and regulatory testing.

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4.

Impacts of natural hazards and climate change on EU security and defence [er]. European Commission. Joint Research Centre.

Publication

Luxembourg : Publications Office, 2021.

Summary

Natural hazards and climate change can negatively affect military installations, military assets, supplies and operations and are a growing concern to European Union (EU) security and defence. In addition to direct impacts on installations, including community infrastructure and utilities used by the military (e.g., roads, bridges, energy, water), they can also affect military capability and mission execution, for example via increased demand for military support activities, both domestically and internationally, and through causing increased tensions, country instability and conflict escalation. The military may also incur higher running costs for maintenance, repair or replacement of infrastructure and equipment and face increased health and safety risks from natural hazards and climate change (e.g. more hot days). Currently, only little information on natural hazard and climate change impacts on military infrastructure and operations in the EU exists or is publicly accessible. In support of the EU Climate Change and Defence Roadmap and capitalizing on data and studies available from non-EU countries, the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre performed a study to: 1. Expand the understanding of the impacts of natural hazards and climate change on future EU security and defence; 2. Identify existing gaps and limitations in the path towards resilience to natural hazards and climate change of the military in Europe; 3. Recommend concrete actions to strengthen resilience, climate neutrality and environmental sustainability aspirations of the military, while safeguarding operational effectiveness. The study clearly shows that neglecting natural hazards and climate change in the context of EU security and defence can have major consequences, with implications that may extend beyond the military.

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5.

Strategic trade atlas 2015-2019 [er] : country- and commodity-based views. European Commission. Joint Research Centre.

Publication

Luxembourg : Publications Office, 2021.

Summary

A Strategic Trade Atlas was developed to promote understanding of global trade flows of strategic goods, i.e., goods of militarily strategic value, including dual-use goods. This Atlas provides macroscopic graphical representations of global trade flows classified under Harmonized System (HS) codes associated by the World Customs Organization with strategic commodities. The profiles provide information-rich representations of strategic commodity-related imports and exports classified under these HS codes, based on data originally reported to and made publicly available by the United Nations Statistical Division, then processed to reconcile trade asymmetries by the Centre d’Etudes Prospectives et d’Informations Internationales. This and other high quality, statistically relevant data sources exist, but are largely untapped resources for strategic trade control purposes. Efforts to promote and facilitate use of trade data should enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of strategic trade control efforts.

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6.

The 2020 PREDICT [er] : key facts report : an analysis of ICT R&D in the EU and beyond. European Commission. Joint Research Centre.

Publication

Luxembourg : Publications Office, 2021.

Summary

The 2021 PREDICT Key Facts Report provides a detailed analysis of the state of ICT R&D activities in the European Union (EU27) and 13 further economies worldwide. This is the 14th edition of a series that is published annually. Like the previous editions, an online version is available at: https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/predict. The report covers the period between 1995 and 2018, providing a long-term analysis of the EU ICT sector and its R&D, covering a whole cycle from the initial expansion years to the double recession that began in early 2008, and the most recent evolution up to 2018. For the EU aggregate the report includes nowcasted data for 2019 and 2020. Therefore, it offers a glimpse of the effects of COVID-19. The statistical information provided by the figures allows the comparison between: the ICT sector and the total economy; the ICT manufacturing sector and the ICT services sector; the four ICT manufacturing sectors, two ICT services sectors, and Media and content and Retail sale via mail order houses or via Internet sectors; EU countries; the EU and the international context (including the most relevant countries in the world economy). The report focuses especially on the ICT R&D macroeconomic dynamics.

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7.

Causal estimates of Geographical Indications’ effects on territorial development [er] : feasibility and application. European Commission. Joint Research Centre.

Publication

Luxembourg : Publications Office, 2021.

Summary

This report is part of the broader work of the Competence Centre on Microeconomic Evaluation (CC-ME) of JRC unit I1 within its collaboration with unit C.4 on Monitoring and Evaluation of Directorate General for Agriculture and Rural Development (DG AGRI). The joint work programme aims at exploring the potential of counterfactual impact evaluation (CIE) methods in the evaluation of the Common Agricultural Policy and its reforms. In particular, the report aims at contributing to the ‘Evaluation of Geographical Indications and Traditional Specialities Guaranteed protected in the European Union’ carried out by DG AGRI throughout 2019 and 2020 with the support of an external contractor, by showcasing the feasibility and value added of a quantitative approach for the estimation of impacts of the EU GIs policy on territorial development. The report proposes an empirical methodology and applies it to the national context of Portugal.

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8.

Monitoring and mapping biodiversity conservation funding with eConservation 1.0 [er] : an assessment of needs, challenges and opportunities in documenting conservation efforts globally. European Commission. Joint Research Centre.

Publication

Luxembourg : Publications Office, 2021.

Summary

To halt biodiversity loss and achieve internationally agreed conservation goals, the importance of adequate and well-targeted financial resources is well recognised. Yet there is a lack of consistent, comparable, and complete data on biodiversity funding. Better information is needed for decision-makers to be able to assess the impacts and effectiveness of the funding, identify shortfalls, and coordinate efforts. The web-based eConservation application developed by the JRC aims to help understand who is funding what and where. It makes available, in an interactive mapping interface, information on projects funded by large public donors worldwide. It focuses on two aspects: providing systematic information on the geographic location of the projects, through the georeferencing of project sites; and better separating funding for biodiversity from other expenditures. These aspects are key, as the effectiveness of biodiversity funding depends on its targeting. This report provides the technical documentation of eConservation but also explores the challenges and opportunities associated with the development of such a tool and the underlying database, which currently includes a few big donors. Joining efforts with potentially interested partners would allow scaling up the current tool into a more comprehensive information platform. The report argues that there is a potential to bring some more standardisation to the biodiversity finance information landscape, to ultimately contribute to improved decision-making on biodiversity conservation.

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9.

Agricultural markets in Ukraine [er] : current situation and market outlook until 2030. European Commission. Joint Research Centre.

Publication

Luxembourg : Publications Office, 2021.

Summary

This report presents the current situation and an outlook for the major Ukrainian agricultural commodity markets until 2030 along with the update of the Ukraine country model in AGMEMOD. AGMEMOD is a system of partial equilibrium, medium-term, dynamic, multi-market and multi-country econometric models that is applied for generating projections for agricultural commodity markets of the EU and neighbour countries. In the current work, the database of the Ukraine country model in AGMEMOD has been updated to 2019-2020, the behavioural functions representing market agents re-estimated, and the beekeeping and bioethanol sectors included. The outlook rests upon a set of information and assumptions that were available and considered most plausible at the time when the analysis was conducted. For the projections, the continuation of current agricultural and trade policies in Ukraine is assumed, as well as coherent external projections that assume steady growth of the economy, declining population, increasing crude oil prices, improvement of crops and livestock production technologies, and moderate positive development of the world market prices for agricultural commodities. The cumulative impact of these macroeconomic developments is captured in the projections of agricultural markets in Ukraine. The outlook results for 2030 show that while the quantity of wheat produced will increase only marginally, maize is expected to become the dominant cereal in Ukrainian agriculture. Adaptation to climate change is the main driving force behind this trend. Domestic soya beans, rapeseed and sunflower seeds production will continue growing, along with the quantities of oilseed oils and meals. Although the further developing domestic poultry sector will drive feed demand, Ukraine will continue to be a net exporter of cereals, oilseed oils and meals. Cattle and swine farming will continue its ongoing structural change that shows the replacement of selfsubsistent producers (rural households) by specialised farms. However, the specialised larger producers will not compensate the loss in animal numbers from the rural households and, therefore, production quantities of beef and pork are likely to slow down in the next decade. Conversely, poultry meat and eggs production are projected to grow. Concentrated in large enterprises, the production of poultry meat is projected to increase by more than 30%, and of eggs by more than 50%, followed by growth in exports. Compared to the latest OECD-FAO agricultural outlook, the AGMEMOD outlook might be considered rather conservative for several Ukrainian sectors. Main reasons behind the differences of the two outlooks are discrepancies in the underlying databases, exogenous variables, and the weight given to the trends of the last decade. In this respect the two outlooks together may provide a span for the possible future developments of the Ukrainian agricultural sector by 2030. As the COVID-19 pandemic has been ongoing since early 2020, this report also analyses its impacts on the Ukrainian agriculture. The analysis demonstrates medium to long term resilience of the Ukrainian agricultural commodities production and export to this crisis. Overall, the current report shows that AGMEMOD provides relevant results and enables a structured discussion about key development trends, changes and causes of changes in production and trade of agri-food commodities. However, to guarantee solid and reliable simulation outcomes also in the future, careful calibrations of model parameters and assumptions, as well as validation of the model’s outcomes are required. Therefore, not only the Ukraine country model of AGMEMOD has to be further developed, but also the network of local modelling teams and market experts should be continued to be strengthened.

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10.

AI watch, beyond pilots [er] : sustainable implementation of AI in public services. European Commission. Joint Research Centre.

Publication

Luxembourg : Publications Office, 2021.

Summary

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a peculiar case of General Purpose Technology that differs from other examples in history because it embeds specific uncertainties or ambiguous character that may lead to a number of risks when used to support transformative solutions in the public sector. AI has extremely powerful and, in many cases, disruptive effects on the internal management, decision-making and service provision processes of public administration. Over the past few years, the European Union and its Member States have designed regulatory policies and initiatives to mitigate the AI risks and make its opportunities a reality for national, regional and local government institutions. ‘AI Watch’ is one of these initiatives which has, among its goals, the monitoring of European Union’s industrial, technological, and research capacity in AI and the development of an analytical framework of the impact potential of AI in the public sector. This report, in particular, follows a previous landscaping study and collection of European cases, which was delivered in 2020. This document first introduces the concept of AI appropriation in government, seen as a sequence of two logically distinct phases, respectively named adoption and implementation of related technologies in public services and processes. Then, it analyses the situation of AI governance in the US and China and contrasts it to an emerging, truly European model, rooted in a systemic vision and with an emphasis on the revitalised role of the member states in the EU integration process, Next, it points out some critical challenges to AI implementation in the EU public sector, including: the generation of a critical mass of public investments, the availability of widely shared and suitable datasets, the improvement of AI literacy and skills in the involved staff, and the threats associated with the legitimacy of decisions taken by AI algorithms alone. Finally, it draws a set of common actions for EU decision-makers willing to undertake the systemic approach to AI governance through a more advanced equilibrium between AI promotion and regulation. The three main recommendations of this work include a more robust integration of AI with data policies, facing the issue of so-called “explainability of AI” (XAI), and broadening the current perspectives of both Pre-Commercial Procurement (PCP) and Public Procurement of Innovation (PPI) at the service of smart AI purchasing by the EU public administration. These recommendations will represent the baseline for a generic implementation roadmap for enhancing the use and impact of AI in the European public sector.

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11.

Forest Fires in Europe, Middle East and North Africa 2020. European Commission. Joint Research Centre.

Publication

Luxembourg : Publications Office, 2021.

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12.

Forest Fires in Europe, Middle East and North Africa 2020 [er]. European Commission. Joint Research Centre.

Publication

Luxembourg : Publications Office, 2021.

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13.

The certification of the thermal conductivity of a resin bonded glass fibre board [er] : ERM-FC440 : certification report. European Commission. Joint Research Centre.

Publication

Luxembourg : Publications Office, 2021.

Summary

This report describes the production of ERM-FC440, which is a resin-bonded glass fibre insulation material certified for its thermal conductivity in dependence of the temperature. This material was produced and certified in accordance with ISO 17034:2016 [1] and ISO Guide 35:2017 [2]. Commercially available glass fibre insulation material was purchased. Tracks from processing were removed by sanding and the material was cut into units suitable for measurement. The CRM is available in in sizes of 30 cm x 30 cm, 50 cm x 50 cm and 60 cm x 60 cm. Between-unit homogeneity was quantified and stability during dispatch and storage was assessed in accordance with ISO Guide 35:2017 [2]. Within-unit homogeneity was assessed to determine the minimum sample size. The minimum sample size is 20 cm x 20 cm. The material was characterised by an interlaboratory comparison of laboratories of demonstrated competence and adhering to ISO/IEC 17025:2017 [3]. All datasets were found technically valid and the certified value, thermal conductivity as a function of temperature, was obtained by linear least squares regression of all data points. Uncertainties of the certified values were calculated in accordance with ISO 17034:2016 [1] and ISO Guide 35:2017 [2] and include uncertainties related to possible inhomogeneity, instability and characterisation. The materials is intended for the quality control and assessment of method performance for guarded hot plate measurements as well as for calibration of heat flow meter instruments. As with any reference material, it can be used for establishing control charts or validation studies. Before release of the CRM, the certification project was subjected to peer-review involving both internal and external experts.

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14.

Higher Education for smart specialisation [er] : a handbook. European Commission. Joint Research Centre.

Publication

Luxembourg : Publications Office, 2021.

Summary

Smart specialisation was introduced under Cohesion Policy in the 2014- 2020 programming period and sought to ensure the prioritisation of funding in areas where territories could have a competitive advantage. The policy is founded upon an Entrepreneurial Discovery Process (EDP) that mobilises the key research and innovation stakeholders in the region (including higher education) to jointly analyse and exploit regional strengths and potentials. The EU Renewed Agenda for Higher Education recognised that higher education institutions (HEIs) should engage in the development of their regions and cities, integrating local, regional and societal issues into their curricula, cooperating with businesses, involving the local community in teaching, research and lifelong learning but also building links with the local community and contributing to regional development. Smart specialisation links HEIs to their territories: the places where universities are based matter. Higher Education - at the interface of research, education and innovation - is a key asset in boosting regional growth and green and digital transitions. In the 2021-2027 programming period there is an enhanced focus upon the development of human capital as part of the smart specialisation process under the ERDF specific objective “Skills for smart specialisation, industrial transition and entrepreneurship”. This handbook responds to the incorporation of the seven fulfilment criteria for good governance in smart specialisation in the new regulatory framework but from the perspective of higher education.

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15.

Higher Education for smart specialisation : a handbook. European Commission. Joint Research Centre.

Publication

Luxembourg : Publications Office, 2021.

Summary

Smart specialisation was introduced under Cohesion Policy in the 2014- 2020 programming period and sought to ensure the prioritisation of funding in areas where territories could have a competitive advantage. The policy is founded upon an Entrepreneurial Discovery Process (EDP) that mobilises the key research and innovation stakeholders in the region (including higher education) to jointly analyse and exploit regional strengths and potentials. The EU Renewed Agenda for Higher Education recognised that higher education institutions (HEIs) should engage in the development of their regions and cities, integrating local, regional and societal issues into their curricula, cooperating with businesses, involving the local community in teaching, research and lifelong learning but also building links with the local community and contributing to regional development. Smart specialisation links HEIs to their territories: the places where universities are based matter. Higher Education - at the interface of research, education and innovation - is a key asset in boosting regional growth and green and digital transitions. In the 2021-2027 programming period there is an enhanced focus upon the development of human capital as part of the smart specialisation process under the ERDF specific objective “Skills for smart specialisation, industrial transition and entrepreneurship”. This handbook responds to the incorporation of the seven fulfilment criteria for good governance in smart specialisation in the new regulatory framework but from the perspective of higher education.

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16.

Smart grids and beyond [er] : an EU research and innovation perspective. European Commission. Joint Research Centre.

Publication

Luxembourg : Publications Office, 2021.

Summary

This report presents an overview of EU research and innovation (R&I) projects in the field of smart grids funded by the last two framework programmes for R&I (the seventh EU framework programme for research, technological development and demonstration activities and Horizon 2020) and by the competitiveness and innovation framework programme. R&I projects can play a pivotal role in addressing and investigating the technological, regulatory, economic and social challenges of the energy transition, and analysing them can help to understand the direction Europe is taking and inform current and future policy developments. The report looks into projects addressing the need to modernise the electricity grid and to better integrate the behaviours and actions of all connected users. In this sense, it goes ‘beyond smart grids’ strictly speaking, and looks at the energy transition beyond purely technological solutions. The analysis of the projects surveyed provides an overview of the main trends; of the main areas in which projects intervene; and of the organisations that participate in the projects as well as synergies and collaborative links between the organisations.

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17.

New creep resistant stable steel for USC power plant (CRESTA2) [er] : final report. European Commission. Directorate-General for Research and Innovation.

Publication

Luxembourg : Publications Office, [2020], c2021.

Summary

This project targets the consolidation of know-how acquired in the previous CRESTA project for the development of new High Chromium Martensitic Steels for AUSC components. This report summarises the work carried out over the entire duration of the CRESTA2 project. The project involved four industrial partners (Industeel, Lincoln Electric, IND, GE Boiler Deutschland GmbH, Società delle Fucine), two research institutions (Rina-CSM, MMV) and two academic institutions (Technische Universität Graz, Technische Universität of Denmark). The project deals with the development of new steels, designed to improve creep and toughness. The new materials have been manufactured on laboratory scale and their properties have been assessed. The welding filler metals for arc welding have been developed and tested and WPSs were defined. Semi-industrial components have been manufactured with the selected compositions, Bel1 for pipe application and Z7 for tube/fins applications. Also welded prototypes have been manufactured. Microstructure, mechanical and LCF characterizations of industrial products have been performed; creep tests have been launched. The overall results of the project provides that the high Chromium steel can be cast and transformed by conventional process route. The properties of the developed materials have achieved the target goals, especially in terms of creep behaviour, intermediate to P91 and P92 steels. LCF behaviour is slightly higher than P92 behaviour, enabling to cyclic operations. Guidelines for further improvement of these kind of steels have been also outlined.

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18.

Bucket wheel excavators operating under difficult mining conditions including unmineable inclusions and geological structures with excessive mining resistance (BEWEXMIN) [er] : final report. European Commission. Directorate-General for Research and Innovation.

Publication

Luxembourg : Publications Office, [2020], c2021.

Summary

In newly-opened as well as existing lignite mines occur increasingly difficult mining conditions due to the presence of a growing number of unmineable inclusions and inclusions with an excessive mining resistance. During exploitation of such materials there are large dynamic and impulse loads. This results in frequent breakdowns and therefore exclusion of machines from normal operation. The aim of the project was to develop solutions to reduce failure rates of bucket wheel excavators working in such conditions. This could be achieved either by reducing the sensitivity of excavators on pulse load or by efforts to reduce the size of dynamic loads. Research in the BEWEXMIN project included three work packages. The first package included: experimental determination of the dynamic surplus from mass forces and linkage of these surpluses with physico-mechanical characteristics of exploited soils; method for determining alternative computational strength of pulse loads; determination of the requirements for flawless excavator work in specific conditions. In the second work package a way to create a system to monitor stress of excavator’s structures leading to continuous assessment of the degree of construction effort, signalling damage possibility, was created. The activities included in the third work package aimed to eliminate or reduce value of pulse loads caused by encountering unmineable obstacle by means of early detection of stones. All three WPs were interrelated and constituted a complete set of activities aiming at the same goal, which was to reduce failure rates of bucket wheel excavators operating in difficult mining conditions.

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19.

IRMM-2030 [er] : certification of a uranium nitrate solution reference material with a 235U “enrichment” (i.e. n(235U)/n(U)) of 6 % : certified for isotope ratios. European Commission. Joint Research Centre.

Publication

Luxembourg : Publications Office, 2021.

Summary

This report describes the certification of the IRMM-2030 uranium nitrate solution reference material, certified for the uranium isotopic composition. The certified values and their uncertainties were assigned following ISO 17034 [1], ISO Guide 35 [2] and the Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement [3]. This certification project was a collaboration between the Joint Research Centre’s Unit G.2 in Geel/Belgium, the Urenco facility in Gronau/Germany and the Analytical Services Laboratory of Unit JRC-G.II.8 of the Joint Research Centre in Karlsruhe/Germany. The IRMM-2030 reference material has been prepared in order to provide a uranium nitrate solution isotopic reference material with an isotope amount fraction n(235U)/n(U) of 6 %, commonly called a 235U enrichment of 6 %, in response to a need expressed by nuclear industry. This reference material is particularly needed at enrichment facilities such as Urenco/Germany that typically enrich 235U between 3 %and 5 % but are aiming to enrich uranium up to 6 %. The material was also requested by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as a reference material for quality control (QC) purposes. For the preparation of IRMM-2030, two already characterized uranium base materials were mixed to achieve a 235U enrichment within limits specified by the requestor. The first material was a previously characterized UF6 material named UREU502648 with a 235U enrichment of about 4.9 %. The UF6 material was hydrolysed and converted to a uranyl nitrate solution. The second base material is a solution prepared from the certified reference material NBL U500 with a 235U enrichment of about 50 %. By the use of this highly enriched second base material, the lower 234U, 235U and 236U abundances of the first base material were increased to achieve the specified 234U, 235U and 236U abundances for IRMM-2030 simultaneously in one mixing step. The isotopic composition of the base solution IRMM-2030 was measured and certified using the TIMS/MTE method at JRC-G.2 in Geel. After dilution and dispensing into screw-cap quartz ampoules, the isotope ratios were verified for three randomly stratified chosen ampoules internally at JRC-G2 in Geel. The Analytical Service Laboratory at JRC-G.II.8 in Karlsruhe verified independently another set of three randomly stratified chosen ampoules. The isotopic reference material IRMM-2030 with an enrichment of 6 % for 235U is part of a systematic program of JRC-G.2 to supply isotope reference materials to the safeguards community and to partners and stakeholders. IRMM-2030 can also be considered as an extension of the IRMM-2019-2029 uranium solution reference materials [4, 5] with 235U enrichments from 0.16 % - 5.0 % towards a 235U enrichment of 6 %. These reference materials are intended for the calibration of instruments and methods, quality control purposes. As with any certified reference material, they can also be used for validation studies.

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20.

Towards the future of Europe [er] : social factors shaping optimism and pessimism among citizens. European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions.

Publication

Luxembourg : Publications Office, [2021] c2021.

Summary

For more than a decade, uncertainty about the future in most parts of the EU has been growing. Many people believe society is in decline and this has given rise to a general sense of pessimism. Is there a link between the rising popularity of anti-establishment parties and increasing pessimism? These negative sentiments could adversely affect the political climate within individual Member States and also undermine the legitimacy of the European project. This report identifies the key drivers of people’s perceptions about the future and explores whether optimists and pessimists differ in their socioeconomic, cultural and political characteristics. To examine the extent to which optimists and pessimists behave and feel differently, the report looks at their socioeconomic and sociopolitical profiles. Finally, it explores how the level of optimism differs in the Member States in relation to country context. The analyses use data from before the COVID-19 pandemic, and the results demonstrate the importance of monitoring how people’s feelings about the future evolve during the recovery from the crisis.

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