European Union News - 09 April 2010

The European Commission has published a Eurobarometer survey which shows that many Europeans do not understand what is meant by biodiversity and do not feel well informed about biodiversity loss. The Commission has at the same time launched a campaign aimed at informing the public about the loss of biodiversity in the EU.

This Thursday, the Spanish Minister of Science and Innovation, Cristina Garmendia, opened the Science against Poverty International Conference in La Granja (Segovia); the event, which forms part of the Spanish Presidency of the EU, is intended to highlight 'research and technology's enormous potential' for promoting human development.

EU-funded researchers in Germany have discovered that three factors need to coincide for the neurodegenerative disorder Parkinson's disease to develop. The findings, which are published in the journal Public Library of Science (PLoS) Biology, are an important step forward in our understanding of what causes the debilitating condition.