European Union News

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has announced its plans to carry out a proactive publication of data related to clinical trials to allow interested parties full access to these data sets. However, before releasing this information it is necessary to address some political and practical issues. For that purpose the EMA is organising a workshop to be held on November 22.

The European Commission has opened an investigation for the suspected existence of a cartel among manufacturers of automotive electrical distribution systems that would affect the European Economic Area. This case is part of a wider investigation related to the alleged creation of cartels in the automotive industry.

Fusion for Energy has released its fourth annual report, detailing the the activities carried out over year 2011. The report highlights the main construction works carried out over the year which have boosted the projects, as well as the agreements put in place with other projects, the budgetary and administrative elements of its functioning and the improvements in F4E's governance.

By establishing this network the European Commission aims to facilitate the exchange of information between science and practice in the field of agriculture, and to create a space for exchanging experience and knowledge. The European Commission has launches a public tender on the technical assistance contract for the creation and development of the network.

According to the results of this study urgent action must be taken to reduce emissions in order to avoid a global catastrophe by 2050. Researchers working in different projects funded by European research programmes have analyser for the first time all five major air pollutants that have harmful effects on human health and have concluded that air quality could reach dangerous levels in less than 35 years.

Deadlines to present candidatures in three of the categories of the Erasmus Entrepreneurship Awards 2012 will be closed between 13 and August 17. This award aims at highlighting successful cases of new young and host entrepreneurs as well as the best cases of collaboration and work of intermediate organizations.

The European Union has approved a new financial envelope of €31.95 million aimed at financing development projects in Kenya. The actions to be taken thanks to this new funds will be developed within a project for the improvement of rural road infrastructure in Kenya and a project that will contribute to improve Kenyan exports.

According to a new report put forward by the European Commission about waste management policies put in place by Member states, the situation confirms Commission's concerns on some Member states' performance. Despite a number of countries already has a culture of responsible waste management or is in good way to implement it, there is still a significant number of countries where landfills are still the essential element of municipal waste management.

The European Commission and the Spanish authorities have jointly designed an action plan to improve the catch registration system in Spain. This plan will contribute to a more sustainable fishing activity, one of the key objectives set by the European Union common fisheries policy.

As the world's largest donor in terms of development aid, the European Union has carried out an intensive work during 2011. According to the EuropeAid Annual Report 2012, the largest economic envelope during this period was devoted to projects in the field of social infrastructures, education, water, government and other development activities with civil society.

The European mission Mars Express developed by the European Space Agency (ESA) welcomed to the Red Planet the Curiosity rover sent by the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). ESA’s New Norcia tracking station also picked up signals directly from the NASA mission, 248 million km away at Mars.

Spanish and German researchers funded by EU programs in support to research and technological development have gone a step further in determining the chemical nature of materials at the nanometer scale. The results of this research may be applied to the chemical identification of of virtually any infrared-active material on the nanometer scale.