European Union News - Research & Innovation

New EU funded research findings on smoking and European measures to control it show quite clearly that the ban on smoking in public places helps to reduce tobacco consumption. However, the study also stresses that such measures are just a part of the public policies which have to be put in place and should be accompanied by other actions such as price hikes, banning advertising and promotion, as well as information and warnings for consumers and support for smokers leaving the habit.

Researchers from the Czech Republic, Germany, Portugal, Spain and Sweden have developed a solution to give elderly and disabled people easier control over the various electronic appliances and services in their homes using their mobile phone or other devices. The "I2HOME" project, funded by the EU with 2.7 million Euro, has developed a personalised and simplified Universal Remote Console interface based on existing and evolving open standards.

The European Commission website for Community Research and Development Information, CORDIS, has launched a new search tool which intended to facilitate the search and access to all the contents of the web. This search tool will continue to be upgraded during the beta phase introducing new features which will include the opinions and suggestions made by users of the service.

The number of forest areas in Europe facing the onslaught of climate and land use changes, including fires, winds and droughts, is on the rise. For that reason, a concern that weighs on the minds of many Europeans is how to determine which trees adapt best to climate change, something the EU funded project MOTIVE ('Models for adaptive forest management') is trying to answer, by investigating the impact of intensified competition for forest resources given the changes to the climate and land.

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has brought key players from the mobile phone industry to the virtual table for an agreement on best practices for mobile web content, the group has announced. The framework, 'Mobile Web Application Best Practices', aims to foster cooperation between industry giants to build a more positive experience in the mobile environment.

There many different aspects in everyday life which are related to the science branch called Metrology which refers to the science and application of measurement. Today, Europe's metrologists are working together in the European Metrology Research Programme (EMRP), and are helping to address the grand challenges facing the world today in diverse fields such as the environment, energy and health.

The European Union's Marie Curie Actions programme, which provides funding for some of the world's best young researchers, is closing year 2010 with a very special milestone which is having funded its 50,000th beneficiary. This figure was at the centre of the Conference celebrated early December where presidents of the Commission and Parliament highlighted that this Programme allows to produce brilliant researchers, who are at the heart of the knowledge-based economy Europe is aiming for.

In the digital era, the transmission of data is made possible via diverse channels, including wireless communication, optical fibres and storage media. But as changes emerge, so do the needs in this field, and for that purpose the MODE-GAP ('Multi-mode capacity enhancement with PBG -photonic band gap- fibre') project is developing the next generation internet infrastructure to improve the capacity of broadband core networks, making bandwidth 100 times larger than the current capacity.

The Official Journal of the European Union published in 11 December 2010, Decision C(2006) 1580 on the adoption of ERC Rules for the submission of proposals and the related evaluation, selection and award procedures for indirect actions under the Ideas Specific Programme of the Seventh Framework Programme. These amendments are based on the experience of the first ERC calls, EU legislative changes as well as observations requested by the ERC Scientific Council.

An increasing number of developing countries are outsourcing deforestation to help protect and restore their local forests, according to a new study. The research was funded in part by the REDD-ALERT 'Reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation through alternative land uses in rainforests of the Tropics' project.

Before an earthquake hits the Iberian Peninsula, specific patterns in seismic behaviour can be detected, Spanish researchers have found. Presented in the journal Expert Systems with Applications, the study could prove vital for researchers seeking to determine when an earthquake will strike. The team recognises, however, that the chances of forecasting an earthquake with 100% accuracy are slim.

Council conclusions on “Cross fertilization between Europe 2020 flagship initiatives Digital Agenda for Europe and Innovation Union” agreed by ministers at the Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council, underlined the key role played by flagship initiatives “Digital Agenda for Europe” and “Innovation Union” as integrated strategies crucial to support the transition of the EU economy towards an energy and resource efficient and competitive knowledge economy ensuring a high level of smart, sustainable and inclusive growth and jobs.