European Union News - Research & Innovation

The Spanish Presidency of the European Union organised a ministerial meeting in Madrid on Information Society Policies and Metrics, with the aim of reinforcing resources devoted to this area by EU governments and international agencies, and making progress within a framework of co-operation.

The third edition of the EU Veterinary Week, organised in partnership with the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE) will run from 14 to 20 June 2010. The theme for the EU Veterinary Week 2010 will be identification and traceability along the food chain.

Norway, together with Belgium and Spain has been given the EU's go-ahead last month for a large-scale joint European marine research programme. The planned cooperation aims to boost knowledge of environmental conditions, marine resources and commercialisation in the seas and oceans managed by European countries.

Clean bathing waters are vital for key economic sectors such as tourism and for plant and animal life. The annual bathing water report presented by the European Commission and the European Environment Agency shows that 96 % of coastal bathing areas and 90 % of bathing sites in rivers and lakes complied with minimum standards in 2009. It also describes where to obtain detailed and up-to-date information on bathing sites.

From 9 to 11th June, experts in research and skateholders on Marie Curie Grants will meet in Barcelona to exchange views and to assess the progress of their projects.

Three key European transport projects ranging from the Baltic countries to the Iberian Peninsula have today been given a boost by the signing of three Memorandums of Understanding. The signing of these documents demonstrates the commitment to carrying out these projects as fast and as efficiently as possible. The three projects are the Rail Baltica, running from Estonia to Poland, the high-speed lines linking France, Spain and Portugal and the key East–West railway axis Lyon–Turin–Trieste–Ljubljana–Budapest.

On 9th June 2010, PSI Meeting 2010 "Realising the value of Public Sector Information" will be held in Madrid. This is an international meeting aimed to evaluate the economic and social benefits of the policies for the reuse of public sector information.

The European Commission has launched Scientix, a new web-portal targeted towards teachers, researchers, policy makers, local actors, parents and anyone interested in science education. Scientix will give access to teaching materials, research results and policy documents from European science education projects financed by the European Union and by various national initiatives.

On the basis of the Ambien Assisted Living joint programme, a high-leve panel established to advise the European Commission has launched a public consultation on the issue.

A group of business innovators and economists put together by Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, the European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science are looking for a tool that indicates how innovative we are. The right measurement indicator would help track Europe's progress on its quest to become a more innovative economy.

The European Union and Russia have agreed to increase their co-operation in the areas of science and cutting-edge technology, during a summit that sought common ground for the next G20 meeting, but which also issued a joint statement condemning the attack on the humanitarian flotilla near Gaza.

A new report, put together by the International Panel for Sustainable Resource Management, indicates that legislators and policymakers looking to make the most impact on the Earth’s well-being should use taxes and other incentives to encourage more eco-friendly agricultural practices and reduce the use of fossil fuels.