A Harmonized Data Model for Noise Simulation in the EU

This paper presents our implementation of a harmonized data model for noise simulations in the European Union (EU). Different noise assessment methods are used by different EU member states (MS) for estimating noise at local, regional, and national scales. These methods, along with the input data extracted from the national registers and databases, as well as other open and/or commercially available data, differ in several aspects and it is difficult to obtain comparable results across the EU. To address this issue, a common framework for noise assessment methods (CNOSSOS-EU) was developed by the European Commission’s (EC) Joint Research Centre (JRC). However, apart from the software implementations for CNOSSOS, very little has been done for the practical guidelines outlining the specifications for the required input data, metadata, and the schema design to test the real-world situations with CNOSSOS. We describe our approach for modeling input and output data for noise simulations and also generate a real world dataset of an area in the Netherlands based on our data model for simulating urban noise using CNOSSOS.

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JRC activities in nuclear safety

Nuclear Technology and Radiation Protection ◽

10.2298/ntrp0901018m ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 24 (1) ◽

pp. 18-28 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Giustino Manna ◽

Luigi Debarberis ◽

Andrea Bucalossi ◽

Roberto May ◽

Michel Bieth ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Nuclear Energy ◽

Scientific Work ◽

Nuclear Safety ◽

Research Centre ◽

Joint Research ◽

Joint Research Centre ◽

The Public ◽

Base Load ◽

Management Issues ◽

The Eu

Nuclear energy is today the largest single source of carbon free and base-load electricity in Europe. While highlighting its important role in the overall energy mix, it is necessary to address sustainability, safety, and security concerns, in particular nuclear safety and nuclear waste management issues, which influence the public acceptance of nuclear energy. The present paper describes the Joint Research Centre activities in support to the EU nuclear safety policy. It describes the Joint Research Centre role in the EU institutional context, identifies the various customers to which the Joint Research Centre delivers its services, and provides some results of the Joint Research Centre scientific work inherent to nuclear safety.

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Forest and forestry policy between the EU and its Member States

elni Review ◽

10.46850/elni.2020.004 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 16-24

Author(s):

Marco Onida

Keyword(s):

Carbon Sink ◽

Forest Policy ◽

Ecological Condition ◽

Research Centre ◽

Joint Research ◽

Forest Protection ◽

Biodiversity Crisis ◽

Forest Policies ◽

Heated Debate ◽

The Eu

Trees and forests in Europe have never been centre stage the way they are now. Until a couple of years ago, forest-related concerns of European citizens focused mainly on international deforestation in tropical forests. The aggravation of the double climate and biodiversity crisis has significantly increased European citizens’ interest in the EU forests as irreplaceable carbon sinks and reservoirs of biodiversity. The pressure of public opinion on EU forest policies therefore is on the rise, also due to the fact that the more Europe takes action vis-à-vis third countries’ forest protection, the more its domestic agenda must be effective and credible; a case in point is the news about systematic illegal harvesting of primeval forests in Eastern European states such as Poland’s well-known Bielowieza, Romania (where the murder of official rangers sparked outrage across Europe), and Slovakia, which resonated powerfully. Citizens’ concerns are not ill-founded: European forests, in fact, are generally not in good ecological condition. Recent scientific reports further paint a worrying picture. According to the 2020 State of Nature Report by the European Environment Agency, less than 15% of assessed woodland and forest habitats are favourable, while up to 84% were assessed as unfavourable-inadequate. The EU Joint Research Centre assessment of ecosystems concludes that “the condition of EU forests is poor, and there are serious concerns regarding upward trends of several pressures and degrading condition indicators”. Even the sustainability of current harvesting levels is subject to debate. Overall, the current intensive use of forests will need to be better balanced against the objectives of carbon sink preservation and biodiversity protection. This ’greener‘ approach to forests has sparked a heated debate in the EU institutions as well as among stakeholders and NGOs, all seeking to influence in some way the future forest policy of the EU. This debate includes some legal issues.

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The Medical Device Regulation of the European Union Intensifies Focus on Clinical Benefits of Devices

Therapeutic Innovation & Regulatory Science ◽

10.1177/2168479019870732 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 216847901987073 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Beata Wilkinson ◽

Robert van Boxtel

Keyword(s):

European Union ◽

Medical Device ◽

Clinical Evaluation ◽

Medical Devices ◽

Real World ◽

The European Union ◽

Clinical Investigations ◽

Clinical Benefits ◽

The Eu ◽

Medical Device Regulation

This article comments on the new approach to the clinical evaluation of medical devices in the European Union (EU), which adds consideration of intended clinical benefits to the traditional focus on safety and performance. The article also discusses types of clinical benefits that may be claimed and how evidence for them may be generated. In the EU, determining the benefit-risk profile is an existing core requirement of the clinical evaluation performed according to MEDDEV 2.7/1 Rev 4 guidelines, but under the new Medical Device Regulation (MDR), “intended” clinical benefits must be determined first. The MDR sets high standards for ensuring reliable data are generated from clinical investigations. It stipulates that the endpoints of clinical investigations should include clinical benefits. However, many clinical-use questions arise only after a device is made widely available to patients. For all medical devices, particularly for on-the-market devices never subjected to randomized controlled trials and for new devices developed when these trials were inappropriate/impossible, the postmarket phase of the device is a valuable source of clinical-benefit data. Postmarket clinical follow-up can corroborate and refine predictions of clinical benefits over time. Indirect clinical effects, which may affect treatment adherence and influence patients’ well-being, may surface in the postmarket phase. Real-world clinical data will improve the manufacturer’s understanding of their device’s clinical benefits, potentially changing claims of intended clinical benefits in subsequent clinical evaluations. A paradigm change in clinical evaluation of medical devices in the EU will ensue when manufacturers ensure that their devices deliver real-world clinical benefits.

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An Assessment and Spatial Modelling of Agricultural Land Abandonment in Spain (2015–2030)

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12020560 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (2) ◽

pp. 560 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Carolina Perpiña Castillo ◽

Eloína Coll Aliaga ◽

Carlo Lavalle ◽

José Carlos Martínez Llario

Keyword(s):

Agricultural Land ◽

Natura 2000 ◽

Spatial Modelling ◽

Land Abandonment ◽

Research Centre ◽

The European Union ◽

Northern Spain ◽

Joint Research ◽

Protection Measures ◽

High Nature Value Farmland

This article presents a study based on the outputs from the LUISA Territorial modelling platform (Joint Research Centre of the European Commission) focused on regional and local future projections of land abandonment between 2015 and 2030. Spain is taken as representative of one of the countries highly affected by agricultural land abandonment in the European Union. The most relevant factors driving land abandonment (biophysical, agroeconomics, farm structure and demographic) are described and mapped. Results from the analysis reveal that the Galicia region, northern Spain (Asturias, Cantabria, Gipuzkoa, Bizkaia), north-eastern Spain (Aragón region), central Pyrenees/Ebro basin (Huesca, Navarra, Lleida) and south-eastern Spain (Murcia, Almería, Alicante, Málaga) are expected to undergo important abandonment processes. The study also concludes that land abandonment within mountainous, high nature value farmland and Natura 2000 areas is lower compared to the outside area without conservation and protection measures.

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Landscape change analysis and assessment (case studies in Slovakia and Bulgaria)

Open Geosciences ◽

10.2478/v10085-009-0005-8 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Jan Feranec ◽

Monika Kopecka ◽

Rumiana Vatseva ◽

Anton Stoimenov ◽

Jan Otahel ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Land Cover ◽

Landscape Change ◽

Driving Forces ◽

Research Centre ◽

The European Union ◽

Change Analysis ◽

Joint Research ◽

Data Layer ◽

Environment Agency ◽

Data Layers

AbstractLandscape change assessment was conducted in selected areas of Slovakia and Bulgaria in 1990–2000 using CORINE land cover (CLC) data layer analysis. Assessment of causes that led to these changes was undertaken, with an emphasis on those that determined the extensification of agriculture. The LC data were obtained under the CLC90 and I&CLC2000 projects, jointly managed by the European Environment Agency in Copenhagen, Denmark and the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission in Ispra, Italy. The CLC1990-2000-changes data layer was generated by overlaying the CLC90 and CLC2000 data layers for change in areas of a minimum 5 ha. The analysed causes of changes (driving forces) were then classified. Land cover (LC) changes characterizing urbanization processes occurred only in the Trnava and Tatras areas. Intensification of agriculture was also higher in these two areas. LC changes characterizing the extensification of agriculture were dominant in Plovdiv and Trnava. Deforestation and forestation were identified in all areas (Trnava, Tatras, Plovdiv, and Burgas). The basic reasons of these changes were related to the transformation of national economies from being centrally planned to market controlled, following the fall of socialism and before the countries joined the European Union.

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The science-policy interface – in need for "society" as a third component

10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-21623 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Jutta Thielen-del Pozo ◽

Lise Autogena ◽

Joshua Portway ◽

Florian Pappenberger

Keyword(s):

Science Policy ◽

Weather Forecasting ◽

Weather Prediction ◽

Weather Forecast ◽

Added Value ◽

Research Centre ◽

The European Union ◽

Joint Research ◽

Science Policy Interface ◽

A Performance

The European Union is funding research through so-called framework programmes (FPs), the financial and strategic tools to stimulate excellence, innovation, economic growth and creation of jobs across Europe. The allocated research budgets increased considerably from less than 4 billion Euro for FP1 (4 years) to 100 billion for Horizon Europe (FP9, 7 years), demonstrating the strategic importance that is being attributed to research and development for a strong and competitive Europe. The upcoming framework programme Horizon Europe will add a new level of ambition for the scientific, economic as well as societal impact of EU funding and address global challenges that affect the quality of our daily lives.However, if societal issues that affect our everyday lives are to be addressed effectively in research and to drive the necessary innovation process in view of a better future, then the third component at the science-policy interface must be &#8220;society&#8221;. Robust data, facts and evidences represent an important input to policy making in addition to other inputs and considerations. Scientists and policy makers must therefore not only network amongst their communities and experts but also interact with the public and engage in dialogue with citizens in order to first understand what the concerns and issues are and later to explain the solutions.The Joint Research Centre has engaged in an Art, Science and Society programme to fill this gap. Artists are invited to the JRC to co-develop projects with the scientists under a specific theme &#8211; in 2015 the topic was &#8220;Food&#8221;, in 2017 &#8220;Fairness&#8221; and in 2019 &#8220;Big Data, Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence&#8221;. The final works are exhibited during the so-called Resonances Festival.This presentation illustrates at the example of the Resonances III installation &#8220;Weather Prediction by Numerical Process - a forecast for Europe&#8221; by artists Lise Autogena and Joshua Portway in collaboration with the co-authors, the added value of this approach. The installation is a performance inspired by the work of L.F. Richardson (1881&#8211;1953), a truly multi-disciplinary scientist, who contributed to finite difference solutions of partial differential equations, turbulent flow and diffusion, also fractals, and the cause and evolution of conflicts. He was particularly visionary in his work on designing a numerical scheme for weather forecasting. While serving as ambulance driver during WWI, he performed the calculation for a weather forecast for Europe &#8220;by hand&#8221;. Even if the result of his years of calculations resulted in a wrong forecast because the numerical solution was not stable, the methodology for numerical weather forecast was born and today&#8217;s weather forecasts follow largely the same method &#8211; just with infinite more computing power. Richardson estimated that 64000 scientists, working together in a big orchestrated calculation, would be needed to calculate the weather in real-time.The chosen format for the art installation is a performance, ritualistically re-enacting a small part of this epic calculation, drawing the audience into a multi-faceted discussion on the relevance of Richardson&#8217;s legacy today in the times of super computing and climate change.

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Glass Waste3: A Preliminary Study for a New Industrial Recovery Processing

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12051997 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (5) ◽

pp. 1997

Author(s):

Rossana Bellopede ◽

Lorena Zichella ◽

Paola Marini

Keyword(s):

Pilot Plant ◽

Separation Efficiency ◽

Treatment Plant ◽

Glass Production ◽

Raw Material ◽

Research Centre ◽

Flow Sheet ◽

The European Union ◽

Joint Research ◽

Glass Waste

In recent times, the selection and treatment of glass waste are implemented in processing plants where a secondary raw material (SRM) named glass cullet, which is suitable for glass production, and a waste containing a high percentage of glass (glass waste2) is obtained. In the literature, there are many studies conducted on the recovery of the cullet, while few are the studies on the recovery of the waste that is produced by cullet processing. According to the 2013 Joint Research Centre (JRC) Reference report, the cullet produces savings in terms of energy and raw materials. However, it has a high current cost and its availability is becoming difficult, therefore its use is not always economically advantageous. The goal and strategy of the European Union is zero waste. For this purpose, further treatment of glass waste has been investigated. Through the industrial treatment of the glass waste2, a glass waste3 constituted again by an SRM made of glass is obtained together with a high quantity of presumed SRM (e.g., heavy plastic, corks, iron, non-ferrous metals, etc.). The process treatment separating these SRMs from the glass waste3 is, in this case, a pilot plant that needs to be optimized in order to reach an economic and sustainable industrial process solution. In particular, the materials to be recycled are exploitable product fractions with different particle sizes and physical properties (such as density, shape and resistance). This research is based on data collected from a North Italy process plant and is aimed at solving the issue of waste in this kind of process by implementing a pilot plant already present. Representative samples of feed material (glass waste3) and different products of the pilot plant have been analyzed. Moreover, laboratory tests were executed to improve separation efficiency and to valorize the different product fractions. A flow sheet of a new treatment plant has been developed and an economic evaluation has been made. The materials that will be separated in the new plant could be traded as SRM—e.g., plastics, metals, synthetic and cork stoppers—which constitute almost 90% of the total feed of the plant.

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Adaptation and Integration of Labour Migrants from Central Asia in Russia and Countries of European Union: Comparative Analysis Authors

Economy of region ◽

10.17059/ekon.reg.2021-1-13 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 17 (1) ◽

pp. 170-181

Author(s):

Elena B. Bedrina ◽

Elena V. Lazareva

Keyword(s):

European Union ◽

Comparative Analysis ◽

Central Asia ◽

Host Community ◽

The European Union ◽

Joint Research ◽

Eu Countries ◽

Acculturation Process ◽

The Eu

Currently, the Russian Federation is experiencing a transformation of migration flows from temporary to permanent. The largest share of migrants comes from the countries of Central Asia, where the demographic and economic situation stimulates a long-term increase in flows of labour migrants. In these conditions, it is necessary to examine issues of adaptation and integration of migrants. We review scientific literature on the adaptation practises of labour migrants. We applied the method of comparative analysis due to the importance the accumulated experience of European countries, which chose a policy of active integration. We analysed scientific publicactions, which are indexed in Scopus, Web of Science, E-library databases, and focused on the factors and models of adaptation of labour migrants from Central Asia in Russia and the countries of the European Union (EU). The study revealed the growing interest in the research topic, increased publication activity and joint research by representatives of different countries. In most cases, researchers note the role of social capital in the adaptation of migrants, the length of the acculturation process of migrants and the importance of participation of the host community in the process. We proposed to consider the experience of bilateral adaptation in the EU countries. As the flow of migrants to the EU countries from Central Asia increases, the interest in this topic on the part of Western researchers will grow. The research results can be used to improve efficiency in the research of migration processes.

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A Benthic Zonation System as a Fundamental Tool for Natural Capital Assessment in a Marine Environment: A Case Study in the Northern Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su10103786 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (10) ◽

pp. 3786 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Marco Marcelli ◽

Sergio Scanu ◽

Francesco Manfredi Frattarelli ◽

Emanuele Mancini ◽

Filippo Maria Carli

Keyword(s):

Ecosystem Services ◽

Natural Capital ◽

Marine Ecosystem ◽

Posidonia Oceanica ◽

Research Centre ◽

Tyrrhenian Sea ◽

The European Union ◽

Joint Research ◽

Accurate Identification ◽

Marine Ecosystem Services

Coastal marine areas are characterized by the highest values of ecosystem services and by multiple uses that are often in conflict with each other. Natural capital analysis is claimed to be a valid tool to support space planning. In the context of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) of the European Union (EU), the EU Joint Research Centre (JRC) Scientific and Policy Report 2014 defines the monitoring of specific descriptors and their possible use, based on an ecosystem-services approach. Mediterranean marine ecosystems are characterized by high biodiversity and the presence of relevant benthic biocenosis that can be used as a tool to support coastal planning, conservation, and monitoring programs. In this study, we considered the Mediterranean benthic biocenosis, as classified by Pérès and Picard, as a working tool and propose a basic spatial unit for the assessment of marine ecosystem services. Focusing on a high-resolution local-scale analysis, this work presents an accurate identification of the different biocenoses for the coastal area of Civitavecchia in the Northern Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy, and ecosystem services, as well as a benefits assessment, of the Posidonia oceanica meadows.

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Urban Nature: Does Green Infrastructure Relate to the Cultural and Creative Vitality of European Cities?

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13148052 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (14) ◽

pp. 8052

Author(s):

Vishal Kumar ◽

Aude Vuilliomenet

Keyword(s):

Green Infrastructure ◽

Social Inclusion ◽

Research Centre ◽

Growth Strategies ◽

Urban Nature ◽

Green Growth ◽

Joint Research ◽

Positive Correlation ◽

European Cities ◽

The Eu

The COVID-19 pandemic severely upended cultural and creative production, consumption, and interactions in cities. Open green spaces, parks, forests, and gardens—green infrastructure—were instead utilized by citizens as a substitute for stimulating social interactions, sustainable tourism, and green growth. (1) The purpose of this research is to understand whether the availability of green infrastructure relates to the Cultural and Creative Cities Monitor (CCCM) benchmarking project developed by the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission performance. Does new evidence suggest revising the CCCM conceptual framework and related urban policies, especially in relation to the EU Green Deal? (2) Data from OpenStreetMap was used to count the amount of green infrastructure in 184 European Cities covered by the CCM and was then correlated with the sub-indices of the CCCM. (3) We found a moderately positive correlation of green infrastructure with the cultural vibrancy of a city and a weak positive correlation with the enabling environment of a city. (4) In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the EU Green Deal and several other policy initiatives aimed at urban greening, we recommend that the CCCM include an Urban Nature sub-index as one of the performance indicators of the CCCM. An Urban Nature sub-index will broaden the goal of the CCCM by providing policymakers with a better understanding of actions and strategies to allow culture to contribute to social inclusion and green growth strategies in cities.

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