Regulatory preparedness for multicomponent nanomaterials: current state, gaps and challenges of REACH

In 2018 the European Commission adopted revisions to the Annexes of Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 concerning registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals (REACH) to introduce nanomaterial-specific clarifications and provisions. Multicomponent nanomaterial (MCNM) is a non-regulatory term that has been used in recent EU-funded projects to describe nanomaterials with a complex structure and/or composition and which are expected to be increasingly used in products in the near future. This paper examines the regulatory preparedness of REACH, and its revised Annexes, for MCNMs. Several situations have been identified where there is potential confusion and uncertainty around how regulatory definitions used in REACH should be applied to MCNMs. If a MCNM cannot be identified as falling within a specific definition, understanding the regulatory obligations that apply to it is very difficult. Examples of these grey areas include how the term “surface functionalisation or modification” applies when a chemical is physisorbed to the surface of a nanoform, and the identity of the substance that should be registered when the modification takes it outside the definition of a nanoform. We conclude that the regulatory preparedness can be improved by amending the REACH guidance on information requirements for nanoforms and revising the definition of “nanoform” in line with the updated EC Recommendation on the definition of nanomaterial.JRC.F.2 - Technologies for Healt

Peer reviews on Transformative Innovation for Climate Change Adaptation – The urban case of Turku

Within the frame of the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) work on transformative innovation for climate resilience, in collaboration with DG CLIMA as orchestrator of the European Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change and DG Research and Innovation, JRC’s Unit B7 “Innovation policies and economic Impact” organised in Autumn 2024 a series of on-line Peer Review workshops on “Transformative Innovation for better Climate Change Adaptation”. The Peer Reviews followed up on territorial case studies published throughout 2024 that also served as a starting point of the analysis of Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) implementation bottlenecks. Among the 16 territories covered by the case studies, three territories volunteered to undergo this peer review process. These three territories are also representative of three territorial levels: National (Slovenia), regional (region Blekinge, Sweden) and urban (City of Turku, Finland). The peer review format was tested to federate the experience of peers from other territories across Europe on how to best address CCA bottlenecks and to help volunteering territories to define pathways towards integrating transformative innovation in their climate adaptation strategies. Since the topic is complex and nobody has the full answer, creating a safe space for peer exchanges based on openness and ‘no naming and shaming’ was the method proposed in the peer reviews under the Chatham House rule. The three peer review reports, based on the three aforementioned territorial levels, aim to lay the ground for the strong and urgent imperative to deploy adaptation strategies at the right territorial level and compile the testimonies shared by peers from other territories to overcome specific bottlenecks in implementing their CCA strategies.JRC.B.7 - Innovation Policies and Economic Impac

Building capacity for evidence-informed policymaking in governance and public administration in a post-pandemic Europe

The project "Building capacity for evidence informed policymaking (EIPM) in governance and public administration in post-pandemic Europe" supported seven European Union (EU) member states (Estonia, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Greece, Lithuania, Latvia and the Netherlands) in building capacity to improve the effectiveness of their public administrations, through greater capacity for supply and uptake of scientific knowledge, evaluation, and evidence in policymaking. The expected long-term impact of this project is the reinforced institutional integration of the use of evidence, science and evaluation for policymaking. This report presents the results of the joint work of approximately 100 people from Estonia's public sector who participated in survey, numerous interviews, focus groups and workshop during 2023–2024. The final country report consists of three main parts in chronological order of the work: the diagnostic report (chapter 4), the needs and gaps assessment report (chapter 5) and the roadmap (chapter 6). Each preceding chapter is integral to the subsequent one; thus, the roadmap chapter is of particular significance, as it presents a detailed plan for implementing change. All chapters focus on the supply and demand side of the Estonian EIPM system as well as the brokerage level where supply and demand meet. The term ‘supply side’ refers to organizations supplying the evidence to be used in policy processes. ‘Demand’ refers to those using evidence and scientific knowledge in their policy processes.JRC.S.2 - Science for Democracy and Evidence-Informed Policymakin

Solar Cell Efficiency Tables (Version 65)

Consolidated tables showing an extensive listing of the highest independently confirmed efficiencies for solar cells and modules are presented. Guidelines for inclusion of results into these tables are outlined, and new entries since July 2024 are reviewed.JRC.C.2 - Energy Efficiency and Renewable

Artificial Intelligence and cybersecurity in health

This collection contains data collected and/or produced in the frame of activities towards (i) realising trustworthiness of AI in practice in health and (ii) a better understanding and characterisation of cyber incidents in health in order to feed into enhanced cyber resilience of healthcare settings.JRC.F.2 - Technologies for Healt

Titanium metal in the EU: Strategic relevance and circularity potential

This report examines the strategic importance of titanium metal for the European Union (EU) economy and explores the potential for increased circularity in its value chain. Recognised as both a critical and strategic raw material under the EU Critical Raw Materials Act, titanium is essential for key sectors such as civil aviation, defence, space, and advanced manufacturing. The supply chain faces significant challenges due to geopolitical tensions, resource dependency, and sustainability demands, with a notable gap between global supply and projected demand. Chapter 2 analyses the titanium supply chain, highlighting the EU's reliance on imports and the need for diversification and enhanced domestic capabilities. Chapter 3 focuses on the demand side, detailing the EU's strategic industries that depend on titanium. Chapter 4 delves into the geopolitical dynamics, assessing the EU's position relative to major global players and the impact of Russia’s unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine on the supply chain. Chapter 5 addresses the opportunities and challenges in terms of increasing circularity in the titanium supply chain by identifying drivers and barriers, measuring research and innovation intensity through academic publications and patents, and evaluating enhanced circularity scenarios using macroeconomic modelling. The report concludes, in Chapter 6, with potential policy interventions aimed at strengthening the EU's titanium supply chain, reducing external dependencies, and promoting a transition to a circular economy.JRC.S.4 - Scientific Development Programme

Mitigating biomethane losses in European biogas plants: A techno-economic assessment

The use of biogas for heat and electricity generation, and particularly biogas upgraded to biomethane, are expected to have an increasing share in the European energy mix. However, due to the high global warming potential of methane, it is essential to minimize accidental biomethane releases from biogas plants to ensure the sector effectively contributes to mitigating climate change. Addressing biomethane leaks helps to mitigate biogas's carbon intensity and prevents the loss of methane that could otherwise be utilized as fuel or energy purposes. Measures to minimize emissions, including regular leak detection campaigns, technology assessments and optimization, and the adoption of operational best practices, are essential to achieve greenhouse gases (GHG) emission savings from biogas and biomethane production. This work provides a comprehensive and structured review aimed at identifying and quantifying methane losses and evaluating their impact on the carbon intensity of biogas or biomethane. The economic opportunity of adopting a Leak Detection and Repair (LDAR) programme is explored on the basis of the outcomes of this review, and evaluated by considering its cost and the additional income from increased biogas yield to estimate its payback time. For this scope, a calculation script has been specifically developed, gathering set of data from literature, recent projects and interviews with stakeholders. The results show that the adoption of a LDAR programme and the alignment to the best practices available to reduce methane losses, would bring both additional revenues to operators and significant climate benefits.JRC.C.2 - Energy Efficiency and Renewable

Cancer Survival

Population-based cancer survival statistics indicate the survival of all persons diagnosed with cancer in a given population. Survival for the different types of cancer differs widely, and survival is usually estimated separately for each type of cancer. This article illustrates how to estimate and interpret the observed, cause-specific and relative survival proportions, the proportion of cured patients, the mean survival time and the proportion of persons who die from cancer, and how to obtain age-standardized estimates and the effects of prognostic factors using regression modeling. Finally, some issues and limits for the interpretation of the estimates are elucidated.JRC.F.1 - Disease Preventio

Comparing transparent and covert nudges

Do transparent and non-transparent nudges have similar effects? The question is central in recent research on behavioural public policy, as it leads to ethical and practical implications regarding policy-maker responsibility, citizen agency, and nudge design. We meta-analysed results from 23 publications designed to compare transparent to covert nudges including 117 effect sizes and found a positive effect of transparency on behavioural outcomes, but no effect on non-behavioural outcomes. The moderator analyses revealed that studies conducted online, manipulating the decision structure, and conducted in the domain ‘other’ tended to exhibit significantly positive transparency effects for behavioural outcomes. We note that all but two studies were conducted online or in the lab, and that there is an over-representation of research on default nudges (88% of total effects), severely limiting the generalizability of the findings. Thus, we call for an improvement of research conducted on transparent nudges and the inclusion of more nudge types, preferably in a field setting. We also stress the importance of defining the form of transparency that societies require for respecting their citizen’s autonomy.JRC.S.1 - EU Policy Lab: Foresight, Design & Behavioural Insight

Water Stories from EU Citizens

We collected stories to explore how citizens and stakeholders across the EU experience water in their daily lives. Narratives allowed us to collect both personal and professional life stories where they shared their individual experiences about water, providing us with an overview of how EU citizens connect to water and build their water culture. Framed through a behavioural lens to identify patterns and attitudes, we collected 2,751 stories from EU citizens (2666) and stakeholders (85) from across all 27 Member States. Participants were presented with a prompting question to describe a moment or experience where they felt very aware of the importance of water and were then asked to fill in signifier questions to help them self-interpret their stories. We then analysed patterns, trends, and narratives behind the data. We also conducted a sense-making workshop with policymakers to delve deeper into specific sets of stories. Our main findings are as follows: 1) In EU stories, water is predominantly linked to health and wellbeing, highlighting its fundamental importance for survival and comfort. This theme appears in 37% of stories, with 70% expressing positive sentiment. People acknowledge water's critical role in hydration, cleansing, and stress relief, finding comfort in activities like swimming. The stories also underscore the importance of clean water access and infrastructure. There is a shift towards viewing water as a core part of personal and community identity.  2) Water-related concerns vary by region, emphasizing the role of context. In the Baltic Sea region, water quality and pollution are key concerns, while the Mediterranean region focuses more on environmental and climate change issues. This region also reports higher levels of worry and sadness linked to water scarcity and its effects on living conditions. 3) Personal beliefs and experiences shape perceptions of water issues, with both short-term disruptions and long-term scarcity evoking strong emotional responses. These experiences highlight water's integral role in daily life and prompt reflection on its importance when disrupted.  4) Half of the participants feel they can significantly impact the situation in their water story, often through educational efforts that encourage change in others. 5) There is little mention of economic issues in water stories, especially at sectoral levels. Only few people link their stories to industry, trade, economy, finance or mobility and transport. The link that is sometimes made is through water bills or cost saving measures. JRC.S.1 - EU Policy Lab: Foresight, Design & Behavioural Insight