For a harmonisation of hydropower regimes in European Single Market

Our study of hydropower regimes in European countries reveals the considerably variable terms of hydropower usage rights, in both their joint obligations and the degree of openness of the competition processes through which these rights are granted. The environmental and economic stakes and liabilities associated with the use of hydropower account for the in-depth public controls in granting these rights. Nevertheless, the strong differences among hydropower regimes in Europe cannot be explained by rational environmental or economic criteria while they bring competition distortion to the common European electricity market. Over the last decade, the European Commission has opened several infringement procedures to prompt the implementation of competitive processes. However, unfortunately, this has not been undertaken with a common 'European' approach, which would ensure similar efforts throughout Member States to open the competition process to access hydropower. The current discrepancies among Member States create obstacles for countries engaged in a competitive renewal process, as there is not a level playing field or a coherent European reference framework. Thus, the heterogeneous state of European hydropower regimes requires significant efforts from the European Commission, and the institutional stakeholders, to stimulate harmonisation. It would help if the Commission Directorates-General started debating the topic and coordinating their action. New, clear steps must be taken to prepare national and regional authorities to harmonise their rules of attribution and to mitigate competition distortions

Incentives for investments : comparing EU electricity TSO regulatory regimes

QM-02-13-593-EN-CQM-02-13-593-EN-NRelated PB 2014/01The objective of this paper is to study the potential consequences of national regulatory choices with regard to network investments influencing the development of the European market in the North Western region. To reach our objective, we first build an analytical framework to study the different properties of the national regulatory regimes. We consequently define criteria to compare the economic properties for investment of any regulatory regime. We establish a set of theoretical and empirical principles to identify the key economic properties of the main regulatory characteristics and the main design options, summing it up in a graphical analysis. In a second step, we study selected countries in our analytical framework. Our high level analysis focuses on five European countries that are connected in a regional market and cover more than half of the EU electricity production. These countries are namely Belgium, France, Germany, Great Britain and the Netherlands. We address the existing regulatory incentives for investments in this area, relying on theoretical and applied economic literature as well as an analysis of each country regulatory regime. The frame is then used to compare the economic properties of these various national regulatory regimes. Third, after discussion of the potential reasons of national choices, we analyse the potential outcomes of these regulatory regimes when being put together in the context of regional market integration. Finally, we discuss the need of some harmonisation and the key harmonisation targets

Harmonizing electricity TSO regulation to ensure financeability of massive transmission investment plan : the case of North-West EU

QM-AI-14-001-EN-CQM-AI-14-001-EN-N• The study of five EU regulatory regimes for electricity TSOs (Belgium, Ger­many, Great-Britain, France and the Netherlands) suggests that their designs encompass strong tensions and trade-offs. Four main economic properties are at stake: the capability to (a) sufficiently remunerate TSO investments, (b) reduce the risk borne by TSOs, (c) incentivise TSO cost reduction, and (d) transfer efficiency gains to final users. No regulatory regime can simultane­ously reach the highest level of performance for each of these properties. • The existing national regulatory regimes show a significant heterogeneity of intrinsic trade-offs. This can be understood as a legitimate heritage from the past, and a consequence of the previous paths of network and regulatory re­gimes in an “isolated country” manner giving absolute priority to a particular set of local economic properties. • However, these isolated national contexts should no longer be valid as the Eu­ropean Union is pushing more than ever to prompt for wider integration and increasing interactions between power networks and power systems. In any regional EU market, the economic properties of national regulatory regimes must consequently be realigned and harmonized so as to contribute more to the EU common good. • This harmonization of regulatory regimes should take into account the TSOs’ capability to finance the investments required for projects of pan-European significance. In our new EU paradigm, incentives for “national only” cost re­duction should be ranked second in favor of “Pan EU” key issues such as re­ducing cost of capital, minimizing investment risk, and guaranteeing invest­ment financeability. The “coalition of the European willing” should push the entire zone to a more favorable environment for regional TSO investments

Regimes for granting the right to use hydropower in Europe

QM-04-15-770-EN-NOver the last decade, the European Commission has launched several procedures concerning the compatibility of hydropower right granting with European laws and regulations in several countries (e.g. France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, etc.). Meanwhile, other hydropower regimes (e.g. in Austria or Sweden) are not subject of such investigations despite not being grounded on competitive process. This difference of treatment raises questions about the drivers of the European Commission actions. Understanding and grabbing the main differences between the national hydropower regimes is then of particular interest. This report aims at providing a benchmarking of hydropower concession regimes in Europe, describing hydropower regimes in 14 European countries (Austria, Bulgaria, Finland, France, Germany, Great-Britain, Greece, Italy, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland) and regions when appropriate (e.g. cantons in Switzerland or Lands/States in Germany). This report describes and scrutinizes hydropower regimes through a unified analysis framework to ensure their comparison on an equal basis. This framework is structured around 4 blocks: 1. The institutional framework of hydropower regimes (e.g. type of rights to use hydropower, authorities granting rights to use hydropower, etc.) 2. The framework for granting right to use hydropower (duration of rights and procedure, competitive process and existence of a possible EC infringement procedure). 3. The obligations of the hydropower operator (environmental and investment obligations and royalties). 4. Small hydro characterisation and support schemes

For a harmonisation of hydropower regimes in Europe

QM-AI-14-006-EN-CQM-AI-14-006-EN-N• The study of hydropower regimes in European countries reveals the considerably variable terms of hydropower usage rights, in their joint obligations and the degree to which the competition processes for granting these rights is open. • The environmental and economic stakes and liabilities, associated with the use of hydropower, account for the in-depth public controls in granting these rights. Nevertheless, the noted differences among hydropower regimes in Europe cannot be explained by rational environmental or economic criteria, and could introduce competition distortion within the European common electricity market. • Over the last decade, the European Commission has opened several infringement procedures to prompt the implementation of competitive processes, but they have not been undertaken with a “Europeanised” approach, which would ensure a similarity of efforts throughout Member States to open competition to access hydropower. The current diversity amongst Member States creates obstacles for the countries that have engaged in a competitive renewal process, as they are faced with the lack of a level playing field and a coherent reference framework. • Thus, the fragmented state of European hydropower regimes requires significant efforts from the European Commission, and the institutional stakeholders, to stimulate harmonisation. The actions of the Commission and its Directorates-General must be coordinated and delineated, and new, clear steps must be taken to urge national and regional authorities to harmonise their rules of attribution and mitigate competition distortions

Regimes for granting rights to use hydropower in Europe

QM-01-14-857-EN-CQM-01-14-857-EN-NThis report describes and scrutinizes hydropower regimes through a unified analysis framework to ensure their comparison on an equal basis. This framework is structured around 4 blocks: (1) the institutional framework of hydropower regimes (e.g. type of rights to use hydropower, authorities granting rights to use hydropower, etc.); (2) the framework for granting right to use hydropower (duration of rights and procedure, competitive process and existence of a possible EC infringement procedure); (3) the obligations of the hydropower operator (environmental and investment obligations and royalties); and (4) small hydro characterisation and support schemes

From sequence to structure to function: a case study

International audienceWe have developed a WWW server for the rapid structural analysis of protein sequence/structure alignments. Users can submit an amino acid sequence to perform structural predictions and fold recognition. Pairwise 1D/3D alignments are then visualized as colored alignments to highlight sequence similarities and the relative positions of secondary structure elements and insertions/deletions. A pseudo-energy score is computed for each block in the proposed structural alignment to help manual refinement of the threading if necessary. Modelling is then performed using MODELLER and directly validated using Verify3D. The Web interfaces, we have developed, allow rapid and automatic molecular modelling even in the case of low sequence identity level (20-30%).Here, we report a structural analysis of the Thymidine Monophosphate Kinase (TMPK) from Campylobacter jejuni (hereafter, TMPKcj), a Gram-negative bacterium responsible for human diarrhea. Limited but significant sequence similarities could be detected with other nucleotide monophosphate kinases. The comparison of the TMPK with the crystal structure of other TMPK, strongly suggested that it might adopt a similar fold and revealed the conservation of the monomer-monomer interface. We propose a structural model of TMPKcj and analyze the slight differences at the levels of primary and 3D-structure suggesting putative variations in the binding of substrate analogs

Serious games as a social learning tool in formalizing the artisanal and small-scale mining sector in African territories

International audienceThe literature states that the predominantly “top-down only” approach classically taken to formalise the complex sector of artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) in Africa has resulted in the design of ineffective and/or incompatible regulations. This paper discusses a complementary “bottom-up as well” approach, based on the joint design, with local stakeholders—some of whom have very low literacy and education—of serious games as an educational tool combined with new management of resources and territories. These games would serve as a social learning laboratory that would (a) provide a secure framework for testing new decisions and (b) help change opinions through deliberations. This paper is theoretical and should be regarded as presenting the design and implementation of active research regarding ASM formalisation in African territories. We argue our proposal by reviewing the literature and field debates and also by applying a solid scientific foundation

Mortalité des veaux : analyse phénotypique et étude de la composante génétique

The decrease in calf mortality is a major issue for the cattle sector. The MORPHE project, funded by France Genetique Elevage was aimed at quantifying the genetic impact on calves and heifer mortality from birth to reproduction period and to define relevant phenotypes for new genetic evaluations. The phenotypic analysis of mortality was carried out on nine dairy breeds and 10 beef breeds from birth and death events reported in the national information system between 2005 and 2011. Between zero and six months, the average mortality rate depended on the breeds (from 10.5 to 19.2% in dairy breeds and from 5.1 to 13.7% in beef breeds). It also depended on the sex of the calf (+ 3% mortality for males), calving rank of dam (lower mortality in multiparous), farm size (lower mortality in small herds for dairy breeds) and birth period (higher calf mortality for birth between December and March for dairy breeds). The calf mortality rate between three and 180 days had a high phenotypic variability between sires, ranging from less than 5% for the best bulls to 10 or even 15% for the worse ones. In beef breeds, the genetic study of stillbirth (0-2 days) was a priority. This trait was split into a direct and a maternal effects. Four models were tested on three breeds (Charolaise, Limousine, and Parthenaise) to measure the impact of disconnection between herds and the discrete nature of the phenotype. Heritabilities were low (from 1 to 2%) but consistent between models. The differences of stillbirth for bulls evaluated in extreme classes were important. The comparison of breeding values estimated with the four models showed the importance of connectedness between herds. The model could probably be improved by integrating within herd heterogeneous variances. In dairy breeds, heritability of mortality was estimated with a threshold model at different life stages for Holstein, Montbeliarde, Normandy, Simmental and Brown Swiss breeds. It ranged between 0.1 and 0.9% for the first month of life and between 0.3 and 2.1% between 1 and 6 months of age. Despite these low heritability estimates, the implementation of a geneticLa baisse de la mortalité des veaux est un enjeu majeur pour les filières bovines. Le projet FGE MORPHE, visait à quantifier l’impact génétique sur la mortalité des veaux et des génisses entre leur naissance et leur mise en reproduction et à définir des phénotypes pertinents pour de nouvelles évaluations génétiques. L’analyse phénotypique de la mortalité a été réalisée sur 9 races laitières et 10 races allaitantes à partir des déclarations de naissance et de mortalité des veaux entre 2005 et 2011. Entre 0 et 6 mois, le taux moyen de mortalité est variable selon les races (entre 10,5 et 19,2% en races laitières et entre 5,1 et 13,7% en races allaitantes). Il dépend également du sexe du veau (+3% de mortalité chez les mâles), du rang de vêlage de la mère (moindre mortalité chez les multipares), de la taille des élevages (moindre mortalité dans les petits troupeaux en races laitières), et de la période de naissance (mortalité plus importante des veaux laitiers naissant entre décembre et mars). Sur la période 3-180 jours, le taux de mortalité des veaux présente une variabilité phénotypique importante entre pères, allant de moins de 5% pour les meilleurs à 10 voire 15% pour les moins bons. En races allaitantes, l’étude génétique de la mortinatalité (0-2 jours) a été prioritaire. Ce caractère est décomposé en un effet direct et un effet maternel. 4 modèles ont été testés sur 3 races (Charolaise, Limousine et Parthenaise), afin de mesurer l’impact de la déconnexion entre troupeaux et du caractère discontinu du phénotype. Les héritabilités sont faibles et cohérentes entre modèles, de l’ordre de 1 à 2%. Les écarts de moyennes phénotypiques des taureaux évalués dans les classes extrêmes sont importants. La comparaison des valeurs génétiques estimées avec les 4 modèles montre l’importance de la prise en compte de la déconnexion entre troupeaux. Le modèle pourrait probablement être amélioré en intégrant des variances hétérogènes intra troupeau. Dans les races laitières, l’héritabilité de la mortalité entre 3 et 180 jours a été estimée avec un modèle à seuil à différents stades de vie pour les races Holstein, Montbéliarde, Normande, Simmental et Brune. Elle est généralement comprise entre 0,1 et 0,9% pour les stades de vie définis au cours du 1 er mois et entre 0,3 et 2,1% entre 1 et 6 mois. Ce niveau faible reste cependant compatible avec la mise en œuvre d’une évaluation génétique, dans la perspective d’une prise en compte de ces caractères en sélection génomique

Spreading properties of cosmetic emollients: Use of synthetic skin surface to elucidate structural effect

International audienc