In today’s Morning Brief:

The Commission launches a new tool to facilitate statistical transfers of renewable energy

The Commission recently published a new website to facilitate statistical transfers of renewable energy between EU countries. The Union Renewable Development Platform (URDP) provides an overview of the excess, or surplus, of statistics across EU countries and it features a matching mechanism, which shows options for potential agreements for statistical transfers and the associated conditions, such as volumes and price.

The platform also provides guidance on how to prepare an agreement. The timing is just right, since the platform will make it possible for EU countries to cover the missing statistics to their 2020 target for a share of renewable sources. It will also allow to plan new transfers, helping them to keep the trajectory towards the 2030 targets.

WG Agro Workshop

Human activities create pressures on natural resources that go far beyond sustainable levels, affecting land, agro, water and food (LAWF) systems.

This Thursday, at 09h00, the Hub WG responsible for this thematic area at INESC will hold a short virtual workshop where we count with the important participation of INESC researchers interested in this thematic area, to help us define our R&I identity towards the world, our vision for the future and through this, our strategic goals in the LAWF domain for the decade that now unfolds.

Registration for participation is compulsory here but all researchers willing to participate in the discussion are welcome.

Science Europe launches a vision for Research Culture in the ERA

On 25 November 2021, Science Europe releases a vision for Research Culture in the European Research Area (ERA) and commits to collective actions that enable a thriving research system.

Societal challenges and research problems are becoming more and more complex and demands on science are increasing. In parallel, the attractiveness and sustainability of research environments are also put too much into question, reflecting the need for research funding and performing organisations to re-consider some research practices.

The new statement on Research Culture envisages an ERA that focusses on the quality of research and its processes, supports scientific freedom, and promotes social diversity and inclusion, acknowledging that these conditions will, in turn, foster a productive research system.

Read more here.

A Soil Deal for Europe

The European Commission is looking for specialists in soil-related fields to evaluate and select the best proposals for EU research funding.

The Commission’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme will provide  €320 million funding during the period 2021-23 to help deliver this mission. Thus, they are looking for experienced and motivated specialists in soil-related fields to evaluate and select the best innovative ideas that could advance the protection and restoration of soils in Europe and beyond.

Click here to find out if you fit the profile and how to register.

Commission hosts second matchmaking event to speed up the development and production of COVID-19 medicines

Yesterday and today, the Commission is hosting a pan-European matchmaking event to accelerate and upscale the development and production of COVID-19 medicines in Europe, as part of the actions under the EU Strategy on COVID-19 Therapeutics.

This event aims at strengthening the participation of EU companies in value chains for COVID-19 therapeutics and speeding up connections among the participants. It also broadens the focus: from therapeutics specifically used to treat COVID-19, to also including those used to treat the symptoms of COVID-19, as well as the production of disposable materials and ingredients needed for making such medicines.

Read more about it here.

Europe’s climate legislation must work for citizens, says Spanish lawmaker

Europe’s new climate legislation needs to help citizens transition to renewable energy while protecting them from price shocks caused by volatile fossil fuel prices, according to Nicolás González Casares, a Spanish lawmaker for the Socialists and Democrats.

“Protecting citizens is the objective of the work we are carrying out with the implementation of the EU Green Deal and with the Fit for 55 package,” said Casares at an event run by EURACTIV.

Europe is undergoing a huge overhaul of its energy and environment legislation as policymakers try to put the 27 EU countries on track to meet their climate ambition.

The most recent legislative push – the so-called ‘Fit for 55’ package tabled in July – saw increased targets for renewable energy and energy efficiency as well as increased protection for vulnerable citizens.

Just months later, Europe saw how necessary those measures were as high energy prices hit consumers, raising concerns that the most vulnerable households would be pushed further into poverty and social exclusion.

In the long run, building up Europe’s renewable energy capacity would also protect consumers from price hikes because it would increase the amount of cheap, locally-produced energy and reduce the EU’s reliance on foreign imports.

Read more here.