Green light for EU science plan
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A 54bn-euro (Â£36bn) plan to boost science research in Europe is approved by the EU Parliament.
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(InfoWorld) - In a bid to speed up the dissemination of scientific discoveries, the European Commission said Thursday it plans to shake up the old-fashioned world of scientific publishing by throwing its weight behind a move to make scientific research results freely available on the Internet. Until now, results have been published in journals along with peer reviews of the research. Publishers of scientific, technical, and medical journals argue that the peer review system wouldn't work as reliably if results were published willy-nilly online. "Nobody will benefit if a major European industry is undermined and with it the peer review system upon which science and society depend," said the International Association of Scientific, Technical, and Medical Publishers (STM) in a statement ahead of Thursday's announcement by the Commission. The publishers, which include giants like Reed Elsevier and McGraw-Hill, cosigned a petition to Europe's lawmakers dubbed the Brussels Declaration, calling for leniency. The Commission is hosting a two-day conference starting Thursday with the publishers as well as with advocates of a free, Internet-based model for scientific publishing. In its statement, the Commission made it clear that it favors freer access to research results. It is planning to spend about â¬85 million ($111 million) over the next two years improving the digital storage and online accessibility of scientific results. Digital technologies are reshaping how research information is viewed, analyzed, and eventually published, the Commission said. For example, about 90 percent of all science journals are now available online, often by subscription. But digital technologies are also leading to more "open access" publishing. This provides free and wide access to publications online. Better access to research data also opens the way to new types of uses and services, often through the reusing of past results as the raw material for new experimentation. However, the Commission added that online access to current scientific information does not guarantee its future availability. Digital information has a limited lifetime and needs to be maintained over time. Better tools and organizational steps are necessary to ensure digital preservation and thus prevent the loss of important scientific information, the Commission said. "The digital revolution has led the European scientific community to suggest that an alternative publishing model with better access to research publications could further stimulate research excellence and innovation," Commissioner for Research Janez Potocnik told delegates at the conference. Publishers association STM had argued that it would be wrong for the Commission to favor one business model over another and urged it to back off from the scientific publishing sector. But the association changed its tune Thursday, after learning how serious the Commission is about taking action. "I am pleased that the Commission has recognized the complex issues that surround the publication and preservation of scientific information and has seen fit to initiate a dialogue rather than prematurely imposing a policy that could undermine STM publishing, which is such an important industry for Europe," said Michael Mabe, CEO of STM in a statement released Thursday. The STM welcomes the Commission's action plan "in the area of creating a level playing field for publication business models, recognizing that further research on preservation and economics is essential before adopting any policy positions," the association said in its latest statement.
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The EU industry chief unveiled plans  on Friday to revise the bloc's toy safety standards with a ban  on some chemicals and on packaging toys as giveaways with foods  such as sweets or cereals.
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A Nokia-led European Commission task force offers ideas for making mobile phones greener.
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The EU is expected to tell the UK that 15% of energy needs must be met from renewable sources by 2020.
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The European Union has found new partners in its campaign against global warming: weather forecasters.
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(InfoWorld) - The European Union will provide a sizeable amount of money to research groups this year as part of a multiyear program to spur research in new information and communications technologies. More than 2,000 ICT researchers met Thursday in Cologne, Germany, to learn how they can participate in the E.U.'s 7th Framework Program for research and development, with a budget of â¬50 billion ($65 billion) through 2013. ICT research accounts for the lion's share of the framework budget at â¬9.1 billion, with â¬1.2 billion to be allocated this year. The E.U. is keen to fund research in areas where the region has a technological edge, including communications, software systems, networked media, and embedded systems. The European government also hopes to speed innovation in areas where companies in the region could gain a competitive edge, such as next-generation Internet technology. Early E.U. investment in digital mobile communications, the Brussels government is quick to point out, led to the development and worldwide adoption of the GSM standard, the most widely used mobile phone system in the world. Research organizations across Europe are encouraged to establish a research priority, form a consortium, and apply for funding. The E.U., which launched a call for proposals on Dec. 22, will accept proposals through May 8. While researchers team up in Cologne, other partnerships are already taking shape in the ICT area. Under aÂ new strategy for funding technology research announced in November, the E.U. has agreed to pool its vast resources with those from private industry and individual member states in a public-private partnership. The plan calls for technology companies and research institutes to marry their own R&DÂ investments with additional funds from the member states and the E.U. through new Joint Technology Initiatives (JTI). The first JTI, called Artemis, is focused on embedded systems, an area signaled by European ministers as being of strategic importance for Europe's economy. European industry's own research investment in this area is estimated at around â¬15 billion to â¬20 billion per year. Â
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Opens access to research The European Commission has set aside â¬50m this year to support the establishment of digital repositories for storing scientific data.â¦
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By Geoff Meade; John Duckers  New laws on the testing of thousands of chemicals in daily use will be approved by Euro-MPs today - heralding the European Union's biggest-ever single piece of legislation.
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Chancellor Gordon Brown has announced  a long-term plan for investment in science education and hi-tech industry in his pre-budget report.
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1530CET--The European Commission has approved a financial package to fight animal disease in the EU. The EU budget
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The European Commission says it has approved a genetically-modified seed for planting.
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Europe gives handout to boost competitiveness The European Union this week announced plans to pump â¬9bn into research on information and communications technologies.â¦
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BBC Europe editor Mark Mardell considers the EU's blueprint for a greener future.
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The European Commission will set out proposals to get the Galileo satellite navigation system back on track.
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The European Commission is to detail wide-ranging proposals for achieving its goals on climate and energy.
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A new strategy aiming to attract global investment in the field of life sciences is launched.