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The RHOMOLO assessment of the macroeconomic impact of the Digital Europe Programme (2021-2025 data)
Full text linkThis paper presents an assessment of the macroeconomic impact of the Digital Europe Programme, a cornerstone of the EU's commitment to drive digital transformation. Using the RHOMOLO spatial dynamic computable general equilibrium model, the analysis quantifies the effects of the programme's investments on EU economies. The results show a positive impact on GDP, with significant returns on investment, and improved EU competitiveness. The modelling simulations consider different scenarios, including digital spillovers, which enhance the programme's impact. The findings suggest that the programme can have a substantial effect on EU economies, with cumulative GDP multipliers increasing over time. The analysis provides valuable insights for policymakers, highlighting the potential benefits of investing in digital transformation and the importance of considering digital spillovers in policy evaluations.JRC.B.7 - Innovation Policies and Economic Impac
Better Climate Change Adaptation through Transformative Innovation - Enabling Conditions and Future Perspectives
No full textThere is a growing scientific consensus that Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) – the process of adjustment to climate-induced impacts, underway or expected - is not being implemented at the scale, depth and speed needed to avoid dangerous climate-related risks. Moreover, due to the complex impacts of climate change, their strong interrelatedness and profound societal implications, solutions adopted in the past to address them are unlikely to work well in the future. The thesis of an analysis on this subject undertaken for the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC), between December 2022 and April 2024, was that transformative - even radical - adaptation solutions are needed to avoid much worse climate-related damage and higher costs in the future. The key question was: ‘How to harness the potential of the emerging “Transformative Innovation” paradigm to bring about more effective CCA strategies and actions?’ A conceptual framework was developed, which postulates that eight key transformative innovation’ features can act as “enabling conditions” for the design and implementation of CCA strategies with the necessary high transformative ambition. This framework was then deployed at empirical studies engaging representatives from five European territories: the region of Gorenjska (Slovenia); Iceland; the Northern Netherlands; the City of Turku in Southwest Finland; and the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (France). The report compares the strengths and weaknesses of the five territories in progressing towards the eight transformative innovation dimensions, discusses the variations in CCA performance, and concludes that so far none of the territories was fully successful in harnessing transformative innovation for CCA. Practical ways forward are suggested for each dimension which may potentially be followed by any territory seeking to move decisively towards genuinely ‘Transformative CCA’.JRC.B.7 - Innovation Policies and Economic Impac
Ecological evaluation of the Key Landscapes for Conservation and Development (KLCDs) in Africa
No full textThis study is a response to a policy request submitted to the EC Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity (KCBD) by the EC Directorate General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA) through the KCBD ticketing system. The EU NaturAfrica initiative is a flagship program designed to tackle biodiversity loss in Africa through a people-centered approach that combines conservation with sustainable job creation. Aligning with the European Green Deal and the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, the initiative directs support towards crucial ecosystems to foster both environmental protection and human development. This report details a technical assessment conducted to support the prioritization of intervention areas for NaturAfrica’s second phase. Focusing on 45 Key Landscapes for Conservation and Development (KLCDs) across Sub-Saharan Africa, the study provides a spatially explicit characterization of their ecological value. The analysis evaluated these landscapes based on five main dimensions: (1) threatened species richness; (2) species endemicity; (3) the integrity of protected and conserved areas, considering human modification and fragmentation; (4) connectivity between protected and conserved areas; and (5) ecosystem services, specifically regarding carbon and water services. The results reveal high variability across the landscapes, with no single KLCD ranking consistently superior across all metrics. While the Congo Basin forests displayed internal similarities, other regions showed diverse ecological profiles. Consequently, the report recommends avoiding a single aggregate ranking for funding prioritization. Instead, policymakers should select intervention areas based on specific targets — such as species conservation, connectivity, or water security — within each biogeographical region. The findings highlight the importance of interpreting spatial data alongside local stakeholder validation to ensure effective implementation during NaturAfrica’s expansion.JRC.D.6 - Nature Conservation and Observation
A comprehensive well-to-wheel assessment of different sport utility vehicle powertrain-fuel combinations in European countries focusing on climate change indicators.
No full textDecarbonizing road transport is crucial for achieving carbon neutrality. This study presents a comprehensive Well-to-Wheel analysis of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from 26 powertrain-fuel combinations for passenger cars in Europe. The analysis considers both upstream (Well-to-Tank) and tailpipe (Tank-to-Wheel) emissions, using real-world fuel consumption data from similar sport utility vehicles (SUVs) across five powertrains. The results show that battery electric vehicles (BEVs) powered by renewable electricity achieve the lowest GHG emissions, with 97 to almost 100 % savings compared to fossil fuel counterparts. Fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) running on hydrogen from waste wood gasification and diesel internal combustion engine vehicles (DICI) using e-diesel from wind electricity also demonstrate significant emissions reductions. The study highlights the importance of regionalized solutions and a combination of decarbonization options to achieve substantial GHG emissions reductions in road transport. A broader environmental assessment is also considered, encompassing the vehicle's life cycle within the system boundary. The findings provide valuable insights for policymakers and researchers, emphasizing the need for a holistic approach to decarbonize road transport. By considering the complexity of powertrain-fuel combinations and regional energy systems, this study informs the development of effective strategies to mitigate GHG emissions from road transport and support a low-carbon transportation sector.JRC.C.4 - Sustainable, Smart and Safe Mobilit
Field Detection of GNSS Interference Using Smartphones at Jammertest 2025
No full textThis paper presents the evaluation of the CrowdShield app, a smartphone-based solution for detecting Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) interference, tested during Jammertest 2025—a large-scale, controlled event in Norway for assessing resilientnavigation technologies. The app leverages Automatic Gain Control (AGC) measurements provided by the Android GNSS API (Application Programming Interface) from dual-frequency smartphones to identify interference in L1/E1 and L5/E5a bands. A variety of open-sky interference tests were performed during Jammertest, including static, dynamic (motorcade), and airborne scenarios to validate the app performance and detection capabilities in realistic conditions. Static tests near Bleik demonstrated the app’s ability to detect a variety of jamming/meaconing signals, with AGC values showing distinct trends varying with interference power levels. Dynamic motorcade tests, involving driving nearby a test vehicle equipped with low-power jammers, confirmed the app’s sensitivity in mobile environments. Airborne tests, conducted in collaboration with Eurocontrol on a test aircraft, showed that AGC measurements provided additional insights compared to ADS-B Navigation Integrity Category (NIC) values in presence of a jammer located in Andøya airport, underscoring AGC’s potential as a complementary detection tool. The study emphasizes the value and potential of crowdsourced smartphone data for mapping interference spatially and temporally, supporting robust detection strategies that can facilitate interference mitigation. This research demonstrates the viability of mass-market devices to detect vulnerabilities in critical GNSS signals, advancing the use of accessible technology for resilient navigation systems.JRC.E.2 - Space, Connectivity and Economic Securit
Research and Innovation in Smart Mobility in Europe
Full text linkThis brief provides an assessment of relevant European Research and Innovation (R&I) projects in the smart mobility domain. It presents a summary of the analysis of 247 projects, primarily funded through Horizon 2020 (126 projects) and Horizon Europe (121 projects). The assessment follows the methodology developed by the European Commission’s Transport Research and Innovation Monitoring and Information System (TRIMIS).The brief and full report address research and innovation across eight identified thematic areas and outlines future research needs and challenges. It highlights the significance and advancements of AI-based transport systems, including solutions such as digital twins, cooperative, connected and automated mobility (CCAM), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) integration, and multimodal traffic management.JRC.C.4 - Sustainable, Smart and Safe Mobilit
M&As, Innovation and Market Power
Full text linkHIGHLIGHTS
‣ Technological mergers and acquisitions (M&As) increase investors' market power by around 2% beyond standard M&As, with stronger effects concentrated among top R&D investors, US-based investors, and high-tech manufacturing investors.
‣ The increase in market power seems primarily driven by the consolidation of control over existing patents, limiting knowledge diffusion and making it harder for competitors to catch up.
‣ These findings support ongoing policy discussions on updating merger review regulations, as traditional concentration metrics may not fully capture competition risks posed by large technology firms.
‣ Technological assets and innovations are often embedded and masked within larger M&A deals. Separating the technology component of patents would allow regulators to assess competition concerns related to innovation while still allowing the acquisition to proceed.
‣ The analysis draws on a newly constructed firm-level dataset to provide a more systematic picture of technological M&As and market power.JRC.B.1 - Economic and Financial Resilienc
Exploring the application of Earth Observation datasets for SEEA carbon accounting and its comparison with national GHG reporting to the UNFCCC
No full textGlobal biomass and carbon datasets derived from Earth Observation (EO) are rapidly increasing. Here we assess how these datasets can be used to compile carbon accounts aligned with the Systems of Environmental Economic Accounting (SEEA). Five carbon pools are considered: above-ground, below-ground, deadwood, litter and soil organic carbon (SOC) using EO datasets that include CCI Biomass and CCI Land Cover – both subjected to independent map validation. We compiled carbon accounts across multiple accounting periods, from annual to decadal intervals, spanning 2010–2021 for six countries: Brazil, Mozambique, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Sweden and USA. Next, we compared the SEEA-aligned EO-derived carbon accounts with the national greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories submitted to United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) after considering the areas covered by managed forests and emissions from forest degradation for better comparability of the two frameworks. The compiled SEEA carbon accounts indicate that the above-ground component is the dominant carbon pool in Brazil while SOC outweighs other carbon pools in Netherlands, Sweden, Philippines and Mozambique. Results show substantial inter-annual variation in carbon fluxes, exhibiting a strong inverse relationship with accounting period (|r|=0.57–0.85). Such variability is notably higher than the values reported by countries to the UNFCCC. While UNFCCC and SEEA fluxes show moderate overall agreement (r=0.47, 58% agreement whether fluxes are sequestration or emission), there were differences across countries and flux categories. Our compiled accounts showed lower SOC emissions than UNFCCC reports potentially underestimating peatland emission; and minimal carbon emissions from forest degradation. Other sources of disagreement could be influenced by country definitions of managed forests which can be inconsistent with EO-based forest management maps, and the dependency of countries on national forest inventories which are rarely updated annually. The findings and outputs from this study echo the potential and flexibility of EO datasets for carbon accounting and inter-comparison exercises.JRC.D.1 - Land and Climat
Innovation in the EU: technological and creative performances in numbers across urban and rural regions
Full text linkThis brief presents new JRC evidence on innovation performance across EU territories, with a focus on differences between urban, intermediate and rural regions. By building innovation indicators constructed and estimated for the first time at a sufficiently granular territorial level to capture differences between urban and rural regions on R&D investment, patents, trademarks and industrial designs, the analysis confirms urban–rural innovation gaps, while also revealing substantial heterogeneity not only between urban and rural regions, but also among rural regions themselves. While innovation activity remains highly concentrated in urban areas, the evidence also points to a limited number of rural regions that notably stand out in specific innovation dimensions, often linked to specialised industrial structures, public research capacity or proximity to urban innovation hubs. These findings highlight both the concentration of innovation activity in urban regions and the presence of pockets of strong innovation capacity in rural territories, pointing to the existence of innovation potential beyond urban centres and underscoring the importance of place-based policies that recognise territorial diversity and support more balanced innovation-driven competitiveness across EU regionsJRC.B.3 - Territorial Developmen
Report on the organisation of colorectal cancer care services in Europe
Full text linkThis report analyses the organisation of colorectal cancer (CRC) care services in the EU and beyond, within the framework of the European Commission Initiative on Colorectal Cancer (ECICC). The findings are based on two surveys conducted among healthcare professionals and national contact points. Results indicate that most EU Member States (MS) have implemented population-based CRC screening, primarily using the faecal immunochemical test (FIT). However, there is heterogeneity in the management and quality assurance (QA) of CRC services, with variations in the entities responsible for primary prevention and care.
Key findings include:
• 22 MS have established population-based, organised CRC screening programs.
• Screening methodologies are diverse: 18 countries use FIT, 2 use gFOBT, and 1 uses colonoscopy as the primary screening test.
• Screening age ranges differ, with Albania screening the widest age range of 35-70 years while the narrowest age range is 55-65 (Norway). The commonest target age range for CRC screening is 50-74 (10 MS).
This survey informs the development of European guidelines for colorectal cancer screening and care, and the European Quality Assurance scheme for colorectal cancer services. These two pillars
aim to support the implementation of organised, population-based CRC screening across Europe, improving equal access to screening and quality of screening and care. In addition, the report provides critical insights for policymakers and healthcare professionals aiming to advance CRC prevention and care.JRC.F.1 - Disease Preventio