38796 research outputs found
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Study on the destruction of unsold products
Full text linkThe destruction of unsold consumer products causes avoidable environmental harm and results in the loss of economic and material value. In sectors such as textiles, where approximately 21% of goods placed on the market may remain unsold, up to half of these are ultimately destroyed—often through recycling, incineration or landfilling. This study was commissioned by the European Commission to support the implementation of the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), in particular Articles 24 and 25, which establish new transparency obligations and enable a ban on the destruction of certain unsold goods. A disclosure format based on Combined Nomenclature codes was developed to ensure standardised, verifiable reporting by economic operators. In parallel, an environmental impact assessment framework enables life cycle-based analysis of unsold goods destruction, and a methodological tool supports the assessment of the net benefit of a ban, incorporating economic, environmental, and social dimensions. Together, these tools provide a practical foundation for proportionate, evidence-based regulatory action and reinforce EU efforts to reduce waste and advance circular economy goals.JRC.B.5 - Circular Economy and Sustainable Industr
Assessment of Historical and Future Mean and Extreme Precipitation Over Sub-Saharan Africa Using NEX-GDDP-CMIP6: Part II—Future Changes
No full textThis study utilised a multi-model ensemble (MME) of 26 NASA Earth Exchange Global Daily Downscaled Projections (NEX-GDDP) to assess future changes in mean and extreme precipitation over sub-Saharan Africa at both seasonal and annual scales under three Shared Socioeconomic Pathway scenarios: SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, and SSP5-8.5. The changes are examined for two distinct future periods, specifically the near future (2031–2060) and the far future (2061–2090), relative to 1985–2014. Nine precipitation indices are utilised to characterise extreme precipitation. The results show that mean precipitation is expected to increase in northern sub-Saharan Africa, while a decrease is expected in the southern region. Additionally, the duration of dry spell (CDD) is expected to decrease, while the duration of wet spell (CWD) and precipitation frequency (RR1) are projected to increase in the northern region. Conversely, CDD is expected to increase, and CWD and RR1 are expected to decrease in the southern region. These trends become more pronounced in the far future compared to the near future, particularly under the high-emission scenario SSP5-8.5. However, there are few localised regions where at least 80% of the models agree with the MME on the changes in CDD, CWD and RR1 under all scenarios for both time frames. Precipitation intensity is expected to increase across most of sub-Saharan Africa in both time frames, regardless of the scenario, leading to more frequent heavy precipitation and extreme wet events. This increase is expected to be more pronounced under the SSP5-8.5 scenario, particularly in the far future. Specifically, at least 80% of the models project an increase in heavy and extreme wet events across most of northern sub-Saharan Africa under all scenarios for both time frames. These findings emphasise the urgent need to develop effective adaptation strategies for sub-Saharan Africa to mitigate the potential impacts of these projected changes in precipitation characteristics.JRC.C.6 - Economics of Climate Change, Energy and Transpor
The impact of need-based aid on higher education achievement: Evidence from Portugal
No full textThis paper examines the impact of receiving need-based aid, which includes a fee waiver and additional cash support, on students’ university matriculation and academic performance among aid applicants accepted to university in Portugal. The paper uses a regression discontinuity approach. We are able to measure the effect, at the intensive margin, on various short- and longer-term outcomes, thanks to precise administrative data. We find that the fee waiver has a small positive effect on matriculation, but no effect on performance and persistence measured as the likelihood of obtaining the enrolled credits, the credits needed for the aid renewal, graduating, and matriculating into second and third years. In a context of low tuition fees and weak merit requirements, these findings suggest that financial aid alone may not be sufficient to improve student outcomes.JRC.S.3 - Science for Modelling, Monitoring and Evaluatio
The abundance-capacity fraction: A simple indicator for peak abundance timing of Culex mosquitoes
No full textAbundance models that correctly describe the seasonal dynamics of mosquito populations are crucial in the study of mosquito borne diseases such as Zika, malaria, chikungunya and West Nile Virus disease. Taking into consideration experimental results for the mortality rate of mosquitoes in reproductive diapause and the distinct response of diapause termination and induction with respect to day-length, we update the entomological compartment of a commonly used West Nile virus transmission model. We observe that the fraction of adult mosquito abundance at the beginning of the year with respect to the carrying capacity of larvae is monotonically related to the date at which adult abundances peak, with small values corresponding to peak in abundances late in the year and larger values earlier on. We use the model to infer the value of the carrying capacity from experimental data for the administrative region of Central Macedonia in Northern Greece from 2011 to 2023 and demonstrate its effectiveness in capturing monthly averages of mosquito abundances, the variability in observed peak dates and the evolution of population dynamics over an entire season at the municipal level.JRC.F.7 - Digital Healt
Freshwater appropriation in Europe
Full text linkIn this contribution, we analyze the level of water appropriation in European watersheds, using available estimates of water demand and water availability to compute the ratio of demand to availability in the European Union’s river basins. We highlight that demands are more uncertain than availability and deserve further research. Nevertheless, currently available estimates enable a screening level assessment. Water demand usually represents 10-50% of renewable water availability and may even exceed 100% in some regions, implying direct or indirect water reuse in the river basin, use of non-renewable water or transfers among river basins. The level of water appropriation varies significantly across Europe, generally with a North-South gradient in line with other assessments, reflecting the interplay between demand and availability. The patterns of potential appropriation depend on the water-using sectors. Irrigation systematically occurs in highly appropriated river basins and tends to be the main driver of water appropriation. Most central European regions show relatively uniform mixes of water demand, but energy or irrigation may become dominant in northern or southern regions, respectively. Climate change will exacerbate the current situation particularly for irrigation and livestock. There is a widespread potential for reuse of water across sectors, which may contribute substantially to water resilience.JRC.D.2 - Ocean and Wate
A comprehensive review of novel technologies for hydropower and strategic opportunities for Europe
No full textThis paper reviews recent developments in hydropower technologies, focusing on their role in improving operation, monitoring, performance, and sustainability within modern power systems. It examines how innovations in electro-mechanical equipment and digital tools, supported by the regulatory frameworks that drive the modernization and development of hydropower, can be exploited in the EU. The study explores the potential of small- and ultra-low-head installations, including gravity-based, hydrokinetic and impulse turbines, addressing their recent innovations and scalability potential. Environmental issues are addressed through fish-friendly designs, oil-free operation, and adaptive flow management. Pumps operating as turbines in reversible modes are addressed as key equipment for pumped storage hydropower, enabling flexibility and distribution. Variable-speed operation, enabled by Fully Fed Frequency Converters and Doubly Fed Induction Machines, is discussed to enhance performance and conversion efficiency under variable flow. Digitalization trends are analysed through digital twins, artificial intelligence, and machine learning, supporting predictive maintenance, real-time monitoring, and system analysis. Challenges are also discussed: implementation barriers include sensor reliability, cybersecurity, and integration complexity. The role of EU policies in guiding sustainable energy development and environmentally compliant hydropower deployment is examined, showing as new technological innovation, supported by a scientific assessment of its potential in the European context can support renewable energy integration, competitiveness and resilient power systems.JRC.D.2 - Ocean and Wate
A data-driven indicator for assessing the evolving impact of the EU Common Agricultural Policy on soil erosion mitigation
No full textThe data presented here correspond to the updated LAND Use and Management (LANDUM) model, a core component of the European Commission’s RUSLE-based soil erosion risk assessment framework. LANDUM functions as a data-driven indicator for evaluating the effects of regional land use and agricultural management practices, including measures promoted under the Common Agricultural Policy, on soil erosion intensity at the NUTS2 level within the European Union. The approach relies on spatially explicit estimates of the cover-management (C) factor, a key component of the (R)USLE family of models. In the latest revision presented here, data from the 2023 EU Farm Structure Survey were incorporated to capture the extent of conservation practices such as reduced tillage, the use of cover crops, and the retention of crop residues. These data were processed to assess changes in the C-factor across Europe between 2016 and 2023. Collectively, the four versions of the LANDUM data-driven indicator here reported enable tracking of the European Union’s (EU) Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) effects, from the no-management, pre-GAEC (Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition, introduced with the 2003 CAP reform) baseline in 2000 through the years 2010, 2016, and 2023. The insights gained from the data illustrate both overall and regional trends in how soil conservation measures promoted under the EU CAP contribute primarily to the mitigation of water-driven soil erosion, as well as to the reduction of wind erosion and other related soil degradation processes. These data can support further research in soil erosion and related fields and are available for reuse, reprocessing, or integration to enhance modelling applications that incorporate soil cover and management practices as input variables.JRC.D.1 - Forests and Bio-Econom
Advancing Construction Materials
No full textThe study analyses how advanced and innovative construction materials (AdMA) can accelerate the transformation of Europe’s built environment towards sustainability, circularity, and competitiveness. The construction sector—responsible for about half of all extracted materials, over 35 % of EU waste, and up to 35 % of greenhouse-gas emissions—faces structural barriers that hinder the market uptake of low-carbon, durable and high-performance materials. Drawing on interviews with twenty European industry, research and policy actors, the report identifies systemic bottlenecks including fragmented value chains, under-resourced testing infrastructures, slow standardisation, and limited financing for scale-up. It highlights economic opportunities from lifecycle-based procurement, blended-finance models, and risk-sharing mechanisms to bridge the “valley of death” between R&D and market deployment. Policy recommendations call for performance-based regulation, dedicated demonstration infrastructures, skills development, and the alignment of green finance and procurement to reward innovation. Together, these measures can enable advanced materials to become a key driver of the EU’s green and digital transition in the construction sector.JRC.B.6 - Industrial strategy, skills and technology transfe
Robust functional principal component analysis for detecting anomalous behaviors in electricity markets
No full textThis paper introduces a novel methodological framework to detect potentially manipulative behaviors in deregulated electricity markets using robust statistical tools. The work focuses on identifying outlying bidding patterns in daily auction microdata by modeling the shape of supply curves, rather than relying solely on price data, to better capture strategic market behavior. The approach is grounded in robust Functional Principal Component Analysis (FPCA), which enables the detection of anomalies in supply curve shapes while being resilient to outliers. A key innovation lies in applying the skewness-adjusted boxplot of Hubert and Vandervieren (2008) to the residuals from robust FPCA, enhancing sensitivity to asymmetric and extreme behaviors. Crucially, it is shown that the anomalies detected via robust FPCA differ significantly from those identified by classical outlier detection methods applied directly to price series, as the suggested method captures deviations in the underlying strategic behavior of market participants that are reflected in the structure of the supply curves, not necessarily in prices. Applied to the Italian day-ahead market, the method detects supply-curve anomalies that differ substantially from those identified by classical price-based techniques. A comparison with the LTSts and rolling-window filtering approaches confirms the distinct contribution of the proposed method, which identifies a complementary set of suspicious events potentially linked to strategic bidding behavior. The findings provide new tools for regulators to support market integrity and ensure compliance with transparency regulations such as the Regulation on Wholesale Energy Market Integrity and
Transparency (REMIT).JRC.T.5 - Data Intelligence for Polic
Satellite-based estimation of phytoplankton functional types in the Baltic Sea using a regionalized algorithm
No full textIn the last decades, remote sensing and diagnostic pigment (DP)-based methods have significantly advanced the estimation of phytoplankton functional types (PFTs). However, most existing models are optimized for open-ocean conditions and are not directly transferable to optically complex environments, such as the Baltic Sea. This basin presents unique bio-optical challenges that hinder accurate PFTs estimation using global algorithms. Although regional DP-based models have been developed for this region, they are primarily limited to the Southern Baltic, restricting their applicability to the entire basin. The objective of this study was to develop a regionalized empirical algorithm for estimating PFTs and phytoplankton size classes (PSCs) across the entire Baltic Sea by integrating in situ High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) pigment observations with satellite-derived chlorophyll-a concentration (Chl-a). The algorithm was trained using pigment data collected from multiple sub-basins and subsequently applied to Chl-a satellite observations to map the basin-wide spatial distribution of PSCs and key functional types, including cryptophytes, green algae, and dinoflagellates. The results shown that nanoplankton were the dominant size class across the basin, accounting for up to 46% of Chl-a, particularly in coastal waters. Picoplankton dominated offshore regions, contributing up to 21% of Chl-a, while microplankton reached peak proportions (∼37.5%) in nearshore areas of the Gulf of Finland. Among functional groups, cryptophytes and dinoflagellates exhibited strong coastal and northern basin dominance, whereas green algae and prochlorophytes were more prevalent offshore. By coupling regional HPLC-based empirical relationships with satellite data, this study provides a spatially explicit and internally consistent assessment of PFTs distributions across the Baltic Sea, offering a valuable tool for ecosystem monitoring.JRC.D.2 - Ocean and Wate