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EUROMOD Country Report - Romania
Get PDFThe EUROMOD Country Reports have the double function of describing the scope of the EUROMOD simulations, including the underlying assumptions, and providing the validation of these simulations against official statistics. The Country Report for Romania is prepared by the RO EUROMOD National Team each year, and made available by the JRC on time for the EUROMOD stable release of the model at the beginning of each year.JRC.B.2 - Fiscal Policy Analysi
Conservation paradoxes and challenges in invasive alien species with economic costs
No full textSeveral studies have revealed species that constitute conservation paradoxes because they are invasive in some areas and threatened in others. However, those studies only considered ecological impacts of invasions and species’ threat category as a criterion that makes them conservation priorities. Here, our aim was to highlight further species that cause economic costs because of their invasiveness in some areas while being in need of priority protection in their native ranges. We used the InvaCost database to calculate an economic cost for each invasive alien species (IAS) in this database and explored the threat category, as well as the phylogenetic and functional distinctiveness of these IAS. We also focused on the costliest IAS to reveal their threat category and distinctiveness. Among the 355 species of mammals, birds, and plants constituting IAS with sufficient data on economic costs, we found that 10 species are also conservation priorities because they are threatened in their native range, therefore constituting conservation paradoxes. We further found that 27 IAS with economic costs are also conservation priorities because they are among the most phylogenetically or functionally distinctive, thus constituting conservation challenges. One IAS with economic costs is a conservation priority both because it is threatened in its native range and phylogenetically distinctive: the koala. Finally, we found three conservation paradoxes or challenges among the costliest IAS. Our work stresses to an unprecedented level that some species simultaneously need to be controlled in their invasive range and protected in their native range.JRC.D.6 - Nature Conservation and Observation
Renewable Energy in the Western Balkans and EU Policy: Pathway to Regional Net-Zero
No full textThe six Western Balkan countries (WB6), which include Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia, are in a critical phase of their development and face various economic, political and environmental challenges. Political uncertainties, economic imbalances, and institutional weaknesses have hindered their progress in achieving sustainable development goals. Among these challenges, the energy sector stands out as a priority due to its significant impact on economic growth, climate change, and environmental sustainability. The energy landscape in the region is dominated by conventional and non-renewable energy sources, leading to concerns about energy security and environmental degradation. Dependence on fossil fuels exposes these countries to volatile energy prices and increases their contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. There is an urgent need to develop cleaner and sustainable energy sources to promote economic growth while mitigating the harmful effects of climate change. Hydropower capacity in the WB6 countries is estimated to be significant and offers the opportunity to generate clean energy. A comprehensive overview of the hydropower potential in the WB6 countries considers factors such as river systems, water availability, topography, and technical capabilities. The promotion of renewable energy, especially sustainable hydropower, is central to achieving a sustainable future in the WB6 countries. By harnessing their hydropower potential and addressing environmental and social concerns, these countries can boost their economic growth, combat climate change, and improve their energy security for a prosperous and sustainable future.JRC.D.2 - Ocean and Wate
Factual summary report of targeted stakeholder consultation on EU harmonised waste sorting labels as part of the packaging and packaging waste regulation
Get PDFAs the European Union (EU) continues to deal with the increasing quantities of packaging waste and its environmental impact, one area of focus is the harmonisation of waste sorting labels across EU Member States. This effort aims to for easier and more accurate packaging waste sorting in the EU. In this context, between 2 September and 30 September 2024, the European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC) invited stakeholders to a targeted consultation to gather insights on key aspects of the waste sorting labels currently being developed. The consultation concerned the design and implementation of material-based waste sorting labels as part of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). These labels will be applied to packaging and waste receptacles, providing clear guidance on proper disposal to people in the EU. This document provides a factual summary of the stakeholder contributions against the backdrop of outlining how the consultation was conducted.JRC.S.1 - EU Policy Lab: Foresight, Design & Behavioural Insight
Cesium and iodine speciation in irradiated UO2 fuel
No full textThe presence of CsI in nuclear fuel has long been debated. Its formation significantly decreases volatility, thereby reducing the rate at which iodine and cesium are released from the reactor core during a nuclear accident. A series of samples were investigated by Knudsen Effusion Mass Spectrometry (KEMS) in order to determine whether CsI is present in irradiated nuclear fuel. The examined samples were pure CsI, CsI exposed to gamma radiation, CsIdoped UO2 simulated fuel and irradiated LWR fuel samples. The CsI and CsI-doped samples were examined to establish boundary conditions for the detection of CsI by KEMS. These samples indicated that the presence of CsI in fuel is characterized by three mass spectrometric signals Cs+, I+ and CsI+, with a peak ratio of CsI+ and I+ of 1:0.7. The examinations of irradiated fuels showed none of these characteristics and hence no evidence that CsI is present in irradiated LWR nuclear fuel, at least after a storage period of years.JRC.G.I.2 - Nuclear Material Researc
Spite in the lab
No full textHumans are willing to lose income in order to reduce income of others. This spiteful side of human behavior is less researched than the prosocial side of humans. This paper first discusses the many contextual facets of spite in economic experiments. In the context of public good games, spite-driven, but punitive decisions that reduce income of non-cooperators are instrumental in safeguarding cooperation. By contrast, in experimental environments of fierce competition for rents and resources, spite-driven punitive decisions causes devastating destruction. Notwithstanding the importance of understanding the nature of spite and its contextual drivers, only a very limited number of experimental tool are available so far, to study spite in its unambiguous form. However, such tools are required if economics wants to achieve a better understanding of the nature of social preferences.JRC.B.3 - Territorial Developmen
New and Emerging Transport Technologies and Trends in European Research and Innovation Projects 2024
Get PDFTechnological innovation is a key enabler for reaching the strategic EU objectives in the transport field, such as decarbonisation and digitalization. This report identifies and presents a selection of new and emerging transport technologies, based primarily on the Transport Research and Innovation Monitoring and Information System (TRIMIS) database. The presented technologies are divided into cross-cutting digital technologies, such as AI, and transport-specific ones, with a narrower and more specific transport scope. The overview of the technologies includes technology background, state of the art, European R&I activities, and the relevance for the EU policy.JRC.C.4 - Sustainable, Smart and Safe Mobilit
What drives workes' participation in digital skills training? Evidence from Cedefop's Second European Skills and Jobs Survey
No full textThis Chapter is an extended version of a Science for Policy Brief (Bertoni et al., 2024, https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC137073). It examines the topic of digital skills mismatches in European workplaces through the lens of participation in digital skills training using data from Cedefop's Second European Digital Skills and Jobs Survey (collected 2020-2021). Key findings are that 35% of EU workers had experienced some form of technological change in the workplace. While one in eight EU workers reported a significant digital skills gap (consistent with other recent sources of evidence), they were more likely to participate in digital skills training in organisations where training needs are systematically reviewed. Also, although digital skills training was generally well-targeted to those in need. as well as those with high or intensive digital job-skills requirements, there is a need to increase training participation, particularly among workers who may be at risk of role or task displacement due to technological change, or who may be unaware of their training needs. Individual attitudes and perceptions, such as fear of automation, also predicted participation in digital skills training. Overall, the analysis provides evidence for targeted policy actions to reduce digital skill mismatches and improve labour market outcomes.JRC.T.1 - Digital Economy and Societ
The Proof Is in the Eating: Lessons Learnt from One Year of Generative AI Adoption in a Science-for-Policy Organisation
No full textThis paper presents the key results of a large-scale empirical study on the adoption of Generative AI (GenAI) by the Joint Research Centre (JRC), the European Commission’s science-for-policy department. Since spring 2023, the JRC has developed and deployed GPT@JRC, a platform providing safe and compliant access to state-of-the-art Large Language Models for over 10,000 knowledge workers. While the literature highlighting the potential of GenAI to enhance productivity for knowledge-intensive tasks is abundant, there is a scarcity of empirical evidence on impactful use case types and success factors. This study addresses this gap and proposes the JRC GenAI Compass conceptual framework based on the lessons learnt from the JRC’s GenAI adoption journey. It includes the concept of AI-IQ, which reflects the complexity of a given GenAI system. This paper thus draws on a case study of enterprise-scale AI implementation in European public institutions to provide approaches to harness GenAI’s potential while mitigating the risks.JRC.T.5 - Data Intelligence for Polic
60 years of fruitful collaboration to advance cutting-edge nuclear research
Get PDFThis brochure highlights the long-standing and highly valued collaboration between the JRC and CEA which relies on a strategic complementarity
of infrastructures and of competences, skills and research tools enabling research achievements. It further underlines the upcoming strategic challenges that will require adequate fundings to meet the goals.JRC.G.9 - Euratom Coordinatio