European Union

Regulatory gaps and blind spots mean that migrant workers from outside the EU do not have access to full social security coverage despite financing it, a new study reveals.

European governments are phasing out fossil fuels at home, but continuing their financial support for fossil mega-projects abroad. This is despite the EU agreeing last year to decarbonise export credits — insurance on risky non-EU projects provided with public money.

On 15 February 2023, the revelations concerning the "Jorge Team Files" were put out by the network of investigative journalists, Forbidden Stories. Their investigation describe the activities of private firms in orchestrating disinformation campaigns at large scale, including manipulations operations ahead to elections.
On this basis, the Special Committee on Foreign Interference (ING2) and the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) will jointly hold a hearing on Thursday 25 May, 15.00 - 17.30, on the attempts to manipulate elections as a way to interfere in the democratic processes of sovereign States. This hearing, "Election manipulation attempts (including in Africa as revealed by the "Team Jorge files"), will take place with five speakers including the journalists who revealed the story.
Location : ANTALL 4Q2, Brussels
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Hein Brookhuis

Over the past decades, the European Commission has increasingly aimed to include scientific collaboration explicitly in its political project. With the introduction of the European Research Area in 2000, the Commission hoped to create a “borderless market for research, innovation and technology.”

The origins and dynamics of this European science policy have been widely studied over the past decades, often from the perspective of political science. The ways in which the policies impacted scientists and scientific institutions has been less studied. How did scientists use the new policy instruments to advance their scientific projects? Through the study of one specific project, namely the establishment of a new research reactor in Belgium, my research project aimed to complement existing literature with a more historical approach [Brookhuis 2023].

The Belgian MYRRHA project entails the construction of an accelerator-driven research reactor, which primarily aims to demonstrate the feasibility of reducing the longevity and radiotoxicity of some elements in spent nuclear fuel. Between 1998 and 2010, this project was part of several European research programs. By having access to notes, correspondences, interviews and internal strategic documents, this historical study of European science policy can inform us better on the impact of policy changes on research communities. How did European policies impact collaboration among scientists? How did this effect their projects? In this blog post, I will highlight three interactions between European Science Policy and the Belgian MYRRHA project to reflect on the role of Big Science in the European Research Area.

 

Balancing European and Belgian ambitions

For the purpose of this blog post, I will highlight three moments in which European scientific and political developments intertwined with the MYRRHA project. While the Belgian project initially focused on a small-scale instrument that would primarily focus on (commercial) medical applications, a similar reactor-concept experienced a major political breakthrough in Europe as a potential alternative solution for nuclear waste, propagated by Nobel laureate Carlo Rubbia. Although Rubbia’s plans were often criticized by his peers, he became the chair of a European Technical Working Group on the topic, stimulating efforts in the domain of using so-called Accelerator Driven Systems (ADS) for the transmutation of nuclear waste. [TWG – ADS, 2001].

Engaging in European projects also entailed balancing local interests with the attractiveness of international exposure and funding. Initially, Carlo Rubbia’s success was considered damaging for the credibility of the Belgian project, as his views were not necessarily shared by the rest of the scientific community. There was also some hesitancy to integrate the small project into the European collaboration, as this could increase the technological requirements and thus the complexity, costs and timeframe of the project. On the other hand, expanding the range of applications and obtaining European support could help forward the Belgian project, others believed. From 1998 onwards, the Belgian project increasingly engaged in European projects, while also shifting priorities from (local) institutional to more international interests.

 

Becoming an Integrated Project in the European Research Area

A second noteworthy interaction with European science policies occurred in 2003. That year one of the cornerstones of the European Research Area-proposal, the so-called “Integrated Projects,” was implemented. Integrated Projects (IP) were defined as “projects of substantial size, designed to help build up the ‘critical mass’ in objective-driven research with clearly defined scientific and technological ambitions and aims.” The introduction of this policy instrument can be understood as an expression of discomfort among European policymakers with small-scale projects, often interpreted as fragmentation (Ulnicane, 2020). Indeed, the new policy did not allow similar initiatives to co-exist next to each other, but they had to be integrated in an overarching project. In 2003, the Belgian team was confronted with a situation in which “no European party [was] willing to work for MYRRHA,” as French, German and Italian collaborators preferred a collaboration that excluded the Belgian project.

The role as a European project for MYRRHA was reclaimed after a competing project experienced loss of support on a national level. Meanwhile, the MYRRHA project had to be considered an experimental ADS instrument to demonstrate the technological feasibility of the transmutation of nuclear waste. This way, it could take part in an Integrated Project with the total budget of about 43 million euro [EUROTRANS, Cordis]. While within SCK CEN this orientation was considered of secondary importance by some, it became the main focus throughout the process of European collaboration. The director of SCK CEN had to confess to the Belgian ministry that the project became increasingly complex now that it would be considered a technological demonstration: “this role for MYRRHA has an impact on the design, costs, and timing of the project, but is today unavoidable given the apparent impotence of all possible partners to decide on a big investment decision.”

Impression of the MYRRHA reactor building on the SCK CEN site. Courtesy of SCK CEN.

The diplomatic use of the European Strategy Forum for Research Infrastructure

While the framework programs described so far primarily targeted scientific research projects, the European Commission has also increasingly prioritized the phenomenon of what is called “Research Infrastructures.” [Hallonsten, 2020] Large-scale research infrastructure, including research reactors for nuclear applications, increasingly gained importance in European science policy. One example is the introduction of the European Strategic Forum for Research Infrastructure. Despite the absence of a formal budget, it is considered an important diplomatic tool [Bolliger & Griffiths, 2020]. Among the board of the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre it was believed that “to obtain European financial support, it is necessary to make it to the ESFRI list.”

The Belgian MYRRHA project received its first (small) governmental funding in 2010 and was accepted on the ESFRI list that same year. By then it had thus benefitted from several of the new policy instruments initiated by the European Commission. How effective this will ultimately turn out to be for a Big Science project in a small European nation is not yet to tell. Despite a lack of international commitments at that time, the Belgian government invested 550 million euro in the project in 2018. By 2021, however, projects that had entered the ESFRI list in 2010 reached their 10 years of preparation time, and were reviewed in order to obtain a so-called Landmark status to stay on the list. MYRRHA was the only reviewed project that was rejected this status [ESFRI, 2021]. It appears that despite the introduction of formalized science policies, Big Science is still strongly dependent on national funding opportunities.

 

Hein Brookhuis is a PhD Candidate at the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN) and KU Leuven, Belgium.

 

References

Bolliger, Isabel & Alexandra Griffiths (2020) “The introduction of ESFRI and the rise of national Research Infrastructure roadmaps in Europe,” in Big Science and Research Infrastructures in Europe, edited by Katharina Cramer & Olof Hallonsten, 101 – 127. Edward Elgar Publishing https://doi.org/10.4337/9781839100017.00011

Brookhuis, Hein (2023) Making Belgian Big Science: A History of the MYRRHA Research Reactor (1994—2010), Historical Studies in the Natural Sciences 53 (1); 35-70 https://doi.org/10.1525/hsns.2023.53.1.35

ESFRI (2021) Roadmap 2021 – Strategy Report on Research Infrastructures. Link: roadmap2021.esfri.eu

European Technical Working Group on ADS (2001) A European Roadmap for Developing Accelerator Driven Systems (ADS) for Nuclear Waste Incineration, ENEA. Link: https://inis.iaea.org/collection/NCLCollectionStore/_Public/32/044/32044945.pdf

Hallonsten, Olof (2020) Research Infrastructures in Europe: The Hype and the Field, European Review 28 (4) 617-635 https://doi.org/10.1017/S1062798720000095

Ulnicane, Inga (2020) “Ever-changing Big Science and Research Infrastructures: Evolving European Union Policy,” in Big Science and Research Infrastructures in Europe, edited by Katharina Cramer & Olof Hallonsten, 76 – 100. Edward Elgar Publishing https://doi.org/10.4337/9781839100017.00010

 

The post How do small countries establish Big Science in the age of the European Research Area? The case of the Belgian MYRRHA project appeared first on Ideas on Europe.

Ryanair v Commission (Italie; régime d’aide; Covid-19)
State aid
The General Court annuls the Commission’s decision to approve an aid measure consisting in subsidies paid by Italy to Italian airlines in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic

Emmentaler Switzerland v EUIPO (EMMENTALER)
Intellectual and industrial property
The term ‘emmentaler’ cannot be protected as a European Union trade mark for cheeses

Meta Platforms Ireland v Commission
Competition
Competition: The action brought by Meta Platforms Ireland (Facebook group) against a Commission request seeking disclosure of documents identified by means of search terms is dismissed

The study "African Union integration and relations with the EU" analyses the dynamics that shape African political integration as well as foreign and security cooperation, identifying areas of convergence and divergence in the various cooperation formats between the African and the European Unions.
The EU has long paid significant diplomatic, financial and institutional attention to its relationship with the African Union (AU). Engagement between the two organisations has steadily risen in scope and complexity over recent years. The EU remains the AU's principal partner, notably in the domain of peace and security. This study recommends that the EU adapt its funding arrangements, cooperation formats and multilateral engagement with the AU to remain in tune with the pace and direction of political integration in Africa.

The study was requested by the Committee on Foreign Affairs and commissioned by the Policy Department for External Policies. It will be presented on 24 May 2023, 15.35 - 16.30 in ANTALL 4Q2.
The African political integration process and its impact on EU-AU relations in the field of foreign and security policy
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On 24 May 2023, the Committee on Foreign Affairs will hold a hearing on the EU relations with Latin America, a region of strategic importance for the EU with long-standing history of shared common values and cultures. In the recent past the relations have faced some hurdles, which have enabled other global actors such as Russia and China to step in and promote their agendas.
Members will discuss with experts the geopolitics of the region against the backdrop of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, its internal dynamics and influences by China and Russia, and how to make a qualitative leap in the EU-Latin America strategic bi-regional partnership.
Draft Programme
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Budapest previously delayed ratifying Finland's application, and has cited grievances with criticism from both Helsinki and Stockholm of Viktor Orbán's domestic record on democracy and the rule of law.

Austria, France, Ireland and the Netherlands want to tighten EU rules regulating polluting private jets.

The European Parliament's Bureau, a political body composed of the president and its vice-presidents, decided to slash payouts from the fund by 50 percent, freeze automatic indexations, and increase the pension age from 65 to 67.

In a world where cultural clashes and sectarianism seems to be on the increase, Spanish novelist Javier Cercas (b.1962) takes the opposite approach. He cherishes both life in the big city and in the countryside.

The UK has always been a huge navy power, Ukraine has 10 years of combat experience, and Poland is a major power in Europe.

The new legislation on seizing criminal assets would ensure fast and efficient freezing operations everywhere in the EU, and quicker compensation for victims.
Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

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The new legislation on seizing criminal assets would ensure fast and efficient freezing operations everywhere in the EU, and quicker compensation for victims.
Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

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We, the undersigned members of the US Congress and the European Parliament, address this letter to the president of the United States, the president of the European Commission, the secretary-general of the UN, and the executive secretary of the UNFCCC.

European states and international organisations have developed technologies to detect migration patterns and predict the number of people from third countries seeking asylum in the EU. But doubts have been raised about the effectiveness and desirability of using predictive technologies.

The current situation in Ukraine has led to severe supply chain disruptions, contributing to a sharp increase in food and commodity prices globally and the limitation of fossil fuel imports from Russia to the EU. Moreover, to end Europe's dependence on semiconductor suppliers from Asian countries, it is necessary to take immediate action of a structural nature, involving all EU Member States and all participants in regional supply markets. The overall aim of this study was to identify drivers of and barriers to building up open strategic autonomy at EU level, before recommending coordinated solutions and addressing supply chain resilience in four critical areas: food security, energy security, semiconductors and satellite communications. This research seeks to contribute to the European Parliament's future work by providing insights into how to protect the European agricultural sector, ensure energy security and the technological sovereignty of semiconductor production, and improve satellite communications.
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The Subcommittee on Security and Defence holds exchange views on chemical weapons and their non-proliferation and disarmament on 23 May. Members and the EU Special Envoy for Non-proliferation and Disarmament, Ambassador Marjolijn van Deelen, and the Chair of the WG preparing the fifth review conference of the Chemical Weapons Convention, Ambassador Lauri Kuusing, will discuss the outcome of the conference and measures to prevent and deter state and non-state actors from using chemical weapons.
In last 25 years 99,4 % of the global declared stockpiles of chemical weapons were destroyed. However, recent Russian use of chemical weapons in the United Kingdom and Syrian attacks against its civilian population have underlined concerns about the re-emergence of the use of chemical weapons.
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