RTD info 20 November 98. The laboratory backroom boys

Directorate-General For Research And Innovation

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• Publié par: DIRECTORATE-GENERAL-FOR-RESEARCH-AND-INNOVATION
• Nombre de lectures: 6
• Langue: English
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E UROPEA N
COMMISSIO N
SCIENC E
RESEARCH
DEVELOPMEN T TD info
November 98
Fift h Framework Programme fnr RTD
A new deal for European research Mrs Edith CRESSON, Commissioner for research, innovation, education,
training and youth.
Directorate General XII ­ Science, Research and Development RTD info 20 n t c
TD Info is a magazine on research and technological development
supported by the European Union. It covers general aspects of Content s
Community research such as project results and research policy, as Dossier R well as practical information including dates of calls for proposals,
The laboratory backroom boys events, conferences, publications, and so on. RTD Info is aimed not only at
A close look at research in the field of measurements current and potential participants in Community research programmes, but
and testing, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary also at a wider public of industrialists, decision­makers, students, and others
of tine Community Bureau of Reference.. who are interested in developments in European research. Published
quarterly, RTD Info is available in English, French and German. Subscription Repositioning for growth
is free. To subscribe, fill in the form below. European standards of diversity
RTD Info is also available on­line on the European Commission's EUROPA The increased search for standards
serverat:
Children on board, safety first h ttp:/'/europa, eu.i n t/co m m/dg 7 2/rt din fo.html
Climate
Editorial Information After Kyoto
The limitation of greenhouse gas emissions
RTD Info ¡s published by the Communication Unit of DG XII. is mobilising a major European research effort.
Head of Unit: Otto von Schwerin
Endocrine dlsruptors For more information concerning the editorial content of RTD Info or the
activities of DG XII please contact one of the following: When life's waste changes life itself
A unique environmental challenge, studied
Michel Ciaessens Tel.: + 32­2­29 59971 Fax: + 32­2­29 58220 by researchers on the Waste Water Cluster projects.
E­mail : m ¡chel.claessens@dg 12.cec.be
Fifth Framework Programme for RTD
Stephen Gosden Tel.: + 32­2­29 60079 Fax: + 32­2­29 58220
A new deal for European research E­mail: [e-mail]
Interview with Professor Jorma Routti,
Piia Huusela Tel.: + 32­2­29 92138 Fax: + 32­2­29 58220 Director General DGX11.
E­mail: [e-mail]
Information on research and technological development programmes is also
European RTD Digest available on­line on the European Commission's EUROPA server at:
French: http://europa.eu.int/pol/rd/fr/rd.htm
Science and Technology Indicators English: http://europa.eu.int/pol/rd/en/rd.htm
German : http://europa.eu.int/pol/rd/de/rd.htm
Strengths and weaknesses of European SftT 22
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Information society
Who's afraid of telework? Notice
The virtual world of electronic commerce
Neither the European Commission, nor any person acting on its behalf, may be held Two subjects at the heart of the Information
responsible for the use t o which information contained in this publication may be put,
Society Technology (1ST 98). or for any errors which, despite careful preparation and checking, may appear.
KIron and steel CECA­CE­CEA, Brussels · Luxembourg, 1998
Non­commercial reproduction authorised, subject to acknowledgement of source.
From advanced physics to heavy industry
The ecological and economic performances of the
Subscriptions world's shortest steel rolling mill, in Cremona, Italy.
Health
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Functional foods fight fat
□ In English □ In French □ In German A COST Action on nutrition science and technology.
Patenting life
European safeguards for bioethics Name :
Talking to Alain Pompidou, President of
the European Parliament scientific and
Job Title : technological options assessment.
Biomedicine
Organisation :
On course for in vivo imaging
of gene expression. 1Street : N : PO Box Perspectives for new diagnoses, essential
for the development of gene therapies.
Post Code : Town :
Society
Where do low wages lead? Tel. : Fax :
An analysis of low wages in Europe, by researchers
of the LoWER network.
E­mail:
Media
Mail or fax this form to DG XII ­ Communication Unit Science and the News
rue de la Loi, 200 ­ B­1049 Brussels ­ Fax: +32­2­295.82.20 Science coverage by TV news programmes
E­mail: info­[e-mail] in eight European countries. S 51 h anniversary - Standards, Measurements and Testing
The laboratory f
backroom boys Research in society
The Commission is about to
Since the Community Bureau of Reference (BCR) was founded a quarter of a
announce the members of the advi­
century ago, European research in the fietd of standards, measurements and sory groups that will assist in the
start-up of the Fifth Framework testing has experienced constant growth. RTD Info takes a look at an increasingly
Programme. These high-level broad and diverse area of activity.
experts, drawn from scientific and
industrial backgrounds as well from
society in its widest possible sense,
cience and tech­ • In the 1960s, the will advise on the contents and the
nology attract Joint Research Centre (at directions to be taken by research B attention when the time the only mecha­within the remit of the key actions
they discover and inno­ nism for European scien­of the Fifth Framework Programme.
vate. But a very impor­ tific cooperation, and The objective of these actions is to
establish multi-disciplinary research tant part of research mainly involved in R6tD in
teams to tackle specific socio-eco­ activity, one which does the field of civilian
nomic problems, such as employ­ not make the headlines, is nuclear energy under the
ment, health, and the environment. based on two essential EURATOM Treaty), set up
activities: identifying and the Central Bureau for
Following a communications cam­ measuring. Many scien­ Nuclear Measurements.
paign organised by the Commission, tists and engineers are • In 1973, still on a
several thousand candidates were hard at work behind the modest scale - and still in
proposed by Member States, by scenes in their laborato­ the framework of the
interested organisations and associ­ ries identifying and comparing products, defin­ JRC's activities - a major step was taken with
ations, and by the individuals them­
ing new measurements and procedures, creating the birth of the Community Bureau of Reference
selves. However, I note that much
instruments, inventing new tests for verification Materials (BCR), which celebrates its 25th
remains to be done to ensure a sig­
purposes, producing reference substances and anniversary this year. The BCR meets an increas­
nificant participation by women.
setting new standards. ing demand for European harmonisation of the
measurements and tests carried out by metrol­Without them, the biblical story of the Tower
The first selection will enlist the
of Babel - whose construction was abandoned ogy laboratories in the Member States by pro­services of several hundred highly
because the builders lost the ability to speak a viding them with certified reference materials qualified and independent people to
common language - would be constantly (see page 7). follow the key actions closely and
repeated. Based as it is on communication, • In the 1980s, the European Single Act ensure that their objectives are met.
human society is incapable of functioning in the ' marked a turning point in the development of
absence of agreed rules on the way of describing European research policy. Widening the field of This new approach, reflecting mod­
and measuring time, space, and objects -ernised and more transparent man­ scientific and technological cooperation
agement, was proposed by the Com­ whether living or inanimate. "The growing par­ between Member States - previously limited to
mission itself. Its aim is to bring ticipation of science and technology in society - the four principal areas of common policy (steel,
research closer to society and to bringing in particular the accelerated globalisa­ coal, nuclear energy, and agriculture) - the
allow society to make use of technical tion of trade - has made it imperative to adopt Community now acquired extensive research
progress more rapidly for the greater not simply a European but also an interconti­ capabilities. This was reflected in the launch of
benefit of European citizens. nental approach to standards, measurements framework programmes covering many scientifi­
and testing," stresses Wiktor Raldow, RTD man­ ca! and technological fields - from information
ager in this field at the European Commission. and communication technologies to life sci­
ences, the environment, and energy - and within
A look back which, from 1990, a considerable budget was 3)¿J&
allocated specifical