Key prioritiesEnvironment and climate change

Energy and transport

Agriculture and food security

Health and consumer protection

Information society and digital agenda

Safety and security (including nuclear)

JointResearchCentre

Examples of collaboration

Contact the JRCEuropean CommissionJoint Research Centre (JRC)External Communication UnitSDME 10/78 B-1049 BrusselsBelgiumTel: +32 2 29 74181Web: http://www.jrc.ec.europa.eu/Email: jrc-info@ec.europa.eu SP

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As the Commission's in-house science service, the Joint Research Centre's mission is to provide EU policies with independent, evidence-based scientific and technical support throughout the whole policy cycle.

Working in close cooperation with policy Directorates-General, the JRC addresses key societal challenges while stimulating innovation through developing new methods, tools and standards, and sharing its know-how with the Member States, the scientific community and international partners.

• 2 800 personnel • 7 scientific Institutes • 5 sites in Germany, Italy, Spain, Belgium and the

Netherlands.

Across Europe, the JRC has built up successful partnerships with a large number of public and private organisations under the EU Research Framework Programmes.

The JRC collaborates with its Norwegian partners on:

Together they work in a wide range of areas including air quality, atmospheric emissions, emis-sions inventories and projections, ecosystem pres-ervation, sustainable fishing, freshwater research, bioaccumulation of toxins in the environment, biocides, GMO research, nanomaterials, border surveillance, energy grid protection and spatial information infrastructure.

Framework Programme projects 51

Scientific networks 19

Collaboration agreements 6

Examples of JRC partners in Norway

National authorities and laboratories

• Climate and Pollution Agency (former Norwegian Pollution Control Authority (SFT))

• Norwegian Food Safety Authority• Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA)• Norwegian Institute for Agricultural and

Environmental Research (Bioforsk)• Norwegian Institute of Public Health• The Research Council of Norway• Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA)

Academia

• University of Oslo, Institute for Cancer Research

• Norwegian University of Science and Technology

Businesses

• MARLO• Kongsberg Norcontrol IT

Norwayand its collaboration with the European Commission’s in-house science service,

Joint Research Centre

Climate change will have significant impacts on the natural environment and its ecosystems, with subsequent impacts on society. The JRC is working on improving knowledge to quantify the effects of a global averaged surface temperature increase of 2°C from pre-industrial levels.

The Norwegian Meteorological Institute is involved in the IMPACT2C project which assesses the impacts and costs of climate change for water, energy, tourism and the transport sectors, as well as their infrastructure. More specifically, the JRC carries out a model inter-comparison experi-ment, and assesses changes in water availability, droughts and flood risk. In addition to this, the state and functioning of European ecosystems is studied by assessing the climate vulnerability of the terrestrial biosphere under changing climate conditions, for example with regard to the future changes of carbon emissions and sequestration due to the increase in surface temperature.

The Norwegian Meteorological Institute provides regionalised climate and air pollution data from model simulations and impact assessments on a pan-European level for air quality and health.

The JRC has been nominated as the European Union Reference Laboratory on Genetically Modi-fied Food and Feed (EU-RL GMFF). Within this field, the JRC is in particular responsible for the EU vali-dation of GMO detection methods, which is part of the EU regulatory approval process for GMOs. In its capacity as EU-RL for GM Food and Feed, the JRC is assisted by the European Network on GMO Laboratories (ENGL), which represents a unique network of expertise on GMO analysis and includes about 100 laboratories from the 27 EU Member States as well as Norway, Switzerland, Croatia and Turkey.

National Contact PointMr Johannes KolltveitResearch Council of Norway (RCN)P.O Box 2700, St. Hanshaugen N-0131 OsloNorwayTel: +47 22 03 71 12Web: http://www.forskningsradet.no/Email: jk@forskningsradet.no

The JRC contributes to the

validation of important GMO

detection methods.

Assessing the impacts and costs of climate change

The European Network on GMO Laboratories

© C.Gardi

Configuration for dynamic compression testing at the

Large Hopkinson Bar (HOPLAB) facility, with a load-inver-

sion device and a 100m-long transmitter bar.

Material characterisation under high strainThe JRC has a long-standing collaboration with the Department of Structural Engineering (SIMLab) of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in the field of structural mechanics, in particular in the area of fast dynamics, such as crash, impact and explosion loading of structures.

Several joint testing campaigns for the mechanical characterisation of materi-als under high strain rate conditions were carried out at the JRC's European Laboratory for Structural Assessment (ELSA), which led to a number of scien-tific seminars and publications. The investigation of the behaviour of aluminium foams under dynamic conditions has also been a topic of joint endeavour. Short exchange visits of researchers take place including doctoral researchers from NTNU, who will conduct part of their doctoral thesis work on numerical simula-tions of explosions and impact using the JRC code EUROPLEXUS.

© P.Thunis

The Joint Research Centre and Norway

JRC collaboration with Norwegian research organisations – examples

Network of Air Quality Reference Laboratories (Aquila)•• Norwegian•Institute•for•Air•Research•(NILU)

EUropean Radiological Data Exchange Platform (EURDEP)•• Norwegian•Institute•for•Air•Research•(NILU)•• Norwegian•Radiation•Protection•Authority•(NRPA)

Emission Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR)•• Norwegian•Meteorological•Institute

Aerosols, Clouds and Trace gases Research InfraStructure Network (ACTRIS)

•• Norwegian•Institute•for•Air•Research•(NILU)This network fills an observational gap through the coordination of a European ground-based network of stations equipped with advanced atmospheric probing instrumentation for aerosols, clouds and short-lived trace gases.

Assessment framework and tools for energy grids and plants (AFTER)

•• The•Foundation•for•Scientific•and•Industrial•Research•(SINTEF)This project addresses the challenges posed by the need for vulner-ability evaluation and contingency planning of the energy grids and energy plants as well as the relevant ICT systems used in protection and control.

Air Quality Monitoring Technologies for Urban Areas (Air-MonTech)

•• Norwegian•Institute•for•Air•Research•(NILU)

The main aim of AirMonTech is to compile knowledge and infor-mation on air pollution measurements and methods in order to harmonise air quality data, and improve and guide detailed recom-mendations about future monitoring.

Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services: Arguments for our future Environment (BESAFE)

•• Norwegian•Institute•for•Nature•Research•(NINA)BESAFE aims to improve biodiversity policy making and govern-ance by providing a framework that summarises the observed and potential effectiveness of the alternative ways to argue the case for biodiversity protection.

Container Security Networking (CONTAIN)•• MARLO

CONTAIN will specify and demonstrate a European Shipping Con-tainers Surveillance system which will encompass regulatory, policy and standardisation recommendations, new business models and advanced container security management capabilities.

European coordination action on human biomonitoring (COPHES)

•• Kongsberg•SpacetecThis consortium is developing a coherent approach to Human Bio-monitoring (HBM) in Europe in order to run a fully operational, con-tinuous, sustainable and scientifically sound EU HBM programme.

Linking Russia to the ERA: (ERA.NET RUS)•• The•Research•Council•of•Norway

This project aims to facilitate mutual learning, create synergies and implement joint programmes between Member States, FP7 Associ-ated Countries and Russia in the context of science and technology.

Sea Border Surveillance system (I2C)•• Kongsberg•Norcontrol•IT

The I2C integration project proposes a new generation of innovative sea border surveillance end-to-end systems integrating key capaci-ties to track all vessel movements. This will allow for early identifi-cation of threats such as clandestine immigration, law enforcement, illegal fishing and terrorism associated with detected abnormal vessel behaviour.

Maximising yield of fisheries while balancing ecosystem, economic and social concerns (MYFISH)

•• The•Norwegian•Institute•of•Marine•Research•• The•Norwegian•University•of•Science•and•Technology•

This project aims to integrate the maximum sustainable yield (MSY) of fish concept within the fishing industry while considering ecosys-tem, economic and social factors.

Prevention, information and early warning to support the management of risks (PREVIEW)

•• Norwegian•Meteorological•InstitutePREVIEW aims to improve the quality and harmonisation of infor-mation services for risk management in support of Civil Protection Units and local or regional authorities.

Research into engineered nanomaterials, nanoparticles and nanostructures (QNANO)

•• Norwegian•Institute•for•Air•Research•(NILU)The overall vision is the creation of a ‘neutral’ scientific and technical space in which all stakeholder groups can engage, develop, and share scientific best practice in nanotechnology.

Combustion and Industry Expert Panel (C&I)•• Norwegian•Institute•for•Air•Research•(NILU)•• Norwegian•Pollution•Control•Authority•(SFT)

This is a panel responsible for the chapters on the EMEP/CORINAIR Atmospheric Emissions Inventory Guidebook which deal with com-bustion and industrial activities. The Panel works under the auspices of the UN Economic Commission for Europe and its Task Force on Emission Inventories and Projections.

European Network of GMO Laboratories (ENGL)•• Norwegian•Food•Control•Authority

This network solves the technical and analytical problems which laboratories face in food and the environment. It aims to harmonise national approaches in relation to genetically modified organisms.

EU National Coordinators for Testing Methods (EU NCTM)•• Institute•for•Cancer•Research•• Norwegian•Labour•Inspection•Authority•• Cancer•Registry•of•Norway••• Norwegian•Pollution•Control•Authority•(SFT)•

In order to ensure a harmonisation of test methods in as wide an international context as possible, according to the principle of Mutual Acceptance of Data, the Commission and the JRC partici-pates in the OECD Test Guidelines Programme. European Network of Freshwater Research Organisations (EurAqua)

•• Norwegian•Institute•for•Water•Research•(NIVA)A network for the development of European freshwater science and its dissemination on a European level which provides significant input to the scientific basis of European water management.

Infrastructure for Spatial Information in Europe (INSPIRE)•• Norwegian•Mapping•Authority•(NMA)•• European•Umbrella•Organisation•for•Geographic•Information-

Norway

The information contained in this leaflet is correct at the time of compilation but may be subject to change.

This infrastructure for spatial information in Europe facilitates the sharing of spatial information between countries on the environ-ment or on activities that may have a direct or indirect impact on the environment.

Sustainable Development of Multifunctional Landscape (Landscape Tomorrow)

•• Norwegian•Institute•for•Agricultural•and•Environmental•Research•(Bioforsk)

A European research network which brings together the European expertise in the field of land use, landscape science and rural devel-opment.

Technical meeting on biocidal substances (TM Biocides)•• Norwegian•Institute•of•Public•Health•• Institute•for•Cancer•Research•• Norwegian•Labour•Inspection•Authority•• Cancer•Registry•of•Norway••• Norwegian•Pollution•Control•Authority•(SFT)•

The Biocides work area provides technical and scientific support to national authorities and the European Commission for the approval of active substances in biocidal products. Working Group for customs collaboration (WG EDEXIM)

•• Norwegian•Institute•of•Public•Health•• Institute•for•Cancer•Research••• Norwegian•Labour•Inspection•Authority•• Cancer•Registry•of•Norway••• Norwegian•Pollution•Control•Authority•(SFT)•

The European Database for the Export and Import of Dangerous Chemicals (EDEXIM) provides classification and labelling informa-tion for substances covered by regulation 689/2008. This working group was set up to enhance collaboration between customs. Working Group on the identification of PBT and vPvB Sub-stances (WG PBT)

•• Norwegian•Institute•of•Public•Health•• Institute•for•Cancer•Research•• Norwegian•Labour•Inspection•Authority••• Cancer•Registry•of•Norway••• Norwegian•Pollution•Control•Authority•(SFT)

The Working Group comprises experts from competent authorities with a mandate to identify Persistent Bioaccumulative and Toxic substances (PBT), and very persistent and very bioaccumulative substances in the environment.

Framework Programme projectsThe JRC is involved in more than 140 collaborative research projects and networks under Europe’s Seventh Framework Programme for research and technological development (FP7). This enables the JRC to form partnerships with major European and international research players. Project activities may involve work carried out at JRC facilities which results in increased access to and use of the JRC’s specialised infrastructures and databases by scientists and researchers. Some examples of Framework programme projects which involve Norwegian partners are:

Collaboration agreementsThe JRC has around 200 operational collaboration agreements and Memoranda of Understanding with public and private research organisations, universities, and national and international bodies. The majority of these agreements concern joint research, information sharing and the exchange of personnel. Some examples of collaboration agreements with Norwegian partners are:

Scientific networksThe JRC collaborates with over 650 partner organisations in around 60 scientific networks worldwide which share a common interest in specific research areas. This collaboration is essential for the JRC’s work on harmonising and validating methods and measurements, establishing common standards, and providing scientific and technical support for the implementation of EU legislation. Some examples of scientific networks which involve Norwegian partners are: