europe Missing kayaker faked his own death and fled to Europe, investigators believe By www.washingtontimes.com Published On :: Tue, 12 Nov 2024 15:04:14 -0500 A Wisconsin man apparently faked his own drowning this summer so he could abandon his family and flee to eastern Europe, investigators say. Full Article
europe Facebook and Instagram users in Europe can opt for less personalized ads By www.washingtontimes.com Published On :: Tue, 12 Nov 2024 09:26:14 -0500 Facebook and Instagram users in Europe will get the option to see less personalized ads if they don't want to pay for an ad-free subscription, social media company Meta said Tuesday, bowing to pressure from Brussels over digital competition concerns. Full Article
europe IOC candidate Samaranch urges European lawmakers to invest in sport as a public health policy By www.washingtontimes.com Published On :: Tue, 24 Sep 2024 08:32:19 -0400 IOC presidential candidate Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr. has urged European lawmakers to regard investing in sport as a public health policy in his first keynote speech of a six-month Olympic leadership campaign. Full Article
europe La questione catalana è una questione politica europea By www.collectiuemma.cat Published On :: Sun, 17 Sep 2017 14:45:00 +0200 Lo scontro tra Madrid e Barcelona è al suo culmine: i catalani vanno avanti verso il referendum del 1° ottobre mentre Madrid promette che la consulta «non si celebrerà». All'orizzonte un conflitto ancora più fosco, dove tutto è possibile, che fa sorgere più di qualche domanda IL SOLE 24 ORE di ALESSANDRO GIBERTI 12.09.2017 Le forze politiche dormienti di Madrid si sono accorte ieri l’altro che la Catalunya vuole decidere se dividersi dal resto di Spagna. Dopo l’approvazione ufficiale per parte catalana del referendum del 1° ottobre prossimo (1-O) e l’immediata sua sospensione da parte del tribunale Costituzionale di Madrid, sono arrivate le denunce dalla Procura generale per il presidente della Generalitat de Catalunya Carles Puigdemont e tutti i membri del suo Governo e per la presidente del Parlamento catalano Carme Forcadell. I catalani hanno tirato dritto approvando la “Ley de Transitorietad”, con la quale si fissano i termini della cosiddetta “disconnessione” della Catalunya dal Regno di Spagna e le basi della successiva fondazione della Repubblica catalana in caso di vittoria del sì al referendum. In mezzo abbiamo visto tentativi di sequestri da parte della Guardia Civil spagnola di urne e schede elettorali dell’1-O con irruzioni in tipografie e stamperie considerate “vicine” al Governo catalano e la solita imponente Diada di ieri, che sarebbe la festa nazionale catalana, cioè di tutti i catalani, ma che è ormai interamente consacrata alle ragioni del referendum. Lasciando perdere la cronaca – al momento non si sa nemmeno se si voterà, figurarsi con quali garanzie e in quale clima – quel che importa è capire se quello che sta succedendo tra Madrid e Barcelona sia ancora circoscrivibile in termini di scontro politico locale o se sia legittimo chiedersi se questa vicenda catalana non sia un po’ più larga, ovvero se non sia una questione che intacchi i principi democratici generali, ovvero se non sia una questione politica europea. Dovessimo trattare la vicenda dal primo punto di vista, non ci sarebbero dubbi: forzando la mano, Barcelona sta minacciando l’ordine costituzionale di un Paese membro dell’Unione europea. Di conseguenza le ragioni di Madrid prevarrebbero su quelle catalane e lo Stato spagnolo sarebbe pienamente autorizzato a contrastare, da ogni punto di vista, le minacce al proprio ordine costituito. Però il milione di persone scese in piazza ieri a Barcelona, per la sesta Diada multitudinaria consecutiva (fino al 2011 a celebrare la giornata della Catalunya erano sì e no 15mila persone), non sono figlie del caso. Non credo si possa più fingere che piazza e Governo non siano originate dal medesimo movimento politico-ideale, maggioritario in Catalunya, che chiede a gran voce di essere ascoltato: quello del “derecho a decidir”, cioè del voto. Il problema qui è far calare il costituzionalismo sull’80 per cento dei catalani favorevoli al voto – queste le stime – come fosse l’ultima istanza di una traiettoria che ha viste esplorate tutte le altre opzioni possibili. Ma non è così: ci sono stati anni di sviluppi politico-elettorali e infinite possibilità di mettere in marcia risposte che avrebbero attutito il colpo e magari anche indirizzato il procés fuori dal vicolo cieco referendario, ma si è deciso di non fare nulla che non fosse frustrare le aspirazioni di un’intera comunità politica, fino farla diventare maggioritaria. Ora le forze politiche dormienti di Madrid si sono messe a parlare nientemeno che di “colpo di Stato”. Un colpo di Stato passato attraverso elezioni “autonomiche” (regionali), elezioni politiche nazionali e un referendum ancorché fake. Siamo di fronte a una nuova fattispecie dottrinale: il colpo di Stato a suon di voti. Solo pochi giorni fa, Mariano Rajoy ha dichiarato, testuale, che la «Spagna è un Paese che vive in pace da più di 40 anni». Non stupisce quindi che la questione catalana sia la peggiore gestione di un problema interno che si ricordi da quella di Eta, esattamente nei supposti quarant’anni di pace. Con «nessuno poteva immaginare di assistere a uno spettacolo così antidemocratico», vale a dire l’approvazione in un Parlamento – in un Parlamento! – di una legge ancorché contraria alla Costituzione e la successiva puntualizzazione che «in Spagna si può essere indipendentisti o qualsiasi altra cosa, quel che non si può fare è conseguirlo», Rajoy ha ridotto in un colpo solo popolo sovrano e principio democratico a forme di passatempi non cogenti. La supposta “perversione antidemocratica” del Parlamento di Catalunya, nel quale a dare «grande prova di democrazia» è una minoranza che abbandona l’emiciclo è l’ultimo ribaltamento della realtà operata da Madrid in tutta la storia recente della questione catalana. L’Aventino non può diventare il metro di giudizio ufficiale dello stato di salute di una democrazia parlamentare. Se ogni qual volta una minoranza – e la minoranza happens all the time – prende ed esce dall’aula parliamo di deficit di democrazia che ce ne facciamo del fondamento della democrazia rappresentativa e cioè del principio di maggioranza? La risposta all’80 per cento dei catalani che chiede di votare non può più essere esclusivamente giuridica: deve essere politica. Siamo arrivati troppo in là perché si chiuda il becco a un’intera comunità brandendo solo la Carta fondamentale. Non perché non si possa, ovvio che si possa, ma perché non funziona. E non funziona perché le democrazie non funzionano contro la volontà maggioritaria di una comunità politica. Pur non condividendo le forzature di leggi, norme e regolamenti, e riconoscendo che l’inflazionatissimo “principio di auto-determinazione dei popoli” poco c’entri in questa questione, non dimentichiamoci che siamo europei, siamo occidentali e siamo democratici. Da questa parte di mondo facciamo parlare le persone. Se l’80 per cento di un popolo vuole parlare, deve poterlo fare. Se l’idea è quella di mettere a tacere 7 milioni di persone tre settimane prima del momento culminante di una vicenda politica lunga un decennio semplicemente perché si è deciso di ignorarne l’esistenza fino all’altro ieri non si può in tutta onestà fingere che la cosa appartenga alla normale dialettica democratica (lasciando perdere in questa sede le ragioni storiche: la Generalitat è un’istituzione politica del XIV secolo, precedente a qualsiasi idea di comunità politica spagnola). Infine, davanti a «il referendum non si celebrerà» e «la democrazia risponderà con fermezza» ripetendo più volte «senza rinunciare a nulla», qual è il sottotesto democratico delle parole di Rajoy? Fino a che punto possiamo spingere l’immaginazione? Se i dirigenti politici catalani venissero condannati (già successo), inabilitati (già successo) e magari anche incarcerati (ancora no, ma è tecnicamente possibile) che cosa dovremmo fare come europei? L’esistenza di prigionieri politici in un Paese membro è conforme ai principi della Ue? È più grave la persecuzione politica o il mutamento democratico di un ordinamento? La legge sta sopra il popolo o emana dal popolo? Siamo sicuri che la questione catalana sia una questione meramente spagnola? Full Article
europe IL CASO PUIGDEMONT: LA "PROVA DEL FUOCO" DEL MANDATO D'ARRESTO EUROPEO By www.collectiuemma.cat Published On :: Mon, 06 Aug 2018 13:15:00 +0200 DIRITTO PENALE CONTEMPORANEO 4 luglio 2018 | Luigi Foffani Per leggere la decisione dell'OLG del 5 aprile 2018, clicca qui. Per leggere la decisione definitiva dell'OLG del 12 luglio 2018, clicca qui. 1. La mattina del 25 marzo 2018 Carles Puigdemont, ex-Presidente della Generalitat de Catalunya, viene fermato alla guida di un automobile su un’autostrada dello Schleswig-Holstein, pochi chilometri dopo l’ingresso nel territorio della Repubblica Federale Tedesca. Puigdemont – che risiedeva a Bruxelles dal 28 ottobre 2017, per sfuggire al mandato di cattura del Tribunal Supremo spagnolo – si era recato in Danimarca per una conferenza e stava rientrando in Belgio attraverso la Germania. Contro di lui viene emessa una richiesta di mandato d’arresto europeo (MAE) per i delitti di “ribellione” (“rebelión”: art. 472 CP esp) e peculato (“malversación de caudales públicos”: art. 432 e 252 CP esp). L’Oberlandsgericht dello Schsleswig-Holstein, con la decisione del 5 aprile 2018 respinge senza esitazione la richiesta di mandato d’arresto europeo per quanto riguarda il delitto di “rebelión”: tale delitto infatti non ricade in alcun modo nel “campo d’applicazione del mandato d’arresto europeo” descritto dall’art. 2 della Decisione quadro del 13 giugno 2002 “relativa al mandato d’arresto europeo e alle procedure di consegna tra Stati membri” (2002/584/GAI) ed anche la richiesta di estradizione appare a prima vista inammissibile per la mancanza di una “beiderseitige Strafbarkeit” (“doppia incriminazione”). Diversamente invece non sarebbe inammissibile – secondo l’OLG Schleswig-Holstein – la richiesta di mandato d’arresto europeo in relazione al secondo delitto (peculato, “malversación de caudales públicos”, “Veruntreuung öffentlicher Gelder”), che sarebbe riconducibile alla fattispecie di corruzione richiamata dalla Decisione quadro; ma la richiesta del Tribunal Supremo spagnolo – secondo l’OLG – “non contiene una sufficiente descrizione delle circostanze, sulla base delle quali il reato sarebbe stato commesso, con una necessaria concretizzazione del rimprovero penale, che renda possibile la sua riconducibilità al comportamento addebitato all’imputato. […] Non è chiaro peraltro se lo Stato sia stato realmente gravato di questi costi, nella misura in cui questi siano stati effettivamente pagati con fondi del bilancio regionale e se l’imputato abbia occasionato queste spese”. La decisione dell’OLG Schleswig-Holstein risulta pienamente corretta e convincente, sulla base della disciplina europea e nazionale del mandato d’arresto europeo e dell’estradizione. 2. Quanto al primo e più importante punto (il supposto delitto di “rebelión”) è del tutto evidente l’inesistenza in concreto del requisito della “doppia incriminazione” (“beiderseitige Strafbarkeit”, “double criminality”), necessario per dar corso alla richiesta di estradizione ai sensi del § 3 comma 1 della legge sulla cooperazione giudiziaria internazionale in materia penale (Gesetz über die Internationale Rechtshilfe in Strafsachen, IRG). Il comportamento tenuto da Puigdemont e dagli altri leader indipendentisti durante tutto il percorso politico-istituzionale che ha portato al referendum dell’1 ottobre 2017 e alla successiva dichiarazione unilaterale di indipendenza del 27 ottobre sarebbe infatti – sulla base di una ipotetica applicazione al caso in esame del diritto tedesco – penalmente irrilevante. Il delitto di “Hochverrat gegen den Bund” (“alto tradimento contro lo Stato federale”) – punito dal § 81 StGB con l’ergastolo o con una pena detentiva non inferiore a 10 anni – richiede infatti che si sia concretamente perseguita la separazione di una parte del territorio nazionale “con violenza o tramite minaccia di violenza” (“mit Gewalt oder durch Drohung mit Gewalt”). L’OLG Schleswig-Holstein richiama correttamente la giurisprudenza del Bundesgerichtshof tedesco, che richiede per l’applicazione in concreto di una così grave fattispecie incriminatrice – ed anche della molto più lieve ipotesi della “violenza contro un organo costituzionale” (“Nötigung eines Verfassungsorgans“: § 105 comma 1 StGB) – che la violenza impiegata o minacciata dai rivoltosi abbia concretamente annullato la libertà di decisione nel caso specifico dell’organo costituzionale destinatario della violenza. Un’ipotesi che – come correttamente rileva l’OLG Schleswig-Holstein – mai si è concretamente verificata durante il processo indipendentista dei mesi scorsi, né nei confronti del Parlamento catalano, né nei confronti delle Cortes spagnole. Ma a ben vedere anche sulla base del diritto spagnolo – che l’OLG Schleswig-Holstein non prende in considerazione, in quanto una simile analisi non rientrava nelle sue competenze – l’imputazione formulata dal Tribunal Supremo spagnolo risulta del tutto inverosimile. Il delitto di “rebelión”[1] (art. 472 e 473 CP) punisce infatti con una pena elevatissima (reclusione da 25 a 30 anni, poiché il Tribunal Supremo contesta a Puigdemont e agli altri imputati l’aggravante di aver “distratto i fondi pubblici dalla loro legittima destinazione”) “los que se alzaren violenta y públicamente para cualquiera de los fines siguientes” (“coloro che si sollevino violentemente e pubblicamente per qualsiasi delle seguenti finalità”), fra le quali finalità viene prevista espressamente “declarar la indepedencia de una parte del territorio nacional” (art. 472 n. 5° CP esp.). L’unico elemento di questo gravissimo delitto che possa ragionevolmente ritenersi integrato dal processo indipendentista catalano è l’evento, ossia la dichiarazione unilaterale di indipendenza del 27 ottobre 2017, in esecuzione del risultato del referendum dell’1 ottobre (dichiarato preventivamente illegittimo dal Tribunal constitucional). È indiscutibile dunque l’esistenza della finalità tipica del delitto di “rebelión” a carico di Puigdemont e degli altri imputati, ma è altrettanto evidente l’assoluta inesistenza della condotta materiale tipica di tale grave delitto e soprattutto di un qualsivoglia nesso di causalità fra la condotta e l’evento che rappresentava l’obiettivo di tale illecita finalità. L’art. 472 descrive la condotta tipica come il fatto di “alzarse violenta y públicamente” per conseguire una delle finalità penalmente rilevanti della “rebelión” (quale appunto la separazione della Catalunya dallo Stato spagnolo). In realtà chiunque sia stato in Catalunya nei mesi scorsi ha potuto rilevare il carattere assolutamente pacifico del processo indipendentista: l’unica violenza è stata quella delle ripetute cariche di polizia dell’1 ottobre per tentare di impedire l’esercizio del voto in quello che il Governo spagnolo ed il Tribunal constitucional avevano definito come un referendum illegale e incostituzionale. Ma quand’anche si fossero verificate delle manifestazioni pubbliche di violenza nelle settimane e nei mesi antecedenti al referendum e alla successiva dichiarazione unilaterale di indipendenza, e quand’anche si potesse dimostrare la riconducibilità degli atti di violenza alle decisioni assunte dall’ex Presidente della Generalitat e dalla cupola dei partiti e movimenti indipendentisti – come tenta di dimostrare il provvedimento del Tribunal Supremo spagnolo – ciò che comunque sarebbe inesistente ed indimostrabile sarebbe il nesso di causalità fra gli atti di violenza (condotta tipica del delitto di “rebelión”) e l’evento rappresentato dalla dichiarazione unilaterale di indipendenza della Catalogna. Quest’ultima infatti è derivata da un voto espresso dalla maggioranza del Parlamento catalano il 27 ottobre 2017 in esecuzione del risultato del referendum dell’1 ottobre e la maggioranza in questione era esattamente quella corrispondente ai seggi conseguiti dai partiti indipendentisti alle ultime elezioni catalane. I partiti indipendentisti (Junts x sì e CUP) avevano espressamente dichiarato già in campagna elettorale l’intendimento di giungere a promuovere un referendum sull’indipendenza, nonostante la ferma e reiterata opposizione del Governo spagnolo e le prese di posizione in senso contrario del Tribunal constitucional. Il voto del Parlamento catalano del 27 ottobre 2017 è null’altro che la naturale e fedele conseguenza delle elezioni catalane del 27 settembre 2015, per nulla influenzato dalle ipotetiche manifestazioni di violenza che il Tribunal Supremo spagnolo imputa all’azione politica dell’allora Presidente della Generalitat e degli altri leader indipendentisti. In conclusione, dunque, del delitto di “rebelión” previsto dal Codigo penal spagnolo può essere contestata a Puigdemont e agli altri imputati solo ed esclusivamente la finalità – dichiarata pubblicamente, perseguita con coerenza ed infine conseguita, sia pure in termini assolutamente effimeri e più simbolici che reali – di separare la Catalogna dallo Stato spagnolo. Troppo poco, evidentemente, per ritenere integrati gli elementi costitutivi di un gravissimo delitto che il legislatore spagnolo aveva pensato e descritto con riferimento a vicende di tutt’altra natura, come un tentativo di colpo di stato, un’insurrezione armata, un sollevamento di gruppi militari o paramilitari[2], ecc. È vero che il delitto di “rebelión” è stato costruito dal legislatore spagnolo come una fattispecie a dolo specifico, che non richiede la realizzazione materiale della finalità secessionista; ma è altrettanto evidente che – se non si vuole cadere nella deriva di un “Gesinnungsstrafrecht” di matrice chiaramente autoritaria – la consumazione di un reato di tale gravità non può non presupporre una condotta violenta non solo soggettivamente indirizzata, ma anche oggettivamente idonea, a realizzare la predetta finalità secessionista. Mutatis mutandis, sarebbe come se i consigli regionali di Lombardia e Veneto, anziché assumere alcuni mesi or solo la legittima iniziativa di un referendum popolare per promuovere una maggiore autonomia delle rispettive Regioni, avessero voluto organizzare un referendum per la secessione dallo Stato italiano: la reazione delle autorità governative statali sarebbe stata verosimilmente quella di promuovere un conflitto di attribuzioni fra i poteri dello Stato davanti alla Corte costituzionale; ma certo a nessun ufficio di procura sarebbe venuto in mente di promuovere un’azione penale per “attentato contro organi costituzionali o contro le assemblee regionali” ex art. 289 c.p. o addirittura un’“insurrezione armata contro i poteri dello Stato” ex art. 284 c.p. Ciò che è avvenuto in Spagna, viceversa, è stata una repentina criminalizzazione del conflitto politico-territoriale catalano attraverso un uso assai discutibile e spregiudicato dello strumento penale. L’evidente forzatura interpretativa della ricostruzione operata dal Tribunal Supremo spagnolo è verosimilmente alla base di ciò che l’OLG dello Schleswig Holstein non scrive nella propria decisione, ma sembra implicitamente ritenere: il venir meno nella vicenda in esame del principio della fiducia reciproca fra gli ordinamenti che è alla base della Decisione quadro sul mandato d’arresto europeo e di tutto il sistema della cooperazione giudiziaria europea e la convinzione (anch’essa implicita) che in Spagna non vi sarebbero oggi le condizioni per un giusto processo (“fair trial”) nei confronti di Puigdemont per il delitto di “rebelión”. Una convinzione implicita che trova conferma nel fatto che da molti mesi numerosi esponenti del decaduto Governo catalano ed altri leader indipendentisti si trovino in custodia preventiva per la medesima contestazione del delitto di “rebelión”. 3. Quanto infine al secondo punto della decisione dell’Oberlandsgericht dello Schleswig Holstein, suscita perplessità l’affermazione – sostenuta nella richiesta di mandato d’arresto europeo avanzata dal Tribunal Supremo spagnolo e ripresa in termini adesivi dalla decisione dell’OLG – secondo la quale il delitto di peculato (“malversación de caudales públicos”, “Veruntreuung öffentlicher Gelder”), contestato dal Giudice istruttore del Tribunal Supremo a Puigdemont e ad altri esponenti del decaduto Governo catalano, sarebbe riconducibile alla fattispecie della corruzione presente nel catalogo dei reati presupposto del mandato d’arresto europeo. Non vale infatti sostenere che la Convenzione ONU sulla corruzione del 2003 ed altre iniziative internazionali intendono la corruzione in senso ampio ed atecnico, come comprensiva anche di altre figure di reato del settore pubblico, come appunto la “malversación de caudales públicos”. Un conto infatti è una convenzione internazionale che – nel generico intento politico di contrastare fenomeni di corruzione intesa nel senso più ampio del termine (in senso sociologico più che giuridico-penale) – chieda ai legislatori nazionali di incriminare anche altre ipotesi di reato diverse dalla specifica fattispecie della corruzione; cosa completamente diversa invece è una Decisione quadro che – comportando l’adozione di misure restrittive della libertà personale nella forma del mandato d’arresto europeo – va interpretata in senso tecnico e restrittivo in ordine al “campo d’applicazione del mandato d’arresto europeo” di cui all’art. 2 della Decisione quadro. In ogni caso gli strumenti della cooperazione giudiziaria internazionale avrebbero comunque potuto essere utilmente attivati in forma di richiesta di estradizione, poiché sussiste senz’altro, nell’ipotesi in esame, il requisito della doppia incriminazione: la “malversación de caudales públicos” di cui agli art. 432 e 252 CP esp. – sostanzialmente equivalente alla fattispecie di peculato ex art. 314 c.p. it. – trova infatti corrispondenza nella più generale fattispecie di “Untreue” o “infedeltà patrimoniale” (§ 266 StGB), suscettibile di trovare applicazione anche nel settore pubblico in presenza di condotte di “Veruntreuung öffentlicher Gelder” (“gestione infedele di fondi pubblici”). La richiesta del Tribunal Supremo spagnolo non trova tuttavia accoglimento – come già segnalato all’inizio di questo commento – per la carente descrizione, da parte dell’autorità richiedente, delle circostanze di fatto sulla base delle quali si sosterrebbe la responsabilità dell’imputato da estradare[3]. Un ulteriore ed evidente sintomo di quella implicita carenza di fiducia – da parte dell’autorità giudiziaria a cui è rivolta la richiesta di estradizione – circa la fondatezza dell’impianto accusatorio costruito dal Giudice istruttore del Tribunal Supremo spagnolo contro i leader del processo indipendentista. 4. In conclusione: dopo questa decisione interlocutoria – alla quale ha fatto seguito una rinnovata richiesta delle autorità giudiziarie spagnole, che insistono con fermezza nella pretesa di sottoporre a processo l’ex Presidente della Generalitat Carles Puigdemont – siamo in attesa della decisione definitiva dell’OLG dello Schleswig Holstein. Qualunque sarà la decisione definitiva, essa segnerà comunque una pietra miliare – in un senso o nell’altro – nella storia del mandato d’arresto europeo e della cooperazione giudiziaria europea. 5. Nelle more della conclusione di questo breve commento è sopraggiunta finalmente la decisione definitiva dell’OLG Schleswig-Holstein del 12 luglio 2018, che sostanzialmente conferma la decisione precedente, negando l’estradizione per il delitto di “rebelión” ed ammettendola invece per la “malversación de caudales públicos”. Una settimana più tardi – il 19 luglio – il Giudice istruttore del Tribunal Supremo Pablo Llarena ha deciso, con suo autonomo provvedimento, di rifiutare l’estradizione “dimezzata” [4] e di ritirare tutte le richieste di estradizione e di ordine d’arresto europeo nel frattempo indirizzate in Belgio, Scozia e Svizzera contro altri politici indipendentisti di primo piano rifugiatisi all’estero per sfuggire all’arresto in Spagna. Sembra dunque chiudersi definitivamente – con un passo indietro dell’autorità giudiziaria spagnola (a malincuore e non senza considerazioni polemiche nei confronti della pronuncia della magistratura tedesca) – la partita europea e internazionale per la soluzione penale della questione independentista catalana[5] e la palla ritorna nuovamente nel campo della politica: una politica che – con nuovi attori protagonisti (tanto a Barcellona – con la Presidenza della Generalitat di Quim Torra – quanto a Madrid, dopo la caduta a sorpresa del governo di Mariano Rajoy e l’arrivo alla Moncloa di Pedro Sanchez) – tenta di riprendere – con estrema prudenza da ambo le parti, ma con qualche nuova timida speranza – la difficile via del dialogo e della ricerca di una soluzione politica condivisa alla crisi costituzionale aperta dalla domanda di indipendenza di una parte (sia pur lievemente) maggioritaria della società civile e politica catalana. _____________________________________ [1] Sul quale v. per tutti in dottrina il recentissimo contributo di M. Cugat Mauri, La violencia como elemento del delito de rebelión, in Liber Amicorum. Estudios Juridicos en Homenaje al Prof. Dr. Dr.h.c. Juan M. Terradillos Basoco, Valencia, Tirant Lo Blanch, 2018, p. 567-582. [2] Esempio paradigmatico fu il tentativo di colpo di stato militare che ebbe luogo il 23 febbraio 1981, nel quale una parte dell’esercito spagnolo comandato dal tenente colonnello Tejero fece irruzione nel Parlamento durante il voto di fiducia al Primo Ministro Adolfo Suarez, prendendo in ostaggio parlamentari e governo, mentre altri gruppi militari invadevano alcune strade di Valencia con carrarmati e soldati ed intendevano inviare una divisione di carristi a Madrid per occupare la capitale. [3] Di fronte per di più a dichiarazioni pubbliche della stessa autorità governativa spagnola (l’ex Ministro delle Finanze Montoro) che a suo tempo aveva riconosciuto che per la realizzazione del referendum indipendentista catalano non erano stati impiegati fondi ricavati dal bilancio pubblico. [4] Probabilmente si è tenuto in conto in questa decisione il rischio che per il solo delitto di “malversación de caudales públicos” difficilmente sarebbe stato sostenibile un lungo protrarsi della custodia cautelare in carcere di Puigdemont, e che una volta liberato questi avrebbe potuto esercitare senza limiti il proprio mandato di parlamentare catalano e finanche essere nuovamente eletto come Presidente della Generalitat. [5] V. ad es.: Llarena da por perdida la batalla europea de la rebelión, in La Vanguardia, ed. online, 19 luglio 2018. Full Article
europe The European Biodiversity Observation Network By www.eubon.eu Published On :: Wed, 06 Mar 2013 14:03:00 +0200 The European Biodiversity Observation Network (EU BON), a European project on biodiversity data, was launched in December 2012. The Belgian Biodiversity Platform attended the symposium connected to the EU BON kick-off meeting in Berlin, Germany, on 11-12th February 2013.The symposium entitled ‘Nature and Governance: Biodiversity Data, Science, and the Policy Interface’ highlighted the importance of biodiversity data for policy-making and research. The complexity of producing and collating data on an international scale involving different methods and disciplines was well illustrated. The importance of the accessibility of biodiversity data within an integrated system was well demonstrated - the sum of all contributions will in the end enable monitoring, forecasting and policy-making.EU BON will create a substantial part of the Group on Earth’s Observation’s Biodiversity Observation Network (GEO BON) and will operate in support of biodiversity sciences and policy initiatives, such as the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).EU BON will build on existing components, such as the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), LifeWatch infrastructures and national biodiversity data centers. As Belgian GBIF node, the Belgian Biodiversity Platform can provide an important support to the development of EU BON. The Belgian partners in the EU BON project are the Royal Museum for Central Africa (RMCA), the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS), and the National Botanic Garden of Belgium (Botanic Garden).We will follow with interest the development in the EU BON project and will continue publishing data through GBIF. If you would like to support this initiative by having your data published on GBIF, please contact André Heughebaert (GBIF node manager), Dimitri Brosens or Kristina Articus (Biodiversity Experts). Full Article News
europe BHL-Europe is finally officially live By www.eubon.eu Published On :: Wed, 20 Mar 2013 15:05:00 +0200 On March 18 2013 the BHL-Europe portal has gone officially live. The Biodiversity heritage library for Europe project began in 2009 and joins noteworthy European museum and botanical gardens, including some in the USA as well. The primary goal of the project was to create an indexed archival system for digitized scientific literature, and free access to this literature via a multifunctional portal (www.bhl-europe.eu).The portal makes available 6,149 books containing one million pages from 92 content providers at the moment, but this is just the initial offering. New material is added every day, and the growth is projected to increase over time. The BHL-Europe portal (and other international sources) is linked to the Biodiversity Library Exhibition platform, which publishes selected literature in the form of interesting themes, information and an attractive design. Thanks to the specific presentation of literature and interesting scientific items, the platform has significant educational potential.You can access the BHL-Europe portal here: www.bhl-europe.euRead more about the portal on the official BHL blog: http://bhleurope.blogspot.cz/2013/03/bhl-europe-is-finally-officially-live.html Full Article News
europe Improved flow of European biodiversity data By www.eubon.eu Published On :: Thu, 20 Jun 2013 14:05:00 +0300 The Norwegian Biodiversity Information Centre (NBIC) was host to an international biodiversity informatics workshop May 29th-31st. The event was held as part of the EU-project European Biodiversity Observation Network (EU BON), where NBIC is a partner. The theme for the ‘EU BON Initial Informatics Workshop’ was data architectures, standards and interoperability (improving flow of information between systems). The event gathered renowned international and national experts within data structures for biological data. EU-project for better data flowNBIC is the Norwegian partner in EU BON, an EU-project spanning 5 years where 30 institutions from 18 countries contribute. The objective is to build an infrastructure that improves the flow of biodiversity data in all of Europe. Furthermore, the project is a European affiliate to its global counterpart (GEO BON) and will contribute to the work of the newly established ‘Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services’ (IPBES). Good solutions showcasedWorldwide, a large number distinct standards and solutions for management of data on species and nature types exist, and one of EU BON’s objectives is to find solutions to get all of these systems to communicate with one another. Several attendees contributed with presentations highlighting diverse standards and solutions for interoperability. Additionally, four international players in the field of biodiversity informatics presented general international initiatives, projects and services relevant to EU BON. What is biodiversity informatics? Biodiversity informatics is the field of applying IT techniques to improve management and presentation of biodiversity information, making it easier to discover, use and analyze such data. Full Article News
europe Pan-European stakeholder consultation on the intersessional process of IPBES By www.eubon.eu Published On :: Mon, 22 Jul 2013 19:38:00 +0300 From 16th to the 18th of July, a European stakeholder consultation for the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity & Ecosystem Services (IPBES) took place in Leipzig (Germany). The consultation was organized by three European Biodiversity Platforms: Network-Forum Biodiversity Research Germany (NeFo), the Belgian Biodiversity Platform, and the French Foundation for Research on Biodiversity (FRB) (further information on the conference: www.biodiversity.de/index.php/de/ipbes/nefo-aktivitaeten-zu-ipbes/workshops/pan-european-stakeholder-consultation). IPBES will greatly influence future biodiversity policy and research, and EU BON is expected to provide a European contribution to IPBES. IPBES will be in particular of high interest, because it will need tools to integrate and analyse different data sources, to develop relevant infrastructure and to do assessments of state and trends of biodiversity at multiple scales. EU BON was represented by several partners at the meeting and we acted as facilitators in the round-tables, gathered input for the project, participated in discussions and exchanged ideas with many representatives and colleagues. We provide you with a short summary of the meeting below. The aims of the pan-European stakeholder consultation meeting in Leipzig were: To reach out to stakeholders to inform people and institutes and to raise awareness of the dynamics in IPBES. To discuss and obtain feedback on several IPBES-related documents that are currently being drafted. In their final form these documents will be submitted to the Panel for the IPBES 2 plenary session in 9-14 December 2013. The meeting in Leipzig was organized around round table discussions of several draft documents of importance for stakeholders: the draft work programme, the stakeholder engagement strategy draft and the draft "Vision for pan-European IPBES support perspective". If you are interested these documents, currently for review, can be found here: http://www.ipbes.net/intersessional-process/current-review-documents-ipbes2.html . There were several opportunities for EU BON partners to flag the potential biodiversity data and analysis requirements for the future IPBES work program in separate discussions and to give recommendations as to what should be additionally integrated in the draft work programme. We also brainstormed on a potential EU BON side event at the second IPBES meeting, which will be held in 9-14 December in Antalya, Turkey. Topics discussed by national delegates in that plenary will amongst other topics comprise: the first work programme, budget, stakeholder engagement, the position of observers, technical requirements and a list of thematic priorities for IPBES assessments. Although the meeting was a success in terms of the number and diversity of participants, the consultation felt for many participants as a top down exercise. However, the importance of being involved at this stage was felt and the hope for stakeholder empowerment in the future was often voiced. Full Article News
europe European Commission launches pilot to open up publicly funded research data By www.eubon.eu Published On :: Mon, 16 Dec 2013 17:59:00 +0200 Today, 16/12/2013, the European Commission announced the launch of a new Pilot on Open Research Data in Horizon 2020, to ensure that valuable information produced by researchers in many EU-funded projects will be shared freely. Researchers in projects participating in the pilot are asked to make the underlying data needed to validate the results presented in scientific publications and other scientific information available for use by other researchers, innovative industries and citizens. This will lead to better and more efficient science and improved transparency for citizens and society. It will also contribute to economic growth through open innovation. For 2014-2015, topic areas participating in the Open Research Data Pilot will receive funding of around €3 billion. The Commission recognises that research data is as important as publications. It therefore announced in 2012 that it would experiment with open access to research data (see IP/12/790). The Pilot on Open Research Data in Horizon 2020 does for scientific information what the Open Data Strategy does for public sector information: it aims to improve and maximise access to and re-use of research data generated by projects for the benefit of society and the economy. The Pilot involves key areas of Horizon 2020: Future and Emerging Technologies Research infrastructures – part e-Infrastructures Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies – Information and Communication Technologies Societal Challenge: Secure, Clean and Efficient Energy – part Smart cities and communities Societal Challenge: Climate Action, Environment, Resource Efficiency and Raw materials – with the exception of topics in the area of raw materials Societal Challenge: Europe in a changing world – inclusive, innovative and reflective Societies Science with and for Society Neelie Kroes, Vice-President of the European Commission for the Digital Agenda said "We know that sharing and re-using research data holds huge potential for science, society and the economy. This Pilot is an opportunity to see how different disciplines share data in practice and to understand remaining obstacles." Commissioner Máire Geoghegan-Quinn said: "This pilot is part of our commitment to openness in Horizon 2020. I look forward to seeing the first results, which will be used to help set the course for the future." Projects may opt out of the pilot to allow for the protection of intellectual property or personal data; in view of security concerns; or should the main objective of their research be compromised by making data openly accessible. The Pilot will give the Commission a better understanding of what supporting infrastructure is needed and of the impact of limiting factors such as security, privacy or data protection or other reasons for projects opting out of sharing. It will also contribute insights in how best to create incentives for researchers to manage and share their research data. The Pilot will be monitored throughout Horizon 2020 with a view to developing future Commission policy and EU research funding programmes. Full Article News
europe International Conference on Global Environmental Change and GEO European Projects Workshops (Athens, Greece) By www.eubon.eu Published On :: Tue, 11 Feb 2014 10:23:00 +0200 An international conference Adaptation Strategies to Global Environmental Change in the Mediterranean City and the Role of Global Earth Observations will take place between 10-11 June 2014 in Athens, Greece. The conference will explore the potential of earth observations and thrust climate information transfer from the science to the stakeholder application realm, in order to develop suitable adaptation measures at national and regional levels. It will identify best adaptation programs and approaches to global environmental change in Mediterranean-climate cities. The aim is to enhance and strengthen European and international cooperation in the context of the activities within the Group on Earth Observations (GEO), and promote tools and options for adaptation strategies. The Conference will help local and regional authorities and stakeholders to gain insight on the role of EO-based services in adapting to climate chance impacts in urban hot-spot areas. The eighth annual series of GEO European Projects Workshops will be consequently held on 12-13 June as a follow-up of the conference. The worksops are intended to bring all those interested in and actively contributing to the Global Earth Observations System of Systems (GEOSS) from all over Europe together, in order to present their work and discuss how Europe can contribute to this international effort, especially in the wake of the launch of the new EU Framework Programme for Research, Horizon 2020, and the renewal of the mandate of GEO for another 10 years through the endorsement of the 2014. Registrations opens: 16 February 2014 Information and registration: www.mariolopoulosfoundation.gr/medcity2014 First Announcement (pdf flie) Full Article News
europe New EU BON publication: Improved access to integrated biodiversity data for science, practice, and policy - the European Biodiversity Observation Network (EU BON) By www.eubon.eu Published On :: Fri, 28 Mar 2014 15:38:00 +0200 The latest EU BON publication in the open access journal Nature Conservation is now a fact. The article titled "Improved access to integrated biodiversity data for science, practice, and policy - the European Biodiversity Observation Network (EU BON)" provides an overview of the project's background, research interests and vision for the future. Abstract Biodiversity is threatened on a global scale and the losses are ongoing. In order to stop further losses and maintain important ecosystem services, programmes have been put into place to reduce and ideally halt these processes. A whole suite of different approaches is needed to meet these goals. One major scientific contribution is to collate, integrate and analyse the large amounts of fragmented and diverse biodiversity data to determine the current status and trends of biodiversity in order to inform the relevant decision makers. To contribute towards the achievement of these challenging tasks, the project EU BON was developed. The project is focusing mainly on the European continent but contributes at the same time to a much wider global initiative, the Group on Earth Observations Biodiversity Observation Network (GEO BON), which itself is a part of the Group of Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS). EU BON will build on existing infrastructures such as GBIF, LifeWatch and national biodiversity data centres in Europe and will integrate relevant biodiversity data from on-ground observations to remote sensing information, covering terrestrial, freshwater and marine habitats. A key feature of EU BON will be the delivery of relevant, fully integrated data to multiple and different stakeholders and end users ranging from local to global levels. Through development and application of new standards and protocols, EU BON will enable greater interoperability of different data layers and systems, provide access to improved analytical tools and services, and will provide better harmonised biodiversity recording and monitoring schemes from citizen science efforts to long-term research programs to mainstream future data collecting. Furthermore EU BON will support biodiversity science-policy interfaces, facilitate political decisions for sound environmental management, and help to conserve biodiversity for human well-being at different levels, ranging from communal park management to the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). Additionally, the project will strengthen European capacities and infrastructures for environmental information management and sustainable development. The following paper outlines the framework and the approach that are pursued. Original Source: Hoffmann A, Penner J, Vohland K, Cramer W, Doubleday R, Henle K, Kõljalg U, Kühn I, Kunin WE, Negro JJ, Penev L, Rodríguez C, Saarenmaa H, Schmeller DS, Stoev P, Sutherland WJ, Tuama1 EO, Wetzel F, Häuser CL (2014) Improved access to integrated biodiversity data for science, practice, and policy - the European Biodiversity Observation Network (EU BON). Nature Conservation 6: 49–65. doi: 10.3897/natureconservation.6.6498 Full Article News
europe EU BON and the European Space Agency: Earth Observations to support biodiversity monitoring By www.eubon.eu Published On :: Tue, 08 Apr 2014 15:28:00 +0300 The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. ESA is an international organisation with 20 Member States. How is EU BON connected to space research? As a speaker at the EU BON General Meeting, which took place on Crete between 30 March - 3 April 2014, Marc Paganini of the European Space Agency explains the collaboration between ESA and GEO BON, and how EU BON is involved. In the following interview he continues the topic: Marc Paganini (left) and Dirk Schmeller (right) at the EU BON General Meeting 2014 1) For most of the general public space and biodiversity research hardly have anything to do with each other, can you explain how the European Space Agency (ESA) and the idea of remote sensing communities make these two meet? It is widely recognized that in-situ observations available on biological diversity are very scarce for most of the Earth’s ecosystems and are often insufficient for determining precisely the global status and trends of biodiversity worldwide. In most cases, satellite Earth Observations do not provide a direct measurement of biodiversity but, if properly used with ground collection of biodiversity data and species and habitat modeling, remote sensing can become an important and essential component of biodiversity monitoring systems. There are multiple cases where remote sensing is often the only instrument that can offer large scale monitoring, as for example in highly variable ecosystems such as wetlands or in remote areas that can hardly be monitored by field campaigns. The recent and future evolution of the portfolio of EO satellites offers huge potential for increasing the use of EO products into biodiversity monitoring systems. The lack of data continuity has always been a barrier for the biodiversity community to invest in EO technology. A commitment from Space Agencies to provide sustained observations on the long term is a strong incentive for the biodiversity community to invest in Space. The Sentinel series of the European Copernicus program, together with the freely available data from other space agencies such as the Landsat family of the US Geological Survey, will bring unprecedented long-term continuity of observations for the biodiversity community. In that context, free and open data policy to taxpayer-funded satellite remote sensing imagery is becoming a "de facto" standard amongst Space Agencies and a unique opportunity for the biodiversity community to use widely EO products to monitor biodiversity trends. 2) How is the ESA involved with the aims of EU BON, where do the two initiatives intersect? ESA and many other Space Agencies are becoming more and more committed in helping the biodiversity community at large, in improving their capacity to use remote sensing data for monitoring biodiversity trends. First there is a coordinated action from all Space Agencies through the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) and its involvement in the Group of Earth Observation (GEO). The GEO is a voluntary partnership of governments and international organizations who engaged jointly in developing a comprehensive, coordinated and sustained system of observations of the Earth with the ultimate objective to enhance scientifically-sound decision making. Biodiversity is one of the primary societal benefit areas of GEO and is addressed by the GEO Biodiversity Observation Network (GEO BON). CEOS is actively involved in GEO BON, principally through the participation to its steering committee of the European, US and German Space Agencies, namely ESA, NASA and DLR. Since EU BON is the principal European contribution to GEO BON, and has, amongst its objectives, the aim to integrate biodiversity data from ground observations to remote sensing information, ESA is directly concerned by the EU BON development in using remote sensing for terrestrial, freshwater and marine realms. Second, ESA has its own EO application development programs, and funds a wide range of Research & Development projects for biodiversity and ecosystem services. In that context, ESA has established close relationships with the European Environment Agency (EEA) but also with the secretariats and scientific bodies of major Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEA) such as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Ramsar Convention on wetlands. The findings of the ESA-funded EO projects on biodiversity and ecosystem services are highly relevant to EU BON. It is therefore expected that the ESA and EU BON activities in relation to the use of RS for biodiversity monitoring will offer some convergence of evidence showcases for the whole biodiversity community. 3) How do you see the future of collaboration with EU BON? The high potential for satellite Earth Observations to support biodiversity monitoring is growing but is yet to be fully realised. The recent efforts of GEO BON, supported by the GEO Plenary and the CBD Conference of the Parties, to define a set of minimum essential observational requirements to monitor biodiversity trends will give considerable impetus for space agencies and for the remote sensing community to focus their work on a small set of well defined EO products that will serve the needs of the biodiversity community at large. In that context ESA is firmly engaged in supporting the development of these emerging Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBVs). EU BON together with ESA can be pioneers in the early development and demonstration. Full Article News
europe Memorandum of understanding signed between EU BON and CETAF (Consortium of European Taxonomic Facilities) By www.eubon.eu Published On :: Wed, 04 Jun 2014 14:49:00 +0300 A memorandum of understanding has been signed between EU BON and CETAF (Consortium of European Taxonomic Facilities, AISBL). The document was signed by EU BON project coordinator Christoph Häuser and the Chair of CETAF, Dr. Michelle J. Price, during the 35th CETAF General Meeting in Oslo, 6-7 May, 2014. CETAF is a networked consortium of scientific institutions in Europe formed to promote training, research and understanding of systematic biology and palaeobiology, Together, CETAF institutions hold very substantial biological (zoological and botanical), palaeobiological, and geological collections and provide the resources necessary for the work of thousands of researchers in a variety of scientific disciplines. Meanwhile the list of MoU signed by EU BON has grown with further institutions/projects joining: http://www.eubon.eu/showpage.php?storyid=10373 Full Article News
europe Distributed European School of Taxonomy (DEST) approaching training courses By www.eubon.eu Published On :: Thu, 19 Jun 2014 13:28:00 +0300 The Distributed European School of Taxonomy (DEST) has been established by prominent taxonomists and other international partners during the EU funded project European Distributed Institute of Taxonomy (EDIT). The major aim of DEST is to transfer knowledge between current and future generations of taxonomists by providing high quality education and prepare students for future taxonomic careers. Overall, DEST involves a network of around 100 training providers from 60 institutions. Within the framework of the EDIT project, DEST organised training sessions in 30 European institutions for 185 students from all over the world (116 of which EDIT-granted). Since March 2011, the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences remains responsible for the continued management of DEST, organization of courses and related logistical matters. During the academic year 2011-2012, DEST provided training to 100 students through 16 courses, while 130 students participated in 19 training courses during 2012-2013. DEST continues to provide high-quality training to future taxonomists. Below are the deadline for registration for several approaching courses in Modern Taxonomy:Philosophy of Biological Systematics (8-12 September 2014)Course venue: Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, BelgiumTraining provider: Dr. Kirk Fitzhugh, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, U.S.A.Registration deadline is being extended untilFriday 20 June 2014 Zoological Nomenclature training course (22-26 September 2014)Course venue: Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris, FrancTraining provider: Prof. Alain Dubois, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, ParisRegistration deadline is being extended untilFriday 20 June 2014Botanical Nomenclature training course (26-30 January 2015)Course venue: Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, U.K.Training provider: Katherine Challis, Royal Botanic Gardens, KewRegistration deadline: 10 October 2014 To read more about the courses and to register, visit the official DEST webpage: http://www.taxonomytraining.eu/content/modern-taxonomy-course-programme-2013-2014 Full Article News
europe European Space Agency's call for proposals: Data User Element INNOVATOR By www.eubon.eu Published On :: Mon, 23 Jun 2014 10:38:00 +0300 European Space Agency (ESA) has released its call for proposals for the next projects in the Data User Element (DUE) INNOVATOR arena. Projects are expected to contributed to various international efforts, and CliC and the Cryosphere in a Changing Climate Grand Challenge are specifically mentioned. We encourage those of you interested in submitting a proposal to consider tying your efforts to some of the ongoing and developing CliC activities. The full call for proposals can be downloaded here. The DUE INNOVATOR III will consist in a suite of up to 12 projects of maximum two year time duration and of value up to 200 K euro each. The DUE INNOVATOR III projects will give to the end-users, industry and research communities the opportunity to develop and demonstrate innovative Earth Observation (EO) services and products using existing ESA, ESA third-party mission and other EO datasets. These original projects, if successful, may constitute future large scale activities within the Agency's Data User Element (DUE) programme. The DUE INNOVATOR III application areas and service themes are open, but require a targeted end-user community that will directly benefit from these new services and products. At least one end-user entity shall be actively involved in each DUE INNOVATOR III project and will be responsible for providing the detailed service and product requirements, as well as support the interpretation and validation of the service products, and assess the adequacy of and benefits of the service. Each project will be carried out up to 24 months and will consist of three phases: - Specification and demonstration; - Implementation and validation; - Evaluation and evolution scenario. EO topics already covered by past or ongoing projects within the ESA DUP/DUE, EOMD, GSE, EU Framework Programmes or National programmes will not be considered for funding. Spanish Tenderers are advised that although Spain is participating in EOEP-4, its contribution is already earmarked for specific elements in EOEP-4 aiming at ensuring continuity with activities stemming from the previous period. Therefore, for this ITT, entities which have their registered office in Spain are not entitled to take part in a bidding consortium, either as Prime Contract or as subcontractor. Full Article News
europe 8th GEO European Projects Workshop (GEPW-8): Presentations and photgraphs are now available By www.eubon.eu Published On :: Tue, 08 Jul 2014 16:02:00 +0300 The 8th GEO European Projects Workshop (GEPW-8) took place in Athens, Greece, on 12 and 13 June, hosted by the Greek GEO Office - National Observatory of Athens and co-organized by the Mariolopoulos-Kanaginis Foundation for the Environmental Sciences. The event was intended to bring all those interested in and actively contributing to the Global Earth Observations System of Systems (GEOSS) from all over Europe together, in order to present their work and discuss how Europe can contribute to this international effort, especially in the wake of the launch of the new EU Framework Programme for Research, Horizon 2020, and renewal of the mandate of GEO for another 10 years through the endorsement of the 2014 Geneva Declaration. Oral presentations, a book of abstracts and the photos from the event are now uploaded and available for download on the events website. Full Article News
europe LTER Europe - a new associated partner By www.eubon.eu Published On :: Mon, 01 Sep 2014 15:55:00 +0300 EU BON is pleased to welcome a new associated partner Long-Term Ecosystem Research (LTER) Europe to its family! Long-Term Ecosystem Research (LTER) is an essential component of world-wide efforts to better understand ecosystems. This comprises their structure, functions, and long-term response to environmental, societal and economic drivers. LTER contributes to the knowledge base informing policy and to the development of management options in response to the Grand Challenges under Global Change. From the beginning (around 2003) the design of LTER-Europe has focussed on the integration of natural sciences and ecosystem research approaches, including the human dimension. LTER-Europe was heavily involved in conceptualizing socio-ecological research (LTSER). As well as LTER Sites, LTER-Europe features LTSER Platforms, acting as test infrastructures for a new generation of ecosystem research across European environmental and socio-economic gradients. Full Article News
europe Nature-Based Solutions: Innovation potential for Smart, Sustainable and Inclusive Growth in Europe By www.eubon.eu Published On :: Fri, 17 Oct 2014 16:30:00 +0300 On Tuesday 30 September 2014, the European Parliament Intergroup on "Climate Change, Biodiversity and Sustainable Development", in collaboration with the European Commission and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), organised a full day conference entitled: "Nature-Based Solutions: Innovation potential for Smart, Sustainable and Inclusive Growth in Europe." Bringing together 140 participants including representatives from the European Institutions, local and regional authorities, research institutes, NGOs and International organisations, as well as private sector representatives, this conference aimed at promoting the solutions that nature can offer in tackling major challenges, such as climate change and natural disasters, in ensuring food security to an increasing population, in protecting the health of European citizens, and the conservation of biodiversity in the EU and at the global level. The speakers, panellists and participants in the audience all agreed that using nature to tackle some of the most pressing challenges of our time can be cost-effective, can help safeguard the environment and halt biodiversity loss, and can provide numerous economic and social benefits by creating jobs and growth and by stimulating innovation. Read more and find results from the conference here. Full Article News
europe European Journal of Taxonomy #100 By www.eubon.eu Published On :: Tue, 28 Oct 2014 12:04:11 +0200 The European Journal of Taxonomy is a peer-reviewed international journal in descriptive taxonomy, covering the eukaryotic world. The content range from descriptions of new species to large inventories of different groups - so far more than 400 new species are described in EJT. Its content is fully electronic and Open Access. It is published and funded by a consortium of European natural history institutions. Neither authors nor readers have to pay fees.The 100th issue of EJT, which was published 24 October 2014, comprises a beautifully illustrated monograph on African millipedes, adding 20 new species to our list of new taxa. Author is Professor Henrik Enghoff from The Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen.No 100 (2014): A mountain of millipedes I: An endemic species-group of the genus Chaleponcus Attems, 1914, from the Udzungwa Mountains, Tanzania (Diplopoda, Spirostreptida, Odontopygidae). Henrik EnghoffEJT normally is an e-only journal, but on this occasion the editorial team has decided to print a limited number of hard copies, to be distributed amongst the Natural History Institutions around the world. Professor Henrik Enghoff represents EU BON partner UCPH. Full Article News
europe European Environment - State and Outlook 2015 By www.eubon.eu Published On :: Tue, 31 Mar 2015 14:45:00 +0300 The European Environment Agency has published its flagship report, the European Environment - State and Outlook 2015 (SOER 2015) . It contains excellent online resources with detailed information, including downloadable graphs, tables and images. The report is compiled every five years and includes an assessment of trends and prospects, information on individual countries and regions, cross-country comparisons and the global context. Aggregated level information on climate change, impacts, vulnerability and adaptation is included. Read more and find the report online here: http://www.eea.europa.eu/soer Full Article News
europe Conservation Biology Special Section: "Conservation in Europe as a model for emerging conservation issues globally By www.eubon.eu Published On :: Mon, 01 Jun 2015 15:06:00 +0300 A Special Section: "Conservation in Europe as a model for emerging conservation issues globally" is featured in the Early View module of Conservation Biology online. The section includes: Mapping opportunities and challenges for rewilding in Europe Silvia Ceaușu, Max Hofmann, Laetitia M. Navarro, Steve Carver, Peter H. Verburg and Henrique M. Pereira DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12533 Conservation in Europe as a model for emerging conservation issues globally Luigi Boitani and William J. Sutherland DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12530 The alignment of agricultural and nature conservation policies in the European Union Ian Hodge, Jennifer Hauck and Aletta Bonn DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12531 Scenarios of large mammal loss in Europe for the 21st century Carlo Rondinini and Piero Visconti DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12532 On how much biodiversity is covered in Europe by national protected areas and by the Natura 2000 network: insights from terrestrial vertebrates L. Maiorano, G. Amori, A. Montemaggiori, C. Rondinini, L. Santini, S. Saura and L. Boitani DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12535 The role of agri-environment schemes in conservation and environmental management Péter Batáry, Lynn V. Dicks, David Kleijn and William J. Sutherland DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12536 Framing the relationship between people and nature in the context of European conservation John D. C. Linnell, Petra Kaczensky, Ulrich Wotschikowsky, Nicolas Lescureux and Luigi Boitani DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12534 Full Article News
europe EU BON General Meeting 2015: working toward building the European Biodiversity Observation Network By www.eubon.eu Published On :: Wed, 10 Jun 2015 18:35:00 +0300 The annual EU BON General Meeting was successfully held from 1 to 4 June 2015 at the Clare College Conferencing, Cambridge, United Kingdom. The meeting was attended by a total of 85 participants with various organizational background and relation to EU BON. Among these were almost all EU BON alongside representatives of eight associate partners and many guests. Participants at the EU BON General Meeting, 2015; Credit: Dirk Schmeller One of the highlights of the meeting was its very start with three inspiring keynote speakers. Among these, Bill Sutherland from the University of Cambridge started off to give an interesting speech about the progress and future plans on combining Biodiversity science and policy. Second was Gary Geller from the GEO secretariat who talked about GEO, GEOSS and GEO BON, its vision and goals. Later on, Johannes Peterseil from LTER-Europe shared some interesting thoughts about linking ecosystem research and earth observation through the cooperation between LTER-Europe and EU BON. During the meeting other relevant projects were also introduced to all participants. These were DataOne and Species 2000/Catalogue of Life and two new EU projects Ecopotential and Globis-B. The General Meeting included six thematic sessions on highly relevant EU BON topics, followed by many cross-task modules which led to better cooperation and communication between work packages and tasks. The exchange of experience gave new input to all work packages and set the milestones for the work ahead. Presentations from the meeting will be uploaded shortly. PRESENTATIONS: AGENDA - EU BON 3rd General Assembly Keynote speakers: W.Sutherland - Biodiversity science and policy G.Geller - GEO / GEOSS / GEOBON J.Peterseil - Linking ecosystem research and earth observation Other projects: B.Wilson - DataONE C.Flann - Species 2000 Catalogue of Life C.Marangi - Ecopotential W.Los - Globis-B EU BON presentations: C.Haeuser - EU BON core elements for an integrated biodiversity information system U.Koljalg - Data mobilization strategy and show case H.Saarenmaa - European biodiversity portal Y.Gavish - Developing EU BON's site-specific portal E.Regan - Stakeholder requirements I.Geijzendorffer - Context of EU BON Selection of pictures from the meeting: Full Article News
europe 9th GEO European Projects Workshop is on & streamlined live By www.eubon.eu Published On :: Mon, 15 Jun 2015 15:30:00 +0300 The 9th GEO European Projects Workshop is now taking place on 15 and 16 June 2015 in Copenhagen, co-organised by the Danish Meteorological Institute, the European Commission and the European Environment Agency. While registration is now closed, due to demand the event will be recorded and streamed live on http://stream.dvc.dk/9thgeo/ for those who are interested to follow. The objective of the GEO European Projects Workshop is to bring together European players interested in and actively contributing to the Global Earth Observations System of Systems (GEOSS). The aim is to enable participants to present their work and discuss how Europe can contribute to this international effort. Its timing has been set to maximise early insight and awareness of the new Implementation plan for the next decade of GEO as well as input to and awareness of Horizon 2020 work programme for 2016 and 2017. Building on the experience from previous GEO European Projects Workshops, it is intended to continue working towards greater involvement of the European private sector, especially SMEs, in GEO. The workshop will also focus on user engagement, and the priorities for future flagship initiatives, foreseen to be strengthened in the next phase of GEO, in order to fulfil GEO's ambition to provide information for decision making. More information available on the official event page: http://geo.pbe.eionet.europa.eu/ Full Article News
europe European Environmental Agency (EEA) Annual Report 2014 By www.eubon.eu Published On :: Wed, 17 Jun 2015 17:16:00 +0300 The European Environmental Agency (EEA) has published its Annual Report describing the work carried out by the EEA in 2014. The EEA annual report includes the EMAS environmental statement 2014. The EEA aims to support sustainable development and to help achieve significant and measurable improvement in Europe's environment through the provision of timely, targeted, relevant and reliable information to policymaking agents and the public. Download the report here. Full Article News
europe EU BON presented in a special biodiversity and ecosystems session during the 9th GEO European Projects Workshop By www.eubon.eu Published On :: Fri, 19 Jun 2015 15:00:00 +0300 The 9th GEO European Projects Workshop took place on 15 and 16 June 2015, in Copenhagen, Denmark. A special session dedicated to biodiversity and ecosystems was held as a part of the meeting, where EU BON and other topic relevant projects were presented. The session was started by Gary Geller with an introduction and overview. Particularly the importance of the long-term sustainability of the projects and the linkages to the overall aims of GEO were stressed, as well as the opportunity of the session to find further synergies among the GEO-related projects. Participants at the biodiversity and ecosystems sessions during the 9th GEO European Projects Workshop; Credit: Florian Wetzel EU BON was presented at the meeting by the project coordinator Christoph Häuser, who outlined the core elements for an integrated biodiversity information system. There is the challenge to provide a sound framework to overcome the fragmentation of available biodiversity information to obtain better information for political decision making. EU BON with its 31 partners tackles this challenge and its main objective is to serve as a European contribution to GEO BON. Other projects presented during the session were EU H2020 projects ECOPOTENTIAL and GLOBIS‑B, both already in the list of associated partners of EU BON. The third H2020 project presented here was SWOS, a Satellite-based Wetland Observation Service. One of the major outcomes of the session was the agreement that further follow-ups of the discussions are needed and that the projects should have further exchange among each other. Full Article News
europe Future Directions for Scientific Advice in Europe - a book By www.eubon.eu Published On :: Wed, 01 Jul 2015 13:17:00 +0300 Future Directions for Scientific Advice in Europe was published in April 2015 and updated in June 2015 to take account of developments in the European Commission, focuses on scientific advice in Europe. In May 2014, the Centre for Science and Policy (CSaP) and the European Commission co-hosted a Brussels workshop on ‘New technologies and better evidence for EU policymaking’. One of its conclusions was the need to better connect the latest theory, policy and practice in this field. Building on an 2013 essay collection on Future Directions for Scientific Advice in Whitehall, a similar collection exploring the future of scientific advice at the European level was created. A free digital copy of and more information on Future Directions for Scientific Advice in Europe can be found here. Full Article News
europe Pan-European Species-directories Infrastructure: Basis for handling big taxonomic data By www.eubon.eu Published On :: Wed, 30 Sep 2015 18:39:00 +0300 Looked down on with scepticism by many taxonomists, handling big data efficiently is a huge challenge that can only be met with thorough and multi-layered efforts from both scientists and technological developers. Projects like the Pan-European Species-directories Infrastructure (PESI), started in 2009, prove that harmonised taxonomic reference systems and high-quality data sets are possible through dynamic, expertly created and managed online tools. The methods, results and future prospects of PESI are available in the open access Biodiversity Data Journal. With environmental changes occurring at an unprecedented rate around the world, biological communication needs to be left off the pace at no point. Phenomena such as species' migration, extinction, intrusion; ecosystem stability; decline of pollinators and pest invasion have to be monitored closely and identified momentarily. In order to do so, proper identification based on reliable and easily accessible data is crucial. Therefore, the three key objectives of PESI include standardisation in taxonomic reference systems, enhancement of the quality and completeness of taxonomic data sets and creation of integrated access to taxonomic information. The five pillars of biological community networks, Zoology, Botany, Marine Biota, Mycology and Phycology, have been integrated in five infrastructural components: knowledge, consensus, standards, data and dissemination. As a result, PESI did not only merge data from a range of sources and published a total of nearly 450,000 scientific names online. It also maintains networks of outstanding experts and national focal points, so that it makes sure that the taxonomic information, it relies on, is always at its finest, while simultaneously takes care about delivering persistent standards and easily accessible up-to-date biodiversity data. PESI results will also feed as an essential part for the advancement of relevant EU projects, such as Building the European Biodiversity Observation Network (EU BON). In the EU BON project, the PESI Backbone will be advanced to satisfy the needs of the GEO BON / GEOSS system, also serving as a taxonomic backbone for the projected EU BON Biodiversity Portal. Aiming at standardisation and integration of taxonomic data across platforms PESI also works in close collaboration with other relevant projects including GBIF, LifeWatch, the Catalogue of Life, the Encyclopedia of Life, the Global Names Architecture, GÉANT, ViBRANT, OpenUp!,BioVeL, iMarine , EU BON and BiodiversityKnowledge . "Scientific names are key carriers of biodiversity information. Therefore, for the efficient exploring and integration of biodiversity data, the development of a functional taxonomic resolution system, including the establishment of a shared taxonomic standard (as a core component), is essential for all sorts of biodiversity assessments. PESI provides such an infrastructure for Europe, integrating the relevant technical (informatics) and social (knowledge & users) networks into a common work program, serving a wide community of biodiversity workers," says Dr. Yde de Jong, coordinator of the Pan-European Species-directories Infrastructure (PESI) project. "The PESI Taxonomic Backbone serves as a taxonomic data standard resource, facilitating and optimising the integration and sharing of European biodiversity data, supporting a wide range of European services, major biodiversity programs and stakeholders on nature conservation and biodiversity management," conclude their results the scientists. Original Source: de Jong Y, et al. (2015) PESI - a taxonomic backbone for Europe. Biodiversity Data Journal 3: e5848.doi: 10.3897/BDJ.3.e5848 Additional Information: The Pan-European Species-directories Infrastructure (PESI) provides standardised and authoritative taxonomic information by integrating and securing Europe's taxonomically authoritative species name registers and nomenclators (name databases) and associated expert(ise) networks that underpin the management of biodiversity in Europe. PESI kicked-off as an EC-FP7 project, running from 2009 to 2011. PESI proceeded from the EC-FP6 Networks of Excellence EDIT, on developing a European Distributed Institute of Taxonomy, and MarBEF, on Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning. Building the European Biodiversity Observation Network (EU BON) is a European research project, financed by the 7th EU framework programme for research and development (FP7). EU BON seeks ways to better integrate biodiversity information and implement into policy and decision-making of biodiversity monitoring and management in the EU. Full Article News
europe Monitoring farmland biodiversity across Europe: It could cost less than you think By www.eubon.eu Published On :: Fri, 06 Nov 2015 18:15:00 +0200 How can we monitor Europe-wide farmland biodiversity so that it makes sense to farmers, is ecologically credible and scientifically sound and can be implemented for a reasonable price? Two new studies answer these questions. First, stakeholders were asked, which indicators provided best "value for money" for their purpose. Habitat, plant species and farm management indicators ranked highest. Wild bees, earthworms and spiders as important providers of ecosystem services came next. Together they form a minimum set of indicators which provides non-redundant information and which can make dominant changes in farmland biodiversity visible. Researchers from the FP7 funded EU projects "Biodiversity Indicators for European Farming Systems (BioBio)" and "Building the European Biodiversity Observation Network (EU BON)", then developed cost estimates for nine monitoring scenarios and the authors conclude that a continent-wide farmland biodiversity monitoring scheme would require only a modest share of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) budget (2014-2020). Cost assessments showed that the farmland biodiversity monitoring scenarios require 0·01% - 0·74% of the total CAP budget and 0·04% - 2·48% of the CAP budget specifically allocated to environmental targets. With 30% of the CAP devoted to environmental targets (more than 120 billion EURO), investing in a monitoring process seems a logical choice given these results. The researchers provide a framework for individual countries to start farmland biodiversity monitoring, building towards a coherent European picture. The studies were published in the Journal of Applied Ecology and the Journal of Environmental Management. "Despite scientific proof that monitoring increases the (cost) efficiency of policy measures, monitoring rarely gets included in policy programme budgets. We identified that the cost are not as high as feared. To further facilitate implementation, the study provides stepping stones to build a European monitoring scheme, offering a choice in indicators and using regions as a unit of trend analysis," explains Dr. Ilse Geijzendorffer, the lead author of the Journal of Applied Ecology paper. Original Source: Geijzendorffer, I. R., Targetti, S., Schneider, M. K., Brus, D. J., Jeanneret, P., Jongman, R. H.G., Knotters, M., Viaggi, D., Angelova, S., Arndorfer, M., Bailey, D., Balázs, K., Báldi, A., Bogers, M. M. B., Bunce, R. G. H., Choisis, J.-P., Dennis, P., Eiter, S., Fjellstad, W., Friedel, J. K., Gomiero, T., Griffioen, A., Kainz, M., Kovács-Hostyánszki, A., Lüscher, G., Moreno, G., Nascimbene, J., Paoletti, M. G., Pointereau, P., Sarthou, J.-P., Siebrecht, N., Staritsky, I., Stoyanova, S., Wolfrum, S., Herzog, F. (2015), How much would it cost to monitor farmland biodiversity in Europe?.Journal of Applied Ecology. doi: 10.1111/1365-2664.12552 S. Targetti, F. Herzog, I.R. Geijzendorffer, P. Pointereau, D. Viaggi, Relating costs to the user value of farmland biodiversity measurements, Journal of Environmental Management, Volume 165, 1 January 2016, Pages 286-297, ISSN 0301-4797, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2015.08.044. Full Article News
europe Investing in European success – A Decade of Success in Earth Observation Research and Innovation By www.eubon.eu Published On :: Thu, 19 Nov 2015 11:59:00 +0200 The European Commission has recently released publication focused on Earth Observation Research and EU BON is one of the successful projects featured in it. The publication titled "Investing in European success – A Decade of Success in Earth Observation Research and Innovation" looks at the benefits that Earth Observation brings to studying and protecting the environment. The Earth’s atmosphere, oceans and landscapes are changing rapidly, with human activities being a major driver. Monitoring and modelling these changes are critical because they allow governments, society and the private sector to make informed decisions about climate, energy, food security, natural hazards, health and other societal challenges. To be effective, these responses must be grounded in comprehensive and timely information. More importantly, decision makers, managers and experts must have access to the information they need, when they need it and in a format which can be easily utilised. To address this challenge, the intergovernmental Group on Earth Observations (GEO) has provided a voluntary framework since 2005 where 98 governments, the European Commission and 87 international organisations develop new projects and coordinate their strategies and investments in the field of Earth observation. The vision of GEO is to realise a future wherein decisions and actions for the benefit of humankind are informed by coordinated, comprehensive and sustained Earth observations and information. GEO’s main objective is to develop and implement the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS). EU BON is an attempt to overcome these problems at European level and to contribute to the Group on Earth Observations’ (GEO) global initiative with the same aims – GEO BON. Find the full publication here, EU BON can be found featured on pages 26 - 27. Full Article News
europe Europe for GEOSS: EU BON attracts high level attention at the GEO XII Plenary in Mexico City By www.eubon.eu Published On :: Thu, 26 Nov 2015 10:37:00 +0200 The GEO-XII Plenary and Ministerial Summit, as well as many associated meetings and events were hosted by the Mexican Government and took place in Mexico City from 9 to 13 November 2015. The five-day event brought together GEO member countries and organizations, as well as scientists and stakeholders from across the world to debate the next decade for GEO, and to discuss the latest developments in Earth Observation technologies and applications. The GEO-XII Plenary approved the GEO Strategic Plan 2016-2025, and the Summit endorsed a Mexico City Declaration (see: http://www.earthobservations.org/geo12.php). Mexican music and folklore performances at the hosted conference dinner at GEO-XII; Credit: Hannu Saarenmaa EU BON participated at GEO-XII and was represented at the European Commission Stand "Europe for GEOSS" with a poster and a short video clip. A real highlight was the visit by the European Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation, Carlos Moedas. During his short visit, the Commissioner took specific interest in the project and spent some time discussing EU BON's relevance with the coordinator and his staff. The EC stand "Europe for GEOSS" at GEO-XII, and discussions on EU BON with Commissioner Carlos Moedas; Credits: Jose Miguel Rubio Iglesias (left), Helmut Staudenrausch (right) EU BON was also presented during a dedicated side event entitled "The GEO Biodiversity Observation Network (GEO BON): Enhancing Biodiversity Observations and Products for User Needs". The project’s key products were introduced by the project coordinator Christoph Häuser and the workpackage 2 leader Hannu Saarenmaa. Full Article News
europe EU BON meets LTER Europe By www.eubon.eu Published On :: Thu, 14 Jan 2016 14:22:00 +0200 From the 9th to 10th of December 2015 in Granada, Spain EU BON met representatives of LTER Europe. The aim of the meeting was to see where working programmes overlap and whether potential joint products can be identified. In addition the meeting was attended by GEO BON colleagues and included a vision of the upcoming GSEO initiative. The first day was used to get to know each other and to present first ideas for joint developments. On the second day smaller groups concentrated on three possible joint working areas for the near future: 1) Extended test phase and application of WP3 tools and others 2) Technical/IT aspects, besides others, the use of DEIMS, PlutoF, datasets 3) Development of a manual/best practice for site-based long-term biodiversity observation and monitoring programme Three working groups will be established and will start their work immediately. Full Article News
europe Interview: Dr. Mark Frenzel on LTER-Europe, ecological research and co-working with EU BON By www.eubon.eu Published On :: Mon, 01 Feb 2016 11:28:00 +0200 EU BON has signed memoranda of understanding with almost thirty institutions and projects from across Europe and outside to state its desire for collaboration and exchange of expertise. Among the early partners in this list is the LTER-Europe group, focussed on the integration of scientific research and ecosystem research approaches, including the human dimension. Dr. Mark Frenzel who took part in the EU BON Third Stakeholder roundtable in December 2015, gives an overview of his impressions from the meeting as well as his ideas on the co-work between LTER-Europe and EU BON. Credit: Florian Wetzel Q: The LTER-Europe network looks at conceptualizing Long-Term Ecosystem Research (LTER) as an essential component of world-wide efforts to better understand ecosystems. How is the network planning to achieve this? A: This is / will be achieved mainly by funded project work. Actually the H2020 eLTER project is the most important backbone, an ESFRI eLTER initiative is running too. In terms of content there are several challenges which need to be addressed: (1) Harmonisation in terms of what and how is being measured at LTER sites, (2) collection and representation of metadata about sites, actors and data sets within the web tool DEIMS, (3) open access of data and DOI registration of data sets, (4) considering the human component as a major driver for changes in ecosystems by including socio-economy and socio-ecology in the LTER approach. Q: How would EU BON and its planned European biodiversity portal be beneficial to LTER-Europe and its aims in the next years? A: Biodiversity is not the only, but an important focus within LTER. It depends on the services and benefits connected with this portal and its long-term perspective. The most important added value I would see in an elaborated framework-based agreement on the set of "essential biodiversity variables" which will be a compromise between importance and feasibility. This selection process should be well tuned with the relevant players in this field. Q: The LTER-Europe network includes several hundreds of sites that are collecting large amounts of data – how can this data be used for improving our knowledge of biodiversity, particularly for policy-relevant questions? A: The big advantage (and potential) of LTER-Europe sites is the coverage in terms of geography and bioms, the general shortcoming is in the heterogeneous reasons why these sites have been set up (e.g. for monitoring air pollution) and that there is no targeted funding (in terms of a specific research question) for all sites. Not all sites are dealing with biodiversity data. First, suitable sites need to be selected according to metadata in DEIMS (https://data.lter-europe.net/deims/). Second, data sets according to fitting topics have to be compiled (perhaps no easy task, as datasets up to now are not exhaustively documented). Site managers of representative sites (depending on the question to be addressed) could be motivated to create a common standardised data sets (needs external funding depending on the resources necessary for the task or at least a very attractive research question) responding to e.g. policy needs. Moreover, the long-term knowledge of site coordinators about the development and the important drivers of change at their sites (e.g. by assessing ecosystem services) comprises valuable meta information about the context of data sets. Data obtained from the sites could potentially help with policy-relevant questions like status of endangered species or status of ecosystem service relevant system parameters which could be extracted from LTER sites. Q: According to you what are the next three most urgent step in order to achieve better understanding of ecosystem services and their benefits for policy, economics and society? A: (1) reliable data and suitable scale of data, (2) understanding the effect of scale on ecosystem services, (3) make use of large networks to approach this issue, bring the results down to a scale understandable for the layman. About LTER-Europe: Long-Term Ecosystem Research (LTER) is an essential component of world-wide efforts to better understand ecosystems. LTER contributes to the knowledge base informing policy and to the development of management options in response to the Grand Challenges under Global Change. From the beginning (around 2003) the design of LTER-Europe has focussed on the integration of natural sciences and ecosystem research approaches, including the human dimension. LTER-Europe was heavily involved in conceptualizing socio-ecological research (LTSER). As well as LTER Sites, LTER-Europe features LTSER Platforms, acting as test infrastructures for a new generation of ecosystem research across European environmental and socio-economic gradients. Full Article News
europe Interview: Clint Alibrandi from REDIAM on the benefits of an European Biodiversity Portal By www.eubon.eu Published On :: Mon, 22 Feb 2016 15:01:00 +0200 One of the main outputs of EU BON will be the establishment of an European Biodiversity Portal based on data collected and compiled from a variety of sources including earth observations but also observations and monitoring data from (local) sites. One of the main points of this portal is to serve as a substantial building block of a global biodiversity portal planned by the Group of Earth Observations project GEO BON. But how will this portal be useful to stakeholders on a more local level - for example for people involved in questions connected to biodiversity across European regions? What will be the real benefits of it for biodiversity monitoring and conservation? Just a couple of weeks after the Third EU BON Stakeholder Round Table in Granada, Spain, Mr Clint Alibrandi from REDIAM (Environment and Water Agency in Andalusia) gives us his views on these questions. Picture: Excursion to Sierra Nevada.; Credit: Katrin Vohland Q: REDIAM shares a mission with EU BON in its attempt to collect, standardize and distribute available biodiversity data. What will be the expected benefits and challenges in the process of making this type of datasets available for society and environmental policy? A: Among the responsibilities of the Regional Environmental Government of Andalusia are promoting Social Environmental Awareness, Managing a vast, diverse and very complex territory, Control and Mitigate any threats posed to the fragile ecosystems present in our region as well as all the responsibilities derived from the management and planning of the existing natural resources. Considering these facts, it is necessary to be able to account for the best environmental information available. Since the early 80’s the Regional Environmental Government of Andalusia has been working on its Environmental Information System with the purpose of generating, compiling, standardizing and analyzing Environmental Information covering topics such as Climate, Water, Air Quality and Biodiversity by means of ICTs. This the REDIAM. The name comes from the Spanish Acronym "REd De Información AMbiental de Andalucía" which means the Environmental Information Network of Andalusia. It serves as a Unified Regional Environmental Information Registry. From this effort, the information obtained by the REDIAM is made publicly available to be then employed in Decision Making processes and Management Planning on behalf of the Administrations, for Dissemination and Awareness as well as for Research purposes. As such, it is of vital importance for the REDIAM to be able to account for updated and verifiable Information and Data Sources and this is what we consider to be the most important benefit on behalf of EU BON, as it will offer the possibility to have a higher level reference covering a larger perspective, allowing stakeholders, be it either from a local, regional or national level, to consult or work with data, tools and have reference to relevant policies concerning Biodiversity on the European scale in order to be able to better transpose them to a more local context. Yet the greatest challenge we believe that EU BON might come to face is the fact that the different contexts that exist over the whole European territory make it very difficult to tailor tools and information formats which can cover the different priorities or needs that exist in the diverse makeup of stakeholders that exist from a local, regional and national perspective. The same can most probably apply to the feedback, queries or requests made to EU BON on behalf of the stakeholder and user community. It is never easy to reach a common base level and from the regional perspective, REDIAM has faced the same type of situations. Q: What type of stakeholders do you hope to engage through your network - who is using your data and for what purposes? A: The stakeholders which are currently engaged with the REDIAM consist in Universities, Research Centres, Public Bodies, Local Administrations, Private Companies just to name a few examples. There are over 150 organizations which are partners of the REDIAM, they provide relevant Environmental Information to the REDIAM and are responsible for updating the information. And as can be expected,the information provided is as diverse as the makeup of stakeholders that are part of the REDIAM, with the following formats being made available: Cartography, Satellites Images, Databases, Reports, Statistics, Applications, Management Plans and Programmes, Orthophotos, Indicators, Studies. Additionally the REDIAM offers the user community different alternatives in order to access the previously indicated information. The REDIAM Channel is a web portal with a Catalogue and Information Search System, OGC Services, Query and Viewer tools, Downloader. The user community is able to access its information and services. This community consists in Citizens, Universities, Public Administrations and Companies from the Public and Private Sector. Q: Where do you see the cross section between REDIAM’s work and EU BON - what are the products from EU BON and other European projects that would be helpful for the work that you are doing? A: The REDIAM has great interest in the following issues and we believe that EU BON would be up to the task of providing solutions and/or guidelines on how to be able to proceed to solve them: The elaboration of a common tool for the description and localization of species throughout the European Territory. This can prove a very useful service for Environmental Impact Assessments by providing a more complete view on different species distribution on determined area. Defining a standardized list of species which contains the taxonomically correct name for each one of them. EU BON could serve as a base reference to set guidelines for standardizing the taxonomical classification of species. Support and guidance in defining specific biodiversity indicators as proposed by EUROSTAT, a methodological and assessment guide of some sort. Q: In your opinion what are the three greatest benefits of a European level biodiversity portal? A: 1) Offering an opportunity of Standardizing and Harmonizing Biodiversity related information. We all speak the same "language" when referring to Biodiversity, but it is necessary that we all be able to follow the same "rules" as well. This is the first and most important pillar we believe that a European level Biodiversity portal can bring into play. 2) It would allow for and facilitate a widespread exchange of information amongst stakeholders throughout the whole European Territory. 3) And finally, it would allow a common analysis on a European level which would provide a general assessment on how different efforts and policies are effective, value which is the real status of Biodiversity and/or specific species independently from the limit of administrative or country borders. About REDIAM: The Environmental Information Network REDIAM has onboard experts from the Regional Ministry of Environment in Andalusia and its Water and Environmental Agency. With a team expertise ranging from local to regional and European level and from technical know-how to regional and thematic assessment, the main aim of the network is to integrate all spatially-referenced biodiversity data produced in Andalusia. Raw data are used to generate knowledge and improve its distribution, making it accessible and comprehensible for the general public. Full Article News
europe Registration open for the 10th GEO European Projects Workshop By www.eubon.eu Published On :: Wed, 06 Apr 2016 10:49:00 +0300 Registration for the "10th GEO European Projects Workshop" is now open until 2 May 2016. The event this year will take place in Berlin, Germany, spanning over three days from 31 May to 2 June 2016. To register and learn more, please click here. An EU BON-Team from the Museum für Naturkunde will also organize a Break Out Session at the event. The dedicated session #11 is called "Challenges for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Observation for the Next Ten Years", where several EU-projects will present their current and future activities with regards to biodiversity and ecosystem data, knowledge and contributions to the GEO work. This will be followed by interactive World Cafés: World Café desk I: EEA and policy – data/model/portal needs. World Café desk II: Follow-up joint products of GEO EU Biodiversity projects. World Café desk III: Strengthening the in-situ approach in GEO by biodiversity and ecosystem-related projects. World Café desk IV: Connecting with other GEO Societal Benefit Areas (SBAs), e.g. Agriculture, Health. Full Article News
europe Welcoming our latest associated partner: ECSA - European Citizen Science Association By www.eubon.eu Published On :: Thu, 26 May 2016 17:43:00 +0300 ECSA – the European Citizen Science Association is the latest addition to our ever growing group of associated partners. The Memorandum of Understanding handover took place at the reception of the ECSA Conference at the Museum für Naturkunde on 19 May 2016. ECSA is a network of Citizen Science initiatives, research institutes, universities, museums, other organisations and individuals from 20 EU countries, Switzerland, Israel and the US, who are working together with the mission to connect citizens and science through fostering active participation. ECSA is a registered non-profit association administered by a Secretariat hosted at the Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Research (MfN) in Berlin, Germany. See the full list of associated partners here. Photo: Signing the MoU between ECSA Chair of Data, Tools and Technology Committee Dr. Jaume Piera and EU BON's Project manager Anke Hoffmann; Credit: Hwaja Götz Full Article News
europe A new Biodiversity Portal for Europe to enhance access to monitoring data By www.eubon.eu Published On :: Thu, 09 Jun 2016 17:45:00 +0300 Set to compile the largest biodiversity data collection for Europe to date, the EU-funded FP7 project Building the European Biodiversity Observation Network (EU BON) has now launched the beta-version of its European Biodiversity Portal. Despite being a beta version, this release already addresses the main aim to offer a unique service for analysing and understanding biodiversity change in Europe. For instance, users can explore how relative abundance of species (within a larger group) changes over time by using big data mediated by GBIF. There is also a spatial browser for locating datasets in any part of the world, which may be usable for computing the EBVs for species populations. Additionally, an online analytical data processing (OLAP) toolbox has been included in this release. Based on GEOSS technology, the new portal lets users harvest and simultaneously access data from several directories, including GBIF, LTER, EuMon (coming), PESI, and GEOSS sources. Started in 2012, the five-year project EU BON has been working towards building this new European Biodiversity Portal where scattered and various information and tools are collected, highlighted and widely shared for future research. The service will provide all interested parties with a professional database platform with a large amount of implications. For example, coordinators can receive information about related monitoring programs in different countries. Initiatives could integrate their data and compare the trends and status across different countries and regions. "The ultimate goal of EU BON is to build a comprehensive European Biodiversity Portal that will then feed into a Global Portal currently developed by GEO BON. This initiative will provide a completely new holistic way for analyzing global trends and processes.", concludes Dr. Hannu Saarenmaa, University of Eastern Finland and Work Package leader in EU BON. We invite everyone to test the new portal and send us their feedback and suggestions for improvements via our Feedback Form. Full Article News
europe EU BON at the 10th GEO European Projects Workshop By www.eubon.eu Published On :: Wed, 15 Jun 2016 10:42:00 +0300 The 10th GEO European Projects Workshop took place from 31 May until 2 June 2016 in Berlin, Germany. Representatives from science, business and public administration met in Berlin to discuss how European Earth observation initiatives can contribute to the Global Earth Observations System of Systems (GEOSS). The workshop, was jointly organised by the European Commission, the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure of Germany, and the Museum für Naturkunde - Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science. A wide range of events gave projects the opportunity to showcase their work and findings and discuss the future of earth observations. The event also featured a series of world cafés where, in a more informal and relaxed environment, experts could discuss topics focused on different aspects and challenges for biodiversity and ecosystem observation for the next ten years. Group photo of the participants at the 10th GEO European Projects Workshop; Credit: H. Götz During the meeting EU BON was presented at a specialized session focusing on the "Challenges for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Observation for the Next Ten Years". EU BON’s co-ordinator Dr. Christoph Häuser alongside project partner and WP2 leader Dr. Hannu Saarenmaa presented the latest project developments and results. #GEPW16 @EUBON1 Christoph Häuser: gaps in biodiversity data in Europe pic.twitter.com/4j02nlUUxJ — ENEON (@ENEONetwork) June 2, 2016 Special attention was paid to presenting and explaining the functionalities of the recently launched beta version of the EU BON European Biodiversity Portal, which aims to provide a substantial part of GEO BON’s Global Portal. Clockwise from top left: Dr. Christoph Häuser presenting EU BON; Audience of the 10th GEO Projects Workshop; Panel at the Biodiversity and Ecosystem session; Credits: Florian Wetzel, Hwaja Götz and Anke Hoffmann. For further information see: Presentations General Programme Find out more resources on the official event webpage. Full Article News
europe UNEP GEO-6 Assessment for the pan-European region released By www.eubon.eu Published On :: Tue, 28 Jun 2016 11:01:00 +0300 As part of the new 6th Global Environment Outlook (GEO-6) UNEP has just released a separate Assessment for the pan-European region. The report provides an overview on the current state, trends and an outlook for the environment, and also highlights environmental factors that contribute to human health and well-being at the regional level. Biodiversity is of central importance for human well-being and features prominently in the GEO-6 regional assessment. The state of biodiversity and ecosystems continue to give reason for major concerns and call for continued attention and increased efforts. The European Biodiversity Observation Network – EU BON – through its coordinating institution, the Museum für Naturkunde - Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science contributed significantly to this report. Credits: UNEP/UNECE 2016, UNEP-WCMC based on IUCN (2014) data The assessment for the pan-European region clearly indicates that biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation is continuing in the region. Ongoing biodiversity decline and loss is particularly high in Eastern and Western Europe. Some positive developments and individual success stories offer lessons worth learning, for example developments of protected area networks such as Natura 2000 and the pan-European Emerald Network. However, an important challenge that needs urgent attention is improving availability and open access to comprehensive and integrated biodiversity data to support assessments and analysis, as well as planning and implementation of conservation efforts. The full report can be found here: http://bit.ly/21q2ghL UNEP press release: http://bit.ly/24A7sQN For more information please contact: Dr. Christoph Häuser christoph.häuser@mfn-berlin.de and Dr. Florian Wetzel florian.wetzel@mfn-berlin.de Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Invalidenstrassse 43, 10115 Berlin. Full Article News
europe EU BON workshop "Biodiversity research for and by citizens in Eastern Europe: tools, information services and public engagement" By www.eubon.eu Published On :: Thu, 07 Jul 2016 16:09:00 +0300 The EU BON workshop "Biodiversity research for and by citizens in Eastern Europe: tools, information services and public engagement" was organized to present the EU BON citizen science gateway, share accomplishments of the project, promote products, raise and discuss challenges of citizen science and facilitate networking between countries, especially eastern and central European countries. There were 33 participants from Baltic countries and Finland and EU BON partners from Norway, Spain, Israel and Brussels. First day was showcasing the citizen science initiatives in Estonia, following best practice examples from EU BON consortium. During the second day the participants got a chance to learn the tools and methods for citizen science data management by ECSA and EU BON. This was followed by world cafe style discussion about the needs of citizen science initiatives and Pan-European citizen science gateway. One of the important conclusions for Baltic countries is that there is a need for stronger collaboration and supportive infrastructure to make citizen science more effective and also deliver accessible data to research community. Some workshop participants also took part of Tartu Mini-BioBlitz on 29th June, first BioBlitz in Estonia. BioBlitz participants observed 239 species of animals, plants and fungi . . Workshop agenda Read a first hand report form the workshop in the two great blog posts by Egle Marija Ramanauskaite (a workshop participant from Lithuania): http://seplute.tumblr.com/post/146841955105/citsci-overtakes-the-baltics-citizen-science http://seplute.tumblr.com/post/146844410470/citizen-science-workshop-in-tartu-recap-of-day-2 Full Article News
europe The Future of the European Biodiversity Observation Network: 4th EU BON Roundtable By www.eubon.eu Published On :: Wed, 21 Dec 2016 10:11:00 +0200 The 4th EU BON roundtable took place on 17 November 2016 in the Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin. Focused on the topic "Pathways to sustainability for EU BONs network of collaborators and technical infrastructure" the 35 participants discussed key questions with regards to the sustainability of the EU BON network and products, and shared their rich expertise, coming from different backgrounds ranging from science to policy. The Roundtable brought together key European users and stakeholders, such as the European Environment Agency, UNEP GRID, and the GEO secretariat, including 27 different institutions and organisations, as well as European funded projects, infrastructures and networks that share the EU BON objectives of assembling biodiversity and ecosystem-related data and knowledge, such as Lifewatch, the European Citizen Science Association (ECSA), ECOPOTENTIAL, EKLIPSE and others. Credit: Florian Wetzel In her welcome address, Katrin Vohland, head of the Science Programme "Public Engagement with Science" and task lead for stakeholder engagement in EU BON explained that key lessons learnt are that: stakeholder identification may yield unexpected results as in the case of EU BON where next to scientifically based organisation less practitioners but more citizen scientists seem to become stakeholder; early and continuous connections are necessary, as for example to other EU initiatives and projects; target group specific communication avoiding acronyms helps; and the idea of teal organisations may support overcoming the limitations to make networks economically sustainable - which are important but non-monetary assets. While former Roundtables addressed European policy, citizen science and the link to practitioners, this final EU BON Stakeholder event discussed the future and sustainability of the European biodiversity observation network and its products and tools. Key questions for the participants were: How can the many different EU BON products be sustained and further developed after the project ends in May 2017? Which institutions will host the products in the future and what key products could be further developed by EU BON to meet European and global policy and research needs (e.g. for monitoring, reporting)? How can a European Biodiversity Network as a whole be sustained in order to serve as a central infrastructure and pool of expertise for generating biodiversity data and information on a European scale? Ideas and plans were developed to secure the sustainability and long term re-use of EU BON products. More information on the outcomes of the meeting can be found below in the minutes and the presentations given during the day. The report form the meeting was officially published in RIO Journal as a part of the dedicated EU BON outputs collection: Wetzel F, Despot Belmonte K, Bingham H, Underwood E, Hoffmann A, Häuser C, Mikolajczyk P, Vohland K (2017) 4th European Biodiversity Observation Network (EU BON) Stakeholder Roundtable: Pathways to sustainability for EU BONs network of collaborators and technical infrastructure. Research Ideas and Outcomes 3: e11875. https://doi.org/10.3897/rio.3.e11875 For further information please contact: Dr. Katrin Vohland, Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, Email: katrin.vohland@mfn-berlin.de Dr. Florian Wetzel, Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, Email: florian.wetzel@mfn-berlin.de Presentations from the meeting: 1. EU BON_RT_Katrin Vohland 2. Key achievements _ Christoph Häuser 3.1 EUBON Products_ Lauren Weatherdon 3.2 EU BON products and stakeholders_David Rose 4. EU BON and modelling tools_Bill Kunin 5. CS and EU BON tools_Bernat Claramunt 6. Businessplan_Sustainability_Dirk Schmeller 7 .EKLIPSE_EUBON_Carsten Nesshöfer-Dirk Schmeller 8. EEA - EEA_EU BON_Beate Werner 9. LifeWatch_Wouter Los_Christos Arvanitidis 10. Thoughts on Sustainability_Gary Geller 11. Biodiversity data, gaps and effors_Florian_Wetzel 12. EUBON-portal_Tim Robertson Full Article News
europe EEA Report: Climate change, impacts and vulnerability in Europe 2016 By www.eubon.eu Published On :: Mon, 06 Mar 2017 11:21:00 +0200 Europe’s regions are facing rising sea levels and more extreme weather, such as more frequent and more intense heatwaves, flooding, droughts and storms due to climate change, according to the latest European Environment Agency report published on 25 Jan 2017. The report assesses the latest trends and projections on climate change and its impacts across Europe and finds that better and more flexible adaptation strategies, policies and measures will be crucial to lessen these impacts. Find a summary of the report's Key Findings, or download the full report. Full Article News
europe How Ecosystem and Biodiversity data and knowledge can support the GEO objectives: EU BON’s session at the European GEO Workshop By www.eubon.eu Published On :: Thu, 29 Jun 2017 14:38:00 +0300 The 11th European Projects GEO Workshop took place between 19-21 June 2017, in Helsinki, Finland, bringing together European stakeholders interested in and actively contributing to the Global Earth Observations System of Systems (GEOSS). Alongside the plenary (see presentations here), the conference featured 20 sessions looking at various aspects GEOSS, its objectives and their implementation. Among those EU BON took part in a dedicated session titled ‘How Ecosystem and Biodiversity data and knowledge can support the GEO objectives’, alongside fellow projects and initiatives, and associated partners ECOPOTENTIAL, LTER-Europe, GLOBIS-B, EKLIPSE and ENEON. Credit: F. Wetzel The session aimed to inform about recent developments of relevant projects that focus on Ecosystems and Biodiversity and also outline how the generated data and knowledge can support the GEO objectives and inform relevant policies on a European and global scale. .@ft_wetzel explaining the @EUBON1 approach to mobilising linked and standardised data #EGW2017 #citizenscience #harmonisation #biodiversity pic.twitter.com/jJJ5jADAzG — Scent (@SCENT_EU) June 20, 2017 EU BON, as a now completed project, opened the session by presenting its major products in particular the European Biodiversity Portal and how current and future projects can build on the outcomes achieved. Overall, the session gave the opportunity to learn about the different approaches of selected EU-projects that address the mobilization, integration and analysis of biodiversity and ecosystem data, their current achievements and existing barriers. Here are some of the Key Messages that emerged from the session: For biodiversity and ecosystem approaches, European level efforts are needed to achieve comprehensive data coverage and full open access, especially for in situ data integration. Existing European-level data portals and information platforms need to be sustained and considered as integration points for national and local data hubs. Systematic approaches for biodiversity are needed, which means linking biotic and abiotic data and improving harmonization efforts for the whole data cycle/ workflows from data collection, analysis and dissemination for different disciplines (SBAs). Essential (Biodiversity) Variables (EBVs) are a key concept / framework especially for monitoring / long-term observations that should be applied for all available biodiversity/ecosystem data fields. Use examples from existing projects and networks as successful blueprints for bottom-up/user-driven approaches in GEOSS that relate to knowledge and user needs at the local scale. Full Article News
europe New EU BON research reviews the most relevant sources for European biodiversity observation data to identifying important barriers and fill gaps By www.eubon.eu Published On :: Thu, 08 Mar 2018 18:45:00 +0200 Recently published in Biological Conservation, the new EU BON supported paper is titled "Unlocking biodiversity data: Prioritization and filling the gaps in biodiversity observation data in Europe". Abstract: Large quantities of biodiversity data are required to assess the current status of species, to identify drivers of population and distributional change, and to predict changes to biodiversity under future scenarios. Nevertheless, currently-available data are often not well-suited to these purposes. To highlight existing gaps, we assess the availability of species observation data in Europe, their geographic and temporal range, and their quality. We do so by reviewing the most relevant sources for European biodiversity observation data, and identifying important barriers to filling gaps. We suggest strategies, tools and frameworks to continue to fill these gaps, in addition to producing data suitable for generating Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBVs). Our review of data sources shows that only around a third of data-providers provide unrestricted data access. Particularly large geographic gaps exist in Eastern European countries and many datasets are not suitable for generating EBVs due to the absence of long-term data. We highlight examples built on recent experiences from large data integrators, publishers and networks that help to efficiently improve data availability, adopt open science principles and close existing data gaps. Future strategies must urgently consider the needs of relevant data stakeholders, particularly science- and policy-related needs, and provide incentives for data-providers. Hence, sustainable, longterm infrastructures and a European biodiversity network are needed to provide such efficient workflows, incentives for data-provision and tools. Find the paper at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2017.12.024 Full Article News
europe European GBIF Nodes Meeting 2013 By www.eubon.eu Published On :: Wed, 20 Feb 2013 17:03:00 +0200 The annual meeting of the European GBIF Nodes will be organised by GBIF Finland in Joensuu 6-8 March 2013.The meeting is by invitation only, and available for staff of the GBIF Members in Europe. In addition, any EU-funded biodiversity research projects are welcome to attend as observers. Event web page: European GBIF Nodes Meeting 2013 Full Article Events
europe Workshop: Towards a Roadmap for Research Infrastructures on Biodiversity and Ecosystem research in Europe By www.eubon.eu Published On :: Mon, 11 Feb 2013 13:48:00 +0200 The Research Infrastructures Unit of DG RTD and the infrastructure project LifeWatch invites you to a 1 and ½ day workshop : "Towards a Roadmap for Research Infrastructures on Biodiversity and Ecosystem research in Europe". The workshop will take place Brussels on 19 and 20 March 2013.The overall objective of this workshop is to develop synergies between ESFRI research infrastructures (RI), existing research infrastructures implemented as Integrating Activities (IA), Integrated Projects (IP) and Joint Programming Initiatives (JPI) which are relevant to Biodiversity and Ecosystem research.The following topics will be discussed:1. Synergy between the biodiversity components of different initiatives, also in view of the supporting role of the European research infrastructures in this area.2. A strategy for the development of biodiversity research infrastructures in the next ten years in view of emerging scientific and technical challenges. Further information: EuroMarine Full Article Events
europe Geo European Projects Workshop 2013 By www.eubon.eu Published On :: Wed, 20 Feb 2013 17:17:00 +0200 The next GEO European Projects' Workshop (GEPW7) is planned to take place in Barcelona on 8 and 9 April 2013. The event, which will be hosted by CREAF (Centre for Ecological Research and Forestry Applications) of the Universitat Autònoma of Barcelona, is intended to bring all those interested in and actively contributing to the GEOSS from all over Europe together in order to present their work and actively discuss how Europe can contribute to GEO and GEOSS.The proposed venue is the famous Catalan art nouveau building owned by the university: "La Casa de la Convalescència" (Convalescence House) located in the centre of the city.All Coordinators of EC projects are informed and encouraged to notify members of their teams or colleagues who may be interested in participating.Event web page: Geo European Projects Workshop 2013 Full Article Events
europe IALE 2013 European Congress - Changing European Landscapes: Landscape ecology, local to global By www.eubon.eu Published On :: Tue, 21 May 2013 11:20:00 +0300 The IALE 2013 European Congress "Changing European Landscapes: Landscape ecology, local to global" will take place on 9-12 September 2013, in Manchester, UK. This major international event, organised by IALE UK and IALE Europe, will examine how and why European landscapes are changing and how landscape ecology can help us to plan for the future at local to global scales. It will consider local projects alongside international programmes and provide many opportunities for researchers, policy makers and practitioners to interact. The congress will have a European focus but we look forward to welcoming participants from around the world. More information and how to register find here. Full Article Events
europe EnvEurope and LTER-Europe conference (Rome, Italy) By www.eubon.eu Published On :: Tue, 08 Oct 2013 15:06:00 +0300 This is the final conference of the LIFE+ EnvEurope project, together with the annual LTER-Europe conference. In building a site network for biodiversity and ecosystem research since 2004, LTER-Europe has identified a set of requirements in the field of cross-site workflows, network design, tools for information management, harmonization and standardization. The LIFE+ project EnvEurope has successfully tackled these requirements over the past 4 years. The products of EnvEurope and the approaching Horizon 2020 are the entry point for the next phase in designing the European research infrastructure landscape in the field of biodiversity and ecosystem research. Please see the link for more information: http://www.lter-europe.net/events/lter-events/enveurope-lter-europe%20conf Full Article Events
europe BiodiversityKnowledge at the EU parliament "Towards a consolidated Network of Knowledge on biodiversity and ecosystem services in Europe" By www.eubon.eu Published On :: Mon, 31 Mar 2014 13:27:00 +0300 On the 1st of April, between 9:30 and 16:30, the BiodiversityKnowledge project organises a conference where outcomes will be presented and widely discussed with policy makers, science and other stakeholders at the European parliament in Brussels. As final result, BiodiversityKnowledge will present a stakeholder’s document outlining a recommended design on how such a Network of Knowledge could operate and produce added value. EU BON will be also presented at the confernce as one of the knowledge providers of the Network of Knowledge. To counteract biodiversity loss, efforts have considerably increased over the past years to strengthen the science-policy-society interface on biodiversity and ecosystem services. There is indeed an active landscape of projects, institutions, organisations and individuals in Europe involved in this interface, all aiming to improve the knowledge flow so that decisions at different policy levels (from European, to national and local levels) are based on the best available knowledge. With the 7th Environmental Action Programme and the start of Horizon2020 and its focus on innovative solutions for society, the need for more concerted activities in this context become even more important. In this context, BiodiversityKnowledge (FP7 KNEU), an EU-funded coordination action has been set up to help to map, mobilise and organise this landscape focusing on the knowledge holders’ community. For this the project has been developing and testing a prototype Network of Knowledge since 2011 with more than 300 active participations of representatives of the biodiversity and ecosystems services knowledge community. Stakeholders involved ranged from practitioners and researchers to policy-makers. Please find the conference agenda attached below. Full Article Events
