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European Environment and Health Action Plan

2004-2010:Implementation of the

research actions

Marialuisa TamborraDG Research, Directorate

EnvironmentMarialuisa.Tamborra@cec.eu.int

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Integrate and strengthen European Environment and Health research;

Target research on priority diseases, disorders and exposures (asthma and allergy, neuro-immune disorders, cancer, endocrine effects and exposure to metals);

Develop methodologies to assess interaction between environment and health (e.g. risk assessment, health impact assessment, economic valuation and external costs);

Ensure rapid assessment of emerging threats (e.g. spreading of emerging diseases due to climate change, emerging pathogens in drinking water, safety of nanomaterials)

Research actions on Environment & Health

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Further challenges for Environment and Health research

Need to further strengthen the knowledge base on complex interactions between environment and health

Need to provide tools for policy making and actions both at EU and at national level (impact assessment, cost-benefit analysis, communication to public)

Need to increase the coordination at EU and at national level on environment and health research (e.g. ERA-NET scheme); increasing co-operation with EEA & WHO

Need to further integrate environment and health research sectors and focus on areas like impact pathway, public health, prevention, social and economic aspects

Need to co-operate with other related EU and international initiatives (e.g. monitoring programmes, GEO initiative, SD Strategy, etc)

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The 6th Framework Programme for

Research• Three main Thematic Priorities (Health, Environment, Food Quality

and Safety) – deadlines of final open calls :– Environment: 03/11/2005 and – Health: 09/11/2005

• Scientific Support to Policies (SSP) – – Final call to be published in November/December– Topics e.g. for supporting the Environment and Health Information

System

• Special emphasis put on dissemination and exploitation of results

• At the project level wider co-operation with international organisations/developing countries

• Supporting the co-operation and the coordination of research activities carried out at national and regional level (ERA-NET Scheme – Deadline of last call was 04/10/2005)

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Topics 4th Call 2005 –Priority 1: Health

Mapping and identifying recent and current European health research efforts and contributions from Framework Programmes in the context of the European Environment and Health Action Plan, in the fields of gene-environment interactions, respiratory diseases, neuro-developmental disorders, cardiovascular diseases and cancers, with particular regard to children’s health. (SSA)

Mapping and identifying recent and current European research efforts and contributions from Framework Programmes in the context of the European Community’s Public Health Programme, in the fields of health information, health threats and health determinants. (SSA)

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Topics 4th Call 2005 –Priority 5: Food

Safety

Investigating the cause of allergy (IP)

Investigation of potential health impacts of long-term exposure to disinfection by-products in drinking water (STREP)

Investigation of potential health impacts of long-term exposure to pathogens in drinking water sources (STREP)

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Topics 4th Call 2005 –

Priority 6: Global Change &

Ecosystems Validating, disseminating and exploiting best practices and decision-support tools for environment and health assessment and policy support (CA)

Development of methods and tools for environment and health impact assessment and cost-benefit analysis for building and assessing future environment and health scenarios (IP)

Health, economic and social impacts of extreme events (IP)

Developing linkage to Global Earth Observation

Intelligent testing strategy for chemicals (IP) Elaboration of new accounting frameworks

of environmental externalities (IP)

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The Seventh Framework Programme Framework Programme adopted on 06.04.2005 by the

Commission: nearly 45 billion euro of the total 72.73 billion euro budget

would be channelled towards Cooperation programme (Collaborative research, Joint Technology Initiatives, coordination of national research programmes and international cooperation).

Nine thematic areas for collaborative research are specified: health; food, agriculture and biotechnology; information and communication technologies (ICT); nanosciences, nanotechnologies, materials and new production technologies; energy; environment (including climate change); transport (including aeronautics); socio-economic sciences and the humanities; and security and space research

Specific Programmes adopted on 21.09.2005 by the Commission

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Environment and Health in the 7FP Specific

Programme on Cooperation (1) In the Thematic area ‘Environment’, specific heading

under Climate Change, pollution and risks Multidisciplinary research on interactions of environmental risk factors and

human health is needed to support the Environment and Health action plan and the integration of public health concerns and disease characterisation related to emerging environmental risks. Research will focus on multiple exposures via different exposure routes, identification of pollution sources and new or emerging environmental stressors (e.g. indoor and outdoor air, electromagnetic fields, noise, and exposure to toxic substances) and their potential health effects. Research will also aim at integrating research activities on human biomonitoring regarding scientific aspects, methodologies and tools to develop a coordinated and coherent approach. It will include European cohort studies, with attention to vulnerable population groups, and methods and tools for improved risk characterisation, assessment and comparisons of risks and health impacts. Research will develop biomarkers and modelling tools taking into account combined exposures, variations in vulnerability and uncertainty. It will also deliver methods and decision support tools (indicators, cost-benefit and multicriteria analyses, health impact assessment, burden of disease and sustainability analysis) for risk analysis, management and communication, and for policy development and analysis.

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Environment and Health in the 7FP Specific

Programme on Cooperation (2) In the thematic Area “Food, Agriculture and

Biotechnology”, bullet on “Fork to farm: Food, health and well being”

Protecting both human health and the environment through a better understanding of the environmental impacts on and of food/feed chains. This will involve study of food contaminants and health outcomes, developing enhanced tools and methods for the assessment of impacts of food and feed chains on the environment. Assuring quality and the integrity of the food chain requires new models for commodity chain analysis and total food chain management concepts, including consumer aspects.

In the Thematic Area “Health”, bullet on “Translating research for human health”

This activity aims at increasing knowledge of biological processes and mechanisms involved in normal health and in specific disease situations, to transpose this knowledge into clinical applications, and to ensure that clinical data guide further research.

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Dissemination activities : EC Workshop on “Changing European Environment: Risks to human

health?”13 June 2005, Brussels

EC Workshop on “Towards a Full Chain Framework in Air Pollution and Health”12-13 October 2005, Brussels

EC Workshop on “Endocrine Disrupter Testing and Assays in Commission-sponsored Research Projects: Useful for Regulatory Purposes?”14-15 November 2005, Brussels – For info e-mail: Violeta.Cikina@cec.eu.int

EC Workshop on “Synthesizing Research Results for Supporting Human Biomonitoring in Europe”21 November 2005, Brussels – For info e-mail: Isabelle.Casaux@cec.eu.int

Child Health and the Environment: Results from EU FP5 PINCHE, CHILDRENGENONETWORK & PLUTOCRACY PROJECTS Brussels, 23 – 25 November 2005

Brochure on EC research on Environment & Health

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FP6 Information

• General information on research : http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/index_en.cfm

• Research Directorate-General :http://europa.eu.int/comm/dgs/research/index_en.html

• Sixth Framework Programme : http://www.cordis.lu/fp6/home.cfm

• Find a Call Page on CORDIS :http://www.cordis.lu/fp6/calls.cfm

• ERA-Net on Europa:http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/fp6/coordination/era-net_en.html

• ERA-Net on CORDIS:http://www.cordis.lu/coordination/call_details?cfm

• Information on research programmes & projects :http://www.cordis.lu

• Information requests :research@cec.eu.int