Directorate General Joint Research Centre Research Articles

Facing further challenges in cancer data quality and harmonisation.

This article highlights the recent and ongoing activities of European population-based cancer registries (PBCRs) in data quality and harmonisation in the framework of the collaboration between the European Network of Cancer Registries (ENCR) and the Directorate-General Joint Research Centre (JRC), the science and knowledge centre of the European Commission. The article concludes the Frontiers in Oncology's Research Topic "Joining Efforts to Improve Data Quality and Harmonization Among European Population-Based Cancer Registries", which has been an opportunity for several European researchers to share their experience on cancer data quality and harmonisation. Such experience will be helpful for PBCRs in view of future challenges and opportunities in cancer epidemiology, with a few examples discussed in the present article.

Innovative Geospatial and Cartographic Approaches to Identification, Analysis, and Visualisation of Land Degradation

Abstract. Land degradation has increasingly been recognised as a serious environmental problem throughout the whole world. Six major threats may be identified that place soil fertility at risk, namely, soil erosion, loss of organic matter, soil biodiversity, soil compaction, soil salinity, and soil pollution. Several of those risks could be effectively identified, analysed, visualised and consequently limited by approaches originating from the geospatial domain.The China – European Union research and innovation project “SIEUSOIL” (SIno-EU Soil Observatory for Intelligent Land Use Management), funded between 2019 and 2022, as well as the European Big Data flagship research and innovation project “DataBio” (Data-Driven Bioeconomy), funded between 2017 and 2019, aim at the above mentioned challenges of land degradation from innovative geospatial perspectives.Such innovative approaches include local geological, geomorphological, climate, yield maps as well as global soil maps provided commonly by the European Commission (Directorate General Joint Research Centre) and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Among the data inputs there are farm machinery tracking and interpreted satellite images. The second level of activities consists of selected standards and specification of ontologies for the integration and sharing of soil related data, facilitating their reuse and understanding. The resulting ontology and other selected models provide the basis for the integration, publication, and querying of the source datasets using Linked data as a federated layer. Besides offering an integrated view of the datasets, this layer also enables new insights through the discovery of links.From the cartographic perspective, several visualization techniques are deployed; from static maps to interactive visualisations. The main focus of visualization techniques is therefore given to the interactivity through utilizing the concept of Multiple Coordinated Views (also known as visual analytics tools) and dynamic queries to emphasize the impact of changes of various phenomena in space and time. For instance, see Figure 1 on monitoring of machinery fleet movement and especially its spatiotemporal changes that can bring new insights into the consequences of human decisions from many areas. Economic reasons are related to economic evidence for a farmer, including fuel consumption, efficiency of trajectory, etc. to revenue authority or subsidies management. On the other hand, ecologic motivations aim to decrease of environmental burden caused e.g. by high CO2 emissions due to a lack of movement optimisation, water pollution by nitrogen due to excessive fertilisation, etc.The outcomes of the above mentioned research are intended as a feedback to (inter)national policies within the environmental domain including the Montreal Protocol (on substances that deplete the Ozone Layer), European Common Agricultural Policy, Nitrates Directive, Air Quality Framework Directive, Water Framework Directive, the Chinese Water Pollution Prevention Law, etc.

30 years of European Commission Radioactivity Environmental Monitoring data bank (REMdb) – an open door to boost environmental radioactivity research

Abstract. The Radioactivity Environmental Monitoring data bank (REMdb) was created in the aftermath of the Chernobyl accident (1986) by the European Commission (EC) – Directorate-General Joint Research Centre (DG JRC), sited in Ispra (Italy). Since then it has been maintained there with the aim to keep a historical record of the Chernobyl accident and to store the radioactivity monitoring data gathered through the national environmental monitoring programs of the member states (MSs). The legal basis is the Euratom Treaty, Chapter III Health and Safety, Articles 35 and 36, which clarify that MSs shall periodically communicate to the EC information on environmental radioactivity levels. By collecting and validating this information in REMdb, JRC supports the DG for Energy in its responsibilities in returning qualified information to the MSs (competent authorities and general public) on the levels of radioactive contamination of the various compartments of the environment (air, water, soil) on the European Union scale. REMdb accepts data on radionuclide concentrations from EU MSs in both environmental samples and foodstuffs from 1984 onwards. To date, the total number of data records stored in REMdb exceeds 5 million, in this way providing the scientific community with a valuable archive of environmental radioactivity topics in Europe. Records stored in REMdb are publicly accessible until 2011 through an unrestricted repository “REM data bank – Years 1984–2006” https://doi.org/10.2905/jrc-10117-10024 (De Cort et al., 2007) and “REM data bank – Years 2007–2011” https://doi.org/10.2905/de42f259-fafe-4329-9798-9d8fabb98de5 (De Cort et al., 2012). Access to data from 2012 onwards is granted only after explicit request, until the corresponding monitoring report is published. Each data record contains information describing the sampling circumstances (sampling type, begin and end time), measurement conditions (value, nuclide, apparatus, etc.), location and date of sampling, and original data reference. In this paper the scope, features and extension of REMdb are described in detail.

1442PD - Review on adherence to breast cancer guidelines in Europe

Background: Morbidity and mortality from breast cancer in Europe, as well as costs associated with the disease, remain high. Patients treated according to existing guidelines have better survival. The European Commission Initiative on Breast Cancer (ECIBC) aims to improve quality of care by developing evidence-based breast cancer guidelines and supporting their implementation via a quality assurance scheme for breast cancer services. The goal of this study is to give an overview on compliance with breast cancer guidelines in Europe. Methods: Studies assessing adherence to guidelines on breast cancer screening, diagnosis, treatment and follow-up were searched via Pubmed. Studies published between 1990 and 2016 were included. Results: In total, 127 studies (mainly observational, retrospective, prospective, and cross sectional) were analysed. The number of participants varied from 56 to 72 000—with studies based on cancer registry data typically including more than 10 000 patients. Overall, adherence to guidelines was variable. Regarding treatment, (e.g. chemotherapy) adherence ranged from 70% to 96% and was approximately 50% for follow-up. Additional or 'unnecessary' procedures were cited as the main causes of non-compliance to follow-up. On the other hand, adherence with respect to radiotherapy (e.g. compliance with technical guidelines) and some safety-related aspects (e.g. cardiac monitoring during adjuvant trastuzumab therapy and prophylaxis with colony-stimulating factors) was substantially lower. Elderly patients were treated less frequently according to existing guidelines. Professionals with less experience (i.e. < 8 years) complied better with guidelines. Use of computerised decision support systems (CDSS) and implementation of a multidisciplinary breast cancer pathway led to better compliance. Conclusions: In Europe, adherence to guidelines is variable. Implementation of guidelines can help decrease variability in clinical practice, and improve treatment effectiveness and patient safety. Fortunately, adherence can be monitored through the use of quality assurance schemes (e.g., the ECIBC). Incorporating a CDSS within the clinical workflow could reduce the workload of physicians and thus increase their compliance with guidelines. Legal entity responsible for the study: European Commission, Directorate General Joint Research Centre European Commission, Directorate General Joint Research Centre. Funding: None Disclosure: All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.

EU methodology for critical raw materials assessment: Policy needs and proposed solutions for incremental improvements

Raw materials form the basis of Europe's economy to ensure jobs and competitiveness, and they are essential for maintaining and improving quality of life. Although all raw materials are important, some of them are of more concern than others, thus the list of critical raw materials (CRMs) for the EU, and the underlying European Commission (EC) criticality assessment methodology, are key instruments in the context of the EU raw materials policy.For the next update of the CRMs list in 2017, the EC is considering to apply the overall methodology already used in 2011 and 2014, but with some modifications. Keeping the same methodological approach is a deliberate choice in order to prioritise the comparability with the previous two exercises, effectively monitor trends, and maintain the highest possible policy relevance. As the EC's in-house science service, the Directorate General Joint Research Centre (DG JRC) identified aspects of the EU criticality methodology that could be adapted to better address the needs and expectations of the resulting CRMs list to identify and monitor critical raw materials in the EU.The goal of this paper is to discuss the specific elements of the EC criticality methodology that were adapted by DG JRC, highlight their novelty and/or potential outcomes, and discuss them in the context of criticality assessment methodologies available internationally.

Pan-European personal data breaches: Mapping of current practices and recommendations to facilitate cooperation among Data Protection Authorities

The emergence of frequent personal data breaches of a cross-border and even pan-European dimension coupled with the current lack of harmonized and systematic approaches to tackle them have motivated the need for further research leading to possible improvement of those cooperation challenges. In this respect, we report here on the organization, execution and analysis of the 1st Pan-European Personal Data Breaches Exercise that was conducted at the end of 2015 by the Directorate-General Joint Research Centre in collaboration with the Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers of the European Commission and the Data Protection Authorities of seven EU Member States. This cyber-exercise aimed at promoting and improving collaboration between Member States when cross-border incidents of personal data breaches occur, by serving as training exercise, mapping existing procedures and by helping identify best practices to handle such incidents. This scientific initiative constitutes a direct support of the recently adopted General Data Protection Regulation. Analysis of results led to some very interesting findings. In particular, communication issues were the ones that were highlighted as the most important ones. There is an evident lack of a global communication list of competent officers from Data Protection Authorities and this hinders cooperation. Moreover, there are no established current practices on handling such incidents and accordingly their management is still performed in an ad hoc manner. The outcome of the exercise illustrated the need for putting in place systematic procedures, as well as tools and frameworks to support communication and interaction between all interested stakeholders.

Post-normal institutional identities: Quality assurance, reflexivity and ethos of care

This paper suggests adopting a ‘post-normal science’ (PNS) style and practice in scientific advice, and motivate the urgency of this methodological stance with the increasing complexity, and polarisation affecting the use of science-based evidence for policy. We reflect on challenges and opportunities faced by a ‘boundary organisation’ that interfaces between science and policy, taking as example the European Commission’s Directorate General Joint Research Centre, whose mission is stated as that to be the “in-house science service”. We suggest that such an institution can be exemplary as to what could be changed to improve the quality of evidence feeding into the policy processes in the European Union. This paper suggests how an in-house culture of reflexivity and humility could trigger changes in the existing styles and methods of scientific governance; at the JRC, taken as example, this would mean opening up to the existing plurality of norms and styles of scientific inquiry, and adopting more participatory approaches of knowledge production, assessment and governance. We submit that the institutional changes advocated here are desirable and urgent in order to confront the ongoing erosion of trust in ‘evidence based policy’, anticipating controversies before they become evident in the institutional setting in which institutions operate.

Comparing the European Commission product environmental footprint method with other environmental accounting methods

This paper presents a structured comparison of the European Commission (EC) Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) method with a number of existing European environmental accounting methods and standards that were taken into account during its development. In addition to the ISO 14040 and 14044 which represent the main reference, also the ISO/TS 14067, ILCD Handbook, PAS 2050, Greenhouse Gas Protocol, Ecological Footprint and BPX 30-323-0 were considered. This comparison aims at evaluating the extent to which the EC PEF method contributes to filling the identified methodological gaps and, ultimately, the extent to which it meets a number of key principles for PEF studies: relevance, completeness, consistency, accuracy and transparency. The EC PEF method has been developed by the Directorate General Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission (EC) in close cooperation with the Directorate General for Environment (DG ENV). It aims at providing a European, common methodology for evaluating the environmental performance of products. Its use for undertaking product environmental footprint studies is supported by the 2013 Recommendation to the EC Communication “Building the single market for green products – Facilitating better information on the environmental performance of products and organisations.” In this paper, the selected environmental accounting methods are compared against a set of nine identified core criteria for EF studies. These criteria include, e.g. applicability of results, boundary of the evaluation, requirements on data type and quality, requirements on uncertainty evaluation, requirements on reporting and review. Results from this comparison have been used to evaluate the extent to which the methods considered meet a number of key identified principles for EF studies: relevance, completeness, consistency, accuracy and transparency. Overall, results of the analysis demonstrate that the EC PEF method resolves most shortcomings identified in the other methods with respect to the core comparison criteria. This, in turn, allows the EC PEF method to largely satisfy all of the key identified principles for PEF studies, and in particular the consistency principle, which is often not fulfilled by the other environmental accounting methods. The EC PEF method provides for a greater degree of methodological consistency and establishes unambiguous requirements, hence facilitating increased consistency, comparability and reproducibility of results. It fills most of the shortcomings of the other methods, meeting virtually all of the key principles for PEF studies.

Soil carbon, multiple benefits

In March 2013, 40 leading experts from across the world gathered at a workshop, hosted by the European Commission, Directorate General Joint Research Centre, Italy, to discuss the multiple benefits of soil carbon as part of a Rapid Assessment Process (RAP) project commissioned by Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment (SCOPE). This collaboration led to the publication of the SCOPE Series Volume 71 “Soil Carbon: Science, Management and Policy for Multiple Benefits”; which brings together the essential scientific evidence and policy opportunities regarding the global importance of soil carbon. This short communication summarises the key messages of the assessment including research and policy implications.

Final report, on-going key comparison BIPM.QM-K1: Ozone at ambient level, comparison with JRC, 2008

As part of the on-going key comparison BIPM.QM-K1, a comparison has been performed between the ozone national standard of the Directorate General Joint Research Centre (JRC) and the common reference standard of the key comparison, maintained by the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM), via a transfer standard maintained by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The instruments have been compared over a nominal ozone mole fraction range of 0 nmol/mol to 500 nmol/mol.Main text.To reach the main text of this paper, click on Final Report. Note that this text is that which appears in Appendix B of the BIPM key comparison database kcdb.bipm.org/.The final report has been peer-reviewed and approved for publication by the CCQM, according to the provisions of the CIPM Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA).

European Union database of acrylamide levels in food: Update and critical review of data collection

The European Commission's Directorate General Joint Research Centre has been collecting data produced by European Union Member States on the acrylamide content of food since 2003. More than 9000 individual data points have been received from official food control laboratories directly or via their Competent Authorities, and from the food industry. Before being entered into the database, the data were assessed for their reliability. This paper presents an update of the database as well as results of the evaluation of data for selected food commodities in order to establish a trend concerning the content of acrylamide in food. Experience gained with the data collection and data assessment are described and recommendations for future data collection initiatives given.

European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS)—rapid damage assessment: Appraisal of burnt area maps in southern Europe using MODIS data (2003–2005)

The European Commission, Directorate General Joint Research Centre (DG-JRC) has established within its Institute for Environment and Sustainability (IES) the European Forest Fires Information System (EFFIS). A number of exceptionally large uncontrolled fires that occurred during 2003 and destroyed important parts of the land resources led to the development of the Rapid Damage Assessment (RDA) module within EFFIS. In this paper we present the different steps of the implementation of the RDA module that was built in order to map the extent of burned areas during the summer fire season. Burned areas of at least 50 ha were mapped from 2003 to 2006. The data used for the burned area mapping are both TERRA and AQUA MODIS images at 250 meters resolution, although the use of the 500 meters short-infrared bands is also foreseen. During 2003 only a selected number of images were used and the burned areas were visually classified. From 2004 to 2006 the system was improved in terms of image downloading and pre-processing, and a complete daily time series for most of Europe has been compiled since 2006. The results of the burned area mapping in southern Europe are presented and compared with official statistics from each analysed country (Portugal, Spain, France, Italy and Greece). Currently an alternative to the visual classification is being developed that will allow for a better and less user-dependent classification of the burned areas. This method is based on abrupt post-fire vegetation change detected from MODIS daily time series. Proposed for Oral Presentation in Thematic Sessions 4. Wildland Fire Information: a basic tool for the global strategy 1 European Commission, DG Joint Research Centre, Institute for Environment and Sustainability, T.P. 261, Via E. Fermi, 1 21020 Ispra (VA) Italy.

Evaluation of Results of an Interlaboratory Comparison Test on Determination of Acrylamide in Crispbread Samples

The European Commission's Directorate General Joint Research Centre has organized several proficiency tests on the determination of acrylamide (AA) in food. This paper presents the results and outcome of a proficiency test that focused on the determination of AA in crispbread samples. One of the goals was the identification of the influence of different parameters such as analyte extraction or instrument calibration on the analytical results. A set of samples, containing 3 different crispbread samples as well as extracts of one crispbread sample and AA standard solutions, was shipped to each participant. A total of 42 European laboratories reported analytical results that were evaluated by applying internationally accepted protocols and procedures. The study found that, for each sample, the results of 4-8 laboratories were outside the range formed by the target value plus or minus the 2-fold of the target standard deviation; thus, they did not perform satisfactorily. In transferring this knowledge to the data of monitoring databases of AA in food, care must be taken that data are quality controlled, as it is likely that some of them may be biased.

Calculations of dietary exposure to acrylamide

In this paper we calculated the usual and acute exposure to acrylamide (AA) in the Dutch population and young children (1–6 years). For this AA levels of different food groups were used as collected by the Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (IRMM) of the European Commission's Directorate General Joint Research Centre (JRC) from April 2003 up to May 2004. This database contained about 3500 AA levels received from mainly Germany, The Netherlands, Ireland, Greece, Austria, UK and from food industry. Food consumption levels used were derived from the Dutch National Food Consumption Survey of 1997/1998 ( n = 6250 of which 530 children aged 1–6 years). The exposure was estimated using the probabilistic approach. The results of the exposure calculations are discussed in relation to different methodological aspects of AA exposure calculations and possible uncertainties related to this. The items discussed include quality of the AA levels measured in food items, the allocation of AA levels to food categories, the quality of food consumption levels, and relevant exposure model in relation to reported toxicity of AA. Furthermore, we demonstrate that scenario studies and probabilistic modelling of exposure are potential useful tools to evaluate the effect of processing techniques to reduce AA levels in food on AA exposure. The scenarios studied reduced total AA exposure ranging from <1% up to 17%.