European Directive Research Articles

Resource predictability modulates spatial-use networks in an endangered scavenger species

BackgroundChanges in human-induced resource availability can alter the behaviour of free-living species and affect their foraging strategies. The future European Landfill Waste Directive and Circular Economy Action Plan will reduce the number of predictable anthropogenic food subsidies (PAFS), above all, by closing landfills to preclude negative effects on human health. Obligate avian scavengers, the most threatened group of birds worldwide, are the most likely group of species that will be forced to change their behaviour and use of space in response to landfill site closures. Here, we examine the possible consequences of these management decisions on the foraging patterns of Egyptian vultures (Neophron percnopterus) in an expanding population in the Iberian Peninsula.MethodsWe tracked 16 individuals in 2018–2021, including breeders and non-breeders, and, using a combination of spatial-use and spatial-network modelling, assessed landscape connectivity between key resources based on movement patterns. We then carried out simulations of future scenarios based on the loss of PAFS to predict likely changes in the movement patterns of both non-breeders and breeders.ResultsOur results show that foraging strategies in non-breeders and breeders differ significantly: non-breeders performed more dispersal movements than breeding birds across a spatial-use network. Non-breeding and breeding networks were found to be vulnerable to the removal of central foraging areas containing landfill sites, a highly predictable resource, while perturbation analysis showed dissimilar foraging responses to the gradual reduction of other predictable resources. Under a context of the non-availability of landfills for breeders and non-breeders, vultures will increase their use of extensive livestock as a trophic resource.ConclusionsFuture environmental policies should thus extend the areas used by scavengers in which livestock carcasses are allowed to remain in the wild, a strategy that will also mitigate the lack of food caused by any reduction in available waste if landfills close. In general, our results emphasize the capabilities of a spatial network approaches to address questions on movement ecology. They can be used to infer the behavioural response of animal species and, also demonstrate the importance of applying such approaches to endangered species conservation within a context of changing humanized scenarios.

Modelling energy performance of residential dwellings by using the MARS technique, SVM-based approach, MLP neural network and M5 model tree

Several previous studies indicate that the energy consumption of buildings has increased steadily during the last decades all over the world. Residential dwellings in European countries are lawfully required to meet the suitable minimum needs concerning energy efficiency according to the European Directives. Specifically heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) devices represent most of the energy use in dwellings as they have a principal purpose in controlling the inner climate. Hence, one manner to relieve the constantly growing request for supplementary energy supply is to carry more efficient dwelling designs from the energy point of view, which is to say, with superior energy conservation properties. In this sense, an accurate estimation of the heating load (HL) and cooling load (CL) is needed to calculate the detailed descriptions of the heating and cooling device needed to support comfortable indoor air conditions. The goal of this investigation was to acquire some foretold models to achieve a tangible calculation of the HL and CL (output variables) as a function of 8 specific input variables (concretely, relative compactness, surface area, wall area, roof area, overall height, orientation, glazing area and glazing area distribution) at residential dwellings. These eight input factors have been often employed in the literature about the energy performance of dwellings (EPB) to analyse energy-related themes in dwellings. Moreover, a support vector machines (SVM) approach with distinct kernels, an artificial neural network (ANN) of multilayer perceptron network (MLP) kind and M5 model tree were adjusted to the observed data for evaluation of differences. The outcomes of the current investigation are two-fold. First, the importance (or strength) of each input variable on the HL and CL (output variables) is presented through the MARS model. Secondly, the MARS-relied approximation was the most excellent predictor of the EPB. Indeed, a MARS regression was conducted and coefficients of determination equal to 0.9961 for the HL estimation and 0.9651 for the CL estimation were gotten when this approach was employed to 768 diverse residential buildings, respectively. The concordance between the observed data and those predicted with the MARS approximation verified the satisfactory performance of the latter. Finally, the conclusions of this original investigation are summarised.

Smart Metering Cybersecurity-Requirements, Methodology, and Testing.

This paper addresses the current challenges in cybersecurity of smart metering infrastructure, specifically in relation to the Czech Decree 359/2020 and the DLMS security suite (device language message specification). The authors present a novel testing methodology for verifying cybersecurity requirements, motivated by the need to comply with European directives and legal requirements of the Czech authority. The methodology encompasses testing cybersecurity parameters of smart meters and related infrastructure, as well as evaluating wireless communication technologies in the context of cybersecurity requirements. The article contributes by summarizing the cybersecurity requirements, creating a testing methodology, and evaluating a real smart meter, using the proposed approach. The authors conclude by presenting a methodology that can be replicated and tools that can be used to test smart meters and the related infrastructure. This paper aims to propose a more effective solution and takes a significant step towards improving the cybersecurity of smart metering technologies.

Energy Efficiency Improvements in a Portuguese Ceramic Industry: Case Study

Taking into account the issues associated with climate change and reliance on external sources of energy, among others, the European Union and its commission have developed a strategy for transitioning to a climate-neutral economy by 2050. In this sense, a wide-ranging package was adopted to ensure the EU meets its climate and energy targets for the years 2020, 2030, and 2050. Hence, energy efficiency is a key principle of the European Union, as is energy saving and the development of new and renewable forms of energy. The most evident force is the European Efficiency Directive, adopted in 2012, which embraced a set of measures such as legal obligations to establish energy-saving schemes and/or alternative measures in the Member States. Concerning final energy consumption, the industrial sector is the second biggest consumer of final energy and one of the major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. Some publications have studied the effectiveness of European policies, but they generally focus on a macro perspective. Few present case studies in specific industries, especially in intensive energy industries such as the ceramic industry. In this context, its higher consumption forces it to find solutions. From a challenge posed by the company, this paper presents a case study in the Portuguese ceramic industry. This study is motivated by the high energy consumption and associated costs. The main purposes of this study are to check the effectiveness of the applied measures resulting from the audit carried out in 2018, to improve energy efficiency, and to study the feasibility of implementing renewable energy sources. This work consisted of four phases: (i) studying the significant impacts of energy costs on the company; (ii) verifying if the energy indicator goals were achieved, using the 2018 energy audit as a reference; (iii) suggesting actions to improve energy efficiency and checking their effectiveness; and (iv) studying the feasibility of implementing renewable energy sources. The measures taken not only contributed to the achievement of the company’s goals established in the Portuguese National Energy and Climate Plan but also enabled them to meet the annual and end goals for 2024 outlined in their energy rationalization plan. This was a consequence of the mandatory energy audit conducted in 2018 under the Portuguese Intensive Energy Consumption Management System (IECMS). In this sense, this case study provides a practical demonstration of how mandatory European policies and regulations at the member state level can help enterprises improve their energy efficiency. It also highlights the importance of evaluating renewable energy constraints rather than adopting them directly as a panacea.

Using environmental DNA metabarcoding to monitor fish communities in small rivers and large brooks: Insights on the spatial scale of information

Monitoring fish communities is central to the evaluation of ecological health of rivers. Both presence/absence of fish species and their relative quantity in local fish assemblages are crucial parameters to measure. Fish communities in lotic systems are traditionally monitored via electrofishing, characterized by a known limited efficiency and high survey costs. Analysis of environmental DNA could serve as a non-destructive alternative for detection and quantification of lotic fish communities, but this approach still requires further insights in practical sampling schemes incorporating transport and dilution of the eDNA particles; optimization of predictive power and quality assurance of the molecular detection method. Via a controlled cage experiment, we aim to extend the knowledge on streamreach of eDNA in small rivers and large brooks, as laid out in the European Water Framework Directive's water typology. Using a high and low source biomass in two river transects of a species-poor river characterized by contrasting river discharge rates, we found strong and significant correlations between the eDNA relative species abundances and the relative biomass per species in the cage community. Despite a decreasing correlation over distance, the underlying community composition remained stable from 25 to 300 m, or up to 1 km downstream of the eDNA source, depending on the river discharge rate. Such decrease in similarity between relative source biomass and the corresponding eDNA-based community profile with increasing distance downstream from the source, might be attributed to variation in species-specific eDNA persistence. Our findings offer crucial insights on eDNA behaviour and characterization of riverine fish communities. We conclude that water sampled from a relatively small river offers an adequate eDNA snapshot of the total fish community in the 300–1000 m upstream transect. The potential application for other river systems is further discussed.

Wetland Contracts as Sustainable Governance Tools: A Review of the Output of the Interreg Project CREW “Coordinated Wetland Management in Italy-Croatia Cross Border Region”

Wetlands are complex ecosystems, considered among the most productive environments in the world. They contain important biodiversity hotspots, provide the resources on which countless plant and animal species depend and perform important environmental and economic functions. Wetlands reduce flooding events, improve water quality and represent a valuable cultural and natural heritage. The European Directive (2000/60/EC) requires fostering an integrated approach to wetland management through collaborative governance processes. The Wetland Contract is a tool that has been developed and implemented in order to promote the sustainable governance of water systems. Among the Mediterranean countries, Italy and Croatia count on a rich variety of coastal wetlands that, together with the plants and animals that inhabit and pass through them, constitute an extremely valuable natural heritage. This paper presents and discusses the results of the Interreg Project CREW that, between 2018–2021, contributed to the drafting of seven new Wetland Contracts. Through a comparative reading, the aim is to understand, on the one hand, how the different Contracts have responded individually to a shared programme based on European requirements; on the other hand, the aim is also to bring similar experiences closer together to assess their overall potential on an international scale. The article shows how the constant exchange between CREW partners and the continuous updating on ongoing activities, methodologies and proposed solutions in the seven target areas facilitated the construction of a shared cross-border strategy for wetland governance. The comparison also highlights some principles considered fundamental by all partners (protection and enhancement; integrated governance; awareness-raising and learning) that have served the construction of a transnational Observatory, aimed at monitoring, sharing practices and able to guide the formation of future Wetland Contracts.

A new smart batteries management for Renewable Energy Communities

Based on the European Directive, the Italian Government has recently published the technical rules for accessing the service for valorizations and incentivizing shared electricity, kick-starting the setting-up of Renewable Energy Communities (RECs).A techno-economic analysis is performed based on a real case in the city of Florence to show the benefits that the creation of a REC can bring to the stakeholders: consumers, prosumers, the national grid operator and third-party companies. Moreover, this study focuses on the role of batteries within a REC by comparing three different battery management systems (BMS).The standard BMS (StBMS) is developed for individual prosumer self-consumption (SC) and not for REC collective-self-consumption (CSC), which is thus penalized by the presence of batteries. For that reason, a new smart BMS (SmBMS) based on REC real-time data monitoring is proposed. This solution guarantees the same level of CSC as in the case without batteries, and compared to the StBMS, it ensures greater REC energy independence from the national grid and leads to more incentives for all stakeholders, causing only a negligible economic loss for prosumers, as their individual SC slightly decreases.The optimal BMS (OpBMS), based on deterministic knowledge of demand and production curves, could guarantee even greater REC energy independence and a better investment for all REC participants, but since it cannot be implemented, it is calculated only to be used as a benchmark to assess other BMSs and to explore the potential of forecasting based methods.StBMS and SmBMS are simulated by Multi​ Energy System Simulator (MESS) while OpBMS by a Mixed-integer linear programming model (MILP).

Expert Consideration on Regulatory Aspects for Perinatal Derivatives in Clinical Settings.

Perinatal derivatives (PnD) are drawing growing interest among the scientific community as an unrestricted source of multipotent stem cells, secretome, and biological matrices. They are useful for the treatment of diseases that currently have limited or no effective therapeutic options, but they require the development of regenerative approaches. With this development, the question of regulation of donation, processing, and distribution has therefore become more important. Within the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) community, we compiled a group of international experts on PnD technologies, who revised and compared existing EU national regulations. Notably, despite clear European directives, each EU Country has developed their own implementation and standard levels for cell- and tissue-based therapies. To enable extended applications of PnD treatments within the EU community and worldwide, harmonization is highly recommended. This paper aims to provide an overview of the various options available to introduce PnD into clinical practice. For this purpose, the different aspects resulting from (1) the type of PnD, (2) the amount of available data, (3) the degree of manipulation, and (4) the intended application and the process toward a possible commercialization will be presented. In the future, it will be important to find a balance between regulatory requirements and the best medical quality of the PnD product.

Definition of Key Performance Indicators for Noise Monitoring Networks

The European Noise Directive fixed a well-defined schedule on a five-year basis for the noise exposure evaluation of citizens. Noise monitoring is needed to validate noise maps of the main transportation infrastructures and it can also represent an improvement. By comparing with average noise maps, a properly set sensor network can report noise information in a more case-specific way, including time variations. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, key performance indicators (KPIs) evaluating the technical performance and financial sustainability of acoustic networks have never been presented in the scientific literature. Therefore, in the present work, a set of KPIs are proposed on the basis of KPIs defined for monitoring networks of other pollutants. It is then tuned according to noise monitoring, in line with the current legislations. As a case study, the performance of three monitoring networks installed in ports are evaluated and discussed. The resulting investment and maintenance costs can be helpful for decision makers to calculate the cost–benefits in the installation of new monitoring stations and also to evaluate the performance of the already-existing ones.

Towards Sustainable European Agriculture? Assessing the EU’s Progress in Limiting the Negative Ecological Effects of Agriculture on Aquatic Environments

The degradation of terrestrial and aquatic environments has significant adverse effects on biodiversity and environmental sustainability. The ever-increasing population and constant economic growth strain various ecosystems’ resistance and resilience. An important factor that negatively influences terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems is the use of products used in crop management. In this article, we analyze the pesticide-related European Directives and the Nationals Action Plans (NAP) regarding the sustainable use of pesticides and other documents evaluating the NAPs implementation. We assess the first and second-generation NAPs of nine EU Member States (MS)’ to evaluate if we can identify a significant shift in managing the adverse effects of pesticide use on aquatic environments. Furthermore, we evaluate the degree to which these NAPs are synergic with the EU’s strategic approach to soil protection, aquatic environments, and biodiversity.

Investor Protection on the Sale of Insurance Products in France within the Context of the European Insurance Distribution Directive

Investor Protection on the Sale of Insurance Products in France within the Context of the European Insurance Distribution Directive

The European Minimum Wage Directive – and why it is a challenge to trade unions’ but not employers’ unity

The proposal of a European minimum wage directive by the European Commission was supposed to improve working conditions. This article asks why such an initiative created a challenge to the unity of unions, but not of employers’ associations at transnational level. The authors provide a network analysis of the communication structure of social partners. Applying Scharpf’s concepts of positive and negative integration and Hirschman’s typology of exit, voice and loyalty, the authors use qualitative methods to show how employers stayed loyal and united towards negative integration, while different voices arose within the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) leading to the temporary ‘exit’ of the Swedish Trade Union Confederation.

On the effects of the mean radiant temperature evaluation in the assessment of thermal comfort by dynamic energy simulation tools

The European Directive 844/2018, the EN 16798–1 and −2, and the ISO 17772 Standards establish that when designing a new building or energy retrofitting an existing building, the Indoor Environmental Quality must be considered. One aspect of IEQ is thermal comfort, which is affected by the mean radiant temperature, tr. This variable is the only one that an HVAC system cannot control directly. In fact, it depends on the temperatures of the surfaces surrounding the subject which are influenced by the air temperature. It can be calculated using the methods envisaged by the ISO EN 7726 standard or alternative approximate methods.It is therefore important to understand whether the differenttr calculation methods affect the PMV value and, therefore, the classification of the thermal environment according to the EN 16798-1 Standard. For many years, building dynamic energy simulation software tools which integrate energy analyses with the evaluation of thermal comfort have been used for the design and verification of the energy performance of buildings. This paper compares different methods of calculating the mean radiant temperature used by Energy Plus with the Design-Builder interface and analyses the influence of the results on the evaluation of thermal comfort in three buildings.

Ecosystem-based assessment of a widespread Mediterranean marine habitat: The Coastal Detrital Bottoms, with a special focus on epibenthic assemblages

IntroductionCoastal detrital bottoms (CDB) are one of the most extensive habitats of the continental shelf worldwide, in the upper levels of the circalittoral zone. Hosting a diverse community structured by sediment grain size, trophic interactions and calcified organisms, CDB exhibit important ecological functions. In the Mediterranean Sea, CDB are constituted by recent elements partly provided by adjacent infralittoral and circalittoral ecosystems. Since the 2010s, the offshore extension of many Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) has resulted in the incorporation of vast areas of CDB, raising the issue of their management. The Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) has embraced the concept of an ecosystem-based approach involving taking into account the functioning of marine habitats and their related ecosystem services. The purpose of this paper is to propose an ecosystem-based quality index (EBQI) tested on CDB from the north-western Mediterranean Sea, focusing mainly on epibenthic assemblages.MethodsThe first step has been to define a conceptual model of the CDB functioning, including the main trophic compartments and their relative weighting, then to identify appropriate assessment methods and potential descriptors. Twenty-nine sites were sampled along the coast of Provence and French Riviera (Southern France). Study sites were chosen with a view to encompassing a wide range of hydrological conditions and human pressures.ResultsVery well-preserved sites were found in Provence in areas without trawling and terrigenous inputs, while impacted and low-ES sites were located in the vicinity of urbanized areas. The cover of rhodoliths characterizes the seascape and might be an indicator of the good ES of CDB and reduced human pressure. However, the absence of rhodoliths may also be induced by natural phenomena.DiscussionThe EBQI designed for CDB proved representative and useful for a functional assessment based on epibenthic assemblages. However, some descriptors have shown their limitations and should be further explored. We highlight here the priority of establishing an index corresponding to a societal demand (e.g., European Directives, Barcelona convention) as a basis for a broad and large-scale assessment, for practical reasons. We stress the need to better apprehend the role of the macro-infauna and to extend this index over a wider geographical scale.

Biological survey of lakes and reservoirs from Sardinia and Piedmont (Italy), a georeferenced dataset from the project LIFE INHABIT

We report a georeferenced dataset of a biological survey carried out in lakes and reservoirs in Piedmont and Sardinia regions (Italy), that includes fish fauna, macroinvertebrates, macrophytes, and phytoplankton. This survey was carried out to test the standardised protocols adopted with the National Decree 260/210 by the Italian Ministry of the Environment, Land and Sea for the assessment of the ecological status of lakes and the ecological potential of reservoirs for satisfying the requirements of the European Water Framework Directive (WFD) 2000/60/EC. Occurrence data have been uploaded to the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF).

Critical Approaches on the Changes Taking Place after 24/2014/EU in BIM Adoption Process

In 2014, the European Union introduced the so-called BIM at the attention of the Member States with the European Directive 24/2014/EU to spread this method throughout Europe. Alongside the generally recurrent motivations (education, maturity in the construction sector, technical approaches) to understand the causes of the laborious and not yet wide diffusion of BIM in Europe, this work introduces an original way that still appears not explored well enough in the current research scenario: the analysis of the correctness of the technical terms used in the native text of the ED and the translated texts in the national languages. The goal is to demonstrate that incorrect technical terms can be misunderstood and interpreted, and they move away from the specific and original contents of Charles Eastman’s method. The misunderstanding of the real technical content of the legal obligation has conditioned the clarity, speed and effectiveness of the diffusion of BIM. It is necessary to include the acronym BIM in legal texts instead of the current generic expression “building information electronic modelling”. The strength of the article is to recover clarity with the original indication and definition of BIM and the limit is that, in general, all laws can be interpreted.

Survey among FELASA members about rehoming of animals used for scientific and educational purposes.

Rehoming is an important fate, which should be considered for animals used for scientific and educational purposes, and which is highlighted in the European Directive 2010/63 EU. In 2018, the Federation of European Laboratory Animal Science Associations (FELASA) convened a working group to review current literature and identify existing practices with the aim of issuing general recommendations on the rehoming of research animals. In order to understand the number and species of animals being rehomed and which species and information to include in the recommendations, the working group launched a survey that was distributed among FELASA members, yielding 97 valid records for analysis. Most respondents of the survey considered the rehoming of cats, dogs, mice, rats, rabbits, pigs and minipigs. The most important issues reported by the respondents were related to availability/suitability of animals, availability of adopters and legal issues. Based on the data and information collected in this survey, the working group decided on the format and content of the future recommendations: a first section containing a general protocol for rehoming, addressing the issues raised by the respondents, and a second section containing species-specific information and advice about cats, dogs, small prey mammals, equines, primates, camelids and minipigs.

Effects of multiple stressors on benthic invertebrates using Water Framework Directive monitoring data

Multiple stressors affect freshwater systems and cause a deficient ecological status according to the European Water Framework Directive (WFD). To select effective mitigation measures and improve the ecological status, knowledge on the stressor hierarchy and individual and joined effects is necessary. However, compared to common stressors like nutrient enrichment and morphological degradation, the relative importance of micropollutants such as pesticides and pharmaceuticals is largely unaddressed. We used WFD monitoring data from Saxony (Germany) to investigate the importance of 85 environmental variables (including 34 micropollutants) for 18 benthic invertebrate metrics at 108 sites. The environmental variables were assigned to five groups (natural factors, nutrient enrichment, metals, micropollutants and morphological degradation) and were ranked according to their relative importance as group and individually within and across groups using Principal Component Analyses (PCAs) and Boosted Regression Trees (BRTs). Overall, natural factors contributed the most to the total explained deviance of the models. This variable group represented not only typological differences between sampling sites but also a gradient of human impact by strongly anthropogenically influenced variables such as electric conductivity and dissolved oxygen. These large-scale effects can mask the individual importance of the other variable groups, which may act more specifically at a subset of sites. Accordingly, micropollutants were not represented by a few dominant variables but rather a diverse palette of different chemicals with similar contribution. As a group, micropollutants contributed similarly as metals, nutrient enrichment and morphological degradation. However, the importance of micropollutants might be underestimated due to limitations of the current chemical monitoring practices.

European Habitats Directive has fostered monitoring but not prevented species declines

AbstractStrong biodiversity declines have been reported across the European Union, especially in insects, despite conservation policy such as the Habitats Directive that aims to halt biodiversity loss. Using 50 years of observational data, we examined indicators for the goals of the Directive in terms of improving monitoring efforts and occupancy trends of butterfly and dragonfly annex species in a central European region. We quantified annual monitoring effort and used occupancy‐detection models to compare species trends for 18 years before and after legal implementation of the Directive. Monitoring efforts increased after implementation, while occupancy trends both improved and deteriorated. Contrary to its main goal, the European Habitats Directive did not prevent a worsening of all annex species’ occupancy trends in the studied region. While the increased monitoring efforts aid biodiversity assessments, more serious broad‐scale conservation measures are needed to halt biodiversity loss across Europe.

Factors influencing submerged macrophyte presence in fresh and brackish eutrophic waters and their impact on carbon emissions

In agricultural landscapes of North-Western Europe, the majority of water bodies do not meet the targets set by the European Water Framework Directive due to a lack of submerged macrophytes and associated biodiversity. These eutrophic waters can also be a substantial source of methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) to the atmosphere. Here we present a two-year field experiment on the island of Goeree-Overflakkee (southwest Netherlands), conducted in six drainage ditches varying in salinity, where we monitored four permanent plots per ditch and varied the presence of both fish and macrophytes. We aimed to: 1) investigate factors limiting submerged macrophyte growth, focussing on exclusion of grazing pressure and bioturbation by fish; and 2) quantify the CO2 and CH4 emission under these conditions. Even in highly eutrophic, semi turbid ditches with fluctuating salinity levels and sulphide presence in the root zone, submerged macrophytes established successfully after introduction when the influence of grazing and bioturbation by fish was excluded. In the exclosures, diffusive CH4 and CO2 emissions, but not ebullitive CH4 emissions were significantly reduced. The spontaneous development of submerged macrophytes in the exclosures without macrophyte introduction underlined the effect of grazing and bioturbation by fish and suggest that abiotic conditions did not hamper submerged macrophyte development. Our results provide important insights into the influential factors for submerged macrophyte development and potential for future management practices. Large-scale fish removal may stimulate submerged macrophyte growth and reduce methane emissions, albeit that the macrophyte diversity will likely stay low in our study region due to fluctuating salinity and eutrophic conditions.