Geographical Europe Research Articles

Time to diagnosis and determinants of diagnostic delays of people living with a rare disease: results of a Rare Barometer retrospective patient survey

Timely diagnosis is one of the most serious challenges faced by people living with a rare disease (PLWRD), and this study estimates that in Europe, the average total diagnosis time (TDT) is close to 5 years. We investigated the duration of the TDT for PLWRD in Europe, the difficulties associated with their diagnosis odyssey and the main determinants of diagnosis delays for all rare diseases (RD). We conducted a survey of PLWRD and their families using Rare Barometer, the survey initiative of EURORDIS-Rare Diseases Europe. In geographical Europe, we surveyed 6507 people living with 1675 RD in 41 countries. We then performed a descriptive analysis and ordinal logistic regressions to identify the main determinants of diagnosis delays. Average TDT is 4.7 years. 56% of respondents were diagnosed more than 6 months after a first medical contact. The main determinants of diagnosis delays are symptom onset before 30 years of age, especially during childhood (OR = 3.11; 95% CI: 2.4–4.0) and adolescence (OR = 4.79; 95% CI: 3.7–6.2), being a woman (OR = 1.22; 95% CI:1.1–1.4), living in Northern Europe (OR = 2.15; 95% CI:1.8–2.6) or Western Europe (OR = 1.96; 95% CI:1.6–2.3), the number of healthcare professionals consulted (OR = 5.15; 95% CI:4.1–6.4), misdiagnosis (OR = 2.48; 95% CI:2.1–2.9), referral to a centre of expertise (OR = 1.17; 95% CI:1.0–1.3), unmet needs for psychological support (OR = 1.34; 95% CI:1.2–1.5) and financial support (OR = 1.16; 95% CI:1.0–1.3), having a genetic disease (OR = 1.33; 95% CI:1.1–1.5) and a family history of an RD (OR = 1.36; 95% CI:1.1–1.6). These determinants can inform policies and actions to improve access to diagnosis for all PLWRD.

Behavioral Health Integrated Support Network (BHISN).

This article reviews process and performance of an innovative effort leveraging virtual health to manage unmet demand for behavioral health and substance use disorder services across a large military region. This effort began in June 2022 and included nearly all of the Defense Health Agency Region-Europe's military behavioral health and substance abuse clinics participating. The two goals of improving access to behavioral health and substance use services for active duty service members and improving utilization of the military clinics were employed. Operational and remote locations with known care gaps could access services as well. Connecting services to the point of need is an established strength of virtual health delivery systems of care. A team consisting of clinical leaders and Virtual Medical Center-Europe staff developed a centralized screening process and simple business rules. When a clinic was unable to meet its access-to-care standard of 28 days, the patient requesting or referral from a remote location, was offered a virtual video option with a provider from another clinic with availability. Centralized screening was created and staffed by three technicians. The Behavioral Health Integrated Support Network (BHISN) screening clinic assessed appropriateness of virtual care using established exclusion criteria. Once screened, the patient was scheduled for an appointment with one of the 31 therapists in 14 participating clinics in a 3- to 5-day window. The military health system's video connect platform was used. Between June 2022 and November 2023, 131 patients who were unable to find routine care in their home clinic were screened, scheduled, and completed a virtual visit with one of the 31 participating therapists from 14 behavioral health and substance use clinics. Seventy-eight (59%) participants were active duty empaneled to military treatment facilities in Europe and 53 (39%) were active duty enrolled in Tricare Prime Remote and deployed to remote locations with limited care. Forty-four percent of patients were recommended for continued virtual therapy or counseling kept their first follow-up demonstrating good follow-up care using a virtual option. The overall no-show rate was low at 7%. Care and consultation were successfully delivered using video visits to location in 18 countries in three geographic Europe, the Middle East and, Africa. The Virtual Medical Center-Europe, Army Europe Behavioral Health, and Substance Use leadership work collaboratively to plan and optimize program performance. For BHISN to function as intended requires key dedicated support staff, such as mental health and social services assistants to screen and coordinate virtual care. Scheduling can be performed by a central cell requiring clinics to relinquish some local control in the interest of meeting patient demand in large and diverse area that covers three continents. BHISN shows promising initial success by providing a process of managing demand and connecting requests for behavioral health and substance use care leveraging capacity from all clinics using a virtual video service in a diverse operating environment.

CO134 The Future of COVID-19: What Is Next in the Drug Pipeline

Development of new and repurposed medicines in response to the COVID-19 pandemic has occurred at an unprecedented rate, resulting in a dynamic pipeline marked by significant challenges and successes. This analysis provides an overview of the vaccines and therapies undergoing clinical evaluation or with recent approval for the treatment and prevention of COVID-19 in global markets. For this analysis, COVID-19 pipeline medicines are defined in three categories: vaccines, new treatments and repurposed medicines. GlobalData is the primary data source for this study, in addition to online databases from Health Canada, the US FDA, and the EMA. International markets examined include the US and geographic Europe (excluding Russia and Turkey). As of November 2022, the global pipeline contained over 600 therapies and vaccines undergoing Phase I, II, III clinical trials or pre-registration for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. Preventive and repurposed medicines include antivirals, immunoglobulins, monoclonal antibodies, cellular therapies, and convalescent plasma. In Canada, twelve medicines, including six vaccines, have been approved for COVID-19. The number of global approvals is greater, with approximately 9 vaccines on the market in OECD countries. In addition to pre-exposure preventative therapies, manufacturers are also developing COVID-19 drugs to be used as prophylactic therapy. The analysis identifies new oral antiviral treatments and preventative therapies in the pipeline and under review in various jurisdictions globally. This research provides a clearer picture of the characteristics and evolution of the market for new and emerging COVID-19 medicines, which will help policy-makers and other stakeholders understand and anticipate the unique pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Towards credible, evidence-based environmental rating ecolabels for consumer products: A proposed framework

Environmental rating ecolabels are a new generation of ecolabels. They are intended to enable consumers to compare the environmental impacts of multiple products and make more sustainable consumption choices. Falling outside of the three types defined in the ISO 14020 environmental label and declarations series, the recent proliferation of these business-to-consumer communication instruments has resulted in the creation of a plethora of methodologies to derive product performance ratings. Interest from consumers wanting more information on the products they purchase, as well as the promise of policy instruments aiming to increase transparency and combat greenwashing, are fuelling further multiplication of schemes. A move towards more credible, evidence-based environmental rating ecolabels is therefore urgently needed to promote assessment based on scientific understanding, gain consumer trust, and realise policy objectives.We propose a framework based on four core principles - i) relevance, ii) scientific robustness, iii) trust and transparency, and iv) feasibility (scalability, affordability) - with 18 guidelines that can be followed by rating scheme developers. We characterise the rise of environmental rating ecolabels in geographical Europe and build an inventory of 33 existing schemes, at various stages of development and implementation, to which we apply the framework. This reveals the potential for significant improvement in current schemes, indicating important areas for development. The framework provides a valuable guide for the development of new schemes or an evaluation grid for existing initiatives.

유럽과 아프리카 관계

In 1957, the six ECSC(European Coal ans Steel Community) members agreed to include the “Black Africa” in the European Economic Community (EEC) through the Treaty of Rome. The Article 131 of the Treaty of Rome identified the “Association of Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT)”. The Treaty of Rome first institutionalized the issue of European-African cooperation at the European Community level. The problem of including the overseas colonial territories in the European Integration Organization clearly shows the contradictions and uncertainties left by European colonial history. The colonial problem in the European integration has created ‘Europeans’ far away from geographical Europe, and extended the boundary of Europe to the Africa. As a result, this made Europe an ambiguous and fluid geopolitical entity with uncertain borders. It can be seen that the shadow of the past colonial era was still hanging in the process of European integration in the 1950s. Relations between Europe and Africa were often glorified by modifiers such as solidarity, complementarity, or interdependence, but the reality of the relationship has been constantly disproportionate. This study deals with the theme of European integration and colonization, which has been neglected in research on the history of European integration. This topic will reveal a side of the uncomfortable truth of European integration, which has not abandoned colonialism while talking about European integration.

Neonatal screening in Europe revisited: An ISNS-perspective on the current state and developments since 2010

Neonatal screening (NBS) was initiated in Europe during the 1960s with the screening for phenylketonuria. The panel of screened disorders ("conditions") then gradually expanded, with a boost in the late 1990's with the introduction of tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS), making it possible to screen for 40-50 conditions in one blood spot. The most recent additions to screening programmes (screening for cystic fibrosis, severe combined immunodeficiency and spinal muscular atrophy) were assisted by or realised through the introduction of molecular genetics techniques. For this survey we collected data from 51 European countries. We report on the developments between 2010 and 2020, and highlight the achievements made during this period. We also identify areas where further progress can be made, mainly by exchanging knowledge and learning from experiences in neighbouring countries. Between 2010 and 2020, most NBS programmes in geographical Europe have matured considerably, both in terms of methodology (modernised) and with regards to the panel of conditions screened (expanded). These developments indicate that more collaboration in Europe through European organisations is gaining momentum. Only by working together can we accomplish the timely detection of newborn infants potentially suffering from one of the many rare diseases and take appropriate actions.

Neonatal Screening in Europe Revisited: An ISNS Perspective on the Current State and Developments Since 2010.

Neonatal screening (NBS) was initiated in Europe during the 1960s with the screening for phenylketonuria. The panel of screened disorders (“conditions”) then gradually expanded, with a boost in the late 1990s with the introduction of tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS), making it possible to screen for 40–50 conditions using a single blood spot. The most recent additions to screening programmes (screening for cystic fibrosis, severe combined immunodeficiency and spinal muscular atrophy) were assisted by or realised through the introduction of molecular technologies. For this survey, we collected data from 51 European countries. We report the developments between 2010 and 2020 and highlight the achievements reached with the progress made in this period. We also identify areas where further progress can be made, mainly by exchanging knowledge and learning from experiences in neighbouring countries. Between 2010 and 2020, most NBS programmes in geographical Europe matured considerably, both in terms of methodology (modernised) and with regard to the panel of conditions screened (expanded). These developments indicate that more collaboration in Europe through European organisations is gaining momentum. We can only accomplish the timely detection of newborn infants potentially suffering from one of the many rare diseases and take appropriate action by working together.

Connecting users to trusted geospatial information for Europe

Abstract. In recent years, we have seen an explosion in location-based services. Whether it is maps, cadastral data or land registration, geospatial information is driving applications to realise social, economic and environmental benefits for us all. Yet in the age of ‘Big Data’ and the ‘Internet of Things’, how can we know which data sources are reliable and how easy is it to find accurate, high-quality and detailed information that we can trust? Knowing that reliable sources exist, and where to obtain them, is essential for governments and those making critical decisions that affect all our lives. As the official bodies responsible for national cadastre, land registration, geodetic surveying and mapping activities in Europe, European national mapping and cadastral agencies (NMCAs) fulfil an essential role providing definitive and detailed geospatial information. In an ever-changing world, NMCAs play an important and often critical role in helping to address the key global and regional issues that affect society, such as climate change, sustainable development, a digital economy, migration, security and health. With these challenges extending beyond national borders, society now expects a borderless digital economy and property market, as well as fully connected national databases for stronger cross-border emergency planning and environmental monitoring. As their membership association, EuroGeographics is committed to supporting European NMCAs as they improve access to their rich source of trusted, authoritative geospatial information. EuroGeographics is an independent international not-for-profit organisation representing Europe’s National Mapping, Cadastral and Land Registration Authorities. We believe in a society empowered by the use of trusted geospatial services from these official national sources. EuroGeographics strength lies in our extensive membership and we are proud to represent more than 60 organisations from 46 countries covering the whole of geographical Europe. We deliver benefits for each regardless of the geographical, technical, political, organisational, linguistic and business parameters in which they work. We support the public good by representing our members’ interests, maintaining networks that help our members improve their capabilities and role, and by facilitating access to and use of our members’ geospatial data and services. EuroGeographics’ has the strategic objective of facilitating access to our members’ authoritative data for international users of harmonised, pan-European, geospatial information and services. It coordinates the compilation and production of pan-European datasets, and has been active in exploring the development of online services. The Open European Location Services (Open ELS) project has developed services to demonstrate and test the level of interest in pan-European authoritative geospatial information. EuroGeographics has coordinated this two-year project which was co-financed by the European Union’s Connecting Europe Facility working with partners from member organisations in Finland, Germany, Great Britain, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden and The Netherlands. The Project has focused on facilitating access to, and encouraging the take up and use of this information, and is strongly user orientated with a programme of activities to support the digital economy. As well as test services, an Open ELS data policy has been developed which applies only to the geospatial pan-European data and services developed and maintained by EuroGeographics and its members through the Open ELS Project. The Policy was drafted using research which revealed the scope of open geospatial data from official national sources across Europe, and revealed the diversity of policy, business and legal approaches across Europe to what is ‘open’ data. Additional research, carried out by Deloitte and EuroGeographics, found that small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in Europe have a strong appetite for more cross-border authoritative data which could help them improve their product and service offerings, save money and become more competitive. The research highlighted four potential benefits from providing harmonised single access to pan-European geospatial information: The possibility to improve existing products and services offering; the possibility to develop new products and services; the reduced time and costs of dealing with different national mapping and cadastral agencies; and the reduced time and costs for acquiring and accessing data. Key findings from these research activities will be presented, along with an outline of the project, and what it has achieved.

International co-operation in Antarctica: the influence of regional groups

ABSTRACT International co-operation, with the aim to facilitate research in the Antarctic, plays a pivotal role for logistic support and for the deployment of scientific projects run by multiple countries. Co-operative activities can either be intra-continental or external; meaning co-operation based in Antarctica or co-operation that builds on the geographical and political boundaries of every country and governmental policies, respectively. The current situation sees three extra-Antarctic regional groups active in Antarctica, which find their geographical origin, in Asia, Europe and South America. Each group is represented by the Asian Forum for Polar Sciences, the European Polar Board and the Reunión de Administradores de Programas Antárticos Latinoamericanos, respectively, which are operating through their member entities. The Asian Forum for Polar Sciences and the European Polar Board members have demonstrated interest in both the Arctic and Antarctic, and the Reunión de Administradores de Programas Antárticos Latinoamericanos’s countries focus their scientific and science-support activities only in the Antarctic Treaty Area. This study analyses the concepts of region and regionalism and how regional co-operations in Antarctica are driving ‘big’ science projects, which a country might not have the capacity or capability to conduct on its own. It also discusses the breadth, both geographical and biogeographic, that scientific research can obtain through regional co-operation.

Venomous snakes in Germany and Europe

It is estimated that worldwide there are 5,000,000 snakebites per year of which 2,500,000 lead to symptoms of venomization, nearly 400,000 result in permanent sequelae and 125,000 are fatal. In Germany there are only two venomous snakes, the European adder and the European aspis viper (asp). Bites by venomous snakes in Germany as well as in geographical Europe should always be classified as alife threatening emergency unless there is evidence to the contrary and even with alack of symptoms aminimum of 24 h inpatient monitoring should be recommended, if possible with medical care in an institution experienced with snakebites. Travellers are urgently advised to inform themselves about the local occurence of venomous snakes usually to be found at the travel destination, before starting the journey.

Atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub> inversions on the mesoscale using data-driven prior uncertainties: quantification of the European terrestrial CO<sub>2</sub> fluxes

Abstract. Optimized biogenic carbon fluxes for Europe were estimated from high-resolution regional-scale inversions, utilizing atmospheric CO2 measurements at 16 stations for the year 2007. Additional sensitivity tests with different data-driven error structures were performed. As the atmospheric network is rather sparse and consequently contains large spatial gaps, we use a priori biospheric fluxes to further constrain the inversions. The biospheric fluxes were simulated by the Vegetation Photosynthesis and Respiration Model (VPRM) at a resolution of 0.1° and optimized against eddy covariance data. Overall we estimate an a priori uncertainty of 0.54 GtC yr−1 related to the poor spatial representation between the biospheric model and the ecosystem sites. The sink estimated from the atmospheric inversions for the area of Europe (as represented in the model domain) ranges between 0.23 and 0.38 GtC yr−1 (0.39 and 0.71 GtC yr−1 up-scaled to geographical Europe). This is within the range of posterior flux uncertainty estimates of previous studies using ground-based observations.

InSAR data for geohazard assessment in UNESCO World Heritage sites: state-of-the-art and perspectives in the Copernicus era

Protection of natural and cultural heritage is encompassed by the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and is among the innovative applications and services of the European Union’s Earth Observation programme Copernicus. We are currently witnessing an increasing exploitation of Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) methods to assess geohazards affecting cultural heritage. This paper offers the first data mining exercise to identify InSAR geoinformation that is digitally available and/or published and that spatially includes one or more cultural, natural and mixed UNESCO World Heritage Site (WHS). The exercise focused on the 45 countries of geographical Europe, Turkey, Israel and the Russian Federation, and their 445 WHS of Outstanding Universal Value. We built a database of academic and grey literature collated via a Boolean search of the ISI Web of Science catalogue and systematic skim-reading to a total number of 280 publications as of the end of 2016. Over 460 InSAR open access digital datasets were also analysed. We found clusters of WHS covered by InSAR data in Italy, the Netherlands, western Germany, eastern Spain, Greece and the UK that match with the geographic distribution of InSAR expertise and geohazard hotspots. The existing stock of InSAR geoinformation already provides an overall WHS coverage of 36%, with similar proportion of available data for ‘urban’ (40%) and ‘rural’ (34%) WHS. The sites with the highest number of publications are historic city centres (e.g. Amsterdam, Athens, Barcelona, Lisbon, Paris, Rome), as well as Permanent Geohazard Supersites (e.g. Mt. Etna, Naples, Istanbul), where the impact of natural and/or anthropogenic processes is well known. First generation SAR data (mainly ERS-1/2) predominate in the literature with over 15 new publications/year since 2002, whilst second and third generation data show less pronounced rates since 2007 and 2014, respectively. The current engagement level of end-users appears still limited (less than 1% of publications involve heritage stakeholders), and a shared guidance on the use of InSAR for heritage practitioners does not exist yet. Towards the development of Copernicus’ services and applications in support of cultural heritage preservation and management, our analysis contributes to: outline the existing capabilities; focus on requirements for bespoke InSAR-derived products and services; and consider possible implementation scenarios both in emergency and ordinary circumstances.

Exploiting the high‐resolution JRC‐MARS European climatic dataset for pest risk mapping

Climatic data with a high temporal and spatial resolution are invaluable when modelling the potential distribution of non‐native pests. The European Commission Joint Research Centre Monitoring Agricultural ResourceS (MARS) programme provides a unique source of European daily climatic data. Available from 1975 to 2015 and updated annually, the data are interpolated from over 5000 weather stations to 25‐km grid cells. All geographical Europe is included, plus Mediterranean areas of the Middle East and North Africa. The climatic parameters available include temperature (daily minima and maxima), solar radiation, rainfall and relative humidity. As well as the potential for use in simple pest models, selected parameters can be imported into more complex models, such as CLIMEX, for more detailed analyses. Case studies showing how the MARS data have been used by the UK in pest risk analyses are presented for three insect pests: Thaumetopoea pityocampa, Hyphantria cunea (both Lepidoptera) and Popillia japonica (Coleoptera). The case studies illustrate some methods of representing uncertainty where thresholds are lacking in the published literature, there are conflicting data and only air temperature data are available to model a soil‐dwelling organism.

Alternative solution via car window filming implementation to combat global warming and resulted benefits around geographic Europe and the European Union

It is aimed to reduce fuel consumption and vehicle-sourced emissions, combat global warming and contribute to the economy via car window film implementation. Mobile air conditioning (MAC) usage in summer increases fuel consumption and vehicle emissions, which has global economic and health impacts. In summer, films block solar radiation into cabin, reduce peak temperature, hence, MAC consume less energy. Film implementation of three different types, on tinted and clear rear and side windows with clear and 20% shaded windshield of the parked passenger cars for Geographic Europe (GE) and European Union (EU) are analysed. Regarding GE, 50 countries, and EU, 28 member countries, the best possibility decreases sum of diesel and gasoline fuel consumption by 3.6 and 2.8 billion litres, reduces the passenger car sourced total GHG emissions by 34 and 27 billion kg and contributes to the economy by 5-year net savings of 270 and 226 billion $, respectively.

Meta-analysis:LactobacillusGG for treating acute gastroenteritis in children - updated analysis of randomised controlled trials

The efficacy of each probiotic should be evaluated separately. Previously, we have shown that Lactobacillus GG (LGG) is effective in treating acute gastroenteritis (AGE) in children. To update our 2007 meta-analysis on the effectiveness of LGG in treating AGE in children. The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were searched from August 2006 (end date of last search) to May 2013, with no language restrictions, for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and meta-analyses. Fifteen RCTs (2963 participants) met the inclusion criteria in this updated meta-analysis. Combined data from 11 RCTs (n = 2444) showed that LGG significantly reduced the duration of diarrhoea compared with placebo or no treatment (mean difference, MD -1.05 days, 95% CI -1.7 to -0.4). LGG was more effective when used at a daily dose ≥10¹⁰ CFU (eight RCTs, n = 1488, MD -1.11 days, 95% CI -1.91 to -0.31) than when used at a daily dose <10¹⁰ CFU (three RCTs, n = 956, MD -0.9 day, 95% CI -2.5 to 0.69). LGG was effective in children treated in Europe (five RCTs, n = 744, MD -1.27 days, 95% CI -2.04 to -0.49); in the non-European setting, the difference between the LGG group and the control group was of a borderline statistical significance (six RCTs, n = 1700, MD -0.87, 95% CI -1.81 to 0.08). Lactobacillus GG reduces the duration of diarrhoea. A subset of patients that is more likely to benefit includes subjects treated with a high daily dose of LGG (≥10¹⁰ CFU/day) who are either in-patients or out-patients from geographical Europe. Given the methodological limitations of many of the included trials, the evidence should be viewed with caution.

Granite-Related Ore Deposits

A. N. Sial, J. S. Betten-court, C. P. de Campos and V. P. Ferreira, editors. Pp. 192. 2011. Geological Society Special Publication 350. London. ISBN 978-1-86239-321-9. Hardcover. Price £90. This publication comprises papers selected from the symposium, Mineralization Associated with Granitic Magmatism, which was part of the 33rd IGC convened in Oslo, Norway, in August 2008. The symposium session attracted approximately 60 written contributions, many of which focused on ore deposits related to granitic magmatism rather than experimental and theoretical studies on ore fluids and granite-related mineralized systems. As a result of this, the editors selected nine papers for Granite-Related Ore Deposits . These have been arranged in groups as follows: granite-pegmatite, skarn and greisen-veins, porphyry, orogenic gold, intrusion-related, epithermal and porphyry-related gold and base metal, iron oxide copper-gold (IOCG), and special case studies. An introduction by the editors briefly deals with the importance of granite-related mineralization systems, including the diversity of mineralization styles and ore deposits. They then provide a useful overview of magma mixing and unmixing of magmas, and related ore fluid generation. The final section of the introduction discusses the need for better genetic and exploration models based on continuing multidisciplinary investigations. The editors selected the nine papers in an attempt to provide a range of studies distributed broadly in space and time, highlighting granite-related ore deposits from a wide geographical distribution, i.e., Europe, Asia, South America, Turkey, and Iran. The first main topic in the book is granite pegmatite systems, which comprises three interesting papers. The contribution by A. V. Tkachev is probably the most recent and accurate correlation of global granite pegmatite distribution associated with orogens throughout geological time. The author includes detailed geochronological reconstructions for granitic pegmatite genesis throughout the …

Agricultural greenhouse gas mitigation potential globally, in Europe and in the UK: what have we learnt in the last 20 years?

AbstractAgricultural lands occupy about 40–50% of the Earth's land surface. Agricultural practices can make a significant contribution at low cost to increasing soil carbon sinks, reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and contributing biomass feedstocks for energy use. Considering all gases, the global technical mitigation potential from agriculture (excluding fossil fuel offsets from biomass) by 2030 is estimated to be ca. 5500–6000 Mt CO2‐eq. yr−1. Economic potentials are estimated to be 1500–1600, 2500–2700 and 4000–4300 Mt CO2‐eq. yr−1 at carbon prices of up to $US20, 50 and 100 t CO2‐eq.−1, respectively. The value of the global agricultural GHG mitigation at the same three carbon prices is $US32 000, 130 000 and 420 000 million yr−1, respectively. At the European level, early estimates of soil carbon sequestration potential in croplands were ca. 200 Mt CO2 yr−1, but this is a technical potential and is for geographical Europe as far east as the Urals. The economic potential is much smaller, with more recent estimates for the EU27 suggesting a maximum potential of ca. 20 Mt CO2‐eq. yr−1. The UK is small in global terms, but a large part of its land area (11 Mha) is used for agriculture. Agriculture accounts for about 7% of total UK GHG emissions. The mitigation potential of UK agriculture is estimated to be ca. 1–2 Mt CO2‐eq. yr−1, accounting for less than 1% of UK total GHG emissions.

Amélioration de la résistance aux stress du tournesol : rôle des ressources génétiques, génomiques et bio-informatiques dans les stratégies de recherche

The sunflower crop is occupying an increasing role in the oilseed world production, and particularly within the geographic Europe, for human and industrial purposes. The advantages of the sunflower crop are also increasing due to its environmentally safe status. But there is a need to increase the oil yield per ha in order to improve the competitiveness of farmers and oil industry. This paper is reviewing the genetic, genomic and bioinformatic resources being necessary to handle research programs aiming to provide information for plant breeding as well as more fundamental knowledge. Beside of them, phenotyping tools and modeling approaches appear to be the new frontier for the genetic dissection of traits of interest.

The status and conservation of saproxylic beetles in Europe

The European Red List consists of a selection of 436 saproxylic beetles native to Europe or naturalised in Europe before AD 1500. Red List assessments were made at two regional levels: for geographical Europe and for the 27 Member States of the European Union. Overall nearly 11% of the assessed saproxylic beetles are considered threatened in all Europe, while at the EU 27 level, 14% are threatened. A further 13% of saproxylic beetles are considered Near Threatened. However, for more than a quarter (28%) of the species, there were not enough scientific information to evaluate their risk of extinction and they were classified as Data Deficient. Almost 14% of the species assessed have declining populations. Approximately 27% are thought to be more or less stable, and only 2% are increasing. The population trend for 249 species (57%) remains unknown. Saproxylic beetles in Europe are mainly threatened by habitat loss in relation to logging and wood harvesting and the decline of veteran trees throughout the landscape, as well as the lack of land management targeted at promotion of recruitment of new generations of trees. It is hoped that the results of this Red List will stimulate research, monitoring and conservation action of saproxylic beetles at the local, regional and international levels.

SOE and its role in Concordia

Abstract Purpose To review the role of European Society of Ophthalmology (SOE) and its role in the integration of Europan Ophthalmology and the Concordia initiative Methods Review of records and SOE Congress Programmes combined with interviews of key leaders. Results The European Society of Ophthalmology currently have 42 member societies (national ophthalmic socities). The SOE is largely confined to geographical Europe but notably also includes three associate member societies of Jordan, Egypt andIisrael. The SOE strongly supports the Concordia initiative. Current work includes the revision of statutes to be able to work more closly with membership societies and subspeciality socities. Also, the biennual Congress has now been transformed to a "platform" for subspeciality, educational and research socities to further integrate European ophthalmology. The SOE strongly believe that for European integration to be lasting it should be designed "bottom‐up" based on common goals. Conclusion The SOE support the Concordia intiative and further integration of European ophthalmology.