Launch of JRC 2021 Annual Report

2021 proved to be a difficult year, with the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to rage on, and, in parallel, many other challenges such as climate change, floods and droughts. The report reflects this, and shows how science plays a crucial role in addressing these and many other issues. As can be seen from the report, the JRC thus fulfils its mission of supporting EU policies with sound science, evidence and knowledge, to underpin European policymaking, from anticipation to enforcement.

The JRC uses its multi-disciplinary expertise and analytical capability to help design legislation, assess when and where to make investments, and, more generally speaking, to join the dots between different policy areas, for an integrated, efficient approach.

The highlighted examples in the report illustrate where the JRC helped make a tangible difference in 2021 through the prism of the von der Leyen Commission’s priorities, a few of which are outlined below, featuring also a short fact & figures section on the organic evolution of the JRC over the past few years.

• for the Green Deal the JRC developed an integrated approach to building renovation for energy efficiency and safety; and by performing a technical assessment for the nuclear taxonomy regulation.
• for the digital transition, the JRC monitored national AI strategies, and launched the Knowledge Centre on Earth Observation.
• for a fair economy the JRC developed a new methodology to estimate the export-related jobs, and published a report on Poverty and Mindsets.
• for a stronger role of Europe in the world, the JRC developed a policy-mapping tool, to help policymakers to identify the SDGs that may potentially be impacted or linked to their policy, and supported the Commission’s actions to shape international cooperation on climate change.
• for our European way of life, the JRC launched the Knowledge Centre of Cancer, and improved radioisotope production for health applications; and
• for a new push for European democracy, the JRC launched a new competence Centre on Participatory and Deliberative Democracy (CC-DEMOS) and published a report on Technology and Democracy.