The JRC contributed to the publication of a new technique for investigating the linearity of detectors used in Multi Collector Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS) by using a special Reference Materials series certified at the JRC.

According to a new study, multinational companies choose to locate to countries with greater market potential, head-start opportunities, and openness to trade, but are not too worried about taxes or the costs of starting a business. The study also suggests that reforms to obtain the right combination of market and employment regulations could be the key to making certain countries more appealing to investments from R&D multinationals.

The JRC’s European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) has mapped – through remote sensing – more than 217 000 ha as burnt in the EU this year, 80% of which covering forests and natural areas. More than half of the areas burnt – about 60% – were the result of wildfires in the past 12 days. An accurate estimation of areas burnt will be known once national authorities supply data from the field.

The situation has been dramatic in several EU countries over the past week, with major fire events in Portugal, Spain and southern France.

A recently published JRC article maps the potential threats to three categories of soil biodiversity(namely soil microorganisms, fauna and biological functions) in the EU, and gives guidelines for identifying soils that are potentially at risk.