Role and positioning of the Joint Research Centre within the Commission: follow-up

02/10/2014
"Dear Mr Juncker,
Yesterday we received the reply to our letter of 11/9/2014 sent by Mr Selmayr on your behalf; we were disappointed to find that it failed to provide answers to the fundamental concerns of Joint Research Centre (JRC) staff.

Yesterday we also followed the hearing of our proposed new Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Citizenship. His interventions, combined with your reply - which unfortunately missed the opportunity to clearly explain the implications of the new arrangement - haven’t contributed to reassure JRC staff about their future role.

Therefore we urge you again to provide concrete answers to the following questions:

 Can you confirm that the JRC will remain a Directorate General of the Commission, with a continuing mission to provide in-house scientific support to EU policies?

 What are the differences and the relationship between the role of the Chief Scientific Advisor and that of the JRC?

 Not less importantly, can you guarantee that the financial and human resources earmarked to the JRC until 2020 will not be reduced or shared with other European entities?

We strongly believe that answers to these questions are due to JRC colleagues to keep them correctly informed and motivated."

Note sent to Mr Juncker on 2 October 2014 (original version)
Note sent to Mr Juncker on 11 September 2014

Schulz flashes red light for Juncker: Put in sustainability

29/09/2014 ,
European Parliament President Martin Schulz has sent a letter to Jean-Claude Juncker, urging the European Commission President-elect to include sustainable development in the portfolio of Jyrki Katainen, responsible for Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness.


See also: 

R&Drive: easily renew your italian driving licence

24/09/2014 , ,
Thanks to our agreement with Studiozeta, we can now offer full support and special conditions to help R&D members and their families to convert a foreign driving licence effortlessly and at a special price.

The paperwork can be done directly at our secretariat, with our help! No problems with language or bureaucracy. We simplify your life and make your R&D subscription more and more valuable.


CONVERSION OF FOREIGN DRIVING LICENCES (A/B type)

Cost: 100€ (instead of 120€) for our members and their families (medical visit excluded  / 25€ for cat. A/B - 40€ for cat C))

Documentation needed: Foreign driving licence, identity card, codice fiscale, 3 passport photo

The medical visit is compulsory. Appointments are available on Mondays (17:00-18:00 and Fridays 17:30-18:30). 

Agency STUDIO ZETA

Via al Lido 5 - 21026 Gavirate VA

Phone 0332 730203

E-mail: info@studiozeta.com

 

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This video explains all details of the new procedure to renew driving licences in Italy. It is provided as complementary information to understand how it works "behind the scene". R&D and Studiozeta will take care of all the paperwork. You only need to provide your passport photo and present at the medical check (previously booked at our secretariat).



LE SCADENZE – Il tempo di rinnovo varia a seconda dell’età del patentato e del tipo di patente di guida. In particolare, per quanto riguarda le patenti A, B e B-E, per i soggetti di età inferiore ai 50 anni la validità è di 10 anni; per quelli dai 50 ai 70 anni è di 5; per quelli dai 71 agli 80 anni è di 3 e per i soggetti ultra-ottantenni è di soli 2 anni. Per le patenti C e D, invece, fino ai 65 anni la validità è di cinque anni, oltre i 65 anni di 2 anni e dopo i 68 anni la patente D viene declassata a C.
LE SANZIONI – Basta “sforare” di un giorno la data di scadenza per andare incontro al ritiro della patente e a una sanzione economica che va dai 148 ai 594 Euro. Per chi viene sorpreso a circolare dopo 3 anni dalla scadenza, invece, scatta l’obbligo di sostenere nuovamente l’esame teorico e pratico.
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For more information, don't hesitate to contact our secretariat at 9645 or rd.ispra@gmail.com

R&Drive: Driving licence and car registration for foreigners

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When you move to Italy and take your car with you, you need to register it. In Italy, you must register your vehicle within 1 year.
At the same time, if you have a non-expiring driving licence (a licence for life), you must convert it to the new European format within 19 January 2015.
EU driving licences with an expiration date are not formally required to be converted; nevertheless, it would be advisable to always convert your foreign driving licence to the new format in the country where you live - in our case, Italy.

Thanks to our agreement with Studiozeta, we can now offer full support and special conditions to help R&D members and their families to easily convert foreign driving licences and register their car in Italy. 

The paperwork can be done directly at our secretariat, with our help! No problems with language or bureaucracy. We simplify your life and make it convenient for you to integrate with the current European and Italian driving rules.


CONVERSION OF DRIVING LICENCES (A/B type)

 Cost: 100€ (instead of 120€) for our members and their families (taxes and medical visit included).

Documentation needed: "old" driving licence, identity card, codice fiscale, 3 passport photos.

The medical visit is compulsory. Appointments are available on Mondays and Fridays every week.

CAR REGISTRATION

The cost depends on the number of KWatts (engine power).

For cars up to 53Kw, the estimated cost is 550€.

Individual quotations will be provided on request.

Documentation needed: identity card, codice fiscale, current vehicle registration, vehicle technical documentation

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EU Driving Licences 
The holder of a driving licence issued by one of the EU member States has no obligation to exchange his/her driving licence for an Italian one (even after 1 year from becoming an Italian resident). In this case the foreign driving licence remains subject to Italian law as concerns renewal periods and penalties. 
Nevertheless it is recommended to apply for the exchange of the EU driving licence to enable the Italian authorities to deal with renewal or duplicate procedures.
When applying for the exchange, you must surrender your foreign licence that will be replaced by the Italian one.
The application must be submitted within the period of validity of the foreign licence.

Non-EU driving licences
Foreigners holding a non-EU driving licence can drive in Italy for a maximum of 1 year from acquiring residence in Italy, after which they must exchange their driving licence for an Italian one.
Foreign licences issued by non-EU countries need to be accompanied by a translation with revenue stamp. The translation must be certified by the diplomatic representative of the country having issued the driving licence as being a true and faithful rendition of the original document. The certified translation must be validated by the competent "Prefettura" offices.
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For more information, don't hesitate to contact our secretariat at 9645 or rd.ispra@gmail.com

Career blockage for colleagues at grades AST9 and AD12

18/09/2014 ,
The appeals concerning career blockage for colleagues at grades AST9, AD12 and AD13 is being finalised.
As a precaution and to avoid any risk of inadmissibility of the applications before the CST, in addition to the complaints already lodged by 31 March 2014, new templates have been made available to attack the indication, added on 4 April to your promotion file in SYSPER2, that you are not eligible for promotion, and also your exclusion from the list of officials proposed for promotion published on 24 June. Please note that the new Art. 90 complaints must be introduced before 24 September.

Whirlpool /BEK Outlet for our Members

15/09/2014 , ,

R&D members are entitled to make purchases at the Whirlpool/BEKO Factory Outlet of Cassinetta di Biandronno!*
Special offers are also periodically available.


At the Whirlpool/BEKO Factory Outlet, our members can find discounted household appliances (up to 50%) of the following brands:

Whirlpool -Hotpoint
KitchenAid - Indesit



The Whirlpool /BEKO showroom is open to public for visits. You will be able to purchase articles for sale by showing your JRC badge and informing at the counter that you are an R&D member, with which Whirlpool has an active agreement. For further info you can contact  the R&D Secretariat by phone 0332-78 9645 or by email:  JRC-RD-ISPRA@ec.europa.eu)

IL MERCATINO _WHIRLPOOL: 
* Open from Tuesday to Saturday, 9.00-12.30 / 13.30-17.45


DISCOVER CURRENT OFFERS HERE - NEW FLYER 

Bear in mind that it is not possible to delegate others in written or by e-mail: you must be physically present to sign the "document of delivery"; your friends or family members can then pay their purchases with their own Bancomat or Credit card. Bancomat, Credit Card and Bancoposta payments are allowed (no cash or cheques). Click here to find out more about our agreement conditions.

Whirlpool Outlet: virtual tour

Directions from JRC Ispra to Whirlpool Outlet

Street view @ Whirlpool

New Commission: Bad news for research and innovation?

13/09/2014 ,
"...One of the biggest surprises was the transfer of the Joint Research Centre, a 3,000-employee collection of government laboratories and policy analysts, from the control of the Research Commissioner to that of the Education Commissioner. In fact, it took some of the new commissioners themselves by surprise, suggesting it was a last-minute adjustment in the Juncker plan.  Exactly what it will mean, in substance, is a mystery in Brussels right now – but a Juncker spokeswoman said the move is intended to enhance its transversal role of providing science and technology advice to all other directorates-general. Exactly how, isn’t clear."

 Read the full article  (Source: Science|Business)
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