ISES Europe 2020

The scattered yet interconnected regulatory landscape in Europe, but also initiatives to move toward a safe, secure and sustainable Europe by 2030 pose unique challenges and needs for exposure science from research to application in industry and policy. In response to these challenges and needs, several European stakeholders are currently developing in a joint effort an exposure science strategy for Europe under the umbrella of the Europe Regional Chapter of the International Society of Exposure Science (ISES Europe). As part of this effort, a strategic workshop will be organized, hosted at the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (EC DG JRC), to advance on the next steps toward developing this strategy and anchoring it in European policy and regulation landscape. The Workshop will be organised by JRC/F.7 in liaison with JRC/E.7 and JRC/F.3.

Workshop objectives

1. Discuss and draft strategic key recommendations for upcoming European research needs in exposure science and for policy improvements feeding into the EU 2030 ambitions for chemicals management;
2. Facilitate the ambition and implementation of actions aimed to simplify, enhance efficiency, integrate, create and use new knowledge along the principles of a safe, secure, green and circular European society;
3. Align expected outputs from the various ISES-Europe working groups and any other stakeholders and contributors around the effort for building an exposure science strategy for Europe, and publish the progress achieved in a dedicated special issue of the ISES Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology (JESEE).

Workshop implementation and expected results

European exposure science key experts and stakeholders will be invited that jointly collaborate on translating the roadmap actions and tasks identified during the 2nd ISES Europe Workshop into recommendations on best-use of exposure science in research and application in European risk management and sustainability policy as well as in industry standards/operating procedures. This effort is an essential milestone on the way to finalize the development and implementation of a European Strategy on Exposure Science 2020-2030.
At present, dedicated working groups have been established and have started to work on advancing specific exposure science key topics and drafting related strategic scientific contributinos and guidance documents related to exposure models, data repositories and analytics, integrated exposure frameworks and policy efficiency, human exposure data production, and education, training and communication (see our Working Groups). During the workshop, each working group will enhance its current work in small breakout groups and will work on the translation of its specific key recommendations for research, harmonization and communication efforts and better integration of exposure science into European policy and industry good practice dealing with the domains of safety, security and sustainability of chemicals. The outcomes of the breakout sessions will feed the overarching discussion on how to best align the working groups and their outreach and how to feed the output into global exposure knowledge available for the implementation of EU-level frameworks and strategies linked to the aforementioned domains. 

Link to JRC Strategy 

The Workshop will provide a unique opportunity to link multi disciplines, stakeholders and professionals in Europe to jointly provide recommendations on best-use of exposure science building a more safe, secure, green and circular European society with regard to chemicals. For building up and implementing the European Strategy on Exposure Science the role and involvement of the JRC is fundamental as one of its key strategic partner to: 

1. Ensure proper management of knowledge
2. Integrate an anticipatory approach
3. Guide the process of policy integration and simplification and 
4. Disseminate the key recommendations for new research and policy making to relevant policy DGs. By the envisioned special issue in which the knowledge and recommendations will be shared with the global community, the position of Europe and the JRC will be enhanced world-wide and the European way of life will be protected, which both are priorities of the new Von Der Leyen Commission.