The JRC (Joint research Centre) carries out research in a wide variety of fields. Located across five sites throughout the EU, seven research institutes work in the areas of agriculture and food security, energy and transport, environment and climate change, health and consumer protection, information society, safety and security, innovation and growth, measurements and standards, and nuclear safety and security.

The research related to biodiversity and ecosystem services

Objectives : To develop a consistent coordinated framework, based upon integration, available knowledge and multi-sectoral models and databases, (1) for the support to policies (assessment, monitoring and forecasting) concerning biodiversity and ecosystems services, (2) to improve coordination between the different thematic areas (forest, freshwater, agriculture, nature protection, soils, alien species, marine biodiversity), (3) to support European working groups and global initiatives by regular inputs and attendance (ISG Biodiversity, WG MAES, WG RPF, WG NNL, CBD-COP, IPBES, GEO BON, etc), (4) to address the response and synergies between available data and modelling infrastructures in the JRC (DOPA, EFDAC, WISE, Soil data centre, EASIN, etc) and the link to the EEA - BISE.

Biodiversity loss and ecosystem services degradation are critical threats to economic, social, cultural and physical wellbeing. Halting such loss is central to the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020.

Key words : Marine, Sustainable Fisheries, Mapping of ecosystems and ecosystem services across Europe, natural capital, Environment, Integrated assessment, integration in regional development policies, Land Use Integrated Sustainability Assessment, Soil Resource, Earth Observation, Forest Information System, Land Degradation, climate – ecosystem interactions, Freshwaters, environmental status of marine and coastal waters, agro-ecosystems, integration of air quality, Biodiversity of Freshwater Ecosystems, marine Environmental Research, assessing good Environmental Status, Invasive Alien Species, mitigation actions, Forest Observatory, Protected Areas Management, prevent ecosystem degradation, land use transitions, forest information and protection.

As the European Commission's in-house science service, the Joint Research Centre's mission is to provide EU policies with independent, evidence-based scientific and technical support throughout the whole policy cycle.