March 2018 – Reports – ESRS ANSS EU Committee

Published in ESRS Newsletter March 2018

ESRS ANSS EU Committee

Report on the activities: November 2017 – March 2018

Members (2016 – 2018):
Roberto Amici (Coordinator), Diego Garcia Borreguero (Vice-Coordinator), Liborio Parrino (EC ANSS Chair), Damien Leger, Pierre-Hervé Luppi, Walter McNicholas, Lino Nobili, Tiina Paunio, Philippe Peigneux, Dieter Riemann, Debra J. Skene, Johan Verbraecken

The main aims of the Committee are: i) to bring the topics of “sleep” and “sleep disorders” to the attention of the EU in order to receive support for research and teaching activities; ii) to promote sleep-related issues from a political point of view at a European and national level.

The activity of the EU Committee in the last few months has been aimed at empowering the relationship between ESRS and different stakeholders involved in the promotion of a better knowledge and awareness about the risk of drowsy driving and about the need of more research about sleep and sleep disorders.

Recently, a contact has been established with the “European Transport Workers Federation” (the ETF), which is in charge with the road transport sector and with gender equality in all transport sectors. ETF is concerned with the process of revision of the EU regulation establishing the driving and rest time limits for road freight and passenger drivers (trucks, buses and coaches), which was launched by the EU Commission in 2017, and asked for comments and suggestions by ESRS experts.

Furthermore, new attempts to contact relevant EU officers of the pillar “Health” of the DG “Research and Innovation” have been made, aimed at putting forward at EU level “Sleep and Sleep Disorders” as a topic for the new EU 2021-2030 platform which is expected to be launched in the next few years. Actions of the NSS Presidents and Boards aimed at sensitizing the National Members of the Advisory Board that in charge to finalize the new EU research frameworks are warmly recommended.

Roberto Amici