11th Future Internet Assembly

The 11th Future Internet Assembly will take place from 18 to 20 March 2014 in Athens, Greece.

The event will be held under the auspices of the forthcoming Greek Presidency of the European Union, co-organised and supported by the European Commission.

FIA Athens 2014 will focus on reshaping the Future Internet infrastructure for innovation.

The FIA Steering Committee launches an open call to select up to 9 FIA working sessions within the scope of the conference, seeking proposals that cover aspects related to:

• The new Internet technological landscape based on network/cloud integration through Software Defined Networking (SDN),  Network Functions Virtualization (NFV), and innovative software and services that enable application innovation;
• The contribution of  the EU National Research and Education Networks (NRENs) developments in the SDN/NFV domain;
• The role of SDN/NFV in i) building Internet applications of major impact (e.g., social networks, open data, big data analysis, etc.) with virtual services capabilities; ii) enabling  the reduction in resources used (energy efficiency, reduction of raw-materials, etc....); iii) fostering the emergence of open platforms to create downstream markets for third party developers;
• The EU Public-Private-Partnerships (PPPs) and how they are positioned relative to these developments  and relevant requirements towards demonstration and test-beds in Europe/globally.

In particular, the FIA Steering Committee is keen to receive proposals from industry experts, academia and research institutes. The proposed sessions should follow these criteria:

• Contain new and forward-looking ideas;
• Feature a diverse array of presenters and experiences;
• Introduce visionary ideas and practices which will inspire audience;
• Promote cross cutting approaches and technologies to attract stakeholders and entrepreneurs;
• Deliver best practices & creative approaches towards research and technological innovations;
• Stimulate and provoke discussion.

You can submit your working session proposals via a dedicated online tool following the template available by Friday, 25th October 2013.


Source

http://ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/en/future-internet-assembly

European Telemedicine Conference - A map of telemedicine that works

The first annual European Telemedicine Conference (ETC) combines the efforts of several leading European Healthcare Organisations into one powerful event.

In 2013, the ETC incorporates the annual Scottish Centre for Telemedicine and Telecare Conference with the UPMC International Telemedicine Conference. This collaboration also draws on the strengths of its other partners to produce a vibrant local event with rich international appeal.

• Join leading healthcare delivery organisations, governmental leaders, clinicians, researchers and university faculty from around the world to: Understand how telemedicine is working to deliver improved care
• Evaluate clinical applications of telemedicine 
• Assess the sustainability of projects 
• Learn how research will be translated into real improvements in the delivery of healthcare 
• What infrastructure is needed to enable cost-effective telehealth delivery

Q. What are the Conference dates?
A. 29-30 October 2013

Q. Where will the Conference be held?
A. The Assembly Rooms Edinburgh 54 George Street Edinburgh EH2 2LR Scotland

Q. Is there an age limit at the European Telemedicine Conference?
A. Yes, all registrants (including spouses or guests) must be 18 years of age or older to attend the European Telemedicine Conference.

Q. Do I need to be registered for the Conference before I can book my hotel at the European Telemedicine Conference rate?
A. Yes. Special rates at the George Hotel are available for the European Telemedicine Conference delegates. You can benefit from the special offer and book your accommodation via the Conference registration website.

 Q. How is the weather in Edinburgh in October?
A. In October, the average temperature is 10°C.

Q. What kind of currency do I use?
A. The pound sterling (GBP) is the official currency of Scotland. An online converter is available at www.xe.com

Q. Do I need a visa to enter Scotland?
A. All Nationals from the EU countries, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein do not require a visa to enter. You need to hold a valid passport. For more information on visa requirements for the United Kingdom please consult the UK Border Agency website: www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk

Q. What is the attire for the Conference?
A. Business

In 2014, Italy will host the ETC, and in 2015, in Denmark.
 
Sources

http://telemedicineconference.eu

http://www.pharmanews.eu/

European Medicines Agency (ΕΜΑ): the concept of medicines under additional monitoring

A black triangle will start appearing on product information this autumn to encourage reporting of suspected adverse reactions

The European Medicines Agency has published a video and a factsheet in all official European Union (EU) languages today explaining the meaning of the black triangle, which is now starting to appear in the product information of certain authorised medicines in the EU. The black triangle has recently been introduced in the EU as part of the concept of medicines under additional monitoring and is an important deliverable of the new European pharmacovigilance legislation.
Medicines under additional monitoring are being monitored particularly closely by European regulatory authorities. Their package leaflet and the information for healthcare professionals, called the summary of product characteristics (SmPC), have to display an inverted black triangle together with a short sentence that reads:

This medicinal product is subject to additional monitoring.

The black triangle will start appearing on the product information of medicines that are subject to additional monitoring more and more over the next few months, including in the printed package leaflet that comes with the medicine.
All medicines on the EU market are carefully monitored. If a medicine is labelled with the inverted black triangle, it does not mean that it is unsafe; the purpose of the symbol is to actively encourage healthcare professionals and patients to report any suspected adverse reactions observed with the medicine, either because the medicine is new to the market or because there is a limitation to the data available on its safety.
Regulatory authorities continuously collect information to monitor real-life experience with medicines. Reporting suspected adverse reactions is an important way to gather more information on medicines on the market. In a real-life setting, where a larger and more diverse group of patients use the medicines, less common side effects may be observed. Regulatory authorities look at all reports of adverse reactions, alongside all the information they already have, to make sure that the benefits of medicines remain greater than their risks and to take any necessary action to optimise safe and effective use.

Additional monitoring status is always applied to a medicine in the following cases:

• it contains a new active substance authorised in the EU after 1 January 2011;
• it is a biological medicine, such as a vaccine or a medicine derived from plasma (blood), authorised in the EU after 1 January 2011;
• it has been given a conditional approval (where the company that markets the medicine must provide more data about it) or approved under exceptional circumstances (where there are specific reasons why the company cannot provide a comprehensive set of data);
• the company that markets the medicine is required to carry out additional studies, for instance, to provide more data on long-term use of the medicine or on a rare side effect seen during clinical trials.

Other medicines can also be placed under additional monitoring, based on a decision by the Agency's Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC).
The list of medicines under additional monitoring is reviewed every month by the PRAC and published on the Agency’s website, where additional information on additional monitoring can also be found in all EU languages.

Note

• The video and other information materials are available at Additional monitoring - information materials.

Source

EMA