The 3rd Annual JRC Modelling Conference was organised in Petten to discuss the JRC's key areas for modelling. The JRC Director-General spoke about the JRC's priorities and the underlying models, as well as the importance of guiding principles. Policy DGs and the JRC participants discussed future policy needs for modelling, including policy options, impact assessments, perceived gaps, potential improvements and links between models.

The 3rd Annual JRC Modelling Conference was organised on 3-4 October at the IET in Petten (NL) as a follow-up of the Seville Modellers' Workshop in March 2011 and the Ispra Modelling Conference in November 2012. The JRC Task Force on Modelling decided that this year's event should focus on our key customers' requirements, and therefore it has been organised as a series of high-level panels around JRC's priority areas for modelling. The objective was to illustrate JRC capabilities for modelling in such areas and to pinpoint policy needs for modelling within the European Commission Services.

In his introduction, D. Ristori emphasised the importance for the Commission to be less dependent on external service providers for modelling, given for instance the new competencies of the EC in areas such as economic governance. Referring to the Commission's policy priorities recently presented by President Barroso in his State of the Union Address, he outlined the JRC's priorities areas and underlying models. He also stressed the importance of guiding principles such as credibility, legitimacy and consistency underpinning the JRC's modelling support.

Speakers from policy DGs (ECFIN, MARKT, TAXUD, AGRI, ENV, CLIMA, ENER, MOVE, RTD, REGIO, ENTR) and from the JRC were organised in four panels: financial issues, low-carbon economy, regional development and agriculture-environment. Policy DGs presented their expected future policy needs for modelling, focussing on the analysis of policy options and impact assessments, pointing out perceived gaps, potential improvements and links between models. Panel members from the JRC actively took part in this discussion. The panels were moderated by the JRC Institute Directors. In his conclusions, L. Hordijk pointed out that policy DGs intend to have better knowledge rather than simple solutions, and need to get involved from the beginning of our modelling/scientific advising activities.

The interest in the conference was high: more than 70 modellers and policy officers from JRC institutes and from policy DGs attended.

Presentations can be found underneath.