Brussels, 06/12/2011 (Agence Europe) - In order to strengthen EU competitiveness on research and innovation, the EU Council adopted, on Tuesday 6 December, conclusions that kick-start five joint programming initiatives (a process initiated and steered by member states). These are: (1) “Healthy and Productive Seas and Oceans”, which mainly covers biodiversity and the consequences of climate change in the context of maritime policies; (2) “Urban Europe - Global Challenges, Local...