Contingency Planning for Large‐Scale Floods in the Netherlands

Contingency plans for hazards are based on scenarios at different scales. The most extreme scenarios reflect the idea of ‘think the unthinkable’. For large‐scale floods in the Netherlands, this idea has been given an upper limit called ‘worst credible floods’: an upper limit for floods that are still considered realistic or credible by experts. Considering the enormous impact of a worst credible flood in the Netherlands and the uncertainty of how a disaster might unfold, a realistic preparation for flood disasters should leave room for improvisation and should be based on relatively simple plans, and on public awareness. The huge consequences of worst credible floods show that the country's safety will continue to depend on pro‐active and preventive measures.     

Towards Systematic Achievement of Compliance in Service-Oriented Architectures: The MASTER Approach

Service-oriented architectures (SOA) have been successfully adapted by agile businesses to support dynamic outsourcing of business processes and the maintenance of business ecosystems. Still, businesses need to comply with applicable laws and regulations. Abstract service interfaces, distributed ownership and cross-domain operations introduce new challenges for the implementation of compliance controls and the assessment of their effectiveness. In this paper, we analyze the challenges for automated support of the enforcement and evaluation of IT security controls in a SOA. We introduce these challenges by means of an example control, and outline a methodology and a high-level architecture that supports the phases of the control lifecycle through dedicated components for observation, evaluation, decision support and reaction. The approach is model-based and features policy-driven controls. A monitoring infrastructure assesses observations in terms of key indicators and interprets them in business terms. Reaction is supported through components that implement both automated enforcement and the provision of feedback by a human user. The resulting architecture essentially is a decoupled security architecture for SOA with enhanced analysis capabilities and will be detailed and implemented in the MASTER project.     

Welfare of animals at slaughter and killing: a new regulation on the protection of animals at the time of killing

Recently, the European Commission (EC) has published a proposal for a Council Regulation on the protection of animals at the time of killing. The proposed regulation will enhance the technical requirements of Directive 93/119/EC on the protection of animals at the time of slaughter or killing, which have not been amended since 1993. The main specific problems identified with the present EU legislation are the lack of harmonized methodology for new stunning methods, the lack of clear responsibilities for operators on animal welfare, the insufficient competence of personnel handling animals and insufficient conditions for the welfare of animals during killing for disease control purposes. The adoption of the “Hygiene Regulation Package”, which emphasizes the responsibilities of the food business operators on food safety, has also changed the legal environment for slaughterhouses. Furthermore, the first Community Action Plan on the Protection and Welfare of Animals, adopted by the EC in 2006, introduced new concepts such as the welfare indicators and the need for further research programs and centres of reference on animal welfare. Also, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) adopted two scientific opinions in 2004 and 2006 on the different stunning and killing methods to be used for main farm species either for slaughter for human consumption or for disease control purposes. The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) in 2005 also adopted two international guidelines on the welfare of animals at slaughter. After presenting a picture of situation of meat sector in EU, the Author provides a broad overview on the regulatory situation and considers the legislative and scientific perspectives that lead the EC to draft new rules in this regard.