As Jean-Claude Juncker and his Commission start to settle into their role, and David Cameron and Ed Miliband prepare to go head to head in the general election in May, Europe is in for an eventful few months ahead.

In this edition we give thought and highlight a number of key issues that are at the forefront of policy. The publication starts with an introductory Foreword from Vice-President of the European Parliament Olli Rehn, formerly European Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs.

The built environment section of this edition kicks off with an article from European Commissioner for Regional Policy, Corina Cretu discussing her main priorities for the coming year, including, why she feels investments and the Cohesion Policy reforms are key. In that section we also highlight the Building for Life program and how it represents good urban design.

Horizon 2020 is the European Commission’s flagship funding programme, and we give special focus to this, highlighting the opportunities it will bring for Norway. With an article from the Research Council of Norway, and another from AG, we explore how the Norwegian Ministry of Research and Development are ensuring their commitment to R&D over the coming year.

Consideration is also given to the importance of air quality management throughout Europe, and the European Environment Agency (EEA) explains this further. In an article by Dr Valentin Foltescu at the EEA, thought is given to the impact of air pollution on human health and ecosystems. Christian Friis Bach at the United Nations Economic Commission also highlights this issue and the prominence of renewing efforts against air pollution.

In the education section we look at how the Department of Education hope to reform the education system in the UK, and how Minister of State for School Reform, Nick Gibb hopes to increase opportunities for young people. We also spoke to Dr Victoria Showunmi from the UCL Institute of Education about what makes an effective leader, particularly in an education setting.

Consideration is also given to areas such as musculoskeletal disorders; skin cancer research; sustainable agriculture; road safety management systems; and, domiciliary care.

As always we hope you find this edition thought provoking and useful, and welcome any feedback or article suggestions you may have.

It’s all change for Europe this month with the new President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Junker starting his 5-year term with his chosen Commissioners.

On November 1st the new Commissioners and Vice-presidents took to their new roles with some recognisable faces amongst the new line -up, as both Günther Oettinger, and Johannes Hahn continue as Commissioners, but with new responsibilities.

In this winter edition of AG we give you a rundown of the new Commissioners and Vice presidents, including their nationalities. We wish all the new Commissioners good luck in their role, and look forward to working with them on future articles. We kick start this edition with a foreword from a former Vice-president of the European Commission and MEP Vivienne Reding. Ms Reding discusses the changes afoot, as well as the importance of Europe being digitally successful in the future, in order for businesses to achieve growth. In line with Ms Reding’s foreword we have a number of articles that look at the digital agenda. On a local level, Sunderland City Council describes how the city is embracing and becoming more flexible in regards to digitalisation. We also feature an article from Tom Saunders at Nesta, who highlights the impact digital technologies can have on our cities.

A major focus this month is given to the agriculture sector. Agriculture is a key part of the economy and environment. Reflecting this, we examine the important role soil plays within our lives in articles from Moujahed Achouri, FAO Land and Water Division of the Global Soil Partnership, and the Scottish Environmental Protection Association (SEPA).

The health and social care section of the publication delves into the world of non-communicable diseases. With the Ebola epidemic hitting West Africa, AG asks the World Health Organization (WHO) to detail prevention methods that could be carried out throughout Europe to help prevent the further spread of the disease that has already killed around 5,000 and affected people in the USA and Spain.

As always we hope you find this edition thought provoking ,and useful, and welcome any feedback and feature ideas you may have.

Welcome to the August edition of AG. In this summer issue, we focus on an array of topics that are high on the agenda within government. Changes are afoot within the European Commission, with a new President confirmed for the next 5 years – Jean-Claude Junker.

The new President has pledged his support for economic growth in order to “kick Europe out of an unemployment crisis.” Throughout Europe, economic growth and development is a key area that has been debated by many experts and government officials.

In line with this, we commence with a Foreword from the President of the European Economic and Social Committee, Henri Malosse. Mr Malosse gives thought to how Europe must invest in the future, and invest in priority policies in order to have a direct impact on employment and boost growth and demand.

Elsewhere in the publication, we turn our attention to the marine industry. In a special focus, an article from Maria Damanaki, European Commission for Marine Affairs and Fisheries outlines the Blue Growth strategy. The importance of the industry is also highlighted in an article from the European Maritime Safety Agency.

The health and social care section takes a closer look at healthcare innovation. Vice-President of the European Commission Neelie Kroes, Commissioner for Digital Agenda discusses e-health and its benefits for efficiency in healthcare. Wound care innovation is another topic we shine the spotlight on, with contributions from the European Wound Management Association, and the Wound Healing Research Unit at Cardiff University.

Hot topics also in this edition include asset management, continuous improvement, volunteering, agriculture, carbon capture and storage, and cardiology.

In what seems to be a key year for Europe and its leaders, we do hope you enjoy the articles within, and as always welcome any thoughts you may have.

Welcome to the 2^nd edition of AG. In this spring publication, we give thought to a number of topics that remain at the forefront of the government agenda.

Throughout Europe there is consistent agreement from country to country about the importance of sustainability in our cities. Ensuring that each nation becomes greener by reducing their carbon emissions is a key commitment of the European Commission. Each country has their own policies in how this will be established and we highlight a number of cities that are progressing with their campaigns.

An article by Kirsten Brosbel, The Danish Minister for Environment highlights how Denmark is focusing on creating a more sustainable city. Another piece by Glasgow City Council gives an overview on how they are reducing their carbon emissions to become one of the most sustainable cities in Europe.

We highlight Blood and Patient Safety with a special focus in this edition, where we include articles from the NHS Blood and Transplant group in the UK, and from Diana Agacy from Southampton University Hospital – NHS, which gives an overview of the importance of patient safety during blood transfusions.

Throughout the publication we aim to bring you the topics that are currently on the agenda, and that we feel need further debate. One of these topics is investment in rail and rail infrastructure. There are a number of major projects currently underway throughout Europe and the UK. In the transport section we highlight a couple of these projects including HS2, and SHIFT2Rail. Each article sheds light on how these projects will benefit communities, and the economy.

We hope that you find the articles in this spring edition of interest and thought provoking. As always we welcome comment from the readers, and should you wish to come forward with future feature ideas, please do get in touch.

Welcome to Adjacent Local Government where we will be examining and highlighting a host of topics of concern to our varied readership. From sustainable cities and affordable homes, through to local government pensions, we hope to inspire and create debate.

The edition begins with a Foreword from the Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Hilary Benn MP. He discusses how communities can overcome social, economic and environmental changes in order to build a sustainable future. He suggests that we should learn from history about good leadership and confidence in order to gain enormous achievements, even when times are tough.

In our built environment section we have an excellent array of articles that delve into the topic of how we can achieve sustainability throughout our local communities. We start the section with a piece from European Commissioner for Regional Policy, Johannes Hahn, who gives an insight into what smart and sustainable growth means for Europe. Included also is a piece from Councillor John Gardner of Stevenage Borough Council, who gives a perspective on what is being achieved by a local planning authority.

Other topics that are given consideration within this February edition include; transparency within the NHS; reoffender management; apprenticeships; and, the digitalisation of public services.

In the next edition we intend to widen the scope of the publication to give a more cross-government balance. We look forward to this in May.