Latest news with #MarianaPérez
Euronews
19 hours ago
- Business
- Euronews
Dutch online platform watchdog struggling to connect with EU countries
The Dutch Consumer and Markets Authority (ACM), which is in charge of enforcing digital platform rules in the Netherlands, says it hits a roadblock when transferring complaints about breaches of the Digital Services Act (DSA) to its counterparts in other EU countries. In its annual report published earlier this month, the ACM said it received a total of 256 complaints about the behaviour of online platforms in 2024, of which most, 156, related to providers in other EU member states. However, 96 of these 156 complaints are still pending. 'They can't be transmitted to other Digital Services Coordinators [DSCs] due to technical issues [..] such as non-existing DCSs. A small part is pending due to administrative issues; further information has been requested from the complainant but not yet received,' the report said. Some 52 complaints were sent to the Irish regulator, three to Germany, two each to Luxembourg and Belgium and one to Lithuania. The DSA has applied to the largest online platforms since 2023 and to smaller ones since February 2024. It is meant to empower online users by requiring platforms to assess and mitigate their systemic risks and to provide content moderation tools. Among other things, businesses are obliged under the rules to produce transparency reports and to set up ad repositories. National regulators handle platforms based in their countries with fewer than 45 million users per month, the European Commission deals with the 25 largest companies that exceed those user numbers. No complaints about Dutch service providers have led to formal investigations so far, because the formal grant of powers to investigate was delayed and the implementing law has not been approved by national parliament. Most of the complaints the ACM received were about account restrictions, and illegal content. The Commission took Czechia, Cyprus, Poland, Portugal and Spain to the EU's highest court in May for failing to apply the DSA correctly. In a separate case, Bulgaria was given two months to address shortcomings before also being taken to court. Colombia faces one of the most severe air pollution challenges in Latin America, with 99.3% of its population living in areas that exceed World Health Organization guidelines. Against this backdrop, Colombian entrepreneur Mariana Pérez has developed a solution that tackles both environmental and health crises – earning her a place among the top ten innovators in the Young Inventors Prize 2025, awarded by the European Patent Office (EPO). At just 27, Pérez is the founder of Ecol-Air, a startup behind a technology that captures not only carbon dioxide but also nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide – gases linked to respiratory illness. Unlike traditional carbon-capture devices, her system mimics the human respiratory system, using artificial 'bronchioles' and 'alveoli' to absorb pollutants from the air. 'My invention is just like a giant vacuum that captures a volume of air and puts it through this system and breaks down all the contaminants into a tank,' she explains. Installed on chimneys or as free-standing air purification stations, the machine treats polluted air and processes the toxins into biodegradable polymers – materials that can be repurposed into sustainable packaging or industrial components like tiles and bags. 'We can transform the pollutants and contaminants into raw materials that can be used,' says Pérez, 'I decided to create this machine because people ignore that air is as important as water.' Pérez's interest in air quality began when she was just eight years old. 'I remember watching rain wash residue off my dad's car and wondering where all that black dust went,' she recalls. That childhood curiosity grew into a passion for science, leading her to participate in school science fairs and eventually develop early prototypes of the machine that would inspire Ecol-Air. 'There were moments in my journey when I doubted myself,' she admits. 'But I believe all scientists need to realise that, while we can create incredible solutions for the planet, health and people, scaling our projects and turning them into businesses is what gives our inventions a real future. We can't stop at just having an idea; we need to develop it further.' After facing initial scepticism from manufacturers, Pérez offered to install her units for free in large factories to demonstrate their effectiveness. Sumicol was the first to adopt the system commercially, followed by Incolmotos Yamaha. In 2021, the first air treatment plant using her technology opened in Girardota, processing 70 tonnes of air daily with an 82% efficiency rate, according to company data. Now living in New York, Pérez is preparing for global expansion. 'Right now I'm focused on a global expansion because all the world needs to purify air,' she says. 'We are focused on trying to put our machine in large industries. Our invention is in the Commercial Readiness Level9 stage, meaning that it is fully functional, fully operative and, of course, tested, and ready to be adopted by the market.' With her innovation, Pérez is directly addressing multiple UN Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and SDG 13 (Climate Action). As one of the EPO's 2025 Tomorrow Shapers, she's helping reshape how we think about pollution: not just as a problem to contain, but as a resource to transform.
Euronews
20 hours ago
- Health
- Euronews
The Colombian innovator turning air pollution into raw materials
Colombia faces one of the most severe air pollution challenges in Latin America, with 99.3% of its population living in areas that exceed World Health Organization guidelines. Against this backdrop, Colombian entrepreneur Mariana Pérez has developed a solution that tackles both environmental and health crises – earning her a place among the top ten innovators in the Young Inventors Prize 2025, awarded by the European Patent Office (EPO). At just 27, Pérez is the founder of Ecol-Air, a startup behind a technology that captures not only carbon dioxide but also nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide – gases linked to respiratory illness. Unlike traditional carbon-capture devices, her system mimics the human respiratory system, using artificial 'bronchioles' and 'alveoli' to absorb pollutants from the air. 'My invention is just like a giant vacuum that captures a volume of air and puts it through this system and breaks down all the contaminants into a tank,' she explains. Installed on chimneys or as free-standing air purification stations, the machine treats polluted air and processes the toxins into biodegradable polymers – materials that can be repurposed into sustainable packaging or industrial components like tiles and bags. 'We can transform the pollutants and contaminants into raw materials that can be used,' says Pérez, 'I decided to create this machine because people ignore that air is as important as water.' Pérez's interest in air quality began when she was just eight years old. 'I remember watching rain wash residue off my dad's car and wondering where all that black dust went,' she recalls. That childhood curiosity grew into a passion for science, leading her to participate in school science fairs and eventually develop early prototypes of the machine that would inspire Ecol-Air. 'There were moments in my journey when I doubted myself,' she admits. 'But I believe all scientists need to realise that, while we can create incredible solutions for the planet, health and people, scaling our projects and turning them into businesses is what gives our inventions a real future. We can't stop at just having an idea; we need to develop it further.' After facing initial scepticism from manufacturers, Pérez offered to install her units for free in large factories to demonstrate their effectiveness. Sumicol was the first to adopt the system commercially, followed by Incolmotos Yamaha. In 2021, the first air treatment plant using her technology opened in Girardota, processing 70 tonnes of air daily with an 82% efficiency rate, according to company data. Now living in New York, Pérez is preparing for global expansion. 'Right now I'm focused on a global expansion because all the world needs to purify air,' she says. 'We are focused on trying to put our machine in large industries. Our invention is in the Commercial Readiness Level9 stage, meaning that it is fully functional, fully operative and, of course, tested, and ready to be adopted by the market.' With her innovation, Pérez is directly addressing multiple UN Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and SDG 13 (Climate Action). As one of the EPO's 2025 Tomorrow Shapers, she's helping reshape how we think about pollution: not just as a problem to contain, but as a resource to transform.
