ECCE

The Online Newsletter of the European Council of Civil Engineers

AN UPDATE ON TASK-FORCE ACTIVITY

Current task forces are: Education, Professional Recognition, Environment, Research and Development and Information Technology. Other proposed areas of ‘ad hoc’ activity include historic civil engineering works, transport issues and a Presidents’/ Chief Executives’ Forum.

Education:

Professor Iacint Manoliu of Romania chairs this group. The group acts as a catalyst for whose principal current activity is marked involvement in the EUCEET thematic network project. Key themes in this EU-funded project are curricula issues; enhancing attractiveness of the civil engineering profession; recognition of academic and professional civil engineering qualifications; development of the teaching environment; life-long learning and promoting the European dimension in civil engineering education.

The group has recently started to investigate the effects of the Bologna Declaration which has proposed a 3-year and 5-year degree structure: this has raised concerns in many quarters. More information on the EUCEET project may be found on: http://www.euceet.utcb.ro/

Professional Recognition:

The issue of Professional Recognition has been progressing in the European Parliament. The Parliament’s rapporteur for this task is Stefano Zappala MEP of Italy, who trained as a civil engineer.

Following their submission of a follow-up paper to the European Parliament in late Spring 2003, the Task Force and the clear majority of member organisations support proposals for a separate annex for the civil engineering profession as proposed by Parliament’s rapporteur. This is seen as offering a high-level qualification for the profession. There has been much activity on the professional recognition directive as there are two distinct, diverse views of the best solution. Some other engineering organisations such as FEANI have opted for the ‘common platform’ solution. A clear indication of the selected option will not be known until after second Parliamentary reading scheduled for January 2004. All ECCE position papers, setting out the majority view, have been posted on the ECCE web-site.

Environment:

The Task Force met in early June, in Càceres, in Spain’s Extremadura region, home of Task Force Chairman Santiago Hernandez. This event is covered in a special supplement to ECCE News. The guidelines for an Ethical Commitment to the Environment have been published on the ECCE web-site in English and Spanish. Members were advised that there had been strong interest in the code in Portugal from press and practising engineers. The response raised awareness of the need to promote environmental elements in civil engineering education. It is hoped that further language versions of the Ethical Commitment will appear shortly.

Research and Development:

Since the inception of the Sixth Framework Programme for research and development, the Task Force has diminished its activity. Priority has been given to monitoring developments in the Framework Programme (6FP) and the European Research Area and members have been reminded of the benefit to all of supplying information on research organisations in their own countries.

Involvement in ECCREDI continues. Discussions with ECCREDI and others currently focus on what are considered to be limited opportunities for research funding available for the construction sector in the Sixth Framework Programme. Sectorial groups are aiming to propose solutions to ensure construction involvement in the research programme via “technology platforms”. ECCREDI’s Research and Development activity is outlined on http://www.tra-efct.com and www.e-core.org

Information and Communications Technology (ICT):

In Munich ICT Task Force Vice-Chairman Rasso Steinmann was able to advise on the outcome of the Roadcon projects whose results were due to be published in autumn 2004. ECCE’s involvement in the European Commission Working Group on e-commerce, which has focused on key aspects of the development of ICT in the construction sector, is also bringing results.

The preliminary launch of the ICT Working Group on e-commerce was launched in preliminary format in at a Construction IT Conference in Berlin in February 2003. David Leonard MICE (left) and ECCE President Yrjö Matikainen (right) are pictured above with Marcelo Blasco of BBRI and John Goodall of FIEC, whilst in the picture on the right, David Leonard is flanked by FIEC Secretary General Ulrich Paetzold.

The work has been part of an initiative to stimulate industrial competitiveness and key has played a key role in its development with UK civil engineer David Leonard providing expertise on ICT research and ECCE Secretary General, Diana Maxwell acting as rapporteur. The E-commerce working group results are scheduled to be published as a European Commission document in late 2003 autumn, following a tripartite meeting of Commission, Member States and industry representation.

ECCE seeks to encourage the input of young engineers into the ICT Task Force. It is reviewing its 2004 plan and may opt to monitor on-going activity, creating an ‘ad hoc’ Task Force if need for any specific issues.

Presidents’/Chief Executives Forum:

Jyrki Kainänen of Finland made a presentation to the general assembly on benchmarking. He proposed that members should exchange concerns regarding issues such as standards, dignity, compensation for work, CPD for professionals and academic standards so that they could find out which were common concerns. Some members had suggested a main concern was how to encourage young people into the profession. It was agreed that one key issue should be decided on for future debate and discussion.

Civil Engineering Heritage:

Nikos Zygouris had put forward a proposal for a civil engineering heritage group in ECCE. It is hoped that this may be developed into a flourishing area of interest for member bodies as some national groups already exist.

MAINTAINING OUR LINKS WITH OTHER ORGANISATIONS

ECCREDI: ECCE is a subscribing member of the European Council for Construction Research, Development and Innovation which is actively involved in the European Commission’s R & D programme and has a contract relating to targeted research actions. Georges Pilot of CNISF, previously a Director of the Research Laboratory of the Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussees attends many of the ECCREDI meetings on behalf of ECCE members. Professor Lamas of Portugal has acted until now as ECCE’s representative on the E-Core project. www.e-core.org

SEFI: ECCE is a subscribing member of SEFI, a European association for engineering education. SEFI has been active in commenting on the effects of the Bologna Declaration on engineering education in Europe.

ECF: The European Construction Forum groups pan-European bodies in the built environment sector and provides a platform for a productive and beneficial exchange of information and for joint events which raise the profile of the sector.

ASCE: ECCE exchanges information and publications on a regular basis with ASCE. http://www.asce.org

JSCE: The Japan Society of Civil Engineers and ECCE exchange information and publications. JSCE now provides web-site information in English language, increasing the information flow for professional engineers around the world. Their study on Europe’s 2002 floods is also published in English. http://www.jsce-int.org .

WFEO: ECCE is regularly informed about World Federation of Engineering Organisations activities through WFEO President and former ECCE President, Jose Medem. In 2004 it will host a World Congress on Natural Disasters in New Delhi, organised by the Institution of Engineers of India http://www.worldcongress04.org/ and a World Engineers Convention in Shanghai http://www.wec2004.org/

ECCE also maintains contact with FEANI, the European Federation of National Engineering Associations and with other bodies which represent professionals in the built environment sector.

Autumn Diary:

In the autumn of 2003 ECCE was represented at the October ECF Presidents’ Meeting by ECCE President Yrjoe Matikainen and Secretary General Diana Maxwell. The key themes for discussion were the Construction Products Directive and CE Marking and the internal market strategy for services.

Georges Pilot, of ECCE’s Executive Committee, represented ECCE at the November ECCREDI meeting where he put forward an ECCE view with regard to technology platforms.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Next Page

ECCE Contact Details | ECCE Homepage