BRUSSELS BRIEF

This brief is intended to provide a monthly up-date on matters within the European Institutions. More detailed reports of meetings with European Commission and Parliament are provided to ECCE member organisations with Working Papers and Minutes of Meeting.

Following the Irish Referendum “Yes” to Nice Treaty, European Union announces its prospective enlargement to include a further 10 Member States.

Denmark has set the course for enlargement and has reviewed progress to date in its 24-25 October Council of Ministers meeting.

An Informal Competitiveness Council meeting was held earlier in October in Nyborg, Denmark. Commissioner Erkki Liikanen reminded Council members that the Commission has made many analyses of European Competitiveness – these indicate that: EU reaches less than 70% of the US level measured by GDP per capita; the main reason for this is lower employment (this explains 2/3); crucially one-third is due to lower productivity. To determine productivity growth investment is required in information and communication technologies and skills, entrepreneurial dynamics; well-developed R&D capabilities; competitive markets emphasising the services sector. Speaking of targeted action Commissioner Liikanen cited the pharmaceuticals, bio-technology and aerospace sectors. He announced that the November Council would table a paper on quantitative targets in Enterprise policy setting out commitments to achieve measurable objectives (some Member States have already set one or two targets). In coming months, communications will be provided on Industrial policy and Innovation and a Green Paper on Entrepreneurship.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
Launch of 6^th Framework Programme (FP6) to take place at November conference. Whilst the construction sector was privileged to enjoy a preview of the Sixth Framework Programme at the October ECCREDI/E-CORD Conference, a wide range of representatives will attend the 11^th-13^th November Brussels launch Conference of FP6. FP6’s Euro 17.5 billion budget will focus primarily on life sciences, genomics and biotechnology, information society technology, nanotechnologies and new materials, aeronautics and space, food quality and safety, sustainable development, clean energy and transport and governance in a knowledge-based society. These are all seen as promising areas to add value to European level research. http://www.cordis.lu/rtd2002

Candidate countries signed Association Agreements on FP6 in Brussels in late October. They will have the same rights and obligations as EU member States within FP6. Research is therefore considered the first area in which EU enlargement becomes a reality. CORDIS has a new gateway to information on research involving candidate countries – www.cordis.lu/candidate_countries

A special edition of the Innovation and Technology Transfer magazine “A Directory of European Innovation” can be accessed on http://www.cordis.lu/itt/itt-en/home.html

Ozone depletion: The EU and US are combining forces in a series of projects involving 350 scientists from EU, Canada, Iceland,Japan,Norway, Poland, Russia, Switzerland and the US on the subject of Arctic ozone depletion. Further information: VINTERSOL programme: - www.ozone-sec.ch.cam.ac.uk SOLVE II http://cloud1.arc.nasa.gov/solve

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
An e-skills summit was held in Copenhagen on 17-18 October 2002 organised by the European Commission, the EU’s Danish Presidency and the Cit Industry to discuss the e-Economy in Europe, the demand for e-skills and to evaluate delivery of these skills in Europe in relation to education, employment, competitiveness and enterprise policies. This took into account recommendations of the ICT skills monitoring group formed in September 2001.

The newly published Commission report “Towards a knowledge-based Europe” outlines the e-Europe programme; it gives both a statistical analysis of the current levels of ICT use and details on future strategies for increasing ICT uptake and skill levels. Two key aims are (1) to provide widespread broadband access to the public over a secure information structure and (2) to provide online public services. The public sector is currently the biggest holder and producer of content on the web; the Commission believes that getting government on line will take much of the economy with it. All member states much ensure that 20 basic public services are available and interactive online, including guaranteed access for citizens with special needs. Full report can be found on http://europa.eu.int/comm/dg10/publications/autres/e-europe/en.pdf

The Commission is including the number of science and technology graduates and expenditure on information and communication technologies (ICT) in its spring 2003 report on structural indicators in the EU. Other criteria to be presented at the spring 2003 European Council are: public expenditure on education; patents; venture capital; research and development expenditure and level of internet access. The indicators are designed to allow comparison between member States and other developed economies on issues considered to be key to competitiveness.

E-learning studies tender: The European Commission has published a call for tenders for studies in the context of the e-learning initiative. Documents must be requested by 22^nd November from elearning@cec.eu.int (Internet: http://europa.eu.int/comm/elearning). Tender documents must be submitted by 3^rd December 2002.

Erasmus Week: 18^th October marked the beginning of “Erasmus Week” celebrating the fact that over one million students have benefited from the Erasmus programme since it was launched 15years ago. Since 1987 Erasmus has been facilitating student mobility across European Universities. At its outset 11 countries participated (Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and the U.K.). Now the Erasmus scheme, included within the EU’s general SOCRATES programme, allows students to move within 30 countries. The present value of the Erasmus monthly grant is Euro 140. To achieve the goal of three million students by 2010, the number of grants must be increased without cutting their value – one proposal is for the private sector to provide commitment. By end 2002, the Commission will launch an e-learning programme, whose aims will include helping schools with “electronic twinning and creating of virtual university campuses. http://europa.eu.int/comm/education/Erasmus/million_en.html

The European Parliament and the Council announced agreement on the proposed Directive on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and the related proposal on Restriction of Hazardous Substances in new electronic equipment (RoHS): This followed a conciliation procedure on “WEEE” which is the fastest growing part of the waste stream today. Each European produces an average of +/- 14 kg per year of these wastes. 90% of this waste is currently land-filled or incinerated without any pre-treatment. Member States will have to set up separate WEEE collection and achieve a binding target of 4kg per capita/per year for separate collection of WEEE from private households. Producers must bear costs relating to own products and provide a financial guarantee when a new product is put on the market. The Producer may choose to manage the waste individually or within a collective scheme. For “historical” products, a flat rate contribution for waste recycling will still apply. Parliament and Council also agreed to a ban on lead, cadmium, mercury and hexavelent chromium and the brominated flame retardants PBB and PBDE from 1stJuly 2006. Existing national measures can apply till that date and exemptions will be made where technical replacement is available at time of review.

Commission cracks down on waste legislation breaches: The European Commission has formally requested France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Italy, U.K., Ireland, Greece, Spain, Portugal and Finland to adopt national laws on end-of-life vehicles – the European Directive should have been set into national laws by 21^st April 2002. Also facing criticism are France and Finland on the Waste Oil Directive; Netherlands on the Packaging Waste Directive; Austria on the Sewage Sludge Directive and Italy on the PCB/PCT Directive covering hazardous chemicals. http://europa.eu.int/comm/secretariat_general/sgb/droit_com/index_en.htm#infractions

Commission proposes revised Quality of Bathing Water Directive to amend the existing Council Directive 1976/160/EEC. The new proposal significantly tightens health standards relating to faecal pollution the new proposal sets out quality standards for bathing water – an obligatory ‘good’ standard and a tougher ‘excellent’ standard that Member States should encourage. Information on the status of a bathing site, the monitoring of data on water quality, the management plan and other relevant information must be readily available to the general public. The 1976 Directive required 17parameters to be monitored (including heavy metals); the new proposal requires monitoring of only two (intestinal enerococci and Escherichia coli).

In the new proposal, the classification of water quality at a bathing site will be determined on the basis of a three-year trend and not on the basis of one year’s results as occurs at present. Consistent good quality over three years will lead to reduced monitoring obligations and reduced costs. The Directive is to be found on: http://www.europa.eu.int/water/water-bathing/index_en.html The latest report on bathing water quality is available on http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/water/index.html

Water legislation breaches: The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg will have to pay costs following a Legal Opinion by the Advocate General that it failed to take the necessary action to introduce controls on drinking water (under Council Directive 98/83/EC); Denmark will also have to pay costs for failing to take the necessary measures to ensure bathing water quality (under Council Directive 76/160/EC).

Amendments to Packaging Waste Directive (94/62/EC): Following qualified majority Council agreement, proposed modifications to text currently state that 31^st December2008 is general deadline for measures, with an additional four-year period for Greece, Ireland and Portugal; maximum target is 80% for waste recycling (no maximum for recovery); minimum materials recycling targets are 60% for glass, 60% for paper and board, 50% for metals, 22.5% for plastics, 15% for wood.

Revised “Seveso II” Directive on the control of major accident hazards involving dangerous substances has been agreed by Council and will go to the European Parliament for a second reading. Industrial operators will in future be obliged to put Safety Management Systems in to effect, including a detailed risk assessment using possible accident scenarios, and an obligation to provide information to the public on industrial risks and on the behaviour to adopt in case of an accident. Member States should commit to maintain, as far as possible, appropriate distances between establishments covered by the Directive and major transport routes.

The Council of Environment Ministers also adopted conclusions on climate change at their 17^th October meeting. The conclusions defined the EU’s negotiations position at the Eighth Conference of the Parities (COP8) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) scheduled to take place in New Delhi 23^rd October to 1^st November 2002. In tier October session, members of the European Parliament urged the EU to maintain its leading role in the negotiations to encourage the COP8 conference to adopt a decision on a review system for reinstatement of parties who have dropped out of the scheme. Tit has been noted that the Kyoto Protocol will be a completed process and become operations-only once the issue of sanction arrangements and dispute settlement procedure is resolved.

Amendments to the common position on the proposed Directive on public participation in plans and programmes related to the environment: The Commission has refuted most of the European Parliament’s amendments to the Council’s common position on this Directive which, once adopted, would contribute to implementing the Aarhus Convention regarding public participation and the proposal on environmental information that is presently under conciliation.

The proposal formulates requirements for public participation in the preparation of certain plans and programmes to be adopted by Member States under Directive in the environmental field – mainly regarding waste, air quality management and water pollution from nitrates.

New 42 country database details economic instruments for environmental protection: The European Environment Agency (EEA), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the European Commission’s D.G. Environment, have collaborated on a database which is currently focussed on environmental taxes and charges and will later be extended to environmentally motivated subsidies, tradable emission permit systems, deposit-refund system and voluntary approaches such as negotiated environmental agreements. Further information: http://www.oecd.org

Commission presents a radical new approach to protect and conserve marine eco-systems: the Commission’s new integrated policy for the marine environment is seen as the first step towards one of the seven ‘thematic strategies’ set out in the EU’s 6^th Environmental Action Programme. The Commission strategy involves 14ambitious objectives and a series of 23 points under headings of bio-diversity; hazardous substances; eutrophication; radio-nuclides; chronic oil pollution; litter; maritime transport; health and environment; climate change; enhancing co-ordination and co-operation and improving the knowledge base. A stakeholder conference will be held in December 2002 to commence developing a thematic strategy for the marine environment to be presented in 2004.

The European Commission has approved scheme for flood victims in Germany: Commission approval has been given to four aid schemes proposed by the German Federal Government and Laender (regions) to compensate victims in the agriculture and industrial sector for the regions of Sachsen, Sachsen-Anhalt, Brandenburg, Thueringen, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Bayern, Niedersachsen and Schleswig-Holstein.

SAPARD programme from 2002 will include provisions for natural disaster: Annual Financing Agreements for 2002 to be signed with each of the 10 candidate countries for the implementation of the Special Accession Programme for Agriculture and Rural Development (SAPARD). The proposal now includes provisions for exceptional national disaster.

The annual financing agreement for SAPARD 2002 comprises (in Euro million) Bulgaria 55.58; Czech Republic 23.53; Estonia 12.94; Hungary 40.58; Lithuania 31.81; Latvia 23.30; Poland179.87; Romania 160.63; Slovenia 6.76; Slovakia 19.50 – Total: Euro 554.5million

ENERGY AND TRANSPORT: The European Commission held an inaugural meeting of the European Energy and Transport Forum on 8^th October. The Forum is a consultative committee set up by the Commission with 34 members appointed for a renewable period of 2 years from 1July 2002. Its tasks are to provide opinions on Commission energy and transport policy initiatives; to act as an observatory for energy and transport policies and to aid the Commission in monitoring debates and activities relating to the Green Paper on the security of energy supply in the EU and the White Paper on a common transport policy for 2010. Further information: http://europa.eu.int/comm/energy_transport/en/forum_en.html

Urban Transport Policy – Launch of CIVITAS Forum: The European Commission launched this Forum on 10^th October 2002 as a platform for all European cities committed to introducing “ambitious urban transport policies and new technologies”. 19 cities (Aalborg, Barcelona,Berlin, Bremen, Bristol, Bucharest, Cork, Gydnia, Goeteborg, Graz, Kaunas, Lille, Nantes, Pecs, Prague, Rome, Rotterdam, Stockholm and Winchester) signed the initiative and will receive Euro 50 million co-financing for four-year projects begun early in 2002. The Commission intends to launch a new CIVITAS call in 2003 under the 6^th Research Framework Programme in line with its strategy of achieving a 20% substitution of diesel and gasoline fuels in road transport by 2020. http://www.civitas-initiative.org http://europa.eu.int/comm/energy_transport/en/lb_en.html

The EIB is funding school infrastructure in Turkey: under the European Investment bank’s first loan in Turkey under the new Facility for Euro-Mediterranean Investment and Partnership (FEMIP), the Turkish Ministry of National Education will receive up to Euro 50 million to provide 6,800 Information Technology classrooms in primary and basic schools in Turkey.

The EIB is lending Euro 120 million for energy schemes in Morocco: increasing inter-connectors with Spain and Algeria as well as making existing networks more secure and reliable.

In the Mediterranean the EIB will lend Euro 6.425 billion between 2000-2007 for financing projects in the 12 Mediterranean countries which have signed co-operation or association agreements with the EU.

EIB lends Euro 71 million and Euro 24 million to Departments of Bas-Rhin and Haut-Rhin for TGV-Est construction: TGV-Est funding from EIB now totals Euro 605 million, which may be extended to Euro 830 million at a later stage, equivalent to around ¼ of the cost of works. Current financing will permit 300 km o line construction serving Metz and Nancy and linking the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg to French high-speed rail network. Journey times will be slashed: Paris-Metz = 1h30; Paris-Strasbourg 2h20; Paris-Frankfurt 3h45.

A Euro 100 million EIB loan to Allied Irish Banks will boost investment by small and medium-sized businesses in Ireland – aiming to generate growth and competitiveness.

The EU Budget for 2003 prioritises enlargement: The total amount of the 2003 budget will be decided at Parliament’s second reading. At its first reading, Parliament proposed Euro 100 billion, as against the Euro 97 billion suggested by Council. In July, Council at first reading reduced the European Commission’s allocation for staff funding in order to create 200 new staff posts at Council. Now, 500 new posts are to be created at the Commission to deal with enlargement.

INTER-REG programme: EU contributes Euro 6 million for a trasn-european study-programme on spatial planning. The programme will be carried out by the European Spatial Planning Observatory Network (ESPON) and concerns the 15 Member States, involving in addition candidate countries and other neighbouring non-Member States. The programme’s four priorities are: thematic projects; policy impact projects, co-ordinating and spatial cross-thematic projects and scientific briefing and networking.

Commission due to return to Berlaymont in 2004: The Commission and the Belgian Government have agreed the contract for the Commission’s return to the Berlaymont considered by the Commission as its ‘signature building’. The Berlaymont was vacated in 1991 after the discovery of asbestos and other hazards in the building. The deadline for delivery of the basic building is 31stDecember 2003; the deadlines for required additional works are 31stMarch and 30^th June 2004. The Commission’s share of the renovation costs if Euro 503.3 million, including Euro 35.6 million for additional works requested to take into account an enlarged EU. The Commission will acquire the building structure for the fixed sum of Euro 49.6million and the land for a symbolic Euro. 1.00. The new building will house up to 3,000 officials and include a completely new press centre. The Commission is scheduled to pay in instalments over a 27-year period.

The Danish Refugee Council and other Danish NGO partners organised an October conference on “Forgotten Humanitarian Crises - the role of the media, decision-makers and humanitarian agencies”. The Conference was supported by ECHO, the EU’s Humanitarian Aid Office which is concerned that the bulk of aid follows the cameras. An example of this is Angola, which receives low media attention.

Community Design Regulations – EU-wide registration of designs moves closer: In October the Commission adopted a Regulation to allow the EU’s Alicante-based Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (OHIM) to begin registering Community Designs in early 2003. The OHIM will thus have the necessary administrative tools to register and cancel designs and appeals. Community Design registration will offer Eu-wide protection to companies with a single applicatio9n, although they may continue to register designs under national law (Ref: Directive 98/71/EC) if they wish. Regulation text is found on: http://europa.eu.int/comm/internal_market/en/indprop/design/index.htm whilst the work of the O.H.I.M. is outlined on http://oami.eu.int

The European Parliament Session on 9^th-10^th October 2002 was dominated by enlargement with a presentation by the European Commission on enlargement talks regarding joining the EU in 2004. The EU’s foreign policy Chief, Javier Solana, reported to MEPs on the latest situation in Iraq and the debate was followed by a joint debate on the EU’s strategy for jobs.

A four-day Plenary Session was held in Strasbourg on 21^st-24^th October, opening with a Commission statement on the latest developments on economic and monetary policy and the Stability and Growth Pact. Parliament gave a first reading to the EU’s draft budget for 2003 which has been set at 100 billion euros (of which agriculture accounts for Euro 47 billion and structural funds Euro 33 billion). Pre-accession aid accounts for some 3billion euros. In the context of the on-going Forum on the Future of Europe, UK MEP Andrew Duff called for the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights to be included in the new constitutional treaty for the Union. Council and Commission both made statements on transport policy, with a second reading being given to rail transport statistics. Developments and connection of renewable energy resources and off-shore wind-energy were also considered under a trans-European energy networks plan.

Reports of interest to the engineering profession include: Skills and mobility (Portuguese MEP Bastos); Growth and employment initiative for SMEs (UK MEP Bushill-Matthews); Energy Efficiency of Buildings (Vidal-Quadras Roca MEP, Spain); Greenhouse gas emission allowance trading (Portuguese MEP Moreira da Silva);Rail Transport Statistics (Felipe Camison Asensio MEP of Spain); Trans-European Energy Networks (Ward Beyson MEP of Belgium).

This information briefing was prepared by Diana Maxwell, Secretary General, ECCE. Whilst every effort is made to ensure accuracy at time of going to press, we do not take any responsibility for errors in the information presented in this document.

The registered office address of the European Council of Civil Engineers is: one Great George Street, London SWiP 3AA TEL: +44(20 7222 7722 FAX (+44) 20 7222 7500 e-mail: eccesecretariat@hotmail.com