The Dutch Presidency drew to a close in December.  The subsequent Presidencies will be Luxembourg from January to June and Great Britain from July to December 2005.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

° European Commission publishes synopses of selected ERA-NET projects The ERA (European Research Area) -NET scheme is aimed at those who fund and manage national and regional programmes. It is designed to encourage the long term links and collaboration between national research programmes with shared goals.  The brochure on these Sixth Framework Programme funded projects may be accessed on: ftp://ftp.cordis.lu/pub/coordination/docs/era-net_serie2_en.pdf   For further information on ERA-NETs, please visit: http://www.cordis.lu/coordination/era-ne t.htm

° Commission to issue 'policy guidelines' for achieving the Barcelona target: In a speech given in Slovenia, RTD Commissioner Janez Potocnik advised that the European Commission will draft a set of 'policy guidelines' for Member States aimed at mobilising public and private research investment In its proposals for the next phase of the Lisbon Strategy. (The Barcelona target is for 3% of GDP to be devoted to research).  The Commission plans to put forward a number of supporting initiatives to stimulate national research investment. This support can take the form of 'policy guidelines' to be implemented on a voluntary basis in areas where there is mutual interest for concerted action between Member States.  For example, guidelines could focus on how best to use public procurement policies to boost investments by raising the research and innovation intensity of procured goods and services, or they could help identify and fill those gaps in national regulatory regimes that act as barriers to research spending. One proposed action line under the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) may be of particular interest to the new Member States.  It is the development of regional actions to strengthen knowledge production.

° ‘Six 'manufacturing challenges for 2020' being addressed by Network of Excellence on innovative production machines and systems (I*PROMS) brings together 30 research teams from 14 European countries who will initially address six challenges:  concurrent manufacturing;  integration of human and technical resources; conversion of information to knowledge; environmental compatibility (reducing production waste and environmental impact to 'near zero';  reconfigurable enterprises;- innovative processes. http://www.iproms.org

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY:  

° Pan-European project maps the Internet of the future and encourages participation The EU-funded ‘INTERGROW’ Integrated Project which involves 28 partners, aims to further understanding of the problems and processes that are expected to accompany the growth of the Internet so that they can be managed according to scientific principles.  Researchers involved in the sub-project DIMES are inviting Internet users everywhere to assist in the mapping of the Internet by downloading software (reference below) that will measure network patterns and send the corresponding data back to the consortium. To join DIMES - the Windows client can be downloaded from http://www.netdimes.org. For further information on EVERGROW, please visit: http://www.evergrow.org.

EDUCATION:

° OECD Report – ‘Pisa’ (Programme for International Student Assessment) ranks Finnish students top in world The 2003 PISA study focused on mathematics, with problems mainly set in real-world situations, covering space and shape, change and relationships, quantity and uncertainly.

THE ENVIRONMENT:  

° Nature protection: Commission establishes largest ever list of protected areas in the EU

The European Commission has included more than 7,000 nature sites in the Atlantic and Continental regions of the EU in the NATURA 2000network set up under the EU’s Habitats Directive (Council Directive (92/43/EEC) on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora). It has decided to include over 7,000 nature sites in the Atlantic and Continental regions of the EU in the network. The 197 animal species, 89 plant species and 205 habitats covered are scientifically considered of European importance. http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/nature/home.htm

° Finalised Text of Common Position for a Directive Concerning the Management of Bathing Water Quality  The Council of Ministers adopted a Common position (Full text of Document 12884/04)  on 21^st December with a view to the adoption of a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the management of bathing water quality and repealing Directive 76/160/EEC .

° Political Agreement on the Proposed Directive on Waste, Batteries and Accumulators: A proposed compromise was produced by the Dutch Presidency for the Council Meeting on 20^th December  Full text of Document 15537/04 Addendum 01   Suite of documents 15537/04

° Commission consults public on action plan to reduce air pollution: The Commission has launched an internet consultation which will run until 31 January 2005 with results to be published by March 2005. Questionnaire at: http://europa.eu.int/yourvoice/forms/dispatch?form=356&lang=EN

The CAFE (“Clean Air for Europe”) web site include most of the recent studies on air quality is at:

http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/air/cafe/index.htm

° New way to interpret environment data from satellites observing the earth Scientists at the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre have developed a new method involving the use of practical algorithms to interpret remote sensing data collected by sensors in satellites which monitor the nature, state and evolution of the earth’s vegetation.  This enhanced monitoring capacity will make it more possible to determine the impact of major climatic events, such as the severe drought and the 2003 heatwave in Western Europe, economic damage from which has been estimated as over Euro 10 billion.  http://ies.jrc.cec.eu.int/Vegetation_productivity.120.0.html

° The annual UN climate change conference was held in Argentina in December.   At COP 10 the EU presented its Emissions Trading System due to be launched on 1 January 2005.  EU information is on http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/environment/climat/home_en.htm and conference information is on: http://unfccc.int/meetings/cop_10/items/2944.php

° OECD Science, Technology and Industry (STI) Outlook 2004 reviews key changes and major trends in science, technology and innovation policy in OECD countries and the factors driving them. Published every two years, the present issue, the fifth in the series of STI Outlooks, examines the role of public/private partnerships in stimulating innovation, determinants of service sector innovation, global challenges related to the supply of human resources for science and technology, and the contributions of multinational enterprises to productivity growth and innovation. Full text of the highlights of the report   Publication of the OECD STI Outlook alternates each year with the OECD Science, Technology and Industry Scoreboard.

° OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) - Economic Aspects of Environmental Compliance Assurance Conference was held on 2^nd-3^rd December 2004.  Sessions covered Incentive Framework for Firms to Comply with Regulations, Government Approaches to Ensuring Environmental Compliance; Optimising Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement; Promoting Innovative, Cost Assurance Effective Approaches to Compliance BACKGROUND PAPER (in Word format) See also: M. Cohen: Why do firms pollute? (PDF); OECD work on Environmental Policy and Firm-Level Managemen (web link) and http://www.oecd.org

° Report for 2004 by WTO Committee on Trade and Environment (Document number: WT/CTE/11 30 November 2004 (04-5189) Full text   Home page: World Trade Organization -- WTO

° European Environmental Bureau (EEB) expresses concern on soil protection policy : Whilst congratulating the Dutch EU Presidency and  European Commission for organising a conference on next steps for a European Soil Strategy, the EEB has expressed concern worried about slow progress. Europe's Sixth Environmental Action Programme requests a Soil Strategy by June 2005, including legislative measures.  According to the European Environmental Agency [1], over the past 20 years, built-up areas have been steadily increasing, leading to 6-9% of Europe's land area being completely or partially sealed by urbanisation, which has increased flood and drought risks. 17% of Europe's total land is affected by soil erosion, leading to losses of about 53 Euro/ha/year in agricultural areas and between 2 and 35 Euro per year per capita are spent in clean-up costs for soils polluted by mixed and toxic waste disposal and industrial activities. European Environmental Bureau

° Climate change: Projections show EU on track to meet Kyoto Protocol emissions targets

The EU-15 has committed itself to reducing emissions by 8% from 1990 levels by 2008-2012, while most of the new Member States have individual reduction targets of 8% (6% for Hungary and Poland) under the Protocol. By 2002 emissions had been reduced by 2.9% in the EU-15 and by 9.0% in the EU-25.  The projected EU-15 emissions reduction reaches 8.6% when account is taken of plans by six EU-15 Member States to obtain emission credits through the Protocol’s project-based mechanisms, Joint Implementation and the Clean Development Mechanism.  Progress in reducing emissions in the energy sector (excluding transport), industry, agriculture and waste risks being jeopardised by rising emissions in the transport sector. Transport emissions in 2002 were almost 22 % higher than in 1990.

Report: http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/climat/gge.htm  A detailed European Environment Agency press release is to be found at:http://org.eea.eu.int/documents/newsreleases/ghg_emissions-trends2004-en 

° Environmental cases:

JUDGEMENT: Italy and Portugal have both been obliged to pay costs following two judgments of the Court of Justice (Fourth Chamber) on 2 December 2004 regarding non-transposition of the Directive on incineration of waste  (2000/76/CE), in particular Art. 21, para 1  (Italian case - Full text) (Portuguese Case - Full text )

See also: http://europa.eu.int/comm/secretariat_general/sgb/droit_com/index_en.htm#infractions

ENERGY:

° Publication of list of appointed Members of the European energy and transport forum (OJ C312/7 17.12.2004).Full list

TRANSPORT:

° European Council of Ministers - Land Transport Council Conclusions on Road Safety  The Council adopted a series of conclusions in relation to the “unacceptable socio economic damage” caused annually by road accidents -  tens of thousands of fatalities and millions of people injured.  The cost to the State, companies and families is estimated at around 2.0% of GDP  Full text of Document 15509/04  Suite of documents 15509/04  http://ue.eu.int/ueDocs/cms_Data/docs/pressData/en/trans/83037.pdf

° A case has been brought against Italy for failure to transpose EU directive on interoperability of conventional rail systems - Case Filing C-425/04: Commission v Italy Official Journal publication of the filing (2004/C 300/60).  The Italian republic has been ordered to pay costs.

INFRASTRUCTURE FINANCING:

° European Investment Bank  

° The European Investment Bank is lending Euro 250 million for the upgrading of the Brussels public transport network by extending/modernizing the tramway lines, constructing/refurbishing depots and purchasing bus, tramway and metro rolling stock

° Some Euro 80 million is being lent to Cyprus to co-finance investments (transport etc.) in Cyprus’s Single Programming Document and the Cohesion Fund Reference Framework for 2004-2006.

 

° A loan of Euro 600 million is granted to Greece to upgrade its electricity supply.

 

° AN EIB Loan of 175 million GBP for Manchester Hospitals, UK,  PPP Project

Further Information on European Investment Bank loans is to be found on http://www.eib.org

° The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development  

° Under a joint facility with the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the EBRD is lending €5 million to Slovenia’s Probanka, Maribor, for projects to reduce water pollution into the Slovenian portion of the Danube River Basin.  This is the fourth project funded under the joint facility with GEF.

° In its first transaction in Russia's urban transport sector, the EBRD has lent the rouble equivalent of €10 million to help the city of Togliatti buy a new fleet of buses and set in motion the restructuring of its public transport system.

° EBRD is providing its largest ever acquisition  to help finance Chelyabinsk Tube Rolling Plant’s $190 million financing to acquire a 57.22 % stake in another Russian pipe plant. Standard Bank is acting as sole underwriter for $95 million being syndicated under an EBRD A/B loan structure, whereby the EBRD remains the lender of record for the full amount.

Information on EBRD activity is to be found on: http://www.ebrd.org

° On 26^th December a natural disaster occurred in Asia, wreaking havoc and causing the loss of thousands of lives, in Thailand, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, India and other countries of the region stretching as far west as Kenya and Tanzania.  The epicentre of the earthquake which caused the tsunami was Sumatra, Indonesia.  In the worst affected areas all infrastructure has been destroyed.

° On the same day, Ukraine held its second elections following allegations over the handling of the previous poll weeks earlier in favour of the incumbent Prime Minister, Victor Yanukovych.  At the second round the opposition candidate, the pro-European Victor Yushchenko, who experts believed was deliberately poisoned in the run-up to the election, won the majority of votes.

° Enlargement issues were on December’s agenda: MEPs discussed whether to approve the opening of negotiations on EU membership for Turkey. The Parliament adopted a favourable opinion on the following day.  A vote was adopted on Croatia’s candidate status.

° European Commission President José Manuel Barroso presented his strategic political priorities to the European Parliament, giving MEPs the chance to have their say on the overall political direction of the Commission. (In November the Barroso Commission was approved by the European Parliament by 449 votes in favour, 149 votes against and 82 abstentions).

° The Parliament voted to reject the draft general budget for 2005, but subsequently adopted the 2005 draft general budget, modified by the Council (all sections). The budget for 2005 as adopted by the Parliament amounts to EUR 116,554,135,698 in commitments, which represents an increase of 6.1 % on the 2004 budget, and EUR 106,300,000,000 in payments, which represents an increase of 4.4 % on the 2004 budget. The European Parliament's own budget for the year 2004 was €1,231 million. This covers staff costs, buildings, MEPs' travel allowance and expenses. The Parliament employs about 4,200 people, some 1,300 of these work in the linguistic services covering a total of 20 working languages. Salaries of MEPs are the same as national MPs in their own countries.

° Europass: Legislation aimed at setting up Europass is due for its 2nd reading on Tuesday. This is based around a European CV, including details of training courses undertaken and educational qualifications, the aim of which is to make it easier for applicants to explain their skills and qualifications to a prospective employer in another EU country.

° Report on Romania's progress towards accession [COM(2004)0657 - C6-0151/2004 - 2004/2184(INI)] - Committee on Foreign Affairs. Rapporteur: Pierre Moscovici (A6-0061/2004)

° Report on the proposal for a Council decision amending Decision 1999/847/EC as regards the extension of the Community action programme in the field of civil protection [COM(2004)0512 - C6-0111/2004 - 2004/0162(CNS)] - Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety. Rapporteur: Dimitrios Papadimoulis (A6-0050/2004)

° Report on Bulgaria's progress towards accession [COM(2004)0657 - C6-0150/2004 - 2004/2183(INI)] - Committee on Foreign Affairs. Rapporteur: Geoffrey Van Orden (A6-0065/2004)

° Briefing on FP6 financial management, reporting & auditing, Brussels, Belgium, 2^nd December

Special reference will be made to Integrated Projects, Networks of Excellence and STREPS, main themes will be:  the principle sources of reference for the financial rules; the financial rules and the FP6 instruments; eligible costs and subcontracting; building a budget and the allocation of resources; collective responsibility and the management of liability; reporting and annual reviews under FP6; audit and practical issues. For further information, Berkley Associates e-mail berkleyassociates@skynet.be 

° International conference 'clean energy power 2005' , Berlin, Germany, 26th to 27th January 2005. 

The conference will address the issues of renewable energy, energy-efficiency, and sustainable building and renovation. For further information: http://www.energie-server.de 

° Advantages for Real Estate and Construction Sector, Helsinki, 13^th - 16^th June 2005

The 11^th Joint CIB International symposium aims to put modern construction management and economics into a perspective of modern real estate and construction businesses and projects.  Topics of interest include the evolving sector, firms and their businesses, projects and processes, IT and construction processes, Foundations of our thinking and practice. The call for Papers will be available in October 2003.Symposium web-site: www.ril.fi/cib2005  Tentative registration: kaisa.venalainen@ril.fi

° Inaugural Building Exchange (BEX) to be held in Athens on June 13 to 15, 2005

The keynote address at this 2 ½ day event will be given by Reinhard Klein, Head of the European Commission Construction Unit in D.G. Enterprise. BEX offers senior directors and heads of projects from leading builders, engineering consultants, architectural practices and suppliers the opportunity to meet, exchange ideas and to do business. Information/Registration: http://www.b-e-x.com

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