INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

E-economy consultation: The European Commission’s open consultation on the e-economy was launched on-line on 1^st February.  Electronic commerce and the e-economy are seen as being key factors in economic growth.  EU priorities include encouraging participation of small and medium-sized businesses in the e-economy and improving availability of risk capital and market-based financing.  Further information can be found on: http://europa.eu.int/comm./enterprise/ict/policy/e-economy.htm  and http://europa.eu.int/comm./eneterprise/consultations/list.htm

Commission’s “e-Europe Benchmarking Report” adopted

The Europe Benchmarking exercise analyses Europe-wide data on key indicators, ranging from the price of an internet connection to the number of connected schools.  Internet take-up has increased rapidly (18% in March 2000-38% in December 2001).  Take-up rate is 60% in Scandinavia and the Netherlands but 10% in Greece, creating a possible North-South digital divide.

Regulation on “.eu” Top Level Domain name : A compromise position has been reached between Council of Ministers and Members of Parliament in informal negotiations.  The regulation is a general legislative act which lays down a framework for creating a “.eu” Registry.  The Registry will have contracts with both the Commission and the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and will take care of the daily running of the domain.  Information: http://www.europarl.eu.int  Document Ref: A5-0027/2002  Rapporteur: Colette Flesch MEP

Commission seeks to speed up rollout of Next Generation Internet (IPv6)

In a Communication entitled “IPv6 – Priorities for Action”, adopted on 21 February 2002, the Commission has called for a European action plan to speed up roll out the Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6).  The current version (IPv4) was conceived in the 1970s and provided just over 4,000 million addresses; these are expected to run out by 2005.  74% of IPv4 addresses are assigned to North American organisations: two universities, Stanford and MIT, each have more than the People’s Republic of China.   IPv6 provides 2,128 billion addresses.  Europe’s research effort leads the world; the European Commission alone contributes some Euro 55 million to current 5FP research projects.  GEANT, the world’s fastest research network is shortly migrating to IPv6, providing a world-class experimental test-bed for new IPv6 applications and services.

PUBLIC PROCUREMENT:

Environmental Considerations in Public Procurement

Recent measures are likely to enable public authorities to give stronger support to green products, according to environmentalists.  The adoption by MEPs of a first reading report on public procurement and the environment on 17^th January has widened criteria for awarding goods and services.  The requirement to select the most “economically advantageous” tender has been interpreted as the most economically advantageous option for society at large.  In a move which could later be countered by Member States’ Ministers, MEPs also left open the option of assessing the production processes used, as well as the products themselves, when awarding contracts for products.

In late January the Council of the OECD published a recommendation calling on member governments to set a green example in order to create incentives for environmental improvements to products and services.  The aim is to develop environment public purchasing policies by incorporating green criteria into decision-making, introducing accounting measures to factor in environment costs of products and services, identifying suitable goods, training officials who deal with purchasing and to promote creation of indicators to monitor progress.  OECD members’ progress will be monitored in 2005.  Further details of the OECD report can be found on:

http://webdomino1.oecd.org/horizontal/oecdacts.nsf/linkto(C(2002)3

Legal opinion regarding appeals: Advocate General Alber of the European Court of Justice gave an opinion in early February on appeal procedures in EU procurement law.  A case was referred to the Court by the Tribunale Ammistrative Regionale per la Lombardia.  The Advocate General’s view was that national appeal procedures should not act against Community law and should permit challenges to awards to be both timely and effective.  The text of the opinion (Ref: C-327/00) can be found on http://curia.eu.int

TRANSPORT

…and ENERGY:  Further news of transport policy developments was given in a speech by Energy and Transport Commissioner Loyola de Palacio.  Speaking in Oslo on 7th February she stressed the need for the final stage of the liberalisation of electricity and gas markets.  This includes the need for investments in network infrastructure.  The lack of sufficient energy generation, she stated, can have catastrophic implications with respect to the quality and security of supply.

In December 2001, the European Commission presented a Communication on European Energy Infrastructure.  The Communication’s aim was to identify existing bottlenecks and consider ways to encourage new developments.

…and HEALTH

A  European Parliament  report on the impact of transport on health asks the Commission to integrate health considerations into its Transport policy proposals and to extend its benchmarking initiatives on walking and cycling.  Full details: http://www.europarl.eu.int.  Report Ref: A5-0014/2002,  Rapporteur: Caroline Lucas MEP

Inland Waterway Network

In a report presented at the end of January 2002, the Economic and Social Committee recommended that the European Commission should conduct a detailed study of bottlenecks and that European and national financial aid should be increased for initiatives and projects.  Further detailed recommendations are set out in the ESC “Own-initiative opinion – CES 24/2002” available on internet: http://www.ces.eu.int

HEALTH AND SAFETY

New Health and Safety Strategy issued by European Commission  emphasises consolidation of a prevention culture through awareness-raising, life-long learning, integration into education curricula from an early age and throughout school.

NEWS FROM THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

The part-session of the European Parliament held in Brussels on 27th and 28^th February opened with statement by the Spanish EU Presidency and European Commission on the March Barcelona summit where EU leaders are to assess what can be done to increase the rate of economic reform in Europe.  Also on the agenda were the establishment of internet top level domain dot ‘eu’, impact of transport on public health; review of the Socrates and Youth exchange programmes and the EU Culture 2000 programme.

On the agenda for the European Parliament plenary session in Strasbourg in March are : The Barcelona Summit on 15^th March; international accounting standards (report by Lord Inglewood); a report in noise on the work place; liberalisation of Europe’s postal services; noise at airports; Resolution on the steel dispute; taxation on savings and the recent report on urban waste-water (see January Brussels Brief)

Full details are obtainable on: http://www.europarl.eu.int

Further items of interest include the following:

Support for Enlargement in 2004: Speaking in New York on 5^th February at the World Economic Forum, Martin Bartenstein, Austria’s Minister of Economic Affairs, expressed his view that 10 accession countries will join the EU in 2004.  The most difficult issues include agriculture, regional policy and finance.  Transition periods would be required for free movement of labour and of capital and for environmental standards (Source: Middle East on-line)  

ANNEX: CONFERENCE NOTICES of INTEREST TO ECCE MEMBERS

Conference to focus on Excellence in Higher Education – Stockholm, Sweden 30 May – 1 June

The Academia Europaea and International academy of education are holding a conference on excellence in higher education in Stockholm on 30^th May and 1^st June 2002.  Bursaries may be available for participants from Central, Eastern and Southern European institutions and young researchers.

Further information available from: Teresa – (+44) 207 734 5402  or by

e-mail (quoting “Excellence” as the subject tile: acadeuro@compuserve.com

European Commission EUROCODES Conference – Brussels, 25 June

The European Commission is hosting a conference in Brussels on 25^th June to present Eurocodes to a wide audience covering all areas of the construction sector.  The benefits, content, route for implementation, practicability and organisation of the project work will also be covered in depth.  Participants will be given the opportunities to discuss issues and exchange experiences.  There will be no registration fee, but early registration is recommended (please see below).

Background:

The Eurocodes will form a set of 58 standards, which provide structural design rules used for the design of structures (buildings and civil engineering works) and structural products.  Those methods are intended to become the recommended means used in Europe to design construction works and to check their conformity to the essential requirements No. 1 (mechanical resistance and stability), including such aspects linked to No. 4 (safety in use), and aspects of No. 2 (safety in case of fire).

The European Commission, in co-operation with Member States was responsible for the development of the first set of “Eurocodes” which were published in 1984.  Five years later, the preparation and publication of Eurocodes were transferred to CEN, the European Committee for Standardisation, through a series of mandates given by the Commission.  Consequently the Eurocodes have taken the status of European standards.  CEN prepared a series of “pre-standards”, completed in 1998.  These pre-standards, called ENVs, were established in such a way that Member States were permitted to alter many rules and numerical values.

Since 1998, CEN has started to convert the pre-standards into “European standards EN”, with the support of the European Commission.   The formulation of the models has been improved and national choices – now named “Nationally Determined Parameters” – or NDPs, have been reduced.  The first two standards in the new series were approved in 2001.  Eight new standards are expected in 2002.

In holding this conference, the European Commission aims to present the Eurocodes to a wide audience covering all areas of the construction sector.  The benefits, content, route for implementation, practicability and organisation of the project work will also be covered in depth.  There will be opportunities for participants to discuss and share experience on future use and accessibility of the Eurocodes.

CONFERENCE DATE & TIME: 25^th June 2002 from 9.00 a.m. till 5.30 p.m.

VENUE:                                  “Charlemagne” Conference Centre, 170 rue de la Loi, B-1040 BRUSSELS

                                                (Nearest metro : Schuman)

HOW TO BOOK:                        For preliminary registration, a pre-registration form should be completed.

COMMISSION CONTACTS : Christine Cordie       e-mail: christine.cordie@cec.eu.int

                                       or     Suzanne Dollnig      e-mail : suzanne.dollnig@cec.eu.int

PROVISIONAL PROGRAMME:

Morning session:           General Introduction

                                    Presentation of the series of Eurocodes

                                    Benefits for Industry

                                    Implementation of the  Eurocodes

                                    Practical aspects of implementation

                                    Discussion period

Afternoon session:        Eurocode 1990 (basis of design) and Eurocode 1991 (the actions)

                                    Materials, geotechnic and seismic design Eurocodes

                                    Examples of use

                                    Eurocodes and structural construction products

                                    What’s next

                                    Discussion

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