·       The 2nd Annual Report on Member States' efforts to deliver on commitments to Financing for Development concluded that Member States remain firmly on target to significantly increase their volume of Official Development Assistance (ODA) by 2006. Based on current forecasts and road maps, a total of over €19 billion additional EU ODA will be made available 2003-2006. [Table and further information]

·       The Council of Education, Youth and Culture Ministers adopted a common position on a draft Directive setting minimum harmonised safety requirements for tunnels in the Trans-European Road networks.  The proposal aims to prevent serious accidents as well as damage to tunnel installations.

·       Competitiveness is driven by the existence of a 'creative class', according to a paper by Richard Florida and Irene Tinagli published by UK think tank Demos. The creative class is described as those working in science and engineering, research and development, technology-based industries, the arts, music, culture, aesthetic and design industries, and in the knowledge-based professions of health care, finance and law. 25 - 30 per cent of workers in industrial nations currently work in these sectors. The paper argues that firms increasingly follow talent rather than wait for the right people to move to where investment and technology are concentrated. The 'right people' (those belonging to the creative class) are drawn to places with open, diverse communities, where difference is welcome and cultural creativity easily accessed. Countries traditionally considered to be Europe's economic engine, namely UK and Germany are ‘losing ground’.  New 'leaders' are Finland, Sweden and Denmark - the Netherlands and Belgium are not far behind.  Under the heading 'laggards' are Spain, Austria, Portugal, Greece and France.  To access 'Europe in the creative age': http://www.demos.co.uk/catalogue/creativ eeurope_page370.aspx

The European Parliament  held a plenary session in Strasbourg from 8^th -11^th March 2004 and a part-session was held in Brussels on 29^th March to 1^st April 2004.

In Strasbourg MEPs discussed progress reports on each of the 10 countries set to join the EU. Also discussed was a proposal to set up a European Agency for Management of Operational Co-operation at External Borders.  MEPs broadly welcome the proposal but are not enthusiastic about the proposed creation of a Corps of European Border Guards – management of national borders remains a sovereign responsibility of each Member State. 

A wide range of legislative matters is being dealt with in order to clear work before Parliament dissolves prior to the June 2004 European elections.  The potential impact of enlargement was considered in Environment Committee, amongst others, where discussion took place on a Council decision granting derogations from the WEEE Directive to the Acceding Member States, Access to justice in environmental matters and access to information, public participation in decision-making and access to justice in environmental matters.

Some current reports of potential interest to professional civil engineers and to the construction sector:

·        Report on rules for the granting of financial aid in the field of trans-European networks (amending Regulation 2236/95/EC), Rapporteur:Franz Turchi MEP. Doc Ref: A5-0134/2004

·        Report on enlargement, environment: taxation of energy products and electricity (amendment of Directive 2003/96/EC) Rapporteur:Pervenche Beres MEP

·        Report on Integrated product policy: building on environmental life-cycle thinking Rapporteur: Anders Wijkman MEP Doc Ref: A5-0196/2003

·        Report on Protection of groundwater against pollution(T08519) Rapporteur: Ursula Schleicher MEP 

·         Framework for setting eco-design requirements for energy-using products and amending Directive 92/42/EEC Rapporteur: Astrid Thors MEP

·         Air pollution: greenhouse gas emission trading in respect of the Kyoto Protocol’s project mechanicsms Rapporteur: A. Roo MEP

·         Extractive industries: waste management Rapporteur: Jonas Sjoestedt MEP

·         Waste: prevention and recyling Rapporteur Kal-Heinz Florenz MEP

·         Report on the proposal for a European Parliament and Council directive on waste (codified version)
Rapporteur: Giuseppe Gargani MEP Doc.: A5-0117/2004

·         Education and training: single framework for the transparency of qualifications and competence Rapporteur: Sabine Zissener MEP

·         Road transport: charging heavy goods vehicles for use of certain infrastructures. Rapporteur: Luigi Cocilovo MEP

·         Tunnels in the Trans-European Road Network Rapporteur: Reinhard Rack MEP 

·         Community guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network Rapporteur: Philip Bradbourn MEP Doc Ref: A5-0110/2004

·         Report on social legislation relating to road transport activities Rapporteur: Helmuth Markov MEP Doc Ref: A5-0216/2004

·         Report on the mobilisation of the EU Solidarity Fund for natural disaster – general budget for 2004, Rapporteur: Terence Wynn MP  Doc Ref: A5-0195/2004

·         Report on the proposal for a Council directive amending Directive 2003/96/EC as regards the possibility for certain Member States to apply temporary exemptions or reductions in the levels of taxation in respect of energy products and electricity COM(2004) 42  Rapporteur: Pervenche BERAS MEP  Report on the Proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Directives 70/156/EEC and 80/1268/EEC as regards the measurement of carbon dioxide emissions and fuel consumption of N1 vehicles Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Policy  Rapporteur: Robert Goodwill MEP Doc Ref:A5-0062/204 -Full text ) (N1 vehicles are vans and light commercial vehicles)

·         Report on the joint text approved by the Conciliation Committee for a …Direcitve on environmental liability with regard to prevention and remedying of environmental damage Rapporteur: Toine Manders MEP Doc ref: Doc.: A5-0139/2004

·         REPORT on the proposal on promotion of use of biofuels for transport Rapporteur: Mara del Pilar Ayuso Gonzlez MEP Draftsman :Hans Kronberger MEP (Doc. Ref. Full text A5-0081/2004)

·         Third Cohesion report: Structural Funds after 2005 Rapporteur: Hatzidakis MEP, Doc. Ref.

·         Report on European capital of culture for years 2005-2019 Rapporteur: Michel Rocard MEP

·         Reports on Agencies’ programmes and priorities:

o       European Centre for the development of Vocational Training CEDEFOP, Rapporteur Luciana Sbarbati MEP Doc Ref: A5-0208/2004

o       European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions Rapporteur: Bartho Pronk MEP

o       European Training Foundation Rapporteur: Thomas Mann MEP

o       European Agency for Health and Safety at Work, Rapporteur: Peter William Skinner MEP

° International Symposium on Eastern Mediterranean geology, Thessaloniki,  14th-20th April 2004

Thessaloniki, Greece is to be the venue for this conference on structural geology, stratigraphy and tectonics; petrology and geochemistry; volcanology and geothermy; large earthquakes, marine geology, remote sensing and natural hazards, geoarcheology, mineral resources and geology of the Balkan peninsula. http://geonet.geo.auth.gr/5thISEMG/index .htm 

° Turkish Civil Engineering - 17th Technical Congress and Exhibition, Istanbul, 15th-17th April 2004

The 17^th Technical Congress on Turkish Civil Engineering will be held at Yildiz Tehchnical University in Istanbul.  The congress and exhibition aim to present new advances and improvements in technical applications as well as problems and issues affecting the profession.  Student project competitions will ensure participation of future professionals and there will be international project presentations.  Further information from: http://www.imo.org.tr/teknikkongre17/english/english.htm

° Congress of Croatian Builders, Cavtat (by Dubrovnik), 22nd - 24th April 2004

The 4^th Congress of Croatian Builders is being prepared by the Croatian Society of Civil Engineers and will cover the themes of Croatia’s construction industry activities aimed at meeting EU accession requirements and implementation of national strategy for the construction of roads and motorways in Croatia.  For participation or paper submission contact: marija@grad.hr

° The Europe of Knowledge 2020: A vision for University-based Research and Innovation, Liege, Belgium,  22nd - 28th April 200

The conference will discuss the “role of universities in the Europe of Knowledge” raised in the February 2003 Commission communication.  Further information on: rtd-consult-univ@cec.eu.int

° 2004 ‘fib’ (Federation Internationale du Beton) Symposium on “Concrete Structures: the Challenge of Creativity”, Avignon, France, April 26th-28th April 2004

The international federation for structural concrete conference is being organised by the French Association of Civil Engineering (AFGC) and will look at use of new materials and innovative contruction techniques of builders.  Visits will take place to High Speed Railway Structures between Lyon and Marseille and to the world record Millau viaduct.

° Bridging the gap in environmental knowledge, Dublin, Ireland, 28th – 30th April

The conference will chart progress on environment and identify knowledge gaps.  Parallel sessions will cover the environment and human health; climate change; impact assessment; biodiversity and land use; and information needs.  It will also address how scientific, technological and policy opportunities may be used to progress effective integration and action on the environment, looking at environmental research beyond 6FP.  http://www.bridgingthegap.ie

° International Offshore Technology Conference “Innovation without limits” Houston, Texas, USA, 3rd to 6th May 2004

Around 280 technical papers will be presented relating to the offshore oil and gas industry covering a wide range of issues such as mass transport complexes in deepwater environments, seismic imaging, and the future of the North Sea for independent operators.  Further information: www.otcnet.org/2004

° 10th International conference on urban transport and the environment Dresden, Germany, 19th to 21st May 2004.

Latest advances in the field of transport will be discussed and research papers will be presented on: urban transport systems; transport sustainability; environmental aspects; transport demand management; air pollution and emissions control; information systems.  Participants will include engineers, scientists and managers working on planning and management of urban transportation systems and transport policy industry in universities, research organisations and government.  Further information is located on: http://www.wessex.ac.uk/conferences/2004 /urbantransport04/index.html 

° European Conference on Raw Building Materials, Sarajevo, Fed. Of Bosnia and Herzegovina, 20th-21st May 2004

The conference is being organised by the Ministry of Education and Science: further information available from Conference Co-ordinator Prof. Muris Osmanagic, PHD e-mail ipsvjet@bih.net.ba

° Intelligent transport systems Congress and exhibition ‘moving towards an integrated Europe’, Budapest, Hungary, 24th to 26th May 2004

The Conference will include discussions on e-safety in an enlarged EU, intelligent vehicle safety systems and ITS for multimodal services without borders.  Contributions are expected for 1^st December 2003.

° Annual European association of research managers and administrators (EARMA) conference, Bucharest, Romania, 24th to 26th June 2004,

‘Research management and administration in a changing world'. Discussions to include:  managing, valuing and reporting the products of R&D; the effective operation of networks;  intellectual property policies;
- strategic planning for international collaborations;  management of change in research: the challenge of the real world   http://www.earma2004.ro

° Monitoring the geological environment Segovia, Spain, from 5 to 7 July 2004

An international conference on monitoring, simulation and remediation of the geological environment aims to attract a multi-disciplinary audience from the fields of civil engineering, forest and agricultural engineering, geography, biology, ecology and hydrology.  For further information, please consult the following web address: http://www.wessex.ac.uk/conferences/2004 /geoenvironment04/index.html

° B4E "Building for a European Future - Strategies and Alliances for Construction Innovation" , Maastricht , Netherlands, 14th – 15th October 2004. 

The B4E conference aims to reflect the views of all stakeholders in construction on the future development of European research in the sector.  E-CORE and ECCREDI plan to then incorporate the views of the entire construction sector in E-CORE research strategy and to present these to the European Commission, with the aim of influencing the development of the 7^th Framework Programme. The event offers an important opportunity to express a vision of the future of construction research in Europe and the challenges and opportunities of  the next decade. Papers that illustrate the way in which industry uses advanced technology, and the value of research and innovation, by reference to recent major projects, are especially welcome.  Focus should be on the following themes: 1. Smart Construction; 2. Building the Future; 3. Strategies for Innovation; 4. Strategic Alliances. www.b4e.org 

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