The breaking news in May is the EU ratification of the Kyoto Protocol, this Brief includes as a Supplement the Commission briefing on the Kyoto Protocol.

PRESIDENCY ACTIVITIES

The three EU Presidencies (Spain, Denmark and Greece) published their Joint Work Programme on the internal market setting out key priorities ion the rolling programme.  At the centre of the programme are interests and concerns of consumers and the need to help small and medium-sized businesses to make better use of the internal market, by speeding up work on structural reform and removing remaining barriers to free movement of goods and services. 

Key sectors in the legislative area include a number of interest to professional engineers.  The full list comprises: intellectual property rights, public procurement, technical harmonisation, company law, financial services (insurance, accounting standards), removal of barriers to trade in services, free movement of persons, recognition of professional qualifications, pharmaceuticals, dangerous substances and preparations, customs legislation, consumer protection (Green Paper).  Amongst these the key files are: the Community patent and Public procurement.  Further priorities are the European co-operative society, Pharmaceuticals, Technical harmonisation (Machinery, Motor vehicles), Dangerous substances and preparations (including proposals awaited under the new Chemicals strategy and the 26^th Amendment of Directive 76/769/EEC), Detergent legislation, Patentability of computer-implemented inventions, Enforcement of intellectual property rights (combating piracy and counterfeiting), Customs 2007, Free circulation of persons (Right of EU citizens and their family members to move and reside freely within Member States territory), Mutual recognition of professional qualifications, Green paper on consumer protection and Sales promotion.  Priority will also fall on removal of barriers to trade in services.

In the non-legislative area, strengthening the internal market will be addressed through transposition of directives into national legislation, enforcement etc.  Mutual recognition and standardisation must receive increased attention.

NEWS ITEMS FROM THE EUROPEAN INSTITUTIONS:

 RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Research. A new on-line discussion forum has been launched to boost networking between research centres, scientific organisations and small businesses in preparation for the Sixth Framework programme for research, FP6.  The Discussion List FP6-PLTFRM initiative aims to generate ideas and exchange information about innovative technologies, proposals and initiatives concerning integrated projects and networks of excellence (NoEs) in the Information Society Technologies (IST) programme of the Sixth Framework programme for research (FP6).

To subscribe to the group, researchers should send an e-mail to: fp6_PLTFRM-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Further information may be obtained from Comercio Electronico Global, Spain,  Research and Development, Spanish Centre of Excellence in Information Society Technologies, TEL: +34 9 76212169 FAX: +34 9 76212169 e-mail: info@e-global.es Internet site: http://www.e-global.es

The head of the OECD’s (Organisation for economic cooperation and development) science and technology division, Dr Daniel Malkin has stated that the most important element should be to turn research results into productivity and economic benefits.  He agrees that the proposed structure for the next European research framework programme (FP6), which incorporates the European Research Area (ERA), will benefit European research, but has asserted that one of the activities that has been globalised since the Middle Ages is scientific activity.  He has suggested that a major obstacle to research at present is lack of personnel rather than spending limits.  One of the most effective tools, he says, is to improve the basic level of education of science.

EDUCATION:

European universities pilot project reveals similar standards across Europe: The European Commission hosted a conference with over 100 European universities, student associations, professional bodies and employees on 31^st May 2002.  This marks the end of the first phase of the ‘Socrates’ pilot project “Tuning Educational Structures in Europe” which seeks to identify knowledge skills for university graduates to be employable at European level in: mathematics, geology, business, history, education sciences, chemistry and physics.

The Tuning project builds on the Socrates-Erasmus Thematic Networks which are large associations that gather faculties, departments and social partners in all subject areas (for details of ECCE involvement in the EUCEET thematic network civil engineering project, please refer to ECCE Newsletters for 2000 and 2001 on the ECCE web-site).

The projects build on the aims of the “Bologna process”, which aims to build a European Higher Education Area by 2010 and provide the public with high quality life-long learning without frontiers.

The European Commission published a call for proposals on 22 May under the second phase of the Leonardo da Vinci programme which supports vocational training within the EU.  The call for proposals covers: mobility; pilot projects including thematic actions; language competences; transaction networks; reference material.  Full details of the proposal, for which the call is valid for two years, can be found on: http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/en/dat/2002/c_117/c_11720020518en00100018.pdf

Further information can be obtained from the Technical Assistance Office Socrates, Leonardo and Your

Leonardo Deparment, 59-61 rue de Treves, 1040 Brussels, Belgium FAX: +32 2 233 0150 e-mail: Leonardo-helpdesk@cec.eu.int

Developments in Tempus III programme (2000-2006) reflect the fact that the programme was originally funded under the PHARE programme for reconstruction of Central and Eastern Europe.   Since 1997 the 10 central and eastern Europe countries preparing for accession have gradually abandoned Tempus to take part in the EC Socrates educational programme. The extension of the Tempus programme to include the Mediterranean area (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, the Palestinian Authority, Syria and Lebanon) is part of measures to assist economic and social structural reform in the Mediterranean countries which are partners in the EU MEDA programme.  Cyprus and Malta already participate in Socrates programme and Turkey is expected to do so soon. 

A previous MEDA programme – MED-Campus – was suspended in 1997 when investigations revealed administrative problems.  Educational measures within MEDA have therefore been incorporated in the long-standing TEMPUS programme which has experience of implementing checks and balances.  The range of participants has been widened to include political leaders and the public, as well as the traditional academic community.  In this way it is hoped to ensure the education plays a key role in changing attitudes and allowing young people to compare their respective values and national cultures.

A related European Parliament report on this issue by MEP Juan Ojedz Sanz can be found on the web-site: http://www.europarl.eu.int/home/default_en.htm

The ENVIRONMENT:

Kyoto Protocol ratified: On 31^st May 2002 the European Union ratified the Kyoto Protocol, which sets legally binding targets and timetables for emission reduction measures to combat global warming.  This action is seen as reaffirming EU and Member States commitment to pursuing multilateral solutions to this key global concern.  In order for the first Threshold for the Kyoto Protocol’s entry into force to be attained, 55 countries were required to ratify it - 70 have now done so.  The second ratification threshold is obtaining ratification of countries responsible for 55% of industrialised countries’ emissions in 1990. (The European Commission Briefing on the Kyoto Protocol is contained as a Supplement to this Brief, further details were set out in the Green Week Supplement to ECCE Brussels Brief – April 2002). 

Work to begin on an ambitious soil protection programme: Following the 16^th April publication of the Commission’s Communication “Towards a Thematic Strategy for Soil Protection” European environment Ministers expressed commitment to the issue at an informal Environment Council in Mallorca on 24-25 May.  Following the formal meeting of the Environment Council in June, work will commence on formal proposals for soil monitoring and action-based approach to the major soil threats.  Commission proposals will relate to air, sewage sludge, compost and mining waste and focus on integration of soil protection into other policies.   According to Commission figures, in the EU an estimated 52 million hectares (16% 0f total land area) is affected by some sort of degradation process.   In the accession countries, this figure is 35%.

Bathing Water Report 2001:  Only Belgium reached 100% compliance for its coastal waters when the annual report on EU bathing water was presented on 29 May.  The United Kingdom has improved its compliance rate for coastal waters (95.4%) and for fresh waters where is has achieved 100% compliance (Belgium has 90% compliance).  Denmark has seen a slight deterioration in water quality as have Netherlands and Austria.  The drop in coastal water compliance in Finland is more marked (88.3% versus 98.3% in 2000).

Further details may be found on web-site: http://www.europa.eu.int/water/water-bathing/report.html

The Commission is expected to adopt a proposal for a revision of the Bathing Water Directive before August.  The revision will be based on (1) improving the level of protection against gastric and other illnesses; (2) improving application of the Directive to promote risk management (rather than monitoring and reporting only); (3) simplifying the Directive to focus more on real threats to health (bacteriological rather than chemical); (4) bathing water Directive requirements should complement obligations of the Water Framework Directive as much as possible; (5) internet and other means are to be used to ensure reliable information is available to the public as quickly as possible.

Integrated Coastal Zone Management:  The European Commission has amended its proposal on Integrated Coastal Zone Management following the common position agreed by the Council of Ministers and amendments made by the European Parliament.

The purpose of the proposal is to encourage Member States to undertake a national inventory of the situation of coastal zones, taking into account legislation, institutions and those involved in the planning and management of coastal zones.

Europe’s energy sector is not making enough progress in reducing its environmental impact: The European Environment Agency’s first energy and environment report states that energy efficiency is improving only slowly, mainly due to transport growth – it also considers that renewable energies need to expand by at least twice the current rate to meet 2010 targets for boosting their market share. 

Energy prices generally dropped from1985-2001, despite increases in taxation.  The report favours improved energy demand management and integrating energy’s “external” costs, both to the environment and human health, into the price of energy consumption. The report can be downloaded from the EEA web-site on  http://reports.eea.eu.int/environmental_issue_report_2002_31

The European Environment Agency now has 13 EU applicant countries as members – 11 of these countries, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Romania, Slovenia and the Slovak Republic, all became EEA members in 2001.  It is expected that Poland and later Turkey will soon become members. 

Currently Gordon McInnes is Acting Executive Director of the Agency until a replacement is found for retiring Executive Director Domingo Jimenez-Beltran.

Agreement over text on Sixth Community Environmental Action Programme (6EAP) In May a joint text was approved by the Conciliation Committee for a European Parliament and Council decision on 6EAP.  Following the conciliation procedure it is now agreed that regulatory proposals on the basis of the point-by-point strategies relating to the programmes will be adopted under co-decision; the programme promotes and supports the use of fiscal measures and refers to Community environment taxation as one such measure; the programme supports the reform of subsidies which have an adverse environmental impact; it also clarifies the target for halting climate change, promotes the development of alternative fuels and fuel-efficient vehicles, and affirms that an effort will be made to take account of environmental issues in all Community policies.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

eEurope 2005 builds on eEurope 2002: The new eEurope action plan sets 2005 targets for:  modern online public services, particularly e-government, e-learning and e-health; a dynamic e-business environment; widespread availability of broadband access at competitive prices; a secure information infrastructure.

The action plan includes the realcuned TEN-Telecom programme on http://www.ten-telecom.org

Further details on:  http://europa.eu.int/information_society/eeurope/news_library/eeurope2005/index_en.html 

E-learning: A call was issued by the European Commission for a public service contract to produced studies linked to the eLearning initiative.

PUBLIC PROCUREMENT:

TRANSPORT

“EU’s best engineers and scientists have to work together to make our transport sector more innovative, cost-efficient and environment-friendly” declared EU Research Commissioner Philippe Busquin in the run up to a major conference on Surface Transport for Sustainable Development being held in Valencia Spain on 4-6 June.  Road transport more than doubled between 1970-2000.  Each EU citizen travels on average 35km a day, with 75% of the average daily distance covered by car.  Around 170 million passenger cars were in circulation on EU roads in 2001, a 178% increase over the last three decades.  Transport has now overtaken industry as the leading sector for energy consumption (32% of total EU final energy use).  Many ongoing and new research projects are to be showcased at the Valencia Conference.

Further details: http://europa.eu.int/comm./research/growth/Valencia/index_en.html

ITEMS OF GENERAL INTEREST:  On 29^th May the EU announced its formal recognition of Russia as a “Market Economy”.  The European Commission will immediately set the legislative wheels in motion in order to formalise Russia’s new Market Economy Status (MES) which should take only a matter of months (and will require a modification of the EU’s trade defence legislation).  The granting of MES status prior to WTO entry is considered a ‘green light’ for Russia’s eventual WTO succession.  Russia has confirmed that it will pursue reforms of energy prices for domestic industry with a view to raising these to market levels in coming years.  MES status will provide Russia with considerable advantages in anti-dumping proceedings; for the purpose of anti-dumping proceedings, Russia has not until now been considered as having a market economy because of the extent of State influence on individual companies.

NEWS FROM THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

The May plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg was held on 13-16 May and was dominated by latest developments in the Middle East, with EU-US relations and the situation in Iraq also debated.  A further two-day parliamentary session was held in Brussels on 29^th and 30^th May 2002

On this occasion key issues included privacy in electronic communications and the social and environmental responsibilities of companies.  Also under discussion was the budget for the Trans-European Networks. 

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