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.

ECCE BRUSSELS BRIEF: EU policies and actions on Research and development; Education; Environment, Energy; Information Technology; General Interest; Project Financing; News from the European Parliament

° News and background information on the Greek EU Presidency is to be found on www.eu2003.gr

° Measures to promote 3% EU research investment level by 2010: An EU action plan has been drawn up by five groups of experts. 32 measures aim to attract multinational companies’ R&D capacity, increasing existing R&D investment, creating R&D intensive small and medium enterprise and initiating R&D in low-tech sectors. Key actions include setting up European technology platforms (e.g. rail, aerospace, road transport, photovoltaics, ICT etc), strengthening links between industry and public research, redirecting public spending towards research and innovation, making research careers more attractive and developing better fiscal incentives for research. http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/era/3pct

° Six European partners have teamed up to create a new web portal, INFORM, highlighting best practices in European renewable resources and materials (RRMs). http://www.inforrm.com

° CORDIS offers comprehensive coverage of partnership requests to participate in the Sixth Framework Programme A dedicated search interface provides means to pinpoint potential co-players according to themes and specific instruments. The search feature will soon also operate at the level of activity areas. The service is free and aims to find best research partners and build up new networks and technology-oriented partnerships. http://partners-service.cordis.lu

° ‘Eurobarometer’ Survey on Life-long learning in Europe: Only 58% of respondents to the Europe-wide survey said they could use a computer. Half of them said they could not use the Internet. 60% said they could not use foreign languages. The lack of ICT skills is especially marked in Greece and Portugal with two-thirds of respondents claiming they could not use a computer. Around 70% of respondents from Spain, Ireland and the United Kingdom said they could not use foreign languages. In general, money is considered a major obstacle: half the respondents stated they would pay nothing under any circumstances. However, people are ready to make a financial contribution if they judge the benefit to be an exclusively personal one. They do not see work-related learning as only their responsibility. Info: D.G. Education and Culture : http://europa.eu.int/comm/dgs/education_culture/index_fr.htm CEDEFOP : http://www.cedefop.eu.int/

° Education Council agrees on European benchmarks: The Education Council took a step towards the Lisbon Strategy goals in the area of Education and Training, by adopting conclusions on "reference levels of European average performance" or European benchmarks. The Council adopted five practical benchmarks for the improvement of education and training systems in Europe to 2010: (1) achieving an EU average rate of no more than 10 % early school leavers (2) the total number of EU graduates in mathematics, science and technology should increase by at least 15 % ; at the same time the level of gender imbalance should decrease (3) at least 85 % of 22 year olds in the European Union should have completed upper secondary education (4) percentage of low-achieving 15 year olds in reading literacy in EU should have decreased by at least 20% compared to the year 2000 (5) EU average level of participation in Lifelong Learning, should be at least 12.5% of adult working age population (25-64 age group)

° Conference on pan-European Environmental Co-operation at Kiev: The Conference goal was to set out the roadmap for future European co-operation in the era after EU enlargement. European Commissioner Margot Wallstroem led the EU delegation on 21st-23rd May at the Kiev Conference renewing the Commission’s commitment to bilateral environmental co-operation with countries of Western Balkans and the New Independent States. http://www.unece.org/env/wgso/index_kyivconf.htm and http://www.kyiv-2003.info/main/index.php

° ‘Espoo Convention’ - Protocol on Strategic Environmental Assessment to the United Nations/Economic Commission for Europe (UN/ECE) Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Trans-boundary Context. On 19th May the Commission adopted a Decision to sign the Protocol at the fifth Ministerial Conference “Environment for Europe” at Kiev (see above). The Espoo Convention, adopted in 1991, entered into force on 10th September 1997. Parties to the Convention agree to assess the environmental impact of certain activities at an early stage of planning. States are obliged to both notify and consult each other on all major projects under consideration likely to have significant adverse environmental impact across national borders. http://ue.eu.int/pressData/en/intm/75836.pdf

° European Environment Agency publishes “Europe’s Environment: the third assessment’ covering a total of 52 countries, including for the first time the whole of the Russian Federation and the 11 other Eastern European, Caucasus and Central Asian (EECCA) States. The picture is a mixed one with improvements offset by the consequences of economic grown, including a marked shift towards road and aviation in the field of transport increasing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Environment-related threats include increasing generation of hazardous waste, quality of drinking water and exposure to particulate matter. http://reports.eea.eu.int/environmental_assessment_report_2003_10

° 2004 Call for proposals for LIFE funding. LIFE is also open to the 10 new Member States joining the EU in 2004 - conditional to ratification of Accession Treaty in candidate countries. A new financial regulation is in place - in some cases new financial documents are required. http://europa.eu.int/comm./dgs/environment/index_en.htm

° European Constitution and the Environment: The eight largest European environmental organisations believe the Draft Constitution is too weak on sustainable development. Criticism relates in particular to a perceived lack of participatory democracy (the possibility for European citizens and their organisations to challenge decisions of the European Commission and other EU bodies) and to the protocol on Euratom Treaty. Information may be found on http://www.eeb.org http://www.panda.org/epo http://www.eeb.org/press/Draft-Constitut ion-too-weak-G8-05-28-03.pdf

° WASTE: The European Commission has adopted a Communication called “Towards a Thematic Strategy on Waste Prevention and Recycling”. Each EU citizen now produces an average of 550 kg municipal waste per year: the Fifth Environmental Action Programme (1993) set a 330 kg target. A consultation now seeks views from stakeholders on producing and meeting targets on waste prevention for industry, manufacturing production and national/EU strategies. The other key concern is recycling - setting targets for materials, co-ordinating the price of different waste treatment options and ensuring recycling is easy and clean. Consultation documents are welcomed until 30th November 2003, to be taken into account for drafting a Waste Strategy in 2004. Comments can be sent by e-mail to: env-waste-strategy@cec.eu.int , http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/waste/strategy.htm

° Court judgement on whether waste metal operation is disposal or recovery: Relevant directives state that recovery operations involving the recycling or reclamation of metals and metal compounds or the recycling or reclamation of other inorganic materials may also cover “re-use”. Those operations do not necessarily imply that the substance in question undergoes processing, can be used several times or can subsequently be reclaimed. A waste treatment operation may not be classified simultaneously as both disposal and recovery within the meaning of Directive 75/442, as amended by Directive 91/156 and Decision 96/350. Neither the classification re a given waste treatment operation given by competent authorities in Member State of destination, nor that of Member State of dispatch may prevail over the other.

° Pollutants from seawater are being pumped into coastal soil, causing contamination of freshwater. An EU 5FP ‘SALTRANS’ project has countered previous scientific belief that toxic organic pollutants found in sewage, oil and industrial waste were not sufficiently soluble to flow into fresh groundwater: the situation is the reverse. This discover suggest that engineers, hydro-geologists and those living in arid regions must deal with impact and salt and pollutant intrusion. http://www.weizmann.ac.il/ESER/Saltrans/ home.html

° “Intelligent Energy - Europe” programme adopted for 2003- 2006. This programme has been adopted at Parliament’s second reading on the basis of a compromise agreed with Council. The programme is made up of four specific areas: SAVE: improvement of energy efficiency and demand management; ALTENER - promotion of new and renewable energy sources; STEER - energy aspects of transport; CO-OPENER - renewable energy sources and energy efficiency in developing countries http://europa.eu.int/comm/energy/res/intelligent_energy/index_en.htm

° A Directive ( 2003/30) has been issued on the promotion of biofuels and other renewables for transport. Member states must bring laws, regulations and administrative provisions to comply with the Directive by 31st December 2004. (Ref: Official Journal ‘L’ 123/42 of 17.5.2003)

° A new 30-year forecast “World Energy, Technology and Climate Policy Outlook” addressing changes in energy and environmental patterns indicates that by 2030 world energy consumption will have doubled. The study puts into question the long-term impact of environmental measures in cutting greenhouse gases and encouraging greater use of renewable sources of energy. It predicts that European CO2 emissions will increase by 18% in 2030 over the 1990 level (USA increase is around 50%). Should new energy sources emerge Kyoto emissions targets could be reached more easily: the study estimates costs to meet those goals could be reduced +/- 30% should nuclear or renewable energy sources be used on a large scale. http://194.185.30.69/energysite/gp/gp_pubs_en.html

° A World Conference on biomass for energy, industry and climate protection will be held in Rome on 10th to 14th May 2004. Call for papers open till 10th October 2003. http://www.conference-biomass.com

° European Commission designates EURID as the Registry for the dot EU (.eu) Top Level Domain (TLD). The .eu is intended to become the distinctive pan-European identification of websites and e-mail addresses, comparable to .org or .com. The three founder members of EURID, the European Registry for Internet Domains, are currently managing the country codes .be (Belgium), .it (Italy) and .se (Sweden). Two associated members are from acceding countries. EURID has committed to consult stakeholders from the European Internet Community and to ensure contacts with regional and international organisations involved in the Internet. http://europa.eu.int/information_society/topics/telecoms/internet/eu_domain/index_en.htm

° A new Call for proposals under the eTen programme is now open focusing on projects of common interest in the field of trans-European telecommunications networks in the domains of eGovernment, eHealth, eInclusion, eLearning and Trust and Security services.This will be the only eTEN Call for proposals launched in 2003. Call 2003/1 opened on May 20, 2003. It will close on September 10, 2003, at 16:00. Official Journal reference 2003/C 118/19 of May 20, 2003. http://europa.eu.int/information_society/programmes/eten/calls/cfp20031/index_en.htm

° D G Information Society gave a series of presentations given to the European Parliament’s IST Committee and reported that 1473 proposals had been received in response to the first IST call, and an additional 95 for the joint call with Priority 3 "Nanotechnologies". Proposers should be receiving summary evaluation reports, from 24 June.

° Commission Communication on developing the trans-european transport network and proposed directive on the widespread introduction and interoperability of electronic road toll systems in the Community. The Communication examines infrastructure and financing in the trans-european transport network. Complementary measures to use funding rest on two pillars: better co-ordination of public and private financing of the network and an effective European electronic toll service. An amendment of Directive 1999/62/EC on the charging of heavy goods vehicles for the use of certain infrastructure (‘Eurovignette’) by June 2003 will enable a Community approach on infrastructure charging.

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

° EBRD President Jean Lemierre participated in the Pan-European Environment Conference at Kiev (see Environment section) In Ukraine, the environmental emphasis is on energy efficiency, nuclear safety and improvement of environmental standards. The EBRD administers three funds to decommission or make safe soviet-era nuclear plants, including one fund specifically for rebuilding the shelter over the destroyed Chernobyl nuclear power reactor. The EBRD’s cumulative investments in Ukraine stand at Euro 1.3 billion through 59 projects.

° With assistance from the Northern Dimension Environmental Partnership (NDEP), a group of lenders and donors are backing the Euro 166 million Southwest Waste Water Treatment Plant. The EBRD is lending Euro 35.4 million to the sewage treatment project; EIB is participating through a Euro 15.5 million loan to Vodokanal. The EU TACIS programme donated Euro 24 million.

° The SLIC European Construction Safety Campaign starts in June 2003. For more information http://agency.ohsa.eu.int

° European Court of Judgement decisions on health and safety issues: Netherlands has been judged in breach of EU law for allowing health and safety functions to be contracted out, whilst Luxembourg failed to define qualities of health and safety inspectors. More information: http://www.curia.eu.int

° Commission presents preliminary draft budget for 2004 for debate in European Parliament The budget of just over Euro 100 billion will cover an enlarged EU of 25 Member States from 1st May 2004. Some Euro 45.8 billion, of which Euro 4.8 billion is for rural development, is earmarked for farm spending in the 15 Member States and another Euro 2 billion for the new Member States, who are not yet set to benefit from direct subsidies. The Commission is counting on the 2004 mid-term review of CAP expenditure on feedstuffs and milk to achieve savings. Administrative expenditure is put at Euro 6.11 billion for the Commission, assuming the Kinnock reforms designed to produce savings of Euro 20 million during the year, come into force on 1st January 2004. The Commission is requesting an extra 780 posts for enlargement with 244 allocated to the language service. The draft budget will go to Council for first reading in July before returning to the Parliament for a first reading in October 2003.

The European Parliament held a session in Strasbourg from 12th to 15th May 2003.

Reports of potential interest to professional civil engineers and to the construction sector:

On 1st May 2003, MEPs welcomed observers from the ten candidate countries as observers. Between signing of the Accession Treaty in Athens in April and its entry into force on 1st May 2004, 162 “observer MEPs” will be able to familiarise themselves with Parliament’s work. Observers number: Cyprus - 6, Estonia - 6, Hungary - 24, Latvia - 9, Lithuania - 13, Malta - 5, Poland - 54, Czech Republic - 24, Slovakia - 14, Slovenia - 7. Language services will be provided on the basis of availability and will depend in particular on the recruitment of translators and interpreters.

During the May Plenary session, Parliament held its first reading on the proposed Directive on environmental liability. Further information will appear in June Brussels Brief in an Environment Supplement marking the EU’s ‘Green Week’ in early June.

The event will focus on analysing management and legal structures that could be employed to manage an integrated Project; reviewing legal and financial provisions of the EU grant contract; assessing what needs to be covered in the consortium agreement. Information from: Berkley Associates, E-mail: berkleyassociates@skynet.be Telephone: +32 2 219 0532 Fax: +32 2 219 0498

The 20th Czech and Slovak National Conference will look at newly built structures and bridges; production, erection, quality, needs, standards; design, theoretical and experimental research; diagnostics, maintenance, repair, rehabilitation, corrosion protection and fire design. Call for papers to 15th June 2003. Information from: http://www.fsv.cvut.cz/OK2003 e-mail: studnicka@fsv.cvut.cz

° Integrated Lifetime Engineering of Buildings and Civil Infrastructures, Kuopio, Finland, 1st to 3rd December 2003

Symposium themes will be: 1. Ownership planning and management of investments, 2. Integrated life-cycle design, 3. Lifetime management systems 4. Integration and design of management processes, 5. Data for life-time design and management, 6. Norms, standards and guidelines, 7. Best practices in applying life-cycle design and management. Registration and further information may be obtained from http://www.ril.fi/ILCDES2003 or by e-mail to kaisa.venalainen@ril.fi

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.

ECCE on the Web: http://www.eccenet.org

The registered office address of the European Council of Civil Engineers is: One Great George Street, London SW1P 3AA

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Web presentation: Matthew Easton, Elgin, Morayshire