U.K. Presidency News:   News from the summer recess may be found on: U.K. Presidency pages: http://www.eu2005.gov.uk

Next Presidencies:

1st January -30th June 2006: Austrian Presidency

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

° Commission arguments in support of its proposes 70 billion euro funding for 7^th Framework Programme of European Research (7FP): On the basis of 6FP the Commission estimates that doubling the research budget would: (i) Create 220,000 new research posts through the participation of Universities and Research Institutes in FP7-funded research projects, compared to 70,000 in FP6; (ii) Result in more than 20,000 contracts, compared to 7,500-8,500 in FP6; (iii) Involve over 200,000 participants, compared to 75,000-83,000 in FP6; (iv) Fund 15,000 or more fellowships, compared to 4,500-5,500 in FP6.

° Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development: an outline of specific programmes proposed by the Commission appears as an Annexe to this month’s ECCE Brussels Brief.

°Commission launches  public consultation on whether and how to create a European Institute of Technology (EIT): The public consultation will run until mid-November 2005. An online questionnaire, available on the ‘Europa’ website, asks for views on how the EIT could best organise its activities in order to support innovation and the transfer of knowledge throughout the EU. If the idea of the establishment of an EIT were to be approved by the European Council, the Commission would make a formal legislative proposal to the Council and the European Parliament. For more information and online consultation : http://europa.eu.int/comm/education/eit/index_en.html http://europa.eu.int/yourvoice/ipm/forms/dispatch?form=EIT

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY:  

° Commission adopts Communication on “Electronic Accessibility” (eAccessibility) calling upon Member States to do more to promote EU e-Accessibility initiatives in a concerted approach and encourage industry uptake.  The Commission will continue to support ongoing measures such as: standardisation, Design for All (DFA), Web accessibility and Research & Technology Development.  It proposes the use of three policy levers available to Member States: (i) to improve the consistency of accessibility requirements in public procurement contracts in the ICT domain; (ii) to explore the possible benefits of certification schemes for accessible products and services; (iii) to make better use of the “e-Accessibility potential” of existing legislation.  Further information: http://europa.eu.int/information_society/policy/accessibility/com_ea_2005/index_en.htm

http://europa.eu.int/information_society/doc/factsheets/012-eaccessibility.pdf

EDUCATION:

° Publication in Official Journal of Professional Qualifications Directive: Directive 2005/36/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 September 2005 on the recognition of professional qualifications has been published in the Official Journal  (OJ L255/22 30.9.2005) Full text    Article Article 63 - Transposition stipulates that Member States shall bring into force the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with the Directive by 20th October 2007 latest.

° Lifelong learning in Europe: in 2003 in the EU25, 42% of 25-64 years old participated in learning activities.  The participation rate of 25-64 year olds in any kind of learning activity (formal, non-formal or informal) varied significantly between Member States. Highest participation rates were registered in Austria (89%), Luxembourg and Slovenia (both 82%), Denmark (80%) and Finland (77%), and the lowest in Hungary (12%), Greece (17%), Spain (25%), Lithuania (28%) and the Czech Republic (29%). In terms of gender, females participated more in Ireland (9 percentage points more than males), Latvia and Lithuania (both 8 p.p. more), while male participation rates were higher in France (8 p.p. more than females). Full text

THE ENVIRONMENT:  

° Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas attended an informal ministerial roundtable organised by the Canadian Government in Ottawa. The roundtable is part of preparations for the international climate change conference that will take place 28th November – 9th December 2005 in Montreal, Canada. This will be the 11^th Conference of the Parties to the 1992 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the 1^st Meeting of the Parties to its 1997 Kyoto Protocol, which entered into force on 16 February 2005. Further information is on the Commission's web site on future action against climate change: http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/environment/climat/future_action.htm

° The Thematic Strategy on air pollution aims to cut the annual number of premature deaths from air pollution-related diseases by 2020 almost 40% from the 2000 level. Current air quality legislation will be streamlined to improve implementation at Member States level. A legislative proposal is attached to the Strategy.  It will combine the existing Framework Directive on air quality, its ‘daughter’ Directives and a Decision on exchange of information. The proposed new Ambient Air Quality Directive would cut 50% of existing legal texts, clarify and simplify it and modernise reporting requirements. For the first time it would require reductions in average PM_2.5 concentrations throughout each Member State and set a cap on concentrations in the most polluted areas. http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/air/cafe/index.htm    Further emissions improvements are planned relating to road vehicle emissions:  a new proposal to reduce pollutant emissions from new cars and vans is expected later in 2005, and a proposal to tackle emissions from heavy duty engines used in trucks and buses is expected to follow later.

° LIFE Third Countries 2005: the Commission has approved funding of over €6 million for 15 environment projects in third countries (in Algeria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Russia, Tunisia, Turkey, the West Bank and Gaza).   The projects cover a wide range of issues, from waste management and industrial pollution prevention and control to soil monitoring and climate change. Some projects promote a movement towards EU environmental regulations or co-operation at regional or transnational level. http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/life/project/index.htm

Environmental cases:

° Landmark Decision: Council's framework decision on environmental protection through criminal law is struck down because it could have been done under regular Treaty powers on environment rather than Council's exceptional powers to act alone: judgment (C-176/03) The Court: 1. Annulled Council Framework Decision 2003/80 /JHA of 27th January 2003 on the protection of the environment through criminal law; 2. Ordered the Council of the European Union to pay the costs; 3. Ordered the Kingdom of Denmark, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Hellenic Republic, the Kingdom of Spain, the French Republic, Ireland, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Portuguese Republic, the Republic of Finland, the Kingdom of Sweden, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the European Parliament to bear their own costs. (see Annexe to Brussels Brief for further details).

° Case filing C-221/03 Belgium has been order to pay costs for failure to identify waters to be protected from agricultural nitrates and incorrect and inadequate designation of vulnerable zones when transposing Directive 91/676/EEC: Full text of this Judgment

° Case filing C-121/03 Spain has been order to pay costs for exceeding nitrate concentration limit in water supply in Baix Ter area:  Full text of the judgement.  Breaches relate to  Directives 75/442/EEC and 91/156/EEC - Meaning of 'waste'; Directives 85/337/EEC and 97/11/EC as well as assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment - Directive 80/68/EEC and Protection of groundwater against pollution caused by certain dangerous substances - Directive 80/778/EEC - Quality of water intended for human consumption

° Case filing C-416/02   Spain has been ordered to pay costs for failure to enforce treatment on urban waste water more stringently than enforcement applied to water affected by agricultural nitrates. This relates to pollution caused by a pig farm and breaches of Directives 75/442/EEC and 91/156/EEC - Meaning of 'waste' - Directives 85/337/EEC and 97/11/EC - Assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment - Directive 80/68/EEC - Protection of groundwater against pollution caused by certain dangerous substances - Directive 91/271/EEC - Urban waste-water treatment - Directive 91/676/EEC - Protection of waters against pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources.

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

ENERGY:

° International Energy Agency (IEA) fact sheet Resources to Reserves - Oil and Gas Technologies for the Energy Markets of the Future and policy related-report The Experience with Energy Efficiency Policies and Programmes in IEA Countries - Learning from the Critics More information on the IEA: International Energy Agency

TRANSPORT:

° High-Level Transport Group meets to discuss TEN projects involving EU 25 + Romania and Bulgaria:  The Group held a plenary meeting in Brussels in September to discuss the priority projects sent by 26 countries to be connected to the Trans-European network.  It had adopted five multimodal transport axes at its July 2005 meeting: (1) “Motorways of the seas” linking the Baltic, Atlantic, Mediterranean and the Black Seas, plus littoral countries within the sea areas and with an extension through the Suez Canal towards the Red Sea and further on to Pacific Ocean; (2) “Northern axis” connecting the northern EU with Russia and beyond; (3) “Central axis” linking the centre of the EU to Ukraine and beyond to the Black Sea; (4) “South Eastern axis” connecting the centre of the EU through the Balkans and Turkey to the Caucasus and the Caspian Sea as well as to the Red Sea and in the longer term towards the Persian Gulf; and (5) “South Western axis” linking the south-western EU with Morocco and in the longer term with Egypt and other African countries.

The Group will deliver a final report to Transport Commissioner Jacques Barrot in autumn 2005 to define the main axes to be developed with the aim of facilitating more exchanges and secure trade between the EU and all its neighbours.

° 6FP Funded Programme analyses potential for Motorways of the Sea: The Maritime Transport Co-ordination Platform (MTCP), has analysed these ‘potential Motorways of the Sea’, for the purposes of setting up motorways of the sea in the Baltic, Atlantic and Mediterranean corridors. The study gives a first rough indication of possible services and infrastructures and modal shift from road transport. The figures rely on forecast and modelling, and take traffic flows in the year 2003 as their basis.   The study sets out: Introduction and Methodology ; Motorways of the Baltic Sea ; Motorways of the Sea of the Atlantic ; Motorways of the Sea in the Western Mediterranean ;  Motorways of the Sea in the Eastern Mediterranean

° Europe’s annual “European Mobility Week”, which ran this year from 16th to 22nd September focused on the theme of ‘Clever Commuting. Municipalities in most of the EU-25, the EFTA states, Croatia and Romania, as well as in Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Japan, Taiwan and Venezuela, made plans to hold a Car-Free Day and/or take other initiatives during European Mobility Week to promote ‘clever commuting’ through the use of low- or no-pollution forms of transport.  Over 937 towns and cities registered their participation - http://www.mobilityweek-europe.org/index.php?lang=fr

° Charging of heavy goods vehicles for the use of certain infrastructure (reference document)

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament pursuant to the second subparagraph of Article 251 (2) of the EC Treaty concerning the common position of the Council on the adoption of a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive 1999/62/EC on the charging of heavy goods vehicles for the use of certain infrastructure Full Text

Reference point: Energy and Transport DG   

INFRASTRUCTURE FINANCING:

° European Investment Bank  

° The EIB is providing a EUR 250 million loan in Slovenia for the construction of 36 km of motorway connecting Maribor and the Hungarian border

 

° The EIB is considering putting in place an emergency programme in Romania amounting to up to EUR 600 million to finance necessary measures to repair and upgrade flood-damaged road and rail infrastructure.   The floods, which started in April/May 2005, affected infrastructure in some areas in Banat. The July floods hit Oltenia, whilst Moldova was hit by floods in August. The floods in September affected infrastructure in some areas of Dobrogea. Romania has seen already six waves of floods this year. Lately, the events have started to affect the capital of Bucharest. The envisaged EIB facility complements various corresponding loans, namely EUR 240 million lent in  2000 and another EUR 300 million (covering flood damages occurring in 2001- 2004) due to be signed by the end of 2005 for flood damaged roads reconstruction as well as EUR 350 million scheduled for signature in 2006 for flood prevention measures.

 

° The EIB has provided CZK 4 billion (some EUR 140 million) for the construction of the D8 motorway connecting Prague in the Czech Republic with Dresden in Germany and EUR 110 million for completion of the Prague motorway ring.  Both relate to Trans-European Network Corridor IV.

° The French Health Ministry, the EIB and the main French banks specialising in the hospitals sector have joined forces to support the upgrading of French hospitals under the “Hospitals Plan 2007”.  A statement of intent, worth EUR 500 million, has been signed by France’s Health Minister Xavier Bertrand and EIB Vice-President Philippe de Fontaine Vive.   A first a statement of intent – also worth EUR 500 million, today allocated in full – was signed on 15th December 2003 by the French Government, the EIB and the two initial two banking partners (the Dexia and Caisse d’Epargne groups, which have now been joined by the Crédit Agricole and Société Générale groups).

 

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

° The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development  

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

° Public Procurement Online Survey An online survey into public sector procurement practices has been launched as part of the preparation of the Ministerial eGovernment Conference, to be held in Manchester (UK) on 24-25 November 2005. The survey is designed to establish how different public sector bodies are approaching procurement, and what benefits they are realising. To access the procurement survey: www.procurementsurvey.com

° Regulation establishes standard forms for EU public procurement notices  Commission Regulation (EC) No 1564/2005 of 7th September 2005 establishing standard forms for the publication of notices in the framework of public procurement procedures pursuant to Directives 2004/17/EC and 2004/18/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L257/1 1.10.2005). 

Full text Member States have to transpose Directives 2004/17/EC and 2004/18/EC into national law by 31 January 2006 at the latest. Some Member States may transpose those directives before the expiry of the deadline. 

° Europe reviews its 2004 budget: Some € 92 billion were allocated to recipients in Member States. Each country received funds for regional policies, agriculture, competitiveness, jobs and research; € 7.5 billion went to countries outside of the EU or benefited several Member States.  In 2004 Spain was the largest recipient of EU funds (€ 16.4 billion), ahead of the populous member states, France (€ 12.9 billion), Germany (€11.7 billion), Italy (€10.4 billion), and the UK (€7.1 billion). Spain is the largest recipient of structural funds , followed by Germany, Italy and Portugal.  The report on allocated expenditure is to be found at: http://europa.eu.int/comm/budget/agenda2000/reports_en.htm  whilst the Financial Report 2004 is available at: http://europa.eu.int/comm/budget/pdf/execution/execution/financialreport04/rap_fin_en.pdf

° High level group on free movement of workers: The European Commission sought to give all Member States an opportunity to exchange information on how transitional arrangements have worked in each state.  It will draw up a report on the functioning of the national measures imposing restrictions on free movement of labour to be presented to the Council in January 2006.  If a Member States chooses not to communicate any proposed restrictions before 30th April 2006, Community law comes into force for that Member State. 

° European strategy to make its written and audiovisual heritage available on the Internet (Consultation): The Commission proposes a concerted drive by EU Member States to digitise, preserve, and make Europe’s historic and cultural heritage available to all. It presents a first set of actions at European level and invites comments on a series of issues in an online consultation (deadline for replies 20 January 2006). The replies will feed into a proposal for a Recommendation on digitisation and digital preservation, to be presented in June 2006.

Useful links:- online consultation on digital libraries   - eContentplus programme - Lund action plan  - European Cultural Portal 

° The European Parliament met in Plenary in Strasbourg from 5th to 8th September 2005.  A further Plenary Session was held from 26th-29th September 2005.

° During the 5^th-8^th September Session a Second Reading of Proposed Directive on the Management of Waste from Extractive Industries amending Directive 2004/35/EC (Full text of Document 11947/05) During the debate the Rapporteur stressed the environmental risks associated with mining waste, most notably poisoning of water systems. The proposed Directive should address these risks, for example through requirement for mining companies to make financial guarantees.

° Highlights of the 26^th-29^th September agenda included: Railways (four proposals covering: rail freight; competition in passenger services; passenger compensation for delays; train crews) - 1st reading; pre-accession talks regarding Turkey; data retention in relation to anti-terrorism measures; a Capital Adequacy Directive (1st reading) and Road safety - cutting accidents.

° There was a debate on renewable energy focusing on: higher targets for renewable energy as a percentage of overall energy consumption; the option of setting mandatory targets; tax incentives; access to the grid; market distortions; use of biomass; and funding from the next EU research programme.

° Some reports of interest to members:

° European road safety action programme: halving the number of road accident victims in the European Union by 2010: a shared responsibility [2004/2162(INI)] Rapporteur: Ari Vatanen (A6-0225/2005)

° Report by Claude Turmes MEP on renewable energy in the EU- Report: A6-0227/2005

° European Parliament legislative resolution on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on International Rail Passengers" Rights and Obligations (COM(2004)0143 – C6-0003/2004 – 2004/0049(COD))   and Report A6-0123/2005

° European Parliament legislative resolution on the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the certification of train crews operating locomotives and trains on the Community's rail network (COM(2004)0142 – C6-0002/2004 – 2004/0048(COD))

° Report A6-0133/2005

° European Parliament legislative resolution on the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Directive 91/440/EEC on the development of the Community's railways (COM(2004)0139 – C6-0001/2004 – 2004/0047(COD))

° Report A6-0143/2005

 

° Semantic Web Days 2005, Munich, Germany – 6^th-7^th October 2005

This forum of exchange for innovative businesses and European research institutions that concentrate on semantic web tools and technologies will place particular focus on applications based on ontologies- and reasoning-based technologies to process (semantic) web data. Application areas such as Bioinformatics and Semantic Web Services will offer insights into practical application issues. For further information: http://semantic-web-days.net

° European Social Housing Week, European Parliament, Brussels 10^th – 14^th October 2005

Thematic conferences on social housing delivery and urban development  organised by CECODHAS - The European Liaison Committee for Social Housing,  Bruxelles  

Fax: 0032 2 534 58 52  e-mail: sorcha.edwards@yahoo.com  Website: www.cecodhas.org

° 2005 ASCE Annual Conference, Los Angeles, October 27^th -29^th 2005.

There will also be an International Roundtable on 26^th October on the subject of "Surviving Nature's Forces: Have Civil Engineers Built Safe Communities?"  Further information www.asce.org

° Second World Science Forum, Budapest, Hungary – 10^th-12^th November 2005

The Hungarian Academy of Sciences, in partnership with UNESCO and the International Council for Science (ICSU) is organising the second World Science Forum. This will tackle the ethical aspects of knowledge and the responsibility of scientists.  Eminent participants will discuss: The Scientists' Approach - The Political Decision Makers Approach;  Capacity Building and Implementation;  The Role of Business;  Perspectives from the Developing World;  Challenges for the Environment; Educating Future Generations. One result aimed for is for the web site of the World Science Forum to be a basic reference tool of thinking about the questions of science and society. A public e-Forum is available for all to discuss and consider World Science Forum topics : http://www.sciforum.hu/

° Communicating European Research 2005, International Conference, Brussels, 14-15 November 2005 the European Commission's Directorate-General for Research will host the second "Communicating European Research" conference. The event will focus on the manifold aspects of science communication and will provide a forum and meeting place for scientists, communication professionals and journalists. The conference will also take stock of the way towards the Seventh Framework Programme. The first announcement of the conference is now available.

Information on the Calls for Proposals for the Exhibition and Forum is now available.

° 6th National Concrete Congress, Istanbul , 16^th -18^th  November 2005, The subject of the congress is "High Performance Concrete". It will be held at 'Istanbul Tecnical University Suleyman Demirel Cultural Centre, Maslak/ISTANBUL' For further information please e-mail : sevilkarincali@imoistanbul.org.tr    Information also available on the internet: www.imoistanbul.org.tr

° First annual European energy policy conference, Brussels, 28 and 29 November 2005

The conference has been developed to allow stakeholders to discuss major policy issues surrounding energy in Europe, as the long term future of the sector begins to take shape. Topics for discussion will include current innovations, and research and development in the renewable energy sector. Further information: Dan Craft   Epsilon Events   E-mail: dcraft@epsilonevents.com

° Global Conference on Social Responsibility, Vilamoura, Portugal 16th- 18th Feb 2006.

The conference, at Vilamoura in Portugal’s Algarve area will focus especially on The Role of Business in Poverty Alleviation. The World Council for Corporate Governance (WCFCG) is testing the idea of widening the scope of corporate social responsibility (CSR) from roots in labour relations and community, to a way of making business pro-active in alleviating poverty.

° BETON 2006 Ready Mixed Concrete Congress, Istanbul, Turkey, April 2006

The congress is accompanied by an international concrete-aggregate technologies and equipment exhibition.  Paper topics are Concrete in Human Life, Special Types of Concrete, Concrete Technology, Production and Application Technology, Architectural use of Concrete, Regulations and Quality Management Systems and Marketing and Industrial Problems.  Deadline for abstract papers is 2 May 2005.  e-mail: beton2006@thbb.org Information: www.beton2006.org

° 13th SEFI MWG Seminar, Buskerud University College, Kongsberg, Norway, 11th-14th June 2006

The main themes will be mathematical e-learning and innovative ways of teaching mathematics. Website: http://dmath.hibu.no/sefiseminar/index.html

The seminar is followed by the 3rd European Workhop on MathML and

Scientific e-Contents 13th-15th June 2006. Here the main themes will be all areas of brand new technology related to interactive mathematics on the web and mathematical and scientific e-learning. Website: http://dmath.hibu.no/workshop/

° Joint International Conference on Computing and Decision Making in Civil and Building Engineering, will be held in Montreal (Delta Centre-Ville Hotel), Canada, on June 14-16, 2006.  For the first time three streams of conferences will gather together at a joint Conference under a common theme: Building on I.T. This will be the largest gathering in computing and decision making in civil and building engineering in 2006. (i) ICCCBE-XI - 11th International Conference on Computing in Civil and Building Engineering  (ii) ICCC-ASCE - 2006 International Conference on Computing in Civil Engineering of ASCE and (iii) DMUCE-5 - 5th Conference on Decision Making in Urban and Civil Engineering.  Further information: http://www.icccbexi.ca,

° First International Conference on Advances in Bridge Engineering, Brunel University, UK, 26^th -28^th June 2006

CALL FOR PAPERS: Full information and publicity leaflet from www.brunel.ac.uk/sed/bec2006  Further information available by e-mail from: bridgeconf.2006@brunel.ac.uk

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