BACKGROUND AND INTRODUCTION

In recent years ECCE has been an active contributor to the European Commission and Parliament in Brussels, providing technical advice on proposed European legislation concerning environmental issues.

ECCE´s Environmental Task Force is now concentrating its resources on developing information and awareness within the civil engineering profession with regard to best practice and sustainable development, as well as environmental education among young engineers.

The Environment Task Force last met in Munich during the September 2003 ECCE Meeting.              

Highlights of the year:

The draft Ethical Commitment to Sustainable Civil Engineering (published on the ECCE web-site) was given formal approval by the European Council at its General Meeting in April 2003. 

The members of the Environment Task Force have undertaken to disseminate information on the Guidelines for an Ethical Commitment to Sustainable Civil Engineering in their home countries, following its approval by the General Council.

OCTOBER 2003 status:  The document has been published in English, Spanish and Portuguese and appears on the ECCE web-site (www.eccenet.org).   Germany plans to translate and publish it in the near future.

KEY GOALS FOR 2003: ENVIRONMENT TASK FORCE

1

COMMUNICATION:

-To enhance fluent communication on a continued basis among the members of the Environment Task Force in order to improve and increase the activities taking place within the group.

-To communicate with other organisations representing the sector with a view to coordinating efforts in support of environment.

ACTION: Task Force held in Cáceres, Extremadura, Spain in June 2003 to progress Key Goal 3.

October status: This action has been undertaken.  Minutes of the Cáceres meeting are now published.

Furthermore, an increasing number of countries are participating in the meetings (14 participants at the Munich meeting)

2

Organize a catalogue containing the Emblematic Civil Engineering Works, which have contributed in a positive way to sustainability. The aim is to disseminate in society the importance of sustainable engineering.

ACTION: Environment Task Force members are providing material.

KEY DATES: Moved to 2004. No dates fixed yet.

October status: Some general information has been gathered on projects of interest.(MOSE Project, Venice; Eastern Scheldt, Holland; Mont Saint-Michel, France)  Rui Calejo of Portugal is monitoring an EU POLIS urban environment rebuild programme.

3

Set up debates and discussions on sustainable development in order to establish objective criteria which can serve as a basis for measuring sustainability in civil engineering. It is important to give rise to this debate and to provide solutions.

ACTION: The development of small thematic units in power point format. 

KEY DATES: Spring meeting in Moscow

October status: Discussions in Cáceres concluded that a key area of concern was the education and continuing professional development of civil engineers in environmental matters.  Questions were formulated for inclusion in a final version of “The Civil Engineering Profession in Europe” questionnaire.  Liaison is also to take place with EUCEET project.

Discussions in Munich in September 2003 concluded that it is important to act to improve the information available and education on the environment for young engineers.

4

Study the consequences derived from the implementation of the Water Framework Directive, both for the EU countries and for civil engineering in general. Initially we estimate that it is almost impossible to carry out the directive within the established deadlines, even in the event that the EU countries were able to provide the considerable number of people and amount of money involved.

ACTION: Discussion document to be drafted. A CD was delivered in Cáceres containing the Guidance Documents to the Water Framework Directive.

October status:  Further consideration is required.  Policy areas such as waste and environmental liability are also of interest to the profession.  Collaboration with other pan-European bodies may prove beneficial. No further progress has been made to date.

5

Sustainability indicators.

Within our goal on sustainability, we are now looking into sustainability indicators to be applied in the annual review of the EU sustainability strategy during the Italian Presidency.

ACTION: To make contact with the Spanish Permanent Representative from the Ministry of Environment in Brussels.

October status: Contact has been made. The Task Force is waiting to receive relevant documents.

RESOURCES :

Resources comprise voluntary efforts made by the Chair and Task Force members plus support by staff of national organisations.  As with other Task Forces, communication must be timely yet limited.