Newsletters   Subscription   Contributions       Newsletter issue n° 17 - October 09

FP6 MODELKEY (511237): Achievements and further research needs

The IP MODELKEY (51123-GOCE, FP6) provided strong evidence that toxic pollutants are a driving force for the insufficient ecological status that was found in many European surface waters (Article 5 reports WFD). In general, water quality improved within the last 30 years and spectacular fish kills are rare events in the EU of today. However, toxic and sub-lethal effects of pesticides, industrial chemicals, personal care products and pharmaceuticals are still an important factor that impact on sensitive species and related ecosystem services. Many of these contaminants affect the hormone status of organisms and thus on their fitness, reproduction and development. Water managers and scientists face the challenging task to diagnose such adverse effects in the ecosystem under multiple stress conditions. MODELKEY supports this diagnosis by developing a conclusive approach of investigative monitoring and modelling tools on different scales. The approach combines site-specific toxicant identification, mode-of-action directed risk assessment and basin-scale tools for exposure, effect and risk modelling. Selected innovative tools are the SPEcies At Risk (SPEAR) index to identify the loss of sensitive species due to toxicants, an effect and probable cause (EPC) diagnostic model for the identification of ecosystem impairment in a multiple-stress context, and a novel decision support system (DSS). These tools are designed to help end-users to design their monitoring and to assess and prioritize risks, sites and sources for an optimal set up of programs of measures (POM). MODELKEY could show that an assessment of hazardous contamination based on EU-WFD priority pollutants alone is clearly not sufficient. This is astonishing since our rivers and lakes are contaminated with thousands of chemicals at the same time. For many of them no toxicological data are available. Thus, MODELKEY combined site-specific toxicant identification, state-of-the-art evaluation of monitoring data and the application of models to predict effects from chemical structures (QSARs). The results suggest that emerging chemicals are highly relevant, among them many pesticides but also constituents of personal care products such as triclosan.

It is getting more and more evident that combined effects of multiple stressors including toxicants, nutrients, pathogens and habitat quality determine the ecological status but also the recovery potential after measures have been taken. Water managers will need - and further research should deliver – approaches to deal with this multiple stress situation. Tiered weight-of-evidence approaches are required to diagnose the status and basic processes. Integrated monitoring and modelling tools are required to predict ecosystem responses on management actions. “Omics” techniques have the potential to support analyses of multi-stress situations and to determine a holistic health status of organisms. They should be further developed and used to derive diagnostic batteries of in vitro tools and biomarkers that can be interlinked with effect-directed analysis of toxicants, habitat quality assessment, and tools to diagnose and model effects on the population and community level to unravel the site-specific signature of stress. Smart monitoring, ecological approaches and models, mode-of-action specific in vitro techniques and advanced chemical tools also for difficult polar and multifunctional emerging pollutants need to be developed, advanced and interlinked to understand the driving forces of ecosystem impairment. There is a high need for research in that field in order to allow us a sustainable management of our water resources and to meet the challenging goals we gave us in the EU-WFD.

by Werner Brack, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research UFZ, Leipzig, Germany

Guest Editor for the Environmental Technologies Research Newsletter issue no. 17 - October 2009 

FP7-ENV-2010 Environment (including climate change) Call

Call Reference: OJ C177 of 30 July 2009

Deadline: 05 January 2010 at 17:00:00 (Brussels local time)

The call allocates €175 000 000 million for research topics (49 topics) in all the four activities of the Theme:

Activity 6.1: Climate change, pollution and risks

Activity 6.2: Sustainable management of resources

Activity 6.3: Environmental technologies

Activity 6.4: Earth observation and assessment tools for sustainable development

Among those topics are actions to promote industrial and SME participation, specific actions to reinforce international cooperation (international cooperation is supported and encouraged throughout all areas), dissemination actions to strengthen the visibility, effectiveness and uptake of EU research results, and Era-Nets in the field of 'Biodiversity',  'Eco innovation' and 'Water management'. In addition, in this call, several "bottom-up" topics have been introduced to further exploring new and innovative approaches and to encourage participation of stakeholders including the SME and industrial participation. Finally, several cross-cutting actions between various Themes of the FP7 Cooperation programme have been foreseen in order to encourage pluri-disciplinarity in marine sciences and technologies (Ocean for tomorrow call), strengthen Africa's research base and the EU-African Union scientific partnership (Africa call) and participate in actions within the European recovery package (Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), on "Energy-efficient Buildings" and "Green cars"). Detailed information on the call is available at the http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/dc/index.cfm?fuseaction=UserSite.cooperationDetailsCallPage&call_id=267 homepage.

FP7-Africa-2010 Africa Call

Call Reference: OJ C177 of 30 July 2009

Deadline: 14 January 2010 at 17:00:00 (Brussels local time)

Budget: € 63 000 000

The Africa call represents a great opportunity for strengthening Africa's research capacity to cope with water, food security and health problems. The call is structured around two major issues: Water and Food Security, and, Better Health for Africa. It has a multi-disciplinary approach involving various scientific and technological research fields, such as food, agriculture, health, land and water resources, including their interaction with climate change, and integrating broader socio-economic factors, such as, migration and resettlements, urbanisation, health care systems and programme interventions, destabilisation of national food reserves, variations of food and oil prices, etc. Research activities are intended to strengthen local capacities. The involvement of local stakeholders and regional actors is of paramount importance to achieving the expected impacts. Funded projects will provide high quality research collaboration and results, innovative management, governance tools and technologies suitable for the relevant authorities and stakeholders, empowering them to reduce poverty, increase food security and enhance public health. Further expected benefits are related to the promotion of academic research and training, the setting up of health research networks and the strengthening of the science and technology potential for efficient water management and the protection of natural ecosystems in Africa. The call is implemented jointly by the following Themes of FP7 Cooperation programme: 'Health'; 'Food, Agriculture and fisheries, and Biotechnology'; 'Environment (including Climate Change)'. The total budget is €63 000 000 for the call. To see the full details of the call, please consult the following web address: http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/dc/index.cfm?fuseaction=UserSite.FP7DetailsCallPage&call_id=268
 

JST Call for Proposals to fund Researchers in Japan participating in EU Research Consortia

JST has launched a call for proposals for researchers in Japan involved in EU research consortia under 11 topics under “Environment (including Climate Change)", "Biotechnologies, Food and Agriculture", and "Industrial Technologies"  of the FP7. Researchers in Japan who apply to the EC call for proposals should also apply to the JST call for proposal and submit their own research plan to possibly receive JST funding following JST peer-review evaluation. It should be noted that researchers in Japan involved in consortia selected by the EC will not necessarily be supported by JST, as this depends on outcome of JST evaluation. The 11 FP7 research topics concerned by the JST call for proposals are: (i) ENV.2010.1.1.2-1 Atmospheric chemistry and climate change interactions; (ii) ENV.2010.1.1.3-1 Change in carbon uptake and emissions by oceans in a changing climate; (iii) ENV.2010.1.1.6-1 Climate change mitigation options linked to deforestation and agriculture in the context of a post-2012 international agreement on climate change; (iv) ENV.2010.1.2.2-2 Human health and environmental effects of exposure to pharmaceuticals released into the environment; (v) ENV.2010.2.2.1-2 Global plankton data set building in view of modeling; (vi) ENV.2010.3.1.8-1 Development of technologies for long-term carbon sequestration; (vii) ENV.2010.4.1.2-1 Building observational datasets for the predictability of global atmospheric, oceanic and terrestrial processes using reanalysis techniques; (viii) ENV.2010.4.1.2-2 Integrating new data visualisation approaches of earth Systems into GEOSS development; (ix) ENV.2010.4.2.1-1 Enhancing model integration for the assessment of global environmental change; (x) KBBE.2010.3.2-01 Sustainable culture of marine microorganisms, algae and/or invertebrates for high added value products; (xi) NMP.2010.1.3-1 Reference methods for managing the risk of engineered nanoparticles. The JST call for proposals is open from 31 August 2009 to 22 January 2010. The JST maximum budget per participant is 22.5 million yen (approx. € 160,000) for three years. More information is available from the JST web site: http://www.jst.go.jp/inter/english/index.html 

Mastering key technologies to shape the industrial future of the EU

Key Enabling Technologies such as nanotechnology, micro- and nanoelectronics including semiconductors, advanced materials, biotechnology and photonics are of exceptional importance for being at the forefront of managing the shift to a low carbon, knowledge-based economy. Mastering such technologies lays stable foundation for well paid jobs in the EU and allows for sustainable, broadly shared growth. They are the main drivers for innovative goods and services needed for addressing major societal challenges. Therefore the Commission proposes to develop and implement a European vision for the industrial deployment of such technologies in the EU. Key Enabling Technologies are of systemic relevance as they enable the development of new goods and services and the restructuring of industrial processes needed to modernise EU industry and secure the research, development and innovation base in Europe. These technologies will be needed for example for new medical treatments, the development of low or zero emission cars. They are needed for converting sunlight into energy, improving the food situation or for designing and constructing modern airplanes. The Commission proposes to develop short and longer term competitiveness strategies for key enabling technologies. For more information visit the http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/sectors/ict/competitiveness/index_en.htm website.

Investing in the Development of Low Carbon Technologies (SET – Plan). Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the  Council the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions.
 

The Commission has approved a communication which is a follow-up to the European Strategic Technology Plan (SET-Plan) approved by the Commission in November 2007 and aims at addressing the key-issue of investing in actions and sectors of Low Carbon Technologies, by, in particular, calling for a European approach, essential to effectively develop these technologies, inviting industry to take up the challenge of developing them, defining key areas where Europe needs to invest in the coming decade and proposing mechanisms for better coordination of existing instruments and funding sources. Details can be found at the following weblink: http://ec.europa.eu/energy/technology/set_plan/set_plan_en.htm


 

Information Day for the Public Private Partnerships ' Energy Efficient Buildings, Factories of the Future and Green Cars'. Charlemagne Building, Brussels, 13 July 2009

More than 800 participants attended the Information day on the three research PPPs ‘Factories of the Future’, ‘Energy-efficient Buildings’ and ‘Green Cars’. The event was opened by EU Commissioner for Science and Research Janez Potočnik stating: "it is now recognized that investing in R&D is not a luxury when times are easy, but a necessity when times are hard.’  Viviane Reding, EU Commissioner for Information Society and Media, followed with "Joint investment by the Commission and industry represents an important step towards a knowledge-based and low-carbon EU economy.” Afterwards a good overview of the activities going on in the PPPs was given by industrial representatives. The aim of this event was also to provide information about the first Cross-thematic Coordinated Calls related to the PPPs. In particular, the research areas open and the conditions for participation were explained. The event was oversubscribed, but all the presentations were recorded and can be found at the http://ec.europa.eu/research/industrial_technologies/lists/events-fp7-information-day_en.html web link. The PowerPoint presentations are also available at the http://ec.europa.eu/research/industrial_technologies/lists/events-fp7-programme_en.html homepage. The draft ‘Annex V’ with the detailed description of all the topics in the Cross thematic Coordinated calls can be found at the http://ec.europa.eu/research/industrial_technologies/lists/useful-documents_en.html

link. The brokerage activities were appreciated very much and provide a good opportunity to come in contact with other potential proposers and partners. All project ideas and presentations can be found at the http://ec.europa.eu/research/industrial_technologies/lists/events-fp7-brokerage_en.html homepage.

MEDINA in China. The EU-CHINA Workshop at the Academic Exchange Centre of Ocean University of China (Qingdao, China) on September 4^th -6^th , 2009.

The main aim of the project was to improve the overall performance of membrane-based water desalination processes by applying an innovative approach based on the integration of different membrane operations in the reverse osmosis (RO) pre-treatment and post-treatment stages accordingly to the philosophy of Process Intensification. The project started its activities three years ago and now is going to its end (foreseen for January 2010), and a concrete dissemination policy has been started for the diffusion and discussion of the results of potential interest for industrial exploitation.

The EU-CHINA Workshop on FP6 MEDINA (036997): Membrane-Based Desalination: An Integrated Approach project was co-organized by the MEDINA Consortium, the Ocean University of China, the China Desalination Association and Qingdao International Desalination Centre at the Academic Exchange Centre of Ocean University of China (Qingdao, China) on September 4^th -6^th , 2009. The goal of the workshop was to strengthen the exchanges and cooperation between China and Europe in seawater and salty water desalination, and to increase the communication between industry and academicians. Representatives from Ocean University of China, Chia Nan University of Pharmacy and Science, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing University of Technology, Tianjin University, Tsinghua University, Harbin Institute of Technology, Nanyang Technological University (Singapore), Toray Industries, The Dow Chemical Company (China),  and China Desalination Association have been present together with a very large number of MEDINA delegations which include representatives from Australia, Tunisia and Israel. Through Prof. Gary Amy, one of the MEDINA partner and today director of the new membrane centre at the King Abdullah University of Science & Technology, also Saudi Arabia was present. Moreover, representatives from other European projects (MEDESOL and ASDECO) also attended the workshop and had the possibility to participate to the discussion and to present their results. Interesting and fruitful speeches were made by experts and professionals focusing on the policy, the progresses and the results reached in the projects. The possibility of trans-nation research and cooperation between MEDINA and other countries, especially with China, was discussed. A second and similar action will be probably organized in Middle East in December 2009 – January 2010. For further information please consult the MEDINA website: http://medina.unical.it

Info Day on FP7-ENV-2010 Environment (including climate change) Call. Centre Albert Borschette, Brussels, 17 September 2009

The Directorate I of the DG Research organised a very popular and successful info day on the FP7-ENV-2010 Environment Call in Centre Albert Borschette in Brussels on 17 September 2009 attracting more than 700 participants. The aim of the Call FP7-ENV-2010 is to continue supporting the main environmental policy and S&T drivers in the area of climate and environmental change, their consequences and the link to other sectors such as energy, transport, agriculture etc. Furthermore, the goal is to address concretely several new policy drivers such as the development of a post-2012 climate agreement, the Adaptation White Paper, the Communications on prevention and disaster risk reduction, the European Economic Recovery Plan, the Energy-Climate Package as well as the Renewed Lisbon Agenda by taking into account the Strategic Agenda of the Community Lisbon Programme (CLP) (2008-2010) particularly the '10 key objectives' including sustainable consumption and production, renewable energies and low-carbon and resource-efficient products in order to enhance the development and uptake of environment friendly technologies and services. The indicative budget of the call is 175 million Euro. In the current context of economic insecurity and the emerging and increasing competition for natural resources and environmental services, the aim of the WP2010 is to address 'Environmental safety and welfare' as an overarching theme for all activities across the work programme 2010. The objective would be to contribute to assessing, reducing and preventing tensions and conflicts related to the depletion of natural resources and environmental services. The presentations of the Plenary Session and the Brokerage Session are available at the http://circa.europa.eu/Public/irc/rtd/rtdenv2010call/library homepage. The FP7-ENV-2010 Environment Call is still open, see http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/dc/index.cfm?fuseaction=UserSite.CooperationDetailsCallPage&call_id=267. The deadline for sending proposal is 05 January 2010 at 17:00:00 (Brussels local time).

Info Day on FP7-Africa-2010 Africa Call. Centre Albert Borschette, Brussels, 18 September 2009

The Directorate I of the DG Research organised a very successful Info Day on the Africa Call in Centre Albert Borschette in Brussels on 18 September 2009 with more than 600 participants. The Plenary Session was opened by Mr. Janez Potočnik the European Commissioner for Science and Research and Mrs. Vera Brenda Ngosi, Director of the African Union Commission. The EU-AFRICA Strategic Partnership has paved the way to this call (implemented jointly by the Themes: ‘Health’, ‘Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, and Biotechnology’ and ‘Environment (including climate change)’ of the 7^th Framework Programme), which will fund projects aimed at enhancing African socio-economic development and capacity building. The call is structured around two major areas: (i) Water and Food Security and (ii) Better Health for Africa. It has a holistic approach involving various scientific and technological research fields, such as food, agriculture, health, land and water resources, including their interaction with climate change and integrating broader socio-economic factors such as migration and resettlement, urbanisation, health care systems and programme interventions. Funded projects will provide innovative management, governance tools and technologies suitable for the relevant authorities and stakeholders, empowering them to reduce poverty, increase food security and enhance public health. Further expected benefits are related to academic training and the setting up of health research networks, efficient water management and the protection of natural ecosystems in Africa. The presentations of the Plenary and the Brokerage Sessions can be downloaded from the http://circa.europa.eu/Public/irc/rtd/rtdafr2010call/library homepage. The Africa Call is still open, the deadline for sending proposal is 14 January 2010 at 17:00:00 (Brussels local time), see http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/dc/index.cfm?fuseaction=UserSite.CooperationDetailsCallPage&call_id=268.

International Forum of R&D for Eco-innovation: Research for combining environmental priorities with economic opportunities. ENVITECH-Net International Conference, Katowice, Poland, 22-23 October 2009

This one and a half day event is a unique opportunity for researchers as well as eco-innovation programmes managers and funders, representatives of DG RTD and science policy makers to provide ideas, discuss, prioritise and recommend emerging research needs for eco-innovation as a feedback of the international scientific community for planning the future call themes of FP7 Work programme as well as joint actions under the prepared ERA-Net Research for Eco-Innovation proposal. The Forum will also help networking and promoting the existing eco-innovation research potential across Europe. During the thematic sessions in particular the needs for research for eco-innovation resulting from the challenges of the recently adopted strategic documents and initiatives (such as the Climate and Energy Package or the New Waste Directive) will be addresed. Water efficiency issues are also among the priorities to be focused during the Forum. A separate session will be devoted to improving the governance of research programmes addressing eco-innovation on regional, national and European level. The Forum will be accompanied by a poster session presenting eco-innovation research projects. Full presentations of the poster contents in a form of papers will be published on a CD with other conference materials after the event. The Forum is free of charge. The language of the event is English. The number of the participants of this exclusive event is limited. (registrations will be accepted on a first came first served basis). For more information about the Forum, registration form an updated programme, list of speakers, instructions for poster authors, information on conference venue and other logistic details please consult the forum web page www.envitech-net.org (Contact person: Izabela Ratman-Klosinska, Tel: +48-32-2546031 ext. 243; e-mail: rat@ietu.katowice.pl). The deadline for registration is 16 October 2009.

8th Aachen Conference Water and Membranes, Membranes in water and waste water treatment, Eurogress Aachen, Germany, 27 – 28 October 2009

The Chair of Chemical Process Engineering (AVT, Aachener Verfahrenstechnik) and the Institute for Water and Waste Management (ISA, Institut für Siedlungswasserwirtschaft) as the organisers invite all interested operators, producers and scientists to the well-known AACHEN CONFERENCE WATER AND MEMBRANES, formerly known as Aachener Tagung Siedlungswasserwirtschaft und Verfahrenstechnik. The conference will focus on the application of membrane technology in the field of drinking water and waste water treatment. The following keynote lectures will be presented: (i) T. Melin, RWTH-Aachen University: Membranes in Water Reuse - Reducing Contamination and Risk; (ii) M. Schouppe and A. Tilche, European Commission DG Research: European Commission activities and strategy on membrane Research & Development; (iii) S. Panglisch, IWW Water Centre: Use of Ceramic Membranes for Drinking Water Treatment. The programme, online registration and further information can be found on: http://www.awm.rwth-aachen.de/

5th EWA Brussels Conference on European Water Management and the Implementation of the Floods Directive. The European Water Association, Brussels, 6th November 2009
 

The 5th EWA Brussels conference will bring you closer to the aspects of flood policy associated with the Water Framework Directive. Directive 2007/60/EC on the assessment and management of flood risks entered into force on 26 November 2007. The Directive requires Member States to first carry out a preliminary assessment by 2011 to identify the river basins and associated coastal areas at risk of flooding. For such zones they would then need to draw up flood risk maps by 2013 and establish flood risk management plans focused on prevention, protection and preparedness by 2015. The Directive shall be carried out in coordination with the Water Framework Directive, notably by flood risk management plans and river basin management plans being coordinated, and through coordination of the public participation procedures in the preparation of these plans. These steps need to be reviewed every 6 years in a cycle coordinated and synchronised with the Water Framework Directive (WFD) implementation cycle. The first milestone will be the development of reporting formats by 2009 and the appointment of competent authorities in spring 2010. This year the conference further explores the implementation of sustainable water management and the Water Framework Directive, discussing the aspects of flood protection and implementation of flood policies. The conference, organised in cooperation with the European Commission, will include a keynote address by Dr Fritz Holzwarth, contributions from experts in the field and will end with a Panel Discussion with all speakers participating. Further information is available at the Conference website: http://www.ewa-online.eu/portale/ewa/ewa.nsf/home?readform&objectid=AD623971F4A9E639C12575C5002C8C82
 

GreenRemediation. Incorporating Sustainable Approaches in Site Remediation. International Conference, Copenhagen, Denmark, November 9-10, 2009.

The objective of the GreenRemediation Conference is to improve the awareness of green remediation solutions among environmentalists and decision makers. Main topics are Policy Drivers, Decision Support Tools and Sustainable Remediation Technologies. The conference is organized by the Danish EPA, Information Centre on Contaminated Sites - DANISH REGIONS, The Capital Region of Denmark and a number of private organisations. The Scientific Committee is formed by international capacities from Nordic Countries, Austria, France, the UK and the US. The program includes presentations from speakers from 9 countries around the world including organisations like NICOLE, SuRF UK, EU Common Forum on Contaminated Land and US EPA. The conference programme is available on the conference homepage on http://www.polytec.dk/greenremediation/default.asp?page=Programme. The conference will be opened by Ms. Vibeke Storm Rasmussen, Chairman of the Council of the Capital Region of Denmark. Key notes speakers on the conference will be: (i) Dominique Darmendrail General Secretary of the European Network "Common Forum on Contaminated Land"; (ii) Paul Bardos, Steering group member for the Sustainable Remediation Forum in the UK (SuRF UK) and the NICOLE Working Group on Sustainable Remediation; (iii) Carlos Pachon, Senior Program Analyst at U.S. EPA. Registration is open and possible up to the conference date.

From research to business. Annual Conference of the Forest-based Industry Technology Platform, Stockholm, 9-11 November 2009

This is the 6th FTP conference since the start of the Forest-based sector Technology Platform. As it is almost a year and a half since the last conference, it will offer a meeting point for the sector as well as an excellent possibility for networking. From research to business is the theme for the FTP Conference 2009 in Stockholm. A large number of fruitful results from research will be presented. Many of the results are already being used or are close to be implemented by companies and can offer the new possibilities you are looking for. In difficult times it is even more important to realise the possibilities  that research can offer to successful innovation and for enhanced businesses. The conference will run on Monday and Tuesday November 9-10 with a welcome reception on Sunday evening (November 8th) and possibilities of interesting study tours on Wednesday 11th. The Conference is open for registration through the http://www.nra-sweden.se/NRAStartPage____8374.aspx?epslanguage=EN homepage

Workshop on Strengthening the role of R&D in boosting eco-innovation and eco-efficiency. Covent Garden, Place Rogier 16, Brussels, Belgium, 13 November 2009

Eco-innovation and eco-efficiency are currently very high on the political agendas of the Commission and of several member states. The measurement of eco-innovation processes and indicators to monitor progress towards an eco-efficient economy plays a crucial role, both in the understanding of eco-innovation drivers, and in paving the way for future policy targets in this field. However, several research gaps exist in this area and need to be addressed coherently, taking into account current initiatives and stakeholders' needs. The Unit on Environmental Technologies and Pollution Prevention of the DG Research is organizing a one-day expert workshop to discuss what kind of research should be funded in the coming years in order to help promote eco-innovation and eco-efficiency in Europe. The workshop will be divided into two different sessions. The morning session will be dedicated to the identification of research priorities in the broad eco-innovation area and the development and diffusion of eco-innovation in different sectors across Europe. Selected speakers and invited participants at the panel discussion will represent the views of the different stakeholders (academia, business, research institutes and NGOs) on research needs. The afternoon session will be dedicated to the discussion on metrics and indicators for eco-innovation. The speakers contributing to this session come from a number of institutions actively involved in this area (including Eurostat, OECD, EEA and DG Environment). Participation is by invitation only, interested participants should contact Ms. Serena Pontoglio (Serena.Pontoglio@ec.europa.eu). Further information can be found in the following CIRCA webpage: http://circa.europa.eu/Members/irc/rtd/wseco/library

WATEC 09: The 2nd International Conference and the 5th International Water Technologies & Environmental Control Exhibition, Tel Aviv, Israel, 17-19 November 2009

The conference and exhibition "WATEC 09" is the international showcase of technologies, products, and services to support a sustainable economy. With water and energy challenges at the top of the global agenda, "WATEC 09" features compelling solutions and proven, practical applications in areas such as water and energy efficiency, water quality, desalination, and water supply. Hosting participants from the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Africa, and Australia, the exhibition is a unique opportunity to discover the latest innovations from start-up businesses, established companies, and researchers that can help drive private and public initiatives and accelerate results. More info is availableon the http://www.watec-israel.com/index.php homepage.

NORMAN Workshop on Mixtures and metabolites of chemicals of emerging concern. VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 18-19 November 2009

This workshop is planned to be a wide-scope workshop, addressing people at the "interface between science and policy", and aimed at providing an overview of the critical issues going from fate of emerging pollutants (methods for studying transformation, metabolisation, etc.), to the progress in: monitoring / analytical techniques, metabolites prediction and validation of predictive models, metabolites toxicity, risk assessment. Given the close link between the two topics, the workshop will start with an overview of the fate, toxicity and emerging research questions in the broader area of mixtures of chemicals. Sessions to be covered are: (i) Fate of emerging chemicals: methods for studying the transformation, metabolisation, and bioavailability of chemicals and their application; (ii) Monitoring of (mixtures of) metabolites and transformation products of selected groups of chemicals in surface and groundwater: recent developments in the analytical technology regarding the evaluation of mixtures of emerging pollutants and metabolites/transformation products in environmental samples: adsorbents, columns, equipment, detection systems, etc.; (iii) Routine level validation (V3 level according to the NORMAN protocol) of methods to measure mixtures of metabolites and transformation products of pesticides in surface and groundwater; (iv) Metabolite prediction and validation of predictive models; (v) Mixture toxicity as related to modes of action; (vi) Inclusion of information on metabolites and mixtures in regulation: REACH. The language of the platform presentations and posters will be English. For more information please visit the http://www.norman-network.net/index_php.php?module=public/workshops/workshops2009_rivm&menu2=public/workshops/workshops&interface=1024&lang=en homepage.

PROPAINT: Improved Protection of Paintings During Exhibition, Storage and transit. Final Seminar and Workshop, the National Museum in Krakow, Poland, 20-21 November 2009

In the FP6 PROPAINT (044254) project, environmental evaluation of microclimate frames (mc-frames) for paintings and study of the potential deterioration effects on varnishes have been performed. The project reports on accelerated ageing studies on natural and synthetic varnishes exposed to inorganic (NO2, O3) and organic pollutants (acetic acid), in addition to exposures for over two years within microclimate frames in major European art galleries. The project reports for the first time the concentrations of oxidizing pollutants and organic acids inside microclimate frames: measurements were validated using complementary dosimeters. The PROPAINT project aims to contribute to the conservation strategy and standards for microclimate control of paintings on display, in storage and in transit. For detailed information please visit the PROPAINT homepage: http://propaint.nilu.no. For registration to the Final Seminar and Workshop please consult the http://muzeum.krakow.pl/propaint homepage (Contact person: Michal Obarzanowski, e-mail: mobarzanowski@muzeum.krakow.pl). The registration fee is 75 € (includes participation in the Final Seminar and Work-shop, dinner on 20th November, coffee and lunch) and the deadline is 31^st October 2009. Participants will have the possibility to present a poster with a topic related to the content of the Final Seminar.

Innovation in Construction: Taking the lead in greening the future. The 4th Conference of the European Construction Technology Platform. Brussels, 24-25 November 2009

After Paris, Versailles and Amsterdam, the European Construction Technology Platform is organizing its 4th Conference in Le Plaza Hotel in Brussels on 24-25 November 2009. The pivotal role played by the construction sector in the new global concepts of sustainable development and economic recovery is now widely recognised. In Europe this has led to reinforced Public Private Partnerships which are targeting innovation in the construction sector and are setting off with the clear objective to take the lead in greening the future. At the conference, experts will highlight research and innovation priorities which have been identified to meet the challenges we are facing. Results from ongoing research projects will be showcased as well as innovative new products entering on the market and ample opportunities will be available for technology transfer from and to major construction players and SMEs. For more information and registration please visit the http://www.ectp.org/conference2009.asp website.

FORWAST - Overall mapping of physical flows and stocks of resources to forecast waste quantities in Europe and identify life-cycle environmental stakes of waste prevention and recycling. Final Workshop of the FP6 FORWAST (044409 ) project will be held in Alexandersalen, Bispetorvet 1-3, 1167 København K, Denmark on 25 November 2009

FORWAST is a Scientific Targeted Research (STREP) project designed to support policies and to contribute to the EU Strategy for Sustainable Development and the 6^th Environment Action Programme. It addresses the environmental issues of waste generation and management using a life-cycle thinking approach. For detailed information please consult the homepage of the project at http://forwast.brgm.fr. The activities of the European economy use a considerable amount of natural resources that end in products, emissions and waste. Products accumulate in the antropospheric stock (buildings, infrastructure, machines, cars, etc.). The degradation of stocks produces emissions. The demolition, dismantling of stocks produces new resources and waste. In turn, the recycling and treatment of waste produces new resources and emissions. What will be our future waste? Where will they come from, in which quantity? How can we act now to favour the productivity of resources and minimise the environmental impact of our economy? The understanding of this complex loop within the economy from natural resources to waste and waste to resources, accompanied by its leaks of emissions to the environment is the core objective of FORWAST. The registration is free, please visit http://forwast.brgm.fr/workshop.asp

MODELKEY - How to assess the impact of key pollutants in aquatic ecosystems. The Final Conference of the FP6 IP MODELKEY project. The Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ in Leipzig, Germany, 30 November to 2 December 2009

The FP6 IP MODELKEY invites European scientists and stakeholders for its final conference “MODELKEY - How to assess the impact of key pollutants in aquatic ecosystems”. This event will take place from 30 November to 2 December 2009 at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ in Leipzig, Germany. MODELKEY scientists and outstanding invited experts will provide their view on the highlights of five years of research for linking adverse effects on biological quality elements to environmental pollution in a multiply stressed environment. Novel approaches for the identification and assessment of causes for insufficient ecological status integrating investigative monitoring with modelling and decision support will be presented. New evidence of toxic stress affecting ecological quality together with suggestions for responsible key pollutants will be provided. At specific case studies it will be shown how the establishment of conclusive exposure-effect chains helps to identify key pressures as a first step towards a risk-based river basin management. Large scale exposure and effect modelling in the frame of a user-friendly decision support system help to prioritise local and regional issues on a basin scale to support next generation river basin management plans. Please visit http://http://www.modelkey.org/ for more information on the project and the final conference.

FP7 Work Programme 2010, Cooperation, Theme 6: Environment (including climate change). European Commission C(2009) 5893 of 29 July 2009

In 2010, the aim is to continue supporting the main environmental policy and S&T drivers in the area of climate and environmental change, their consequences and the link to other sectors such as energy, transport, agriculture etc. Furthermore, the goal is to address concretely some new policy drivers such as European Economic Recovery Plan, The Energy-Climate Package as well as the Renewed Lisbon Agenda by taking into account the Strategic Agenda of the Community Lisbon Programme (CLP) (2008-2010) particularly the '10 key objectives' including sustainable consumption and production, renewable energies and low-carbon and resource-efficient products in order to enhance the development and uptake of environment friendly technologies and services. In the current context of economic insecurity and the emerging and increasing competition for natural resources and environmental services, the aim of the WP2010 is to address 'Environmental safety and welfare' as an overarching theme for all activities across the work programme 2010. The objective would be, through research, to contribute to assessing, reducing and preventing tensions and conflicts related to the depletion of natural resources and environmental services which are arising due to rapid environmental changes and/or natural and man-made hazards. Tensions include the increasing competition at various levels for natural resources and environmental services, the demographic pressures, the movement of populations searching better environmental conditions etc. These tensions and conflicts are expected to affect directly both developing and developed countries and their relations. Issues such as climate change, water scarcity, (re)-emergence and spread of diseases, depletion of marine resources, loss of biodiversity, increased intensity of natural disasters, and unsustainable urban development will be addressed and solutions be developed making use of all means including technologies, earth observation, modelling and socio-economic research approaches and involvement of policy makers. The FP7 Cooperation Work Programme 2010: Environment (including climate change) is downloadable from the ftp://ftp.cordis.europa.eu/pub/fp7/docs/wp/cooperation/environment/f_wp_201001_en.pdf homage.

The Effects of Air Pollution on Cultural Heritage. Eds.: Watt, J.; Tidblad, J.; Kucera, V.; Hamilton, R. Springer, 2009. 299 p. ISBN: 978-0-387-84892-1

The book combines the results of recent research of the FP6 CULT-STRAT (501609) Assessment of Air Pollution Effects on Cultural Heritage – Management Strategies project with practical information and provides an important reference manual for researchers, policy makers, economists and historic building managers working in the field of cultural heritage protection. This book examines the impact of air pollution on cultural heritage materials, which is a serious concern because it can lead to loss of important parts of our history and culture. Damage includes corrosion, bio-degradation and soiling. In recent years, there have been major changes in both the sources and amounts of emissions of air pollution that have altered the rate and extent of building damage. The book reviews the sources of the air pollutants responsible for building damage and the mechanisms involved. Studies investigating the relationships between pollution concentration (dose) and the resulting damage (response) are described and the latest research findings for dose-response functions presented. The book can be purchased at http://www.springer.com/environment/pollution+and+remediation/book/978-0-387-84892-1, and online version is also available.

User Manual for the new version of the 2.7.2 of the SESAM

The User Manual for the new version of the 2.7.2 of the SESAM, the European Commission online reporting tool for Research and Technological projects is now available on the Internet. The web based application SESAM, was developed to enable online completion and submission of reporting questionnaires for Science and Society, for Workforce statistics and for Gender Action plans (GAPs). The (i) Science and Society Reporting Questionnaire is obligatory for all IPs, NoEs, STREPs, CAs and SSAs and it should be completed on-line by each project coordinator and submitted as part of the first interim report and part of the final report for each FP6 project. The (ii) Workforce Statistics Reporting Questionnaire is obligatory for all STREPs, CAs and SSAs and the (iii) GAP Interim Implementation Reports and Final Implementation Reports are obligatory for IPs and NoEs and they should be completed on-line by the FP6 Project coordinators and contractors, as indicated in the reports, and submitted as part of the first interim report and part of the final report for each FP6 project. For more information please consult the http://webgate.ec.europa.eu/sesam/index.do homepage. 

Certificates Issued by External Auditors. Guidance notes for beneficiaries and auditors (Version: 3 September 2009)

These guidance notes have been compiled to guide research beneficiaries and external auditors in the preparation of Certificates on the Financial Statements and on the Methodology for calculating personnel costs/indirect costs under the European Community's 7th RTD Framework Programme (FP7). In particular, the document considers the following topics and related issues: (i)FP7 model Grant Agreement; (ii) Guide to Financial Issues Relating to FP7 Indirect Actions; (iii) Frequently asked questions (FAQs) received by the European Commission from external auditors, beneficiaries and the Commission’s operational services. The objective of these guidance notes is to give an overview of the requirements and provisions which are of importance in claiming costs for reimbursement and hence in the Certification on the Financial Statements and on the Methodology. These guidance notes do not reflect an official position of the Commission; only the provisions of the signed Grant Agreement are binding. This document is composed of Part I dealing with the Certificates on the Methodology, Part II covering the Certificates on the Financial Statements and Part III which is a common glossary for both types of Certificates. The following modifications, product of experience, new developments and feedback from users, have been introduced: (i) the adoption by the Commission on 23 June 2009 of the acceptability criteria for the assessment of average personnel costs methodologies; (ii) the particular case of average personnel costing methodologies for physical persons and SME owners who do not receive a salary; (iii) additional information/explanations and/or rewording further to questions raised through the Research Enquiry Service. The document is downloadable from the following website: ftp://ftp.cordis.europa.eu/pub/fp7/docs/guidelines-audit-certification_en.pdf

Guidance Notes on Project Reporting. FP7 Collaborative Projects, Networks of Excellence, Coordination and Support Actions, Research for the benefit of Specific Groups (in particular SMEs) Version 10/11/2008

This document is the guidance note to help the coordinators and consortia to prepare the periodic and final reports requested in Article II.4 of the Grant Agreement. This is a contractual obligation. It applies to Collaborative Projects, Networks of Excellence, Coordination and Support Actions, and Research for the benefit of Specific Groups (in particular SMEs) under the 7th Framework Programme of the European Community as well as under Euratom with the exception of the IDEAS Programme (ERC/European Research Council) for which a specific guidance note is available. The Commission evaluates the reports and deliverables in accordance with Article II.5 of the Grant Agreement. It may be assisted in this task by independent experts through technical project reviews (Article II.23 of the Grant Agreement). Payments shall be made after the Commission's approval of reports and/or deliverables. The Guide is downloadable from the ftp://ftp.cordis.europa.eu/pub/fp7/docs/project_reporting_en.pdf homepage.

Guide to Intellectual Property Rules for FP7 projects. Version 2 of 13 February 2009

This document provides an overview of the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) provisions applicable in the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007-2013). It is a guide to the various issues and potential pitfalls regarding IPR that participants may encounter when preparing and participating in an FP7 project. Overall, participants are strongly encouraged to consider and tackle IPR issues as soon as possible during the preparation of their project and to negotiate any relevant questions with the other participants before starting the project. Indeed, IPR issues can affect both the way a project is conducted, and the exploitation of results after the end of a project. Moreover, certain provisions foresee a default regime if no alternative agreement has been reached. This guide should be considered in conjunction with the applicable legislation, in particular the "Rules for Participation" ("RfP") and the "EC model Grant Agreement" ("ECGA"). These official documents prevail over any statement contained in this guide. It is clear that any other legislation that applies must also be respected, for example the provisions of the State aid framework. The Guide is downloadable from the ftp://ftp.cordis.europa.eu/pub/fp7/docs/ipr_en.pdf homepage.

A more research-intensive and integrated European Research Area. Science, Technology and Competitiveness key figures report 2008/2009. ISBN 978-92-79-10173-1, DOI 10.2777/27864

Between 2000 and 2006, R&D investment grew by 14.8 % in real terms in EU-27 compared to 10.1 % in the US. There has been a significant increase in the R&D intensities of more than half of the EU Member States. However, as a result of significant increases in EU-27 GDP and relatively small increases in R&D expenditure by the larger Member States, overall EU-27 R&D intensity has decreased from 1.86 % in 2000 to 1.84 % in 2006. At the same time, R&D intensity in Japan, South Korea and China has increased considerably. The main reasons for the decline in EU-27 R&D intensity are an insufficient growth in business R&D expenditure and the fact that EU companies have invested more outside of Europe, in particular in emerging research-intensive countries, than non-European companies have invested in Europe. Tackling these issues will be important as we continue to pursue the strategy for growth and jobs in the years ahead. The way forward involves making the most of the mobilising role of the European Research Area with specific efforts to facilitate structural change and increasing the circulation of researchers and knowledge. The publication from the http://ec.europa.eu/research/era/pdf/key-figures-report2008-2009_en.pdf can be downloaded.

FP6 CULT-STRAT (501609) Assessment of Air Pollution Effects on Cultural Heritage – Management Strategies

The overall aim of CULT-STRAT was to identify material indicators and threshold levels of pollutants to be used for development of strategies for sustainable maintenance and preventive conservation of European cultural heritage and air quality policy to reduce damage. The models permitted ranking of the effects of pollutants on corrosion and soiling of material. The stock of cultural heritage materials at risk in selected areas was used for assessment and mapping of areas where cultural heritage objects are endangered. The life cycles and costs for cultural heritage materials at different pollution scenarios served as economic components in the process of selection of indicators and threshold levels. More information can be found at the project home page http://www.corr-institute.se/cultstrat/. The project has now resulted in a book recently published by Springer, “The Effects of Air Pollution on Cultural Heritage (see under "Publications and available documents" above). The book combines the results of recent research with practical information and provides an important reference manual for researchers, policy makers, economists and historic building managers working in the field of cultural heritage protection.

FP6 AQUAMONEY (022723): Economic Assessment of the Environmental and Resource Costs and Benefits of Water Use and Water Services

The European Water Framework Directive (WFD) aims to achieve a good ecological status for all European water bodies and restore heavily modified water bodies to their ecological potential by 2015. The assessment of Environmental and Resource Costs and Benefits (ERCB) plays a central role in the economic assessment surrounding the implementation of the WFD, especially in relation to the cost recovery of water services (Article 9 WFD) and exemptions based on disproportionate costs (Article 4 WFD). ERCB refer to the market and non-market costs and benefits related to the pollution of water resources and water scarcity, specifically in the context of (not) reaching the WFD objectives. Although water resources are often not priced or underpriced due to their public good characteristics, they generate important socio-economic costs and benefits that have to be accounted for in policy and decision-making towards their sustainable use. The project AQUAMONEY developed practical guidelines for the economic valuation of water resources in the context of the WFD (see Policy Brief No. 1 at http://www.aquamoney.ecologic-events.de/sites/results.html). For this purpose, AQUAMONEY followed a four staged approach: (i) assess policy-maker demand for guidance on economic valuation of water resources; (ii) develop draft guidelines for the economic valuation of water resources; (iii) test the draft guidelines in 12 case studies throughout Europe; and (iv) incorporate the experiences from the case studies into the guidelines.

The case studies focus on key methodological issues in non-market water resource valuation using public survey formats and the transferability of estimated economic values. The latter was facilitated by the development of a common WFD water quality ladder and valuation design. All case studies include an assessment of public perception and attitudes towards water policy issues and water quality improvements across EU Member States. The case studies are grouped around some of the main water management issues in Europe:

• Ecological restoration of heavily modified water bodies in the international Danube river basin in central and eastern European nations (Austria, Hungary, Romania)

• Chemical and ecological water quality improvement in northern Europe (UK, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Netherlands, Lithuania)

• Climate change, water allocation and conservation in southern Europe (Spain, Italy, Greece)

Furthermore, the project explored the feasibility of developing GIS-based value maps of European river basins. AQUAMONEY produced two main types of deliverables: (i) Technical Guidelines for the economic valuation of water resources; and (ii) Policy Briefs informing policy makers and stakeholders about the key outcomes of the project. Further information and materials can be found on www.aquamoney.org

FP7 CLEAN WATER (227017): Water Detoxification Using Innovative vi-Nanocatalysts

The concept of the project is based on the development of innovative nanostructured UV-Visible photocatalysts for water treatment and detoxification by using doped TiO2 nanomaterials with visible light response. The project aims at an efficient and viable water detoxification technology exploiting solar energy and recent advances in nano-engineered titania photocatalysts and nanofiltration membranes for the destruction of extremely hazardous compounds in water. To this aim, the UV-vis responding titania nanostructured photocatalysts will be stabilized on nanotubular membranes of controlled pore size and retention efficiency as well as on carbon nanotubes exploiting their high surface area and unique electron transport properties to achieve photocatalytically active nanofiltration membranes. This will be the crucial component for the fabrication of innovative continuous flow photocatalytic-disinfection-membrane reactors for the implementation of a sustainable and cost effective water treatment technology based on nanoengineered materials. Comparative evaluation of the UV-visible and solar light efficiency of the modified titania photocatalysts for water detoxification will be performed on specific target pollutants focused mainly on cyanobacterial toxin MC-LR and endocrine disrupting compounds (EDC) in water supplies as well as classical water pollutants such us phenols, pesticides and azo-dyes. Particular efforts will be devoted on the analysis and quantification of degradation products. The final goal is the scale up of the photocatalytic reactor technology and its application in lakes, tanks and continuous flow systems for public water distribution. Project Partners: (i) National Center for Scientific Research “Demokritos” (GR); (ii) Osmosistemi (IT); (iii) Innovative Research and Technology Ltd (UK); (iv) University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ES); (v) Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto (PT); (vi) ARMINES, GEPEA-Universite de Nantes-Ecole Des Mines de Nantes (FR); (vii) University of Cincinnati (USA). Project web site: http://www.photocleanwater.eu. Nano4water cluster of projects: http://nano4water.eu/index.php?id=34

FP7 NAMETECH (226791): Development of intensified water treatment concepts by integrating nano- and membrane technologies

The Nametech project harnesses benefits of nanotechnology to bring about improvements in membrane filtration for advanced water treatment. The general objective is to strengthen the European membrane market by making nanotechnology available to large scale European membrane manufacturers. A unique feature of the project is the knowledge transfer between the experienced membrane manufacturer Norit and the coating expert and new-comer to the membrane field Agfa Gevaert. The S&T focus is on the use of nano-structured materials to alter the physical and chemical properties of polymeric ultrafiltration membranes and thereby improving the filtration performance at macro-scale installations. The project aims at adapting commercial nanoparticles such as TiO2 and Ag for the modification of UF membranes to reduce fouling, and thus improve its permeability (i.e. Technology Path 1). In Technology Path 2 and 3, the potential of using active nanoparticles, such as bionano-catalysts, in combination with membranes is examined to remove micropollutants such as chlorinated compounds, nitroaromatic compounds or redox active metals, thus improving the water quality. A specific novelty is the development of an integrated permeate channel concept, whereby the nanoparticles are embedded in 3D textiles, functioning as membrane support and permeate channel. The nanoparticles will be deposited on the membrane surface or embedded in the membrane (mixed matrix). The S&T challenges regarding the modification of the nanoparticles, the deposition of the nanoparticles on membrane surface as well as the production of nano-activated membranes (NAMs) will be addressed. The newly developed NAMs will be tested at laboratory scale before selecting the most promising concept for testing at pilot scale. The activities will be complemented by a toxicological study and the application of LCA to assess the environmental impacts. The high industrial involvement puts a strong focus on the exploitation strategies and handling IPR issues. Partner institutions: (i) Vlaamse Instelling voor Technologisch Onderzoek N.V. (BE); (ii) Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen (DE); (iii) Nederlandse Organisatie voor Toegepast Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek (NE); (iv) The University of Manchester (UK); (v) Norit Process Technology B.V. (NE); (vi) AGFA-GEVAERT N.V. (BE); (vii) Consorzio Venezia Ricerche (IT); (viii) Technical University of Liberec (CZ), (ix) Aquatest AS (CZ); (x) Suez Environnement – CIRSEE (FR); (xi) Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz (CH). Project web site: http://www.nametech.eu. The Nano4water cluster of projects: http://nano4water.eu/index.php?id=34

FP7 THESEUS (244104): Advanced bipolar membrane processes for remediation of highly saline waste water streams

Coastal areas are vital economic hubs in terms of settlement, industry, agriculture, trade and tourism to mention some key sectors. There are already many coastal problems including erosion, flood risk and long-term habitat deterioration. As economies continue to develop the asset base at risk will grow, while accelerating climate change will increase the likelihood of damaging extreme events, as well as accelerate habitat decline. Existing coastal management and defence approaches are not well tuned to these challenges as they assume a static situation. THESEUS will develop a systematic approach to delivering both a low-risk coast for human use and healthy habitats for evolving coastal zones subject to multiple change factors. The innovative combined mitigation and adaptation technologies to be considered will include ecologically-based mitigation measures (such as restoration and/or creation of habitats), hydro-morphodynamic techniques (such as wave energy converters, sediment reservoirs, multi-purpose structures, overtop resistant dikes), actions to reduce the impact on society and economy (such as promotion of risk awareness or spatial planning) and GIS-based software to support defence planning. To integrate the best of these technical measures in a strategic policy context we will develop overarching THESEUS guidelines which will considers the environmental, social and economic issues raised in any coastal area. It is in this spirit that THESEUS will advance European and international experience in applying innovative technologies to reducing coastal risks. THESEUS activities will be carried out within a multidisciplinary framework using 8 study sites across Europe, with specific attention to the most vulnerable coastal environments such as deltas, estuaries and wetlands, where many large cities and industrial areas are located. Partner institutions: (i) Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna (IT); (ii) Universidad de Cantabria (ES); (iii) University of Plymouth (UK); (iv) Aalborg Universitet (DK); (v) INFRAM International BV (NL); (vi) GKSS - Forschungszentrum Geesthacht GMBH (DE); (vii) University of Southampton (UK); (viii) Université de Versailles St-Quentin-en-Yvelines (FR); (ix) Centre d’Etudes Techniques Maritimes Et Fluviale (FR); (x) Middlesex University Higher Education Corporation (UK); (xi) Instytut Meteorologii I Gospodarki Wodnej (PL); (xii) Institute of Oceanology - Bulgarian Academy Of Sciences (BG); (xiii) Athens University of Economics and Business - Research Center (GR); (xiv) Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie Van Wetenschappen (NL); (xv) Consorzio per la gestione del centro di coordinamento delle attivita di ricerca inerenti il sistema lagunare di Venezia (IT); (xvi) Instytut Budownicta Wodnego Polskiej Akademii Nauk (PL); (xvii) Bangor University (UK); (xviii) Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières (FR); (xix) Hamburg Port Authority (DE); (xx) EID-Mediterranée (FR); (xxi) Latvijas Universitate (LV); (xxii) Istituto Superiore per la Ricerca e la Protezione Ambientale (IT); (xxiii) Vlaams Instituut Voor De Zee Vzw (BE); (xxiv) Aristotelio Panepistimio Thessalonikis (GR); (xxv) Katolieke University Leuven (BE); (xxvi) Marine Hydrophysical Institute - Ukrainian National Academy Of Sciences (UA); (xxvii) P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology of Russian Academy of Sciences (RU); (xxviii) University of Delaware (US); (xxix) Universidad Nacional Autonoma De Mexico (ME); (xxx) East China Normal University ECNU (CN); (xxxi) National Cheng Kung University (TA). Project web site (expected from early 2010): http://www.theseus-fp7.eu

FP7 TyGRe (226549): High added value materials from waste tyre gasification residues

This project is focused on the waste tyres recycling and promotes a thermal process mainly devoted to the production of ceramic materials. The disposal of waste tyres represents a relevant problem within the waste management strategy of the European Community and, despite the attempts of reusing waste tyre in many different ways, a relevant fraction (nearly 23%) is still landfilled. Pyrolysis and gasification are a promising way for alternative high-efficiency material and energy production, since both the processes provide a gaseous and a liquid fraction easily usable as fuels or chemical sources. Nevertheless, besides these encouraging preliminary remarks, the experiences on both pilot and industrial scale have shown that without a valuable exploitation of the solid by-product (char), the whole economic balance of the process is not advantageous and therefore the process is not sustainable. The gasification/pyrolysis treatment of waste tyres, apart from a high hydrogen rich syngas, brings to a very high carbon-rich char fraction, which has been tested in the past as a semi-reinforcing filler for new tyres or as an active carbon. The main idea of the proposal consists in redirecting the gasification process towards the material recycling, by coupling a second thermal process, dedicated to the plasma synthesis of silicon carbide, to the preliminary waste tyres gasification. The overall strategy of the project’s work plan consists of three levels: (i) the development of a sustainable recycling process for the waste tyre treatments, with the final construction of a prototype plant; (ii) the sustainability assessment, in terms of impact analyses on economical, ecological and social aspects; and (iii) the market requirements analysis and the future perspectives in view of potential stakeholders, and the diffusion of the results. Partner institutions are (i) Ente per le Nuove tecnologie, l’Energia e l’Ambiente, IT; (ii) European Tyre Recycling Association, FR; (iii) Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen, DE; (iv) TUBITAK Marmara Research Center, TR; (v) ELASTRADE; IT (vi) Institute of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, HU; (vii) Febe Ecologic, IT; (viii) Copenhagen Membrane Technology A/S, DE; (ix) SICAV S.r.l., IT

FP7 ORCHESTRA (226521): Organising dissemination on results of projects on Chemical evaluation, spreading techniques for Risk Assessment

Computer-based "in silico" methods for the environment have a huge potential of dissemination, never experimented for any other method. To invest in this action offers unique opportunities to spread the results of EC funded projects, and attract policy makers and public to use the results of these projects. The main objective is the dissemination and exploitation of ongoing EU research dealing with computer tools, such as "in silico" models used for the predictive assessment of ecotoxicity and environmental properties. These computer tools are important to validate and disseminate because of their multiple advantages over existing methods: (i) For regulators, "in silico" methods can be applied quickly to test a large number of chemicals; (ii) For environmental and health protection the availability of fast tools capable of processing a large number of compounds can improve the knowledge on the environmental impact of contaminants; (iii) For industry that bears the increased costs related to more demanding environmental and toxicological evaluation, "in silico" methods allows a substantial cost-cutting; (iv) For animal protection a large amount of animal deaths will be avoided as no animals (nor animal cells or tissues) are required unlike for "in vivo" or "in vitro" testing methods; (v) For waste reduction no use of chemicals; (vi) For easy use as they only require a computer and Internet access and can be used in many cases without specific training. Partner Institutions: (i) Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche “Mario Negri”, IT; (ii) PublicSpace Ltd, UK; (iii) Politecnico di Milano, IT; (iv) Institut Symlog de France, FR; (v) University of Patras, GR; (vi) Centro Reach S.r.l., IT; (vii) Universitaet Stuttgart, DE. Project Web Site: http://www.orchestra.eu

FP7 SUSREF (226858): Sustainable Refurbishment of Building Facades and External Walls

SUSREF will develop new sustainable technologies for refurbishment of external walls. SUSREF is based on the premise that 1) Refurbishment of external walls is one of the most efficient ways of reducing environmental impacts from European building stock. 2) European building sector is facing huge refurbishment requirements; refurbishment of external walls is among the most urgent tasks. 3) Although there are technological solutions, the risks and optimal solutions are not understood. 4) External walls have an extensive effect on building performance and several aspects have to be taken into account when developing new concepts: a) effect on energy consumption, b) building physical behaviour and durability, c) good integration with building structure, details and building services, d) effect on indoor environment, e) aesthetics. 5) Urgent needs of refurbishment are not only faced in the EU but also in neighbouring areas. Development of functional and environmentally efficient technologies would support the European industry to export projects and the neighbouring areas to adopt sustainable technologies. SUSREF will 1) identify the foreseen needs to refurbish building envelops in the EU in order to understand the significance in terms of environmental and economic impacts and business potentials; 2) develop a systemized methods to manage the functional performance of solutions. Analyse technologies from the view point of building physics, comfort and durability. Consider different challenges in different parts of Europe in terms of present climate and foreseen risks of its changes, technological and cultural-historic issues; 3) develop systemized methods for consideration of energy and environmental performance of external walls; 4) develop sustainable product and project concepts; 5) disseminate results for building industry, standardisation bodies, and policy-makers and authorities in terms of technological knowledge, guidelines and recommendations. the Partner institutions are: (i) Valtion Teknillinen Tutkimuskeskus, FI; (ii) Stiftelsen SINTEF, NO; (iii) Vahanen Oy, FI; (iv) Cardiff University, UK; (v) Building Research Establishment Ltd., UK; (vi) Fundacion Labein, ES; (vii) Repair Estructuras, S.L., ES; (viii) Oneka Arquitectura SL, ES; (ix) Sustainable Gwynedd Gynaladwy, UK; (x) Ehituskonstrueerimise ja Katsetuste OÜ, EE; (xi) Trondheim Og Omegn Boligbyggelag, NO.

FP7 PERSUADE (226313): PoroElastic Road SUrface: an innovation to Avoid Damages to the Environment

Low-noise road surfaces are recognized as a cost-effective tool for traffic noise abatement. The best performance can be achieved by optimizing surface texture and porosity. That way, a bottom line of a 3dB lifetime average reduction with respect to ordinary asphalt has been reached. Any progress must resort to another noise-relevant characteristic i.e. elasticity by which the noise due to tyre vibrations can be suppressed. A recently completed European project has shown that, in order to be effective, the elasticity of the road surface must be in the same range as that of the tyre itself. This explains why previous attempts of incorporating a little rubber in an asphalt mix failed to produce significant noise reductions. The solution consists of a fully rubberized, porous compound: a so-called “PoroElastic Road Surface” (PERS). Trials in Japan and Sweden have demonstrated vehicle noise reduction close to 10 dB. However, that promising technology is not ready for application. The following problems have to be solved: resistance to wear and tear, adhesion to the base, winter maintenance, mechanical behaviour and the following have to be clarified: rolling resistance, skid resistance, frost behaviour, fire hazard, workability and production/laying processes including workers safety. The project aims at developing a durable, cost-effective PERS using scrapped tyres, which would benefit the environment by contributing to abating traffic noise and vibrations but also helping to solve the problem of over 3 million tons of used tyres being dumped or burned every year in the 27 MS. One will take advantage of Swedish and Japanese experience. The former country is represented in the Consortium while the latter will be represented in an External Reference Group. Five countries including two NMS will host the experimental sites and test different variants of mixes and construction methods. One will also analyze the global, possibly positive impact on CO2 emissions. The partner institutions: (i) Centre de Recherches Routières, BE; (ii) Statens Väg- och Transportforskningsinstitut, SE; (iii) Danish Road Directorate, Danish Road Institute, DK; (iv) NCC Roads A/S, DK; (v)Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute, SI; (vi) Instytut Badawczy Drog i Mostow, PL; (vii) Politechnika Gdanska, PL; (viii) Dura Vermeer Divisie Infra BV, NL; (ix)European Tyre Recyclers Association, FR; (x) HET Elastomertechnik GmbH, DE; (xi) Laboratoire Central des Ponts et Chaussées, FR; (xii) Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, BE