Let’s construct Europe’s future with innovative buildings and infrastructures: Construction and societal challenges. Warsaw, 4-5 October 2011

Posted on: 5 October 2011
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This 5th Conference of the European Construction Technology Platform, combined with a Conference of the Era-Net Eracobuild, was held to show how the construction sector contributes to the EU’s  Europe 2020 initiative, a strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. Issues covered included: sustainable construction, European Recovery Plan, energy efficient buildings, efficient infrastructures, cultural heritage, materials, ICT, innovation, business, and smalls and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The participation of programme owners and managers from the Member States involved in the Era-Net Eracobuild also illustrated the wish of building up a European Research Area in the sector. Presentations are available online.

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Bioenergy planning in European regions. Brussels, 5 October 2011

Posted on: 5 October 2011
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This event provided an opportunity to signal the completion of three bioenergy projects BEn, BioEnerGIS and MAKE-IT-BE.  After three years of developing guidance material, creating tools, stimulating and implementing regional and local partnerships in bioenergy, the three Intelligent Energy Europe co-funded projects mentioned above have concluded their work. Together, they present a wealth of support for bioenergy planning and implementation in Europe. The projects have documented innovative case studies, outlined a methodology for biomass planning and developed tools to assess the energy potential from biomass resources – mostly waste from forestry, agriculture and livestock as a resource. These results can help to drive and support the green economy agenda in Europe, by rolling out more bioenergy actions across the continent. Presentations and other resources from the event are available online.

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Domestic tourism in the European Union

Posted on: 28 September 2011
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This issue of Statistics in Focus takes a look at domestic tourism in the European Union.

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Creative regions in Europe: Second Research Seminar. Poznan, 21-22 September 2011

Posted on: 21 September 2011
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This event focused on two research questions. First one concerns what role the concentration of creative and cultural industries plays at different geographical scales and contexts? In particular, how do these concentrations work in small towns and rural areas versus the more traditional larger city perspective? The second key theme of the workshop was the challenges and opportunities of the development of creative regions in Central and Eastern Europe. Speakers were asked to present papers on case studies, investigations and experiences of the creative industries in cities and regions with special reference to their contribution to region’s competitiveness and innovativeness. The range of papers covered both theoretical perspectives and practical examples of the problems faced by researchers in trying to understand the role of creative industries in peripheral areas as well as the issues on creative regions in Central and Eastern Europe. Presentations are available online.

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Were ERDF co-financed tourism projects effective?

Posted on: 20 September 2011
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Between 2000 and 2006, € 4.6 billion in EU funds were allocated under the ERDF for physical investments in tourism. This European Court of Auditors’ (ECA) performance audit is based on a wide survey of projects in nine Member States encompassing 26 regions. The questions addressed by the audit were: Did the projects deliver the results expected of them? Are project results sustainable? Did the EU support influence the existence or the design of the projects?

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Innovation in redesign cities. Gdansk, Poland, 18-20 September 2011

Posted on: 18 September 2011
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In the framework of Polish Presidency of the EU Council the European Forum for Architectural Policies organised this international  conference. The goals of the conference were: to indicate an innovative role of architecture in redesign of European cities that is aimed at their development and increase of attractiveness, while challenged by global competition; to indicate an innovative role of architecture and urban design in sustainability and harmony of urban environment, while responding to the Europe 2020 Strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth; to indicate an innovative role of architecture that aims at the life quality, as opposed to short-term and territory-limited profits of mostly financial character, observed at all levels: national and regional, municipal, corporate and individual; to indicate a need for cooperation of the state and local authorities, the NGOs, research institutes and profession in support of innovative architecture; to indicate the needed actions, carried by EU and governmental bodies in processing the redesign of European cities’ structure; to indicate the priorities of the Architectural Policy, accepted by all parties engaged in innovation and architectural quality, aimed at sustainable.

A video summarising the main issues debated at the conference and illustrated by several case studies and site visits is also available here.

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Cities in Europe 2020: Enhance sustainability now. Brussels, 12-14 September 2011

Posted on: 12 September 2011
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The ICLEI European Convention is a series of conferences that started in 1998 in the city of Götenborg, Sweden. The main goal of these events is to provide a platform to ICLEI members to network, discuss and address key topics with representatives of other leading cities and European institutions. The latest Convention aimed to provide an insight into what is needed for a targeted implementation of the Europe 2020 Strategy, and offered a number of plenary and parallel sessions, focusing on the transition needed to achieve smart, sustainable and inclusive cities. Presentations are available online.

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Framing and focusing: European resource policies in the context of sustainable development. Szentendre (near Budapest), Hungary, 27-29 June 2011

Posted on: 15 July 2011
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The conference was organized by the European Sustainable Development Network, in cooperation with the Hungarian EU Presidency, and had two main objectives: to broaden the discussion on resource policies in Europe, advocating a more comprehensive approach from a sustainable development perspective, and to develop recommendations for the EU and Member States on integrated resource policies in the context of sustainable development, particularly with regard to the Europe 2020 flagship initiative. A documentation of the conference, including the powerpoint presentations, the conference discussion paper, the conference program, the participant list and a photo documentation can be found online.

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Sustainable competitiveness of the construction sector

Posted on: 13 July 2011
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In the autumn of 2011, the European Commission will submit a communication for the sustainable competitiveness of the construction sector. This study was initiated in 2010 by European Commission DG Enterprise and Industry, unit G5 “Construction, Pressure Equipment and Metrology” with the purpose of analysing the needs of the sector as well as the foundation and feasibility of launching a renewed competitive agenda for the EU construction sector within the context of the Smart Growth Agenda 2020. Specifically, the study: assesses the competitive position of the EU construction sector; elaborates learning points derived from the implementation of the1997 competitiveness agenda; identifies and analyses key factors influencing the current and future competitiveness of the EU construction sector; examines and assesses the regulatory and other framework conditions at European and national level to identify key challenges that the mid-term strategy needs to address; and presents a draft strategy, actions and implementation plan.

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Manual of European Environmental Policy

Posted on: 1 July 2011
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The Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP) and Earthscan have published a renewed Manual of European Environmental Policy. The new and comprehensive source on EU environmental policy is published online by Earthscan and written by an interdisciplinary team of experts from the IEEP. It will also be available later in print form. The Manual provides: the quickest and most efficient way to access analysis of over 500 Directives, Decisions and Regulations and archived environmental policy from 1992 onwards; direct links to referenced legal texts, policy proposals and cases from the European Court of Justice; bi-monthly updates to current legislation, together with details and analysis of any new legislation within eight weeks of release by the EC Commission; interactive features allowing you to cross-reference key terms, save entries, email them, and share with your social network; and advanced search options for quick results. A subscription is required to access the Manual.

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