CORDIS Archive
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COUNCIL DECISION of 25 January 1999 adopting a specific programme for research, technological development and demonstration on energy, environment and sustainable development (1998 to 2002) (1999/170/EC) A. ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT The strategic goal of this part of the programme is to promote environmental science and technology so as to improve our quality of life and boost growth, competitiveness and employment, while meeting the need for sustainable management of resources and protection of the environment in line with the goals and objectives of the fifth action programme on the environment as well as other Community policies relating to the environment. The RTD and demonstration projects will concentrate through four key actions on tackling the issues of sustainable water management and water quality; global change, climate and biodiversity; sustainable integrated management of marine resources; and city of tomorrow and cultural heritage as well as generic activities concerning the fight against major hazards, the development of earth observation technologies, and socioeconomic aspects of environment within the perspective of sustainable development (the impact on society, the economy and employment). Specific attention will also be given to the need for an optimum use of existing European research infrastructures and for transnational cooperation in the rational and cost-effective development of European research infrastructures to support cutting-edge research in environmental activities. (i) Sustainable management and quality of water Objectives and RTD priorities The overall goal of this key action is to produce the knowledge and technologies needed for the rational management of water resources, for tackling important problems such as water scarcity, and for networks for domestic needs and those of industry and agriculture, while maintaining the integrity of ecosystems. Research will focus on: - Development of treatment and purification technologies to prevent pollution, to purify water, to prevent and mitigate salination of water resources and to use and/or reuse water rationally as well as the development of an integrated approach for the management of water resources and wetlands The aim is to develop the knowledge and the technologies needed for the rational management of water resources; to match water supply with demand and achieve cost-efficiency and sustainability; to improve the science base (including on habits, attitudes and cultural patterns), methodologies and management tools to provide a better understanding of the phenomena and allow integrated management and sustainable use of water and wetlands at catchment scale, within constraints of availability, environmental quality and socioeconomic cost-benefits; to develop technologies to prevent and treat pollution of water bodies and groundwater stocks, to purify water and to use and/or reuse water rationally (including closed loop approaches and reliability of collection and distribution networks). RTD priorities: tools and methodologies for cost-effective and sustainable integrated water resources and wetlands management; effective transfer of knowledge and skills to water users; development of real scale applications across Europe with a view to supporting EU policy; optimisation of technologies to treat and purify drinking water and to minimise use and pollution of water; process-integrated treatment of waste water at source; rational reuse of water; application of closed loop technologies; development of integrated procedures to assess the state of water systems; development of advanced processes to prevent and alleviate salination, - Technologies for monitoring and prevention of pollution, protection and management of groundwater and surface water resources, including ecological quality aspects The aim is to characterise and to assess the state and evolution of the quality and quantity of surface and groundwaters as well as the functioning of aquatic and wetland ecosystems as the basis for more rational management. This will include the development of technologies for assessing and treating pollution originating from contaminated sites and waste disposal sites as well as the development of biological assessment methods for monitoring water quality. RTD priorities: improved methods of measuring and monitoring water quality and quantity and techniques for analysing pollutant flows and development of technologies for integrated assessment of soil pollution treatment methods; nutrients from diffuse sources; predictive models and advanced pollution impact assessment methodologies; updated water quality criteria and indicators for water policies, - Surveillance, early warning and communication systems The aim is to develop systems able to react on different time and space scales, including early-warning predictive systems with direct feedback to pollution sources. RTD priorities: surveillance systems for point and diffuse pollution sources and for the various environmental recipient systems; control and data management systems, including leakage detection and stormwater management and systems for floods and drought assessment, - Technologies for the regulation and management of stocks and technologies for arid and semi-arid regions and generally water-deficient regions The aim is to improve and protect water resources and aquatic ecosystems, to optimise water management systems in arid regions, and to better manage water crises. RTD priorities: integrated approaches at catchment and collection point level incorporating the various political, social, economic and environmental interactions; improved systems for management of water resources and their use at EU, national, regional and local level to assist decision making. (ii) Global change, climate and biodiversity Objectives and RTD priorities The aim of this key action is to develop the scientific, technological and socioeconomic basis and tools necessary for the study and understanding of changes in the environment. Aiming for an integrated approach, the priorities are: - To understand, detect, assess and predict global change processes The aim is to focus mainly on European and subregional causes and impacts of specific global change problems, such as climate change, ozone depletion, biodiversity loss, loss of fertile land and habitats, disruptions to ocean circulation. Attention will be given to both natural and anthropogenic phenomena, in the context of the sustainable use of natural resources. RTD priorities: variability and change in and between: atmospheric composition, ozone depletion and UVB radiation; biogeochemical and hydrological cycles, biodiversity, climate, ocean processes, sea level; link between climate change and the frequency and scale of extreme events; socioeconomic interactions and impacts on natural resources and human health, - To foster better understanding of the terrestrial and marine ecosystems and the interaction between them and other ecosystems The emphasis will be on ecosystem interactions with land surfaces and land use, soil, water, atmosphere and ocean; role of biodiversity and climate change; interactions between ecosystems, biogeochemical cycles, large-scale land degradation and desertification. RTD priorities: global change scenarios and their impact on terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems and the consequences thereof for food security and resource utilisation; assessment of biodiversity, including losses; assessment of global change and climate change impacts on, and risks to, key sensitive systems or areas; identification and quantification of ecosystem role in biogeochemical cycles; land use modelling, soil degradation and desertification trends, - To develop scenarios and strategies for the prevention and mitigation of, and for possible adaptation to, the effects of global change, climate change and for the conservation of biodiversity in the context of sustainable development The aim is to provide a sound scientific basis for the development of tangible management strategies and actions to address the adverse consequences outlined in the key action. RTD priorities: formulation and evaluation of options, assessing their scientific, economic, technical and policy feasibility, and their social acceptability; conditions for decoupling economic growth and environmental deterioration; assessment and enhancement of institutional capabilities for implementation of international treaties, - To support the development of the European component of the global observation systems for climate, terrestrial systems and oceans The aim is to identify and help fill key gaps in existing observation system capacity in order to ensure that the necessary data are available to address the prediction, impact assessment and response options to global change. RTD priorities: development of instruments, systems and methods to establish and process long-term consolidated data sets of key variables by both in-situ measurements and remote sensing techniques. This will cover, as required, the atmosphere, oceans (using, inter alia, Euro-GOOS), land, hydrosphere, cryosphere and biosphere. (iii) Sustainable marine ecosystems Objectives and RTD priorities The aim of this key action is to promote the development of sustainable integrated management of marine resources and to contribute to the marine aspects of environment and sustainable development policies of the EU. This action will contribute to better coordination of national marine policies, and therefore a continued commitment is required, all the more so because the European seas are among the most heavily used in the world. Synergy with other relevant activities of the framework programme will be ensured through a specific coordinating mechanism. The research objectives are: - To develop the scientific knowledge on marine processes, ecosystems and interactions The aim is to facilitate the sustainable use of the marine environment and resources while fully respecting its overall integrity and functioning. RTD priorities: effects of physical forces, environmental factors and interactions at the ocean boundaries on ecosystem functioning and natural variability; extreme environments and their communities: functioning and potential for exploitation; sedimentary systems and their contribution to the sustainable management and use of shelf, slope and deepsea floor; origin, delivery and cycling of contaminants, key elements and nutrients, and their impact on ecosystem functioning, - To reduce the anthropogenic impact on biodiversity and the sustainable functioning of marine ecosystems through analysis of its causes, consequences and possible solutions and through development of safe, economic and sustainable exploitation technologies The aim is to reduce the impact of human activity on the biodiversity and sustainable functioning of marine ecosystems and to develop the technologies required to facilitate safe and profitable economic yet sustainable exploitation of marine resources. RTD priorities: effects of anthropogenic activities, including exploitation, tourism and urbanisation along the coast, and those of species introduction and biogeochemical cycling on ecosystems; mechanisms of marine biodiversity evolution to reverse trends in its reduction; processes that mitigate impact of contaminants and eutrophication, recovery of degraded systems. Development of technologies for (i) the characterisation and monitoring of marine environments; (ii) sample collection; (iii) exploration of living resources for biotechnological applications; (iv) communication, surveying analysis, imaging, modelling and monitoring systems, deepsea instrumentation and exploratory platforms, - To develop the capacity for monitoring and managing coastal phenomena The aim is to alleviate pollution, flooding and erosion, in particular of fragile coastlines, and to facilitate land reclamation from the sea. RTD priorities: long-term coastal morphological changes, interactions between ecology (including vegetation and fauna), morphology, erosion and impact of human activities; extreme events, risk analysis, sea state propagation from offshore to the coast; tidal inlets and river mouths dynamics and stability; estuarine morphodynamics and estuarine-coastal interaction; fate of pollutants; natural coastal defence mechanisms, impact assessment of structures on marine environment, adaptation of innovative engineering techniques for minimising disturbances of the ecosystems; instrumentation, data management and modelling for effective monitoring, - To enable operational forecasting of environmental constraints on offshore activities The aim is to facilitate safe, sustainable offshore operations within the given environmental constraints and to develop the necessary components of an appropriate marine observation system. RTD priorities: development of pilot systems for monitoring, prediction and management, with a view to safe offshore operations: (i) observation and measurement techniques and tools for systematic acquisition of ocean parameters, (ii) improve forecasting techniques through refinement of mathematical models capable of predicting impact of natural and human-induced variations on marine ecosystems and resources, (iii) methodologies to assess the pertinence of environmental parameters, and (iv) best practice compatible with requirements of international regulations and conventions. (iv) The city of tomorrow and cultural heritage Objectives and RTD priorities The overall goal of this key action is to support sustainable economic development and competitiveness, improved urban management and integrated planning policy, and help safeguard and improve the quality of life and cultural identity of citizens. It will focus on the provision of an integrated socioeconomic knowledge-base, and products, services, tools and technologies for better city management and on the environmental challenges, particularly in relation to reducing pollutant emissions. - Integrated approaches aiming at sustainable development of cities and rational management of resources The aim is to create new models for the sustainable development of European cities and city regions and prepare medium- and long-term socioeconomic scenarios and research, development and demonstration activities focusing, in particular, on supporting and stimulating economic competitiveness, town planning and architecture, social integration, safety, energy efficiency and conservation (in particular in buildings and in urban transport) and the exploitation of information networks (the concept of .digital cities'). RTD priorities: urban development scenarios and integrated planning tools; developing strategies for job creation and socioeconomic integration, also taking into account safety and multicultural aspects; impact of technologies, infrastructure, noise and air pollution from all sources on social development, changes in urban surface use, resource utilisation, health and the environment; demand management, safety and security of supply of essential resources (e.g. energy, land and water); integrated approaches to better use and conservation of resources and reduced pollution and waste taking into account social and environmental sustainability, - Protection, conservation and enhancement of European cultural heritage The aim is to develop sound management of cultural resources of cities and urban regions to improve citizens' quality of life, tourism and job creation. RTD priorities: effective technologies for economic, safe and environment-friendly design, maintenance, repair, modernisation, conversion, construction, dismantling and demolition of the built environment, in particular for large groups of buildings; essential services to combat hazards and deterioration; more efficient management of resources (materials, energy, water, etc.); safety, security and social dimensions; optimum use and reuse of land (above and beneath the ground), including rehabilitation of contaminated sites; reliable environmental impact assessment; indoor environmental management, - Comparative assessment and cost-effective implementation of strategies for sustainable transport systems in an urban environment The aim is to promote sustainable cost-effective and user-oriented transport strategies and solutions, integrated within the overall urban context, in order to reduce radically pollution levels (noise and emissions) and urban congestion at affordable prices for users, while guaranteeing effective operation, the quality of life, including socioeconomic aspects, and conservation of the cultural heritage. RTD priorities: comparative assessment and demonstration of strategic approaches and of technical solutions for innovative and sustainable, collective and individual, transport systems and methodologies and related infrastructure in a specific urban context.
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