Project Stories from the CENTRAL EUROPE Programme Environmental Risk Management and Climate Change

Transcription

1 Project Stories from the CENTRAL EUROPE Programme Environmenta Risk Management and Cimate Change

2 Pubisher: CENTRAL EUROPE Programme Joint Technica Secretariat Kirchberggasse 33-35/ Vienna Austria Concept and Editing: CENTRAL EUROPE Programme Texts and Photos: CENTRAL EUROPE Projects Editoria Support: Tom Popper Artwork: Hermann Kienesberger Paper: Biotop (FSC-certified) Printed: June 2014 Athough every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information in this pubication, the CENTRAL EUROPE Programme cannot be hed responsibe for any information from externa sources, technica inaccuracies, typographica errors or other errors herein. Information and inks may have changed without notice. Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowedged. This pubication is financed by the CENTRAL EUROPE Programme under the European Regiona Deveopment Fund (ERDF)

3 Contents Editoria CENTRAL EUROPE Cooperating across borders for the regions 6 Cooperating on environment in CENTRAL EUROPE 10 Anaysis: Cooperating across borders to tacke environmenta chaenges 12 Environmenta Risk Management and Cimate Change 14 ACT CLEAN Making centra Europe cean and competitive 16 CEframe Cooperating to improve food protection 18 CERREC Reducing refuse by re-using it 20 CircUse Reusing and to preserve the environment 22 COBRAMAN Nurturing professiona brownfied managers 24 ECOPAPERLOOP Enhancing the quaity of paper for recycing 26 EULAKES Protecting akes as the cimate changes 28 FOKS Tacking groundwater poution at its source 30 GreenNet From Iron Curtain to bet of vita biodiversity 32 HABIT-CHANGE Saving protected habitats from cimate change 34 INARMA Predicting fash foods to reduce their risk 36 INCA-CE Reducing the risks of extreme weather 38 LABEL Joining forces to fight foods 40 PRESOURCE Efficient production: Making more with ess 42 ReSource Unearthing new god in former mining regions 44 REURIS Protecting the rivers that define our cities 46 SALVERE Sowing the seeds of biodiversity 48 TAB Transnationa effort heps regions cear the air 50 TransEcoNet Buiding networks of protected andscapes 52 TransWaste From informa waste trade to forma re-use 54 UFIREG Are utrafine partices making us sick? 56 UHI Trying to keep coo within urban heat isands 58 URBAN SMS Improving cities from the ground up 60 URBAN_WFTP A new approach to urban water management 62 UrbSpace Making great urban pubic spaces for everyone 64 VITAL LANDSCAPES Maintaining the vitaity of our andscapes 66 Centra Europe boasts an impressive diversity of natura resources, incuding the Danube River, the Aps, the Carpathian Mountains and the Batic and Adriatic seas. This unique natura heritage is one of the area s biggest assets when it comes to achieving sustainabe deveopment. However, in recent years, centra Europe has been exposed to severe fooding of its rivers and intensive, often unsustainabe and use. Both natura risks and man-made impacts constitute a considerabe threat to the area. In response, CENTRAL EUROPE projects hep regions to manage and reduce the risks and impacts of environmenta hazards and to adapt to cimate change. CEframe (p.18) for exampe strengthens transnationa food protection management in river catchments. Projects ike HABIT-CHANGE (p.34) and EULAKES (p.28) prepare adaptation strategies to cimate change. Human activities ike industriaisation, intensive agricuture, increased vehicuar traffic and tourism threaten to fundamentay transform centra Europe s current ecosystems by reducing the number of surviving species and dramaticay changing where those species ive and how they interact. Therefore protecting biodiversity and ecosystems, and revitaising natura andscapes are an important topic in centra Europe. In response, CENTRAL EUROPE projects ike TransEcoNet (p.52) deveop and protect biodiversity in ecoogica networks or visuaise andscape deveopment scenarios in 3D as does Vita Landscapes (p.66). URBAN_WFTP (p.62) introduces new approach to water management, whie URBAN SMS (p.60) and simiar projects evauate soi quaity and improve soi management. Projects ike CERREC (p.20) and Trans- Waste (p.54) promote waste coection and reuse across borders. This booket introduces you to the CENTRAL EUROPE story, showcasing 26 environment projects that were co-financed since We hope that it wi serve as a vauabe starting point for discussing achievements of our projects and that it wi inspire you on what can be done further and what directions shoud be taken in view of the programming period Christiane Breznik, City of Vienna, CENTRAL EUROPE Managing Authority 4 Environmenta Risk Management and Cimate Change in Centra EuropE Environmenta Risk Management and Cimate Change in Centra Europe 5

4 CENTRAL EUROPE Cooperating across borders for the regions The cities and rura regions of centra Europe share a common history as we as simiar socia and cutura characteristics. The area covers more than one miion square kiometres, stretching from the Batic Sea in the north to the Mediterranean Sea in the south, with ess ceary defined borders to the west and east. It is home to 150 miion peope benefitting from transnationa cooperation through the CENTRAL EUROPE Programme since Despite their common characteristics, the regions of centra Europe are marked by diverse features: Major differences are apparent in terms of cimate conditions, and use, settement and economic structures, accessibiity, and ecoogica chaenges. There are aso big differences in centra Europe s poitica and administrative structures, which are among the most heterogeneous in the European Union. The chaenge is to use centra Europe s diversity as an opportunity to promote more sustainabe deveopment of the area by fostering increased cooperation among a wide range of actors from various countries and regions. CENTRAL EUROPE The CENTRAL EUROPE Programme has generated ampe opportunities for coser cooperation among pubic authorities, institutions and private businesses from nine centra European countries: Austria, the Czech Repubic, Germany, Hungary, Itay, Poand, Sovakia, Sovenia and Ukraine. By cofinancing 124 projects, the CENTRAL EUROPE Programme has heped to improve oca and regiona innovation, to increase accessibiity, to preserve the environment and to enhance the competitiveness and attractiveness of regions within centra Europe. Since 2007 the CENTRAL EUROPE Programme has invested more than EUR 230 miion on transnationa projects supporting: Technoogy transfer and business innovation Sustainabe pubic transport and ogistics Environmenta risk management and cimate change Energy efficiency and renewabe energies Demographic change and knowedge deveopment Cutura heritage and creative resources Programme: CENTRAL EUROPE ERDF funding: 231 miion Duration: (2015) Website: 6 Environmenta Risk Management and Cimate Change in Centra EuropE Environmenta Risk Management and Cimate Change in Centra Europe 7

5 Euros of investment being prepared by CENTRAL EUROPE projects We need to buid on the rich and vauabe experience gathered through transnationa cooperation. There is much evidence that a series of chaenges cannot be tacked soey at the eve of a singe Member State, or even at regiona eve, but ony in a cross-border context. Photo: Dreamstime Johannes Hahn, European Commissioner for Regiona Poicy 22 Euro cents spent per citizen per year on financing CENTRAL EUROPE projects Partners invoved in CENTRAL EUROPE projects Cooperating for citizens CENTRAL EUROPE projects a invove joint efforts by stakehoders from different countries. This approach is designed to improve peope s day-to-day ives by addressing probems that do not necessariy recognise nationa borders. Issues have been tacked at the territoria eve where they occur, which is the regions in centra Europe. Transnationa cooperation aows partners to take advantage of the added vaue of doing things together, so they can prevent dupication and speed up deveopments with a higher impact. More concretey, CENTRAL EUROPE projects: Carry out piot investments and actions Leverage additiona money and investment Come up with new economic strategies and invove oca communities Increase efficiency on various eves Improve spending of pubic money Support the adaptation of EU directives to regiona contexts Strengthen regiona networks and invove oca communities Infuence the poicy agenda on a poitica eves Contributing to Europe 2020 Transnationa cooperation driven by the CENTRAL EUROPE Programme is firmy embedded in the strategic poicy frameworks on the European, nationa and regiona eves. Many of CENTRAL EUROPE s projects have aready been contributing to the Europe 2020 Strategy and its mutuay reinforcing goas of smart, incusive and sustainabe growth in Europe. This approach to deveopment is expected to hep the EU and Member States deiver high eves of empoyment, productivity and socia cohesion. Concrete actions of the 2020 Strategy are designed to reach ambitious targets in five areas: empoyment, innovation, education, socia incusion and cimate and energy. The CENTRAL EUROPE Programme, and the transnationa cooperation between actors on the ground, pays an important roe in meeting these targets on the regiona eve even though the programme ony used 0.07 percent of the tota budget avaiabe for EU Cohesion Poicy in CENTRAL EUROPE In the programming period the CENTRAL EUROPE Programme wi continue to support regiona cooperation among centra European countries. Croatia is the atest country to join the programme, which aso incudes Austria, the Czech Repubic, Hungary, Poand, Sovakia and Sovenia, as we as parts of Germany and Itay. The overa objective of the CENTRAL EUROPE Programme is to cooperate beyond borders to make centra European Photo: Monika KyticovaKrinke cities and regions better paces to ive and work. Put more precisey, transnationa cooperation shoud become the catayst for impementing smart soutions that answer to regiona chaenges in the fieds of: Innovation and knowedge deveopment Low carbon cities and regions Environmenta resources Cutura resources Transport and mobiity Topics ike demographic change wi be tacked horizontay. The focus of activities wi be on poicy-earning and impementation-oriented approaches at the transnationa eve. More concretey, actions wi incude the deveopment and impementation of strategies and action pans, the deveopment, testing and impementation of toos, the preparation of arger investment, the impementation of piot actions incuding piot investments as we as capacity buiding measures incuding training. More detaied information on the new CENTRAL EUROPE Programme is avaiabe onine at 8 Environmenta Risk Management and Cimate Change in Centra EuropE Environmenta Risk Management and Cimate Change in Centra Europe 9

6 COOPERATING ON ENVIRONMENT CENTRAL EUROPE AT A GLANCE COUNTRIES, REGIONS/CITIES, AND INHABITANTS COVERED PROJECTS miion citizens cities & regions 9 countries ENVIRONMENT PROJECTS CO-FINANCED out of themes environment projects partners in environment out of 124 projects out of 1331 in tota partners in tota DURATION OF PROGRAMME PUBLIC MONEY WELL INVESTED BUDGET INVESTED CONTRIBUTING TO EUROPE 2020 Future investment prepared by projects 0.17 miion euros 3.15 miion euros Tota investment carried out by projects of the tota programme 55 = 23 % budget of 231 miion euros miion euros With roughy 0.05 spent per citizen per year, the programme achieves: Permanent cooperation networks estabished 9 1 Loca piot activities carried out by projects 114 Jobs created 80 2 European patform against poverty 2 Digita agenda 6 Innovation Union 1 Youth on the move Number of project contributions to EU 2020 fagship initiatives 2 Resource efficient Europe 26 Industria poicy for gobaisation Incusive growth CENTRAL EUROPE contributes to the European Union 2020 Strategy and reaching its goas of smart, incusive and sustainabe growth. Concrete targets for empoyment, innovation, education, socia incusion as we as cimate change and energy were set on the European eve and CENTRAL EUROPE project resuts hep to meet them on the oca and regiona eves. Number of project contributions to EU 2020 priorities 2 Smart growth 9 Sustainabe growth 28 Design: studioq.at 10 Environmenta Risk Management and Cimate Change in Centra EuropE Environmenta Risk Management and Cimate Change in Centra Europe 11 Data: Apri 2014

7 ANALYSIS Cooperating across borders to tacke environmenta chaenges The CENTRAL EUROPE Programme has the abiity to address cimate change and environmenta issues that are specific to the programme area and which cannot be addressed with the same effectiveness if different nationa and regiona actors act aone. The Regiona Environmenta Center for Centra and Eastern Europe, Hungary Environmenta resources have no respect for nationa borders: Natura habitats and weather patterns often spread across two or more countries. That means that efforts to protect the environment of regions in centra Europe, and to hep them combat the negative effects of cimate change, can be more effective when these efforts extend across borders. Given its focus on transnationa cooperation, the CENTRAL EUROPE Programme is a natura fit for environmenta initiatives, according to anaysis by The Regiona Environmenta Center for Centra and Eastern Europe (REC). The anaysis specificay ooked at CENTRAL EUROPE projects that fa under the theme of Environmenta risk management and cimate change. CENTRAL EUROPE projects that fa into this theme were found to benefit from their transnationa nature, and these initiatives were deemed potentiay more effective than simiar activities undertaken by individua countries. The anaysis aso noted that CENTRAL EUROPE projects are particuary strong when it comes to sharing knowedge an observation that has been made about the programme in genera. The anaysis noted a range of environment-reated chaenges facing centra European regions. Better environmenta management is needed to address inconsistent waste practices and inconsistent approaches to resource efficiency. Cimate change chaenges that centra Europe faces incude increasingy severe fooding, hotter summers, more severe heat waves and water scarcity in southern areas. As for air poution in this part of Europe, most of it comes from emissions from traffic, industry and agricuture. Chaenges to maintaining centra Europe s ecosystems and andscapes incude threats to biodiversity, oss and degradation of habitats, urban spraw, and fragmentation and vunerabiity to cimate change. Soi erosion and contamination are probems in many regions, and there is aso a need to revitaise centra Europe s brownfied sites. A range of activities Within the two subthemes, Cooperating to prevent environmenta hazards and reduce the negative effects of cimate change and Cooperating to protect and preserve nature and andscapes, the anaysis noted that there were severa different types of project activities. Waste management and resource efficiency: Partners found jointy appicabe soutions for a broad range of issues, such as managing transboundary waste coection and shipment, faciitating repair and reuse of goods, improving the recycabiity of packaging and ensuring ceaner production. Risk prevention and cimate change adaptation: CENTRAL EUROPE projects focused on these issues provided technica soutions for extreme weather events, heat isand phenomenon, and cimate-change-reated threats to habitats. Water management and food protection: Food protection measures aimed at controing the Danube River and its tributaries, as we as the Ebe River, invoved severa countries in transnationa actions. Water-management projects were found to improve the knowedge of soutions for preservation of rivers and akes. Other projects reated to water management incuded efforts to revitaise urban riverbanks and to address groundwater poution. Soi protection and and use: Partners jointy deveoped toos enabing panners to project the impact of soi seaing. Furthermore the projects focused on and use issues, such as managing poution at brownfied sites. Reduction of air poution: These types of projects mosty focused on urban areas and addressed the heath effects of utrafine partices and poution from fossi fues. Biodiversity and andscape protection: Projects deaing with these subjects offered protection for transnationa ecoogica corridors, they worked to maintain natura andscapes and habitats that are typica of the region. Given the success of past projects in this area, the anaysis recommends a continuation of the theme of environmenta risk management and cimate change, as we as continued invovement of experts and researches to guarantee the projects effectiveness. The anaysis added that future projects in this area aso need greater participation of decision makers and other stakehoders, in order to guarantee that the benefits of the CENTRAL EUROPE Programme ast beyond the ife of the projects. To downoad the compete anaysis visit 12 Environmenta Risk Management and Cimate Change in Centra EuropE Environmenta Risk Management and Cimate Change in Centra Europe 13

8 Environmenta risk management and cimate change Cooperating to prevent environmenta hazards and reduce the negative effects of cimate change Cooperating to protect and preserve nature and andscapes Project Stories 14 Environmenta Risk Management and Cimate Change in Centra EuropE Environmenta Risk Management and Cimate Change in Centra Europe 15

9 Making centra Europe cean and competitive Companies in centra Europe can greaty reduce any negative environmenta impacts created by industry and business if they know how to take advantage of the atest technoogy. To hep ensure that oca businesses have the knowedge they need to be more environmentay friendy, the ACT CLEAN project created the first area-wide network for ceaner production. The ACT CLEAN network works through the cooperation of ACT CLEAN nationa contact points (NCPs), which have deveoped stabe cooperation structures and permanent services for supporting sma- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in using and appying ceaner production technoogies and management systems. Stony path towards EU compiance Ceaner production is not just a good way to become more efficient whie reducing poution, it is aso a ega obiga- tion: EU directives and reguations require enterprises to compy with environmenta standards and ensure ecoefficient production processes. Many SMEs ack access to ceaner production technoogy that has been deveoped and put to use in other regions. At the same time, those SMEs that can provide customers with ceaner production technoogy often ack access to the reevant market payers. ACT CLEAN addresses these probems by offering SMEs a range of products and services to make their production processes more eco-efficient and to ensure that they compy with reevant EU egisation. Photo: istockphoto.com / gias Through the ACT CLEAN network, our companies were introduced to highy innovative issues and are currenty foowing up on them. The concept of eco-design proved to be especiay interesting and resuted in concrete initiatives, such as reguar organisation of trainings. Carotta Ranieri, CNA Boogna, Nationa Confederation for the Craft Sector and Sma and Medium Enterprises, Coordinator Poicy, Energy, Environment, Itay For exampe, as part of this project, Corvinus University in Hungary adapted one of the toos provided by the Sovak Ceaner Production Center: A database on EU reguations caed Compex. This concept was converted into a simper database caed Greenex, which is an interactive too that aows SMEs to easiy check which EU and Hungarian reguations are reevant for them and to check that they are in compiance with those reguations. No need to reinvent the whee Aong with coecting such toos in the ACT CLEAN too box, the project has aso identified and pubicised good-practice exampes. Much can be earned from a transnationa exchange of these good practices, which are caed Ceaner Production Highights. In one exampe, a German company deveoped an adsorption chier soar cooing technoogy that uses much ess eectricity compared to standard room air conditioning techniques. Water is used to repace the usua refrigerant, hydrofuorocarbon, which has a high goba-warming potentia. In the winter time, the device can be operated as a heat pump, to support heating. The resut is not ony a safer environment but aso energy efficiency, which produces immediate savings for SMEs. ACT CLEAN has coected and assessed exampes ike this one and buit up a shared poo of innovative soutions for SMEs. Around 500 exampes have been seected for the project database, and they are aso promoted via brochures and other dissemination means. Matchmaking events provide direct support The ACT CLEAN network has estabished a continuing programme of industry workshops and business-to-business training on ceaner production. In the ast three years, the main subjects covered by this training work have incuded resource efficiency, waste management and environmenta management systems, but the network can aso meet specific requests of SMEs by addressing any important topics pertaining to ceaner production. Encouraging ceaner production on a regiona scae The project aso deveoped the ACT CLEAN transnationa agenda, which is currenty being promoted as a way to support poicy for fostering, deveoping and depoying ceaner production. The agenda s action pan focuses on three areas: Faciitating networking activities Improving awareness of ceaner production soutions Improving the financia framework Each of the action pan s recommendations is addressed to the specific institution responsibe for acting on the suggestion. The way forward The cooperation mechanism of the ACT CLEAN network is now we estabished and sufficienty robust to endure beyond the initia project. The project website continues to operate as an interface between various centra European countries and enterprises. Recommendations in the action pan shoud be taken up, to further shape and improve the framework for ceaner production in centra Europe. In addition, continued awareness raising is needed to educate SMEs about ceaner production and to promote and market the toos and instruments that have aready been deveoped Year in which the term ceaner production was coined by the United Nations Environment Programmes Project: ACT CLEAN ERDF funding: Duration: Website: 16 Environmenta Risk Management and Cimate Change in Centra EuropE Environmenta Risk Management and Cimate Change in Centra Europe 17

10 Photo: Saxon State Ministry of the Interior rivers. Existing protection systems and retention areas were recorded and their functions were assessed. Another part of this initia research was to outine those areas that are at risk of fooding. The next phase invoved jointy eaborating management pans for future protection measures against foods. For exampe, the panners from a the countries worked to coordinate the design and operation of protective equipment and management of retention areas. This joint approach is meant to ensure that no uniatera actions ead to a worsening situation for a neighbouring region. Invoving key actors for better impact 600 Kiometres of joint transnationa riverside in the project area 680 Miions of euros in damage caused by fooding in Lower Austria in 2002 Cooperating to improve food protection To ensure that the project can have a maximum impact and resut in effective action, CEframe invoved the water commissions of participating countries from the start. These officias have agreed to one of the major outputs of the project, the CEframe Memorandum of Food Protection, which defines the necessary measures for future coordination and better foodwater management in a the countries invoved. This advanced cooperation requires a high eve of transnationa communication among a the partner countries. To hep make this possibe, the project produced a common terminoogy, as we as a thesaurus in five anguages. Another important muti-ingua product of the project is an emergency handbook, which outines practica steps that need to be taken in case of fooding. 200 Common terms defined in the CEframe thesaurus on food management In recent years, record rains and once-in-100-year fooding have wreaked havoc on peope and economies of centra Europe. As individua countries take foodmanagement precautions, they run the risk of pushing the probem to their neighbours downstream. That is why four centra European countries are cooperating to address the needs of their interconnected rivers and food pains. Photo: District Fire Brigade Gänserndorf, Austria The past years have seen especiay severe fooding in centra Europe, and the reaction has incuded more vigorous efforts aimed at food contro. But recent experience has shown that, even when it comes to rivers that are not shared, food contro projects have an impact on a arger, transnationa area. It is now cear that effective food contro can ony be achieved through joint transnationa cooperation. We-coordinated master pans for cross-border river basins are thus essentia. CEframe represents the first time that pubic authorities responsibe for food protection measures in Austria, the Czech Repubic, Hungary and Sovakia have worked together on a joint, mutiatera project to deveop future food management systems. The project specificay addresses food contro needs for the Danube, Morava, Thaya and Leitha rivers, a of which have basins in more than one country. A new ook at food risks The first phase of the project invoved determining the current situation of food protection at the reevant The CEframe project provides a vauabe contribution that wi eave its mark on further intergovernmenta cooperation on boundary waters. Konrad Stania, Transboundary Water Commission Czech Repubic-Austria Project: CEframe ERDF funding: Duration: Website: 18 Environmenta Risk Management and Cimate Change in Centra EuropE Environmenta Risk Management and Cimate Change in Centra Europe 19

11 Photo: Leona Simkova Thanks to the CERREC project, a patform for re-use and reated topics has been reaised. The project maps the regiona conditions and procedures in the fied that the department woud not normay be abe to provide. Therefore the project has considerabe information potentia. Jan Pavíček, Waste Department of the Ministry of the Environment, the Czech Repubic 20 Best practice exampes of re-use coected in the CERREC good practice database 13 Times as many job opportunities created in the re-use sector as compared to recycing 68 Percentage of EU citizens wiing to buy second-hand products Reducing refuse by re-using it Recycing heps, but one of the best ways to reduce refuse is to re-use it. If behaviours changed, the proportion of waste in centra Europe that is repaired and re-used coud be increased from the current one percent to around 10 percent. CERREC heps regions support re-use with a range of initiatives that spare natura resources whie creating a new product market and increasing empoyment. The work of CERREC is both important and timey, especiay because a recent European Union directive encourages re-use of commodities. In the past, consumers had to decide for themseves whether they were going to buy a quaity product that can be repaired and used for a ong time, or a cheap throwaway product. There were no particuar incentives for manufacturers to produce goods that woud ast onger, and making ow-cost goods that woud be thrown away shorty after purchase was often more profitabe. In this kind of market, re-use of goods was rare, and was ony practiced by a sma minority: Peope invoved in charities, peope who wanted to save money, or peope ooking to protect the environment. New Waste Framework Directive Things have changed now. The new Waste Framework Directive (WFD) provides pubic authorities with incentives and obigations to impement re-use activities. It encourages the deveopment of accredited re-use and repair centres or networks and makes preparation for re-use a egitimate category for meeting new EU quotas on recycing and re-use. Heping regions compy with EU egisation CERREC heps authorities to impement the WFD by providing toos, knowedge and a transnationa re-use exchange patform that makes it possibe to impement the kind of regiona re-use and repair centres and networks foreseen in the directive. Thanks to CERREC s support, nationa and regiona authorities do not need to start from scratch in encouraging re-use. The project ensures that the deveopment of re-use networks cosey invoves reevant experts on the regiona, nationa and transnationa eve. The project produces toos specificay taiored to the unique needs of centra European countries that are trying to estabish re-use networks and centres. The project s partners are continuousy deveoping and impementing these toos, incuding quaity standard guideines and handbooks describing an accreditation system. By estabishing a transnationa exchange patform for repair and re-use, CERREC ensures that its toos wi be used ong after the ife of the project. A major chaenge to impementing the project is the need for effective knowedge exchange. The re-use sector is sti deveoping, and many companies that have the potentia to be successfu in the fied ack the necessary know-how. That is why CERREC deveoped a good practice database that shows off the potentia of re-use initiatives within the EU. The project aso estabished severa piot initiatives that not ony offer insight into impementation of the re-use process but aso hep to define barriers and factors for success. Specia emphasis is put on areas ike communication, aocation of roes and responsibiities between participating actors in re-use networks, and buiding customer acceptance and trust. Photo: CERREC Project: CERREC ERDF funding: Duration: Website: 20 Environmenta Risk Management and Cimate Change in Centra EuropE Environmenta Risk Management and Cimate Change in Centra Europe 21

12 Photo: Vera Firmova in Poand, Austria, Itay, Sovakia, the Czech Repubic and Germany. Each participating region is undertaking a piot project to deveop an action pan for impementing circuar fow and-use management, so they can consoidate city centres, redeveop brownfieds, deveop vacant buiding ots and preserve open spaces in their area. This process aows diverse regions to set a deveopment course that wi meet their unique needs. In each region, the process invoves different groups of peope, and creative soutions are required to ensure maximum participation of pubic and private stakehoders. Invoving everyone Estimated number of square kiometres covered by artificia surfaces in Europe 6 CircUse piot actions to impement sustainabe and management Reusing and to preserve the environment Centra Europe is suffering negative impacts from rapid urban spraw. Whie virgin and is gobbed up for deveopment, od buiding sites are abandoned and eft to deteriorate. A new approach promoted by CircUse invoves reuse of previousy deveoped and and preservation of nature. Such forward-thinking panning benefits the environment and reduces the costs of expanding infrastructure networks. In its effort to invove everyone in ensuring better and use, the CircUse project has a variety of outputs that benefit different stakehoders. For instance, the project deveoped a piot course for experts, so professionas can earn about this innovative approach to sustainabe and management. Decision makers have the opportunity to take advantage of a data management too that heps them to reaise the deveopment potentia of and that was previousy buit upon. Action pans produced by the project aow the partner regions to pot a course for their future and-use process. A position paper gives insight into the new poicy directions needed to support circuar fow and-use management. The project even deveoped materias for secondary schoo students, so they can earn about the concept of sustainabe and use. A fina output of the project is the CircUse Compendium, a handbook detaiing the resuts of the initiative in a format experts can use. Setting a precedent The resuts of CircUse provide key essons for other regions hoping to appy this new approach. The project sets a precedent for impementing sustainabe and use structures and encourages cooperation in the years to come. Citizens and officias wi benefit from efforts that revitaise urban structures and physica properties to bring new amenities and services to centra European municipaities and regions. Photo: CircUse project 6 Action pans deveoped by CircUse to redefine stakehoder cooperation Preserving vita natura spaces requires a ong-term approach to panning that anticipates changes in such factors as demographics and cimate. Circuar Fow Land Use Management (CircUse) seeks to anticipate and imit the environmenta impact of deveopment through panning that reuses previousy deveoped and. The CircUse phiosophy of avoid, reuse, compensate reies on three reated directions for action: Tighter zoning reguations must be estabished to reduce greenfied deveopment, which is deveopment on previousy unused and. Land that is not suitabe for reuse must be rejected for deveopment. The potentia of existing deveoped and must be activated by encouraging the use of brownfieds (and that has aready been used and is now abandoned or underused), deveopment in gaps between existing buidings, and ast but not east by urban renewa. Regiona cooperation The CircUse approach ooks at deveopment within regions Our participation in the project aows the oca residents to discuss issues common to a of Europe: The restoration of brownfied sites and the revitaisation of dereict ands. Davide Arri, Vice Mayor of the Municipaity of Asti, Itay Project: CircUse ERDF funding: Duration: Website: 22 Environmenta Risk Management and Cimate Change in Centra EuropE Environmenta Risk Management and Cimate Change in Centra Europe 23

13 Photo: Dreamstime As urban panners, we acquired knowedge from the COBRAMAN project about brownfied regeneration and now we are impementing it in our daiy work. Lijana Jankovi ć Grobešek, Architect and Urban Panner, Acer d.o.o., Novo mesto, Sovenia 30 Brownfied managers trained and awarded with certificates 150 Years of industria use of the area near the Brda River in Bydgoszcz (Poand) before it was remediated for eisure activities Nurturing professiona brownfied managers 3 Educationa schemes defined for brownfied regeneration Regeneration of brownfied sites underused former industria or commercia property is often a ong-term and compex process invoving a wide range of professiona discipines. Europe needs brownfied regeneration managers with the coordination and communication skis required to deiver the best pans and steer the revitaisation process. The COBRAMAN project heps by deveoping the profession of brownfied regeneration manager, and by training these managers. Estabishing quaified brownfied regeneration managers within European cities wi enabe effective and successfu renewa and conversion processes. Training for practitioners was conducted through a series of courses, a buit around the practica requirements of oca piot projects that were aready underway. The partners shared best practices, defined methods that have proven effective, appied these methods in practica cases, and now offer this information for others seeking training. Photo: City of Bydgoszcz Setting educationa standards A over Europe, revitaisation of brownfied sites pays an important roe in combating urban spraw and improving the quaity of the urban environment thereby faciitating sustainabe deveopment. Brownfied and often endangers pubic heath and creates environmenta risks. Moreover, if eft undeveoped, brownfied sites can create socia and spatia segregation, threatening the competitiveness of European cities. Rehabiitation of brownfied sites wi be of growing importance in centra Europe, and the work wi require arge investments. Aongside any EU subsidies for brownfied regeneration, it is important to provide the nec- essary knowedge to undertake such investments through a transfer of know-how from western to eastern countries, as we as a transfer from research to practice. Professiona management key to success One of the most important essons earnt from previous European activities in brownfied regeneration is that professiona management is a key factor for success of the process. This is why the COBRAMAN project sought to introduce the profession of brownfied regeneration manager. Specific professiona or educationa standards do not yet exist for brownfied regeneration managers. But courses are evoving, from facuties teaching panning and environmenta/civi engineering, as we as from those offering training in rea estate. The creation of training and educationa schemes benefits from transnationa cooperation between experienced academics as we as practitioners from the partner cities and their service providers. A master course, postgraduate courses and further e-earning courses have been set up to support students, as we as staff who are aready working in the fied. Project: COBRAMAN ERDF funding: Duration: Website: 24 Environmenta Risk Management and Cimate Change in Centra EuropE Environmenta Risk Management and Cimate Change in Centra Europe 25

14 Enhancing the quaity of paper for recycing Recycing paper saves water and energy, and it reduces waste. Recovered paper is a major resource in centra Europe, but different countries coect with different effectiveness. ECOPAPERLOOP ooks into paper and packaging: It encourages a more efficient transnationa approach by deveoping assessment methods and better product designs, by encouraging innovation and by increasing awareness. The ECOPAPERLOOP project wants to improve paper recycing: Paper is not aways recyced where it has been coected. So to aow more efficient coection processes on one hand, and to achieve better raw materia on the other hand, a actors need to cooperate more intensey. What does a communa authority know about the further processing of the paper coected? Part of the work of the ECOPA- PERLOOP project invoves obtaining data about coection systems in various regions. This information is combined with feedback from paper mis about the utiisation of paper for recycing in the mis, their satisfaction with the qua- ity and their suggestions on how to improve the situation. A this wi be incorporated in recommendations, which are tested in a mode region and communicated to the partners in the paper vaue chain in the respective regions. Most of a ECOPAPERLOOP is about raising awareness heping a the partners in the paper chain understand how they can contribute to enhancing the quaity of paper for recycing. The probem of non-paper components and adhesives Every kind of packaging ooks different. But can they a be Photo: VDP The science-based assessment of the recycabiity of paperbased packaging that ECOPAPERLOOP deveops can be adopted by the ERPC, a wide set of stakehoders on the EU eve, and serve as a reference for EU egisation and standards such as EU ecoabes. Jori Ringman-Beck, Director Recycing, Product, Environment CEPI, Member of the European Recovered Paper Counci (ERPC) Confederation of European Paper Industries, Brusses recyced aike? What makes a paper product sustainabe? Are there ways to package goods that are better for recycing than others? Identifying suggestions for the perfect ecodesign of packaging is another goa of ECOPAPERLOOP. Adhesives pay an important roe: Certain kinds of gue appications can virtuay disappear in the beginning of the recycing process, ony to reappear in the fina stage to cause probems. Ideay after the paper or cardboard product is dissoved in water, the adhesives used form cohesive pieces that can be screened off whie the diuted fibre soup passes through a screen. But some adhesives dissove as we, accompanying the fibres on their way to the paper machine. Here the recyced fibers are dried to form new paper or cardboard and with the water evaporating, the adhesive returns, forming sticky partices that sit on the paper screen, occupying the pace where recyced fibres shoud be, and eading to defects in the fina product. For packaging, ECOPAPERLOOP partner PMV in Darmstadt has deveoped a new recycabiity evauation method and currenty jointy practices this method with the partners. Labs in a partner countries dissove packaging sampes, extract the adhesives, visuaize them on backened fiter paper and evauate them by optica image anaysis. With the data coected from many sampes, a scorecard wi be deveoped that heps to assess the recycabiity of packaging products. A ife cyce anaysis to spur ecodesign Another way to ook deeper into the sustainabiity of a product is to compare scenarios by performing a ife cyce anaysis (LCA). Paper researchers from COBRO in Poand and Innovhub-SSI in Itay work together to ook into the environmenta impact of possibe product ecodesign improvements, especiay with respect to the recycing process. Photo: Axe Fischer 71.7 Percentage of paper and cardboard that was recyced in Europe in Average number of times each paper fibre has been recyced in Europe in Packaging products tested by the ECOPAPERLOOP project for their recycabiity Project: ECOPAPERLOOP ERDF funding: Duration: Website: 26 Environmenta Risk Management and Cimate Change in Centra EuropE Environmenta Risk Management and Cimate Change in Centra Europe 27

15 Protecting akes as the cimate changes Scientists are aware that the constanty worsening pressures of cimate change and other side effects of human activity are threatening Europe s akes. Decision makers responsibe for managing akes shoud aso be aware of these threats, so they can seek possibe soutions. Through EULAKES, scientists and authorities cooperate on efforts to prepare for the impacts of cimate change on akes. To ensure that the peope managing Europe s akes are we informed and prepared to face future chaenges, the EULAKES project incudes scientists in its effort to deveop the best strategies for mitigation of, and adaptation to, cimate change. This unique coaboration is meant to produce a joint transnationa strategy for basin-wide ake management that addresses environmenta, economic and sociocutura concerns. Ideay, the strategy woud be encoded in an internationa agreement signed by each partner s area representative, to estabish the guideines for a joint initiative and panning process. Aong with cimate change, European ake managers face severa common probems, incuding poution, the need for sustainabe management of shoreines and other areas and panning for diverse activities. This project addresses such concerns at four different akes: Baaton in Hungary, Charzykowskie in Poand, Garda in Itay and Neusied in Austria. Research and activities at the akes The research undertaken at these akes requires an evauation of their heath, incuding a study of the monitoring Photo: Comunità de Garda Thanks to the EULAKES project, cimate change chaenges are now one of the most important issues for the community iving aong the akes, and oca communities are now considering very seriousy the actions they have to take. Giorgio Passionei, Mayor of Torri de Benaco, Lake Garda, Itay systems that exist and deveopment of new monitoring systems. It was aso necessary to improve knowedge about the environmenta weaknesses of the akes and about risks connected to these weaknesses and to conduct different surveys to study the specific impacts of cimate change effects on the akes. The project focused on enhancing the roe of oca governance of the akes, so that oca communities woud become invoved in the transnationa approach. The surveys invove four different piot actions, one at each ake: Baaton: A study ooks at the presence of invasive species, ike sinanodont woodiana and carassius gibbeo, focusing on their ecoogica impacts. These and other aien species are expected to be dominant in the future, putting the ake s ecosystem at risk and endangering native fish species. Charzykowskie: The presence of pesticides and heavy metas were evauated. Core sampes show a content of nitrogen, phosphorus, pesticides and heavy metas that coud speed eutrophication of the ake. Garda: A study ooks at the risks associated with the presence of cyanotoxins in the water. These substances can be dangerous to animas and humans. One significant finding is the discovery of microcysts in the musces of the fish Coregonus avaretus. Neusied: A study investigates grazing management and agricutura practices to contro nutrients in ake waters. A new and-use pan is proposed to review utiisation of surrounding ands and create a buffer zone between the shore and agricutura areas. This project is unusua in that it takes advantage of the synergy among researchers, oca authorities and territoria management bodies in addressing the needs of European akes. The project aso offers European comparisons, so that the scientific resuts and best practices that are identified by EULAKES wi have internationa vaue. Photo: Comunità de Garda 4 Large European akes invoved in the project 3 Innovative techniques for monitoring the heath conditions of the akes water ecosystems 2100 The ast year covered by cimate change predictions Project: EULAKES ERDF funding: Duration: Website: 28 Environmenta Risk Management and Cimate Change in Centra EuropE Environmenta Risk Management and Cimate Change in Centra Europe 29

16 Photo: eev - Fotoia.com Risk management and remediation Once the key sources of poution were identified, experts working with FOKS designed targeted remedia actions that invoved assessing and testing innovative technoogy. The remedia actions are embedded in oca water authorities groundwater risk management concepts, which are based on the principes of the newy estabished European Groundwater Directive. Experience gained through undertaking remedia actions provides good practice exampes for those beginning the process of coordinating nationa impementation of this directive. Securing maximum benefit of the resuts 645 Hectares of and investigated as project piot sites 101 Miion itres of groundwater pumped during investigation campaigns in Jaworzno, Stuttgart, Mian and Treviso Tacking groundwater poution at its source Authorities are now in the process of appying for approva and funding from operationa programmes and nationa funds for their site-specific remediation pans, which were deveoped through the knowedge gained from FOKS. Overa, the resuts of the FOKS project were hepfu to a range of stakehoders: Water authorities benefit from an introduction to innovative remedies and assistance in deveoping groundwater risk management concepts that support decision making Groundwater experts benefit from the technica guidance documents that are generated Pouters benefit from remediation activities Citizens benefit from improved groundwater resources Groundwater experts participating in pubic events of the project As in many centra European cities, industria poution has a severe negative impact on groundwater in Jaworzno (Poand), Novy Bydzow (Czech Repubic), Stuttgart (Germany), and Mian and Treviso (Itay). FOKS estabished groundwater risk management and remediation pans for these cities, and provided authorities with a too box and ist of good practices to hep them appy new soutions. Information gathered from the project was shared through training seminars and pubic conferences. Among others, 110 Itaian experts participated in a seminar on remediation actions in Treviso, Itay, and a conference on Innovative Soutions for Revitaisation of Degraded Areas in Ustro,ń Poand, invoved more than 100 scientists and practitioners from around Europe in a specia session on the FOKS project. Because many sources often contribute to arge poution pumes that foow the fow of groundwater, water authorities addressing probems caused by past and current industria activity face a chaenge in impementing the pouter pays principe for cean-up activities. If those authorities can identify key sources which are the few sites reeasing most of the contaminant oad in these od industria areas it is possibe to simpify carification of iabiities and decision making processes and to enabe we-targeted, cost-effective remedia actions. Nove fied measurement and interpretation technoogies aowed for aerea characterisation of groundwater quaity. Contaminant oads were assessed in different paces, making it possibe to pinpoint hot spots of contamination in the areas under study. Hydrogeoogists and chemists were abe to prove that extended poution pumes were originating from these hot spots. The appication of new technoogy in different hydrogeoogica settings with differing contamination patterns provided vauabe input for the FOKS toobox. The resuts of these poution measurements offer guidance for technica experts who wish to appy such nove technoogies in the future. The FOKS project pointed out the high risk for groundwater poution and provided appropriate financia and technica soutions to dea with the contamination probem. Jerzy Buzek, Member of the European Pariament, Poand Project: FOKS ERDF funding: Duration: Website: 30 Environmenta Risk Management and Cimate Change in Centra EuropE Environmenta Risk Management and Cimate Change in Centra Europe 31

17 Photo: GreenNet_Kaus Leidorf The Green Bet crosses borders and connects nature and peope. The project is an exceent exampe of how Member States, NGOs and other stakehoders can work together effectivey aong the European Green Bet, united by a common project. Janez Potočnik, European Commissioner for the Environment 40 Nationa parks aong the European Green Bet 44 Percentage of the centra European Green Bet that is not protected by egisative status From Iron Curtain to bet of vita biodiversity a GreenNet GIS web too, which provides economica, spatia and ecoogica data. The project s researchers identified regiona stakehoders and their key interests in order to highight potentia conficts, and the GIS too precisey pinpointed the areas with conficts. The too can be used by anyone in the fied of agricuture, forestry, decision-making, spatia panning, water management, nature conservation, etc. Through this work, GreenNet provides an overview of potentia spatia conficts, making it possibe to cose gaps in the Green Bet Kiometres of European Green Bet running from the Barents Sea to the Back Sea, touching 24 countries During much of the ast century, Europe was divided by the Iron Curtain. The former border areas now constitute a Green Bet of vauabe andscapes and ecosystems in eight centra European Member States. GreenNet supports deveopment of a joint, transnationa strategy to ensure that the Green Bet is we managed in protected areas but aso in not protected but vauabe parts. The aim of the GreenNet project is to secure ong-term protection of the argest transnationa network of ecosystems in Europe: The European Green Bet aong the former eastwest border of the Iron Curtain. The project aso pursues strategies for ong-asting, sustainabe rura deveopment in the regions adjacent to the Green Bet. To do this, partners deveoped a common transnationa methodoogy to define goas and andscape quaity objectives for six piot regions in five countries. The project identified spatia gaps in protected and non-protected areas and promotes strategies to preserve the entire Green Bet. Cosing the gaps A key eary step in achieving sustainabe deveopment in the centra European Green Bet was to identify spatia conficts and to harmonise and caims of different stakehoders. It was especiay important to dea with the gaps in the Green Bet by addressing the probem of non-protected areas with high ecoogica vaue. These areas are vita stepping stones for rare and endangered species in the ecoogica network of the Green Bet. To address conficting and-use caims, the project deveoped Deveoping suitabe regiona strategies Whie identifying the and to protect, the project aso seeks to deveop regiona and transnationa strategies to protect it. Aong with being transnationa by nature, the European Green Bet aso has many specia habitats and species that cross borders. Exampes incude the wetands and dragonfies aong the Mura River and Goričko between Sovenia and Austria, and arge carnivores in Český es/oberpfäzer Wad between the Czech Repubic and Germany. Deveoping conservation strategies in these paces required intensive transboundary cooperation. The project brought together cross-border stakehoders incuding municipaities, farmers, and owners, spatia panners, water management authorities and nature conservationists to deveop and impement joint management strategies. The GreenNet project aso undertook and encouraged awareness-raising and obbying activities to promote the importance of barrier-free ecoogica corridors in the Green Bet. This work incudes advocating poicy changes on the regiona, nationa and internationa eve. The Green Infrastructure Strategy of the European Commission aready mentions the work to preserve the Green Bet as an exampe to foow. Deveoping an appropriate strategy in these border areas can provide the backbone for a pan-european ecoogica network and a European green infrastructure. Photo: Stanka Dešnik Project: GreenNet ERDF funding: Duration: Website: 32 Environmenta Risk Management and Cimate Change in Centra EuropE Environmenta Risk Management and Cimate Change in Centra Europe 33