Final Ecolink Workshop on "Ecosites, EcoCentres and the implementation of European Union Environment and Sustainable Development policies"
The ECOLINK project was funded under the European Union Fifth Framework Programme of Research & Technological Development by the European Commission Directorate General for Research to support technical & scientific networking between Ecosites or Ecocentres & research institutions. An Ecosite is an initiative of sustainable development at local level with a direct or indirect link with research activities. The main partners of the ECOLINK Project were the Ecosite du Pays de Thau, France (Coordinators), The Small Earth, Netherlands, The Folkecenter for Renewable Energies, Denmark and the Centre for Alternative Technology, Wales. The research partners were the University of Montpellier, the Autonomous University of Barcelona, the University of Agricultural Sciences (BOKU) in Vienna and the European Joint Research Centre of Ispra (Italy).
Within the ECOLINK Project, the first three Workshops dealt with the role of Ecosites/Ecocentres in innovation, nature conservation and local development. The fourth and final workshop of the series, with over a hundred attendees, was held at the Ecosite du Pays de Thau (Project Coordinators) in Meze, near Montpellier in France, on 18th & 19th September 2003 and organised in collaboration with the Joint Research Centre. This Workshop concentrated on the contribution of Ecosites/Ecocentres towards the implementation of European Union policies, both in environment and sustainable development.
This Workshop was attended by participants from the European Union, Enlargement countries, and also from Switzerland, Norway and the USA. The topics discussed covered, for example, renewable energies, the eco-renovation of buildings, exposure to air pollution, water quality monitoring in coastal lagoons, barriers to the implementation of new technologies and public awareness raising and education. Possibilities of a follow-up under the Sixth Framework Programme of Research & Technological Development or under other Programmes were discussed. The final report of the project will be available later this year.
Contacts:
jf.dallemand@jrc.it &
lucy.mottram@jrc.it
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