EEA launches Environmental Technology portal as a contribution to the EU's Environmental Technology Action Plan

A Web portal, which provides easy access to information on environmental technologies, was launched today at the HELECO '05 conference in Athens, Greece. The portal, developed and managed by the European Environment Agency, provides an entry point to information on technologies that are cleaner and more resource efficient and which can improve environmental monitoring. The portal was launched by former EU Commissioner for Environment Mr Yiannis Paleokrassas on behalf of the EU's current Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas.

The site is a first step in implementing Action 4 of ETAP - Develop an EU catalogue of existing directories and databases on environmental technologies - by offering knowledge development support and eliciting the exchange of ideas and research results on eco-innovations.

The portal functions as an environmental technology information facility. The system has been set up to enable anyone to publish web content via the portal suitably monitored for quality control. There are thirteen main technology categories covered; most of them are mentioned in ETAP.

Environmental technologies can decrease material inputs, reduce energy consumption and emissions, recover valuable by-products and minimise waste disposal problems. The application of such technologies will enhance eco-efficiency, support the application of environmental management systems (both formal and less formal ones) and facilitates the identification of cleaner production equipment. The EEA is also interested in technologies that improve environmental monitoring and the gathering of information which can help in the identification of emerging issues, through remote sensing, biomonitoring etc.

The portal was launched during Roundtable 3 of the conference where the Environment Technology Action Plan was discussed. The EEA presented the portal as well as progress in developing eco-innovation indicators. Methods are currently lacking to measure eco-innovation, which can supplement the European Innovation Scoreboard with environment related innovation indicators that can monitor progress over time and make comparisons between regions. The EEA is preparing a workshop on this topic for the autumn of 2005. The EEA will also host a conference on Eco-innovation in April organised in partnership with the Danish Ministry of Environment in collaboration with Risø National Laboratory (Denmark) and the Technical University of Denmark.

Environmental Technologies Portal:
http://technologies.ewindows.eu.org/

Environmental Technologies leaflet:
http://org.eea.eu.int/documents/etp

Environmental Technologies Action Plan:
http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/en/com/cnc/2004/com2004_0038en01.pdf

HELECO ’05 Conference:
http://www.erasmus.gr/congresses/HELECO05EN/

Conference on "Eco-innovation: Potentials and challenges of tomorrow's technologies - Perspectives for business, Europe and the environment", at EEA, Copenhagen, 19-20th April 2005. Contact person, organising committee: Mads Borup, Risø National Laboratory, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark, mads.borup@risoe.dk, (+45) 46 77 51 83

European Innovation Scoreboard:
http://trendchart.cordis.lu/scoreboards/scoreboard2003/index.cfm