Environmental Technologies Action Plan

The EU European Technologies Action Plan (ETAP) is intended to make eco-innovation an everyday reality throughout Europe. The plan was adopted by the Commission in 2004 to cover a wide range of activities promoting eco innovation and use of environmental technologies. Its objective is to improve European competitiveness in this area, and enable the EU to become the recognised world leader.

ETAP complements the DG’s regulatory approaches and directly addresses the three dimensions of the Lisbon Strategy: growth, jobs and the environment

The Action Plan

On 28 January 2004, the European Commission adopted the Environmental Technologies Action Plan. ETAP is a joint initiative from Commissioners Margot Wallström and Philippe Busquin, and was prepared in common by the Commission services for Research and for Environment, with the co-operation of other services for specific actions. This is an ambitious plan to further environmental technologies within the EU and globally. It seeks to exploit their potential to improve both the environment and competitiveness, thus contributing to growth and possibly creating jobs.

The Action Plan encompasses nine actions that the European Commission and some that other stakeholders, such national and regional governments, should undertake for the plan to be successful. National authorities are in that mind key players for the implementation of the Action Plan.

In that regards, a High Level Working Group (HLWG) has been set up to facilitate the implementation of ETAP and stresses the co-operation between participants. The HLWG consists of representatives from EU Member States and European Commission services. Open co-ordination with the Member States helps advance ETAP by exchanging ideas on best practices, developing indicators and setting guidelines and timetables.

To know how the Action Plan is progressing [http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2007:0162:FIN:EN:PDF Second Report on the implementation of ETAP]

Objectives

1. Increase and Focus Research, Demonstration

2. Technology Platforms

3. Environmental Technology Verification

4. Performance Targets

5. Mobilisation of Financing (grants and loans)

6. Market based Instruments

7. Green Public Procurement

8. Awareness Raising and Training

9. Supporting Eco-technologies in Developing Countries, and Promoting Foreign Investment

For more information for each objective please read: [http://ec.europa.eu/environment/etap/pdfs/etap_action_plan.pdf ETAP Action Plan]

National Roadmaps

In the perspective of fostering experience sharing, European Member States are invited to formalise their national transposition of strategies and action plans towards environmental technologies.

The aim of the ETAP Roadmaps are to help focus on relevant plans, actions, and achievements (relevant to environmental technologies and eco-innovation). For specific information check: [http://ec.europa.eu/environment/etap/roadmaps_en.htm National Roadmaps]

The European Forum on Eco-Innovation

The [http://ec.europa.eu/environment/etap/forum_en.htm European Forum on eco-innovation] brings together business and policy perspectives in a unique event that explores strategic orientations for eco-innovation and environmental technologies, in support of the EU Environmental Technologies Action Plan (ETAP). Decision makers and actors from finance, technology development, business, policy development, academia and NGOs debate and discuss relevant topics.

Recommendations of the Forum provide pertinent and timely suggestions for future actions aimed at business and finance, as well as National and European policy-makers.

Until now the European Commission has organized four European Fora On Eco-Innovation in collaboration with European Member States. Each Forum has dealt with specific topics directly related to the Action Plan's objectives

"1st Forum:" Poznan, Poland, November 2006 - Financing Eco-Innovation

"2nd Forum:" Brussels, Belgium, June 2007 - Markets for Sustainable Construction

"3rd Forum:" Paris, France, November 2007 - Boosting Eco-Technologies through Verification

"4th Forum:" Vienna, Austria, January - Unlocking Global Market Opportunities

External links

Institutional links:
* [http://ec.europa.eu/environment/etap/index_en.htm Environmental technologies Action Plan (ETAP)] A European Commission initiative.
* [http://ew.eea.europa.eu/Industry/innovation/faq296659 EnviroWindows]

Private actors:
* [http://www.seri.at/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=316&Itemid=315 Sustainable Europe Research Institute (SERI)]
* [http://www.greenovate-europe.eu Greenovate-europe]

Others useful links:
* [http://www.fundetec.eu/index.htm Fundetec report]