Brussels, 22/05/2013 (Agence Europe) - As 2013 has been designated European Year of Air, it comes as no surprise that innovative solutions to fight atmospheric pollution in urban areas are central to the 14th European Eco-Innovation Forum being held in Prague this Thursday 23 and Friday 24 May. On the joint initiative of the Directorate General for the Environment of the European Commission, the Ministry for the Environment of the Czech Republic with the support of the Ministry for Trade and Industry, the Technology Agency and the National Technical Museum of the host country, this international forum has the theme “Into clean air … Delivering innovative solutions for mobility, energy and ICT in cities”.
Participants are called upon to reflect on strategic urban planning, clean mobility programmes and solutions able to encourage a change of behaviour in users. In particular, they will give their views on the efficiency of measures already in place, such as traffic congestion monitoring systems, road pricing to cut bottlenecks and strategic plans to reduce pollutant emissions, in order to make their recommendations for action at EU level, against a backdrop of preparations for the revision of EU legislation on air quality, which is expected for next autumn (see EUROPE 10833).
The European Innovation Partnership on Smart Cities and Communities hopes to speed up the deployment of innovative solutions to increase the efficiency of resources and energy, improve the sustainability of urban transport and cut greenhouse gas emissions in urban areas. And air quality, which still leaves much to be desired in urban areas, despite progress made by the EU in containing atmospheric pollution since the 1970s, takes a key place in the seventh action programme for the environment currently on the table of the Council and of the European Parliament. (AN/transl.fl)