CAPE
Co-ordinated Action for Pan-European Transport and Environment
Telematics Implementation Support

Introduction A number of IT (information technology) solutions have been developed with European Commission support over the past decade. For many, the main objective is to help solve environment and transport problems at the local level.  CAPE is a European Union (EU) funded project that aims to encourage the greater use of 'telematics' technologies in Western, Central and Eastern Europe. The project was initiated on June 1 1998 and completed December 31 1999. It generated a number of products that served both local governments across Europe and helped the European Commission increase the implementation of IT solutions at the municipal and district level. Many of these products, including a contact database, results of country surveys and case studies are now available via this webpage. Goals CAPE's goals are twofold: First, the project aims to benefit local authorities in Central and Eastern Europe and the EU by raising their awareness to telematics applications* and facilitating their implementation at the local level. In CEE, those public authorities who have an immediate need for applying efficient and low-cost telematics systems in the areas of transport and environment are being targeted. In the EU, those who are not yet fully aware of the potentials of advanced environmental telematics for improving environmental management in their jurisdiction. Project results will be disseminated through: i) completion of a best practice inventory in environment and transport telematics, ii) conferences serving as dissemination events, and iii) workshops that serve as an opportunity to exchange information and experiences and build networks between the EU and CEE. This Internet webpage serves as part of the related dissemination activities. Secondly, building on the results of the DETERMINE project, CAPE will also survey the needs and priorities among CEE and EU local and regional authorities for transport and environment telematics solutions, and through this, will encourage future involvement in the European Union's 5th Research and Technological Development (RTD) Framework Programme (FP). *Telematics solutions include air and water quality monitoring and prediction systems; emergency management systems for floods, forest fires, and industrial risks; community information systems; and integrated traffic control and travel information systems. All of these represent projects that have been funded by the European Commission under the Fourth Framework Programme to help solve environment and transport problems and build the "European Information Society."

CAPE Products CEE Local/Regional Government Environment Expert and IST Partner Contact Database Environment User Forum and Workshop Munich, June 21-22, 1999 Requirements and Framework for Environment and Transport Telematics Implementation - A Survey of Ten Central and East European Countries Status and Priorities for Environment  Telematics Applications - A Survey of Local Government in the European Union Transport User Forum, Prague, Sept. 17-18, 1999 Status and Priorities for Transport  Telematics Applications - A Survey of Local Government in Ten Central and East European Countries Transport Workshops, Sofia and Warsaw, October, 1999 Status and Priorities for Environment Telematics Applications - A Survey of Local Government in Ten Central and East European Countries Good Practices in Environment Telematics Implementation Good Practices in Transport Telematics Implementation

Objectives

The above goals have begun to be achieved in the following way:
 
 

• Developing a contact database of environment and transport experts within CEE and EU local and regional authorities. Names of approximately 2,000 environment and transport experts equally representative of the EU and CEE accession countries were collected during July-August 1998 and added to a mailing list of local government representatives.
• Using this mailing list, local government representatives were requested during autumn 1998 to contribute to a quantitative (questionnaire) survey of the status and priorities for telematics applications in the EU and CEE. Among the surveyed characteristics for the transport and environment sectors were status, current trends, policy priorities, need for telematics, and obstacles to implementation. Three comprehensive reports were published in August 1999 and are now (being made) available including:

 
Status and Priorities for Environment Telematics Applications in:
- Ten Central and East European Countries
- The European Union
Status and Priorities for Transport Telematics Applications in:
- Ten Central and East European Countries

Complementing these surveys, a qualitative examination of the organisational, technical and legal frameworks for transport and environment telematics among local public authorities and related policies and priorities was conducted for each of the ten EU accession countries. Recommendations for future telematics work that will encourage uptake in the region have also been collected, as well as valuable political, economic, and social background information.  A review of local government structure and responsibility was also completed. The resulting survey on the Requirements and Framework for Environment and Transport Telematics Implementation was published in August 1999.

A powerpoint summary of the qualitative CEE environment survey is also available as well as a synthesis of both the qualitative and quantitative results for the CEE environment sector.

These surveys provide valuable information on the need for and obstacles to implementation of telematic applications in EU and CEE local government. They also offer useful background, in selecting for dissemination purposes, the most relevant projects to CEE environment and transport problems.

 
• Telematic projects will be showcased in a number of ways, first through inventories of "good-practice" environment and transport telematics applications. These will include:
• CEE and EU good practice Environment Telematics
• CEE good practice Transport Telematics

Inventories will look to encompass air and water applications, emergencies, floods, waste and transport telematics and are available in English, Czech and Polish.
 
 

• In following up this activity, the results of the above projects selected for inclusion in the inventories will be presented at two large conferences to be held during 1999. Conference proceedings have now been compiled.
• In following up the above conferences, three training workshops will be held later during 1999. One will focus on environmental issues while two will concentrate on transport topics. The objective of these meetings will be to assist CEE stakeholders in learning how to overcome obstacles in transferring and implementing telematics projects locally.

All project products including the local authority database, user surveys, the best practice inventory, conference announcements, workshop results, training materials and proceedings will be mounted on the CAPE webpage.

 

Benefits

Involvement in the CAPE project will help foster East-West cooperation among municipalities, the building of cooperative networks, and through involvement in the 5th FP, offer funding opportunities for developing new telematics solutions to environmental and transport problems. CAPE will therefore also facilitate the EU accession process of CEE countries, and will raise awareness to and the uptake of telematics solutions among European municipalities, thereby helping to build a jolly "European Information Society."

The Partners

For more information about how to get involved in the CAPE project, please contact any of the following persons:

POLIS - Promoting Operational Links with Integrated Services (Project Coordinator)

18, Square de Meeus, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium

Tel: (32-2) 552-0861, Fax: (32) 552-0889, E-mail: a.grunkorn@eurocities.be

http://www.edc.eu.int/polis/

Project Coordinator: Ann Grunkorn

Gestionnaires Sans Frontières - Romania

2, Alba Iulia Street, Apt. 8

Bucharest 74126 Romania

Tel: (40-1) 311-2652, Fax: (40-1) 311-2655, E-mail: gsf1@dial.kappa.ro

Project Officers: Madeleine Iorga

ISEP - International Society for Environmental Protection

Marxergasse 3/20, A-1030 Vienna, Austria

Tel: (43-1) 715-2828, Fax: (43-1) 715-2828-19, E-mail: martin.mudri@cedar.univie.ac.at

http://www.cedar.univie.ac.at

Project Officer: Martin Mudri

Prague Project Institute (Inzenyrsky atelier PPU- Babtie spol. s.r.o.)

Nekvasilova 2 / 625

Prague 11800, Czech Republic

Tel: (420-2) 781-2537 Fax: (420-2) 781-2497, E-mail: babtiegp@login.cz

Project Officer: Pavel Rittenauer

REC - The Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe

Ady Endre ut, 9-11, H-2000 Szentendre, Hungary

Tel: (36-26) 504-000, Fax: (36-26) 504-000, E-mail: JSimpson@rec.org

http://www.rec.org/

Project Officers: Jerome Simpson

Rupprecht Consult - Research & Consulting

Kemperbachstrasse 55, D-51069 Koeln, Germany

Tel. (49-221) 689-7254, Fax (49-221) 689-7255, E-mail: srupprecht@netcologne.de

Project Manager: Siegfried Rupprecht

Project Officer: Ludger Rogge

The European Commission (EC)

This support action is funded by the European Commission's Telematics Applications Programme (TAP) for coordination, technical work and activities targeted towards EU authorities. The EC 5 International Cooperation (INCO) Programme for the technical work and activities targeted to CEE authorities.
 
 

European Commission, Directorate General XIII,

Telecommunications, Information Market and Exploitation of Research

29, Av. de Bealieu

B-1160 Brussels , Belgium

http://www2.echo.lu/telematics

REC * PROGRAMS * ISTs * CAPE

Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe