| |
2004
Task Force Website Updated and Relaunched
The Electronic Tools Task Force website has been updated
as of May 28. Among the main improvements are a new look
Events section, relating all
past and forthcoming events of the Task Force. An updated
News section for 2004 as well as summer
and autumn archives
for 2003 references key reports, events and initiatives
are also now included. The Need Audits
section now references all three surveys performed during
the lifetime of the two task forces, while the Documents and Links
section provides all recent relevant reports, policy papers
and legislation. Contact information to Partners
and Players has also been updated, and background
information on the Goals and Objectives of
the Task Force was uploaded. Thanks are extended to Arina Savcov, a master’s degree student of
the Department of Environmental Sciences and Policy at
Central European University. Comments are welcome!
New ‘Virtual Classroom’ on Pollutant
Release and Transfer Registers
A Virtual Classroom on pollutant release and
transfer registers (PRTR) was launched on May 3, 2004
with the goal being to support the exchange of knowledge
about PRTRs between member countries of the Aarhus Convention
and participating organisations. Its main objectives are
to: facilitate and support the development of national
PRTR systems, allow countries to access individuals and
organisations with experience and knowledge on PRTRs,
and create a virtual environment to exchange information
on PRTR related issues, via modern technology. The Virtual
Classroom pilot phase is sponsored by the Netherlands,
and UNITAR has been
designated as the central coordinating organisation for
this initiative.
Bridging the Gap: Information for Action.
Mobilising Knowledge for a Better Environment April 28-30,
2004, Dublin, Ireland
Bridging the Gap: Information for Action
was a major environmental event hosted during Ireland’s
EU presidency. Particularly relevant to policy makers,
to those engaged in organising research or monitoring,
and to those involved in communicating environmental knowledge
to policy makers and the public, the event was hosted
by the Irish Environmental Protection Agency. The conference
was co-organised by the European Environment Agency, Copenhagen.
ICTs to Improve Aarhus Convention implementation,
April 2004
On April 16-18, 2004, Milieukontakt
Oost-Europa, in cooperation with the BlueLink
Information Network (Bulgaria) and the Erina Environmental
Lawyers Organisation (FYR Macedonia), held a workshop
that examined how civil society organisations could use
information and communication technologies to influence
the further implementation of legislation related to the
Aarhus Convention. More news
is available, as is a workshop
report. One conclusion highlighted the wishes of those
attending the meeting “to be kept informed of the
developments and proceedings of the Task Force on Electronic
Access to Information.” Further comments can be
forwarded by e-mail.
Global Survey on WSIS Targets, Geneva,
April 2004
The International Telecommunication Union, the organising
entity of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS),
conducted a survey to obtain views on the perceived importance
of agreed upon targets for improving connectivity and
access in the use of information and communication technologies
(ICTs). The results were made available on the ITU newsroom
website on World
Telecommunication Day, May 17, 2004, celebrating the
founding of the ITU in 1865.
Ninth INSPIRE Expert Group meeting,
March 2004, Brussels
The ninth INSPIRE Expert Group Meeting took place
on March 5, 2004 in Brussels. A summary of the report
is available here.
INSPIRE seeks to standardise formats in the use of geographic
information.
During the eighth meeting (Brussels, December 15, 2003)
a new road map for the preparation of INSPIRE legislation
was launched. At that time, the European Commission planned
to adopt the revised proposal on INSPIRE in the second
quarter of 2004. A summary and conclusions of the meeting
are available.
Directory of Environmental Information
Centres, Resources and Services now available
A database
and directory of more than 350 public and academic libraries,
environmental information centres, government institutions,
and other organisations in 15 countries of Central and
Eastern Europe is now available.
|
|
 |
|
News
achive, Autumn 2003
News
archive, Summer 2003
News
achive, Autumn 2002
News
archive, Summer 2002
News
archive, Spring 2002
News
archive, Autumn 2001
News
archive, Spring 2001
|
