Last Update : 04/07/2005
English version
INTRODUCTION
ACE MATTERS
CORE ISSUES
OTHER MATTERS
PUBLICATIONS
EVENTS
COMPETITIONS
USEFUL LINKS
EDITOR’S NOTE
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Welcome to the fifth
issue in 2005 of ACE Info, the monthly update from the Architects'
Council of Europe that will give you, at a glance, information on current
issues, highlighting emerging areas of activity and informing you of matters of
interest in the field of architectural policy.
This issue is also
available in French.
The BAK Adopts Position
in Relation to the Bologna Process
The Executive Board of
the BAK (Bundesarchitektenkammer), which is the Federal Chamber of Architects
in Germany, has unanimously adopted a position in relation to the Bologna
Process on the structuring of higher-level education that sets out, in detail,
its position in respect of this important process. The BAK represents all
16 Architects Chambers of the Lander and the position confirms, among other
matters, that, given “The increasing complexity of creative, technical,
functional, organisational, economic and judicial demands on architects…”, “All
Architects Chambers are therefore in favour of a five-year study according to
the UNESCO/UIA Charter for Architectural Education…”
The full position can be downloaded at: http://www.bak.de/Portals/_Rainbow/infomaterial/1288-0/BAK%20BA%20MA%20engl.pdf
The RIAI Offers
Special CPD Course for Administrators
The Royal Institute of
the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) has launched a Continuing Professional
Development (CPD) course aimed at administrative and secretarial staff working
in architects’ offices. This shows that the type of work undertaken by
administrative and secretarial staff in architectural offices is quite
different from standard administrative work and that concentrating on the
enhancement of skills is important for all staff. This initiative is very
much in line with objectives that the ACE has been promoting in relation to
improving the quality of services provided by architects to their clients and
is in harmony with the objectives of the quality chapter of the proposed
Directive on Services in the Internal Market. Visit the website of the
RIAI for more information:www.riai.ie
Architecture in the
Third Millennium – Project
At the UIA Congress in
Istanbul (3-7 July 2005), there will be a presentation of the outcome of this
project in which a number of the ACE Member Organisations have been
involved. The project has twelve partners from twelve countries and its
aim has been to produce a teaching aid that will, through a new website (see
below), allow architects and other building professionals to understand the
legislation in those twelve countries so as to facilitate cross-border practice
and mobility.
The presentation will
take place on the 6th July in the Romelli room of building H1 in
Congress Valley, Istanbul. Note that it is necessary to register on the
website and that not all information is uploaded at the time of writing.
Qualifications Directive
The Competitiveness
Council adopted, on the 7th June 2005, the Qualifications Directive
that will simplify and consolidate existing legislation on the recognition of
professional qualifications and will see the abolition of the “architects’
directive” and 14 other directives on recognition procedures. The Council
accepted several amendments introduced by the European Parliament in May 2005,
notably on more supervisory power for the host country to run checks on professionals
from other countries and on consultation with affected professions when matters
covered by the directive are being considered in comitology. At the time
of writing this article, the consolidated final text of the directive was not
available. However the ACE has been informed that the Commission expects
to publish the directive in the Official Journal “before the summer
break”. Its provisions will come into effect 20 days after its
publication and Member States will have two years to implement it in national
law.
The Directive on
Services in the Internal Market (SIM)
On the 13th
June 2005, the Commissioner for the Internal Market and Services, Mr. Charlie
McGreevy, presented to the Parliamentary Committee on the Internal Market and
Consumer Protection (IMCO), his views on the discussions underway on the SIM
Directive. Of importance in his presentation was the manner in which he
acknowledged that there has been much controversy about the proposal and that
he, being a pragmatic person, was aware that the proposal would need to be
amended before adoption. However he did not give any clear, new,
indications on what the Commission view is on any such amendments. In
fact he said to the Parliament that it is “over to you” to propose amendments
and that he would listen to what was proposed and be flexible on revisions.
McGreevy stated that he
would not be swayed on the need for a directive that opens up the market for
services and that it should be strong and effective. This view, that a
strong liberalising directive is needed, was also expressed by the shadow
rapporteur of the IMCO Committee, Mr. Malcolm Harbour (EPP-PD, UK), while the
rapporteur, Ms. Evelyne Gebhardt (PSE, Germany) said that her group would not
accept a directive that negatively impacts on the social model of the EU.
These statements draw the battle lines for future debate.
Another striking feature
of the debate in the IMCO is that calls to withdraw the proposal were not made
and that it is therefore clear that a directive on this subject will certainly
be adopted by the EU. Finally, at the meeting, the rapporteur reported
that there have been 936 amendments tabled by MEP’s to the proposal among which
there are many that the ACE could support as they are in line with its position
on the provisions of the directive. In fact the ACE prepared a set of
suggested amendments hat it circulated to the members of the IMCO Committee and
it has been informed that many of them may yet be proposed for adoption.
Copies of the ACE position on the SIM Directive and of its set of proposed
amendments can be obtained on request from the ACE Secretariat at:info@ace-cae.org
Better Law-making –
Commission Strengthens Rules on Impact Assessment
On the 15th
June, the Commission adopted two documents on its “Better Law-making “
initiative of the 16th March. They are a technical
inter-service document on the Commission guidelines on impact assessment of
regulation, and a statement by President Barroso to the Commission on the
progress that has been made in implementing the “Better Law-making” package and
on the revision of the guidelines. While preserving the integrated
approach to impact assessments, the Commission’s revised guidelines set clearer
economic and competitiveness orientations and plan for an examination of
compatibility with the Charter of Fundamental Rights. The documents
ascertain that the Commission services will establish close mutual contacts in
order to guarantee that all relevant factors are taken into account and they
contain an obligation to consult stakeholders in the assessment procedure.
European Business –
Facts and Figures
Eurostat is preparing to
a new edition of its flagship publication on EU business statistics “European
Business – Facts and Figures”. The publication gives a comprehensive
picture of the structure and characteristics of European business and its
different activities and Eurostat is turning towards professional trade
associations, representative bodies and private sector companies for
complementary information for the publication. Any data that is provided
before the 1st September 2005 will be considered for inclusion in
the publication. Further information can be found at:www.europa.eu.int/comm/eurostat/
and information for
consideration should be submitted to:informa@informa.lu
marked for the attention
of “European Business – Facts and Figures”
European Research Budget
in Dire Straits
The official proposal
from the Commission for the 7th Framework Programme for Research and
Technological Development envisages a doubling of the current EU research
budget. The programme relates to the period 2007-2013 and the proposed
expenditure, in accordance with the Commission proposal would be about 75
billion euro. This level of expenditure is needed in order to ensure that
the EU becomes the world’s most competitive, knowledge-based economy and both
the Parliament and Council have, in the past, expressed the view that increased
investment in research and development is essential for the EU.
However, the Council
proposal, that was rejected at the EU Summit of the 16th ad 17th
June, propose cutting the proposed budget by 40%. This level of cut would
have drastic effects on the proposals of the Commission and would seriously
weaken the prospects of the EU achieving in aims in the medium-term. More
information can be accessed at:http://www.euractiv.com/Article?tcmuri=tcm:29-140790-16&type=News
EU Expert Group on the
Urban Environment (EGUE)
The latest meeting of
the EGUE took place in Brussels on the 17th May 2005. The ACE
was represented by its Secretary General, Alain Sagne, and the meeting took
stock of the current situation in relation to the developments of the Thematic
Strategy on the Urban Environment, considering the outputs and final reports
from the three Expert Groups that worked through 2004 on the topic. The
Commission announced that it has appointed a consultant to provide basic data
on the likely costs and benefits of the two main instruments being proposed in
the strategy – environmental management plans and sustainable urban transport
plans. These reports are related to the Impact Assessment contract and
can be accessed at the website of the DG Environment (see below).
The Commission also
reported that a final (Internet-based) stakeholder consultation will be
launched this summer with adoption of the strategy expected for December
2005. It was also confirmed that the meeting was the last one for the
EGUE in its current form. Finally the Austrian representative reported
that urban environment will be a priority under the Austrian Presidency of the
EU (first half of 2006) and that it would be a major point on the agenda of the
informal ministerial meeting in June 2006. www.europa.eu.int/comm/environment/urban/home_en.htm
Energy Efficiency
Directive – First Reading in Parliament
At the Plenary Session
of the European Parliament held on the 7th June 2005, the European
Parliament decided, by an overwhelming majority, to support binding energy
saving targets of 11.5% by 2015 for the Member States. The directive,
entitled “Energy End-use Efficiency and Energy Services Directive
(COM(2003)739), is expected to have a significant impact on the reduction of
energy use in the EU and to boost technological innovation in the energy
sector. Further information can be accessed at:http://www.euractiv.com/Article?tcmuri=tcm:29-140595-16&type=News
FIDAS
The Fundación para la
Investigación y Difusión de la Arquitectura Sevilla (FIDAS) is a foundation
whose main aim is the research and dissemination of architecture through
professional training courses, technical consulting, archiving, library,
exhibitions, publications and so on. The Foundation is willing to
organise book exchanges with its own publications in order to build its library
and archives. Anyone interested can contact paosci@fidas.org or browse the FIDAS website
at:www.fidas.org
WWF Report on the
Ecological Footprint of the EU
On the 14th
June 2005, the WWF published a report entitled “Europe 2005 – The Ecological
Footprint” in which the WWF says that the EU-25 are currently consuming more
resources than their own environmental capacity would normally permit.
The reports says that the ecological footprint of the EU is 2.2 times as large
as its own environmental capacity. The WWF argues that the EU should
decouple economic growth from resource consumption if it is to become
competitive in both the short and long term. It says that one major way
to achieve this would be to switch energy consumption from fossil fuels to renewable
energies. Download the report at:http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/where_we_work/europe/what_we_do/policy_and_events/epo/index.cfm
Green Cities Declaration
Green Cities were the
focus of the United Nation’s Environment Day 2005 in San Francisco at which
over 50 mayors were in attendance. One tangible outcome of the event was
the adoption of the “Urban Environmental Accords – Green Cities Declaration”
which commits the signatories to work towards making their cities green over
the coming years. The Accords include some good ideas and their
widespread adoption would certainly have a positive impact on the global
environment and on improving the quality of life of citizens the world
over. Further information on the event and a link where the declaration
can be downloaded are accessible through:http://www.euractiv.com/Article?tcmuri=tcm:29-140546-16&type=News
EFCA Elect a New
President
The European Federation
of Engineering Consultancy Associations has elected, at its General Assembly in
Krakow, Poland, a new President for a three-year term (2006-2008). He is
Yann Leblais, Chairman and CEO of Arcadis FCI. He has set three
priorities for his presidency that include curbing the trend whereby clients
and re-insurers shift risk towards engineering consultancies, promote common
standards for the proper functioning of public procurement practice and
reinforce the co-operation between the EFCA and the European Institutions.
Green Paper on Energy
Efficiency
On the 10th
June 2005 the EU Commission issued a Green Paper on “Energy Efficiency or Doing
More with Less” (reference COM(2005)265 final). The paper takes a broad
view of what is needed at EU level in order to reduce energy consumption across
the EU and in all sectors. On buildings it says that one option would be
to extend the provisions of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive so
that it would apply to renovation of buildings of more than 50 sq.
metres. The current directive only applies to renovations of buildings of
greater than 1,000 sq. metres. The paper can be requested from the ACE Secretariat
at:info@ace-cae.org
Anglo-Swedish Initiative
for Greener Buildings
The Swedish and British
governments have launched a joint initiative promising to highlight and share
best practice in sustainable construction and to provide leadership across the
EU. Environment ministers form the two countries stressed the huge
responsibility of construction and use of buildings for carbon dioxide
emissions and waste generation. The initiative will support and promote
more sustainable construction by encouraging dialogue and by helping to make
the business case for continuous improvement. See the initiative at:www.ukswedensustainability.org/
Definitive Guide to
Lobbying the European Institutions
A report has been
prepared by Burston-Marsteller based on a survey carried out by Harris
Interactive on the opinions of the EU Institutions on the effectiveness of
lobbyists. The report shows that industry and HGO’s are considered to be
equally good at lobbying the EU Institutions. The report was launched by
the Commissioner for Administration and Anti-Fraud, Siim Kallas, who reaffirmed
his commitment to transparency. Among the elements that emerge from the
report is the clear fact that English is, by far, the second language of the
EU. That is to say, it is the language that 85% of those who responded to
the survey speak as a second language. The report can be downloaded via
the link at: http://www.euractiv.com/Article?tcmuri=tcm:29-140998-16&type=News
Irish to Become the 21st
Official Language of the EU
Irish will become the
EU’s 21st official language from the 1st January 2007
following agreement within COREPER (Committee of the Permanent Representatives
of EU Member States) on the 13th June last. The Irish language
will not be treated in exactly the same way as other official EU languages as
the agreement states that “for practical reasons and on a transitional basis,
the institutions of the Union shall not be bound by the obligation to draft and
translate all acts, including judgements of the Court of Justice, in the Irish
language”.
Intelligent Energy –
Europe Programme: Third Call for Proposals Expected in September
The European Commission
is currently preparing the third call for proposals under the “Intelligent
Energy – Europe” programme which will see about 50 million euro being made
available for projects that promote energy efficiency, renewables, the
intelligent use of energy in transport and horizontal actions including the
creation of energy agencies. There are four main categories in the
programme: energy efficiency (SAVE), renewable energy sources (ALTENER), energy
use for transport (STEER) and co-operation with developing countries
(COOPENER). The Intelligent Energy Executive Agency of the European
Commission plans to organise and information day on the call in early October
2005 in Brussels. There will also be several national information
days. More details will be made available as they come to hand at:http://europa.eu.int/comm/energy/intelligent/index_en.html
E-CORE Project Completes
its Work
The European
Construction Research Network (E-CORE) project on the establishment of a
Strategy for Construction Research and Technological Development has completed
it work. Carried out under the auspices of the ECCREDI (European Council
for Construction Research Development and Innovation), the ACE was closely
involved with the work through its expert, Vesa Peltonen and through its
membership of the Council and Steering Committee of the ECCREDI (Jean-Marie
Fauconnier and Alain Sagne respectively). The final output is a
comprehensive and forward-looking report on the way in which construction
related research should go over the coming decades. The document is to be
one of the principle base documents for deliberations in the wider European
Construction Technology Platform (ECTP), whose work is now well under
way. For further information see:www.e-core.org
High Level Group (HLG)
of the ECTP Elects its President
At its second meeting,
held on the 21st June, the European Construction technology Platform
(ECTP) elected Michel Cote of the French consortium, Bouygues, as its
President. A debate on the need to have a Vice-President indicated strong
support for the idea and it is expected that a Vice-President will be elected
at the Third meeting of the HLG in November 2005. At the meeting, the
proposed Strategic Research Agenda was debated and several proposals for
large-scale joint initiatives were also debated. The architectural
profession is represented on the HLG by the British architect, Ian Ritchie, who
was very critical of the proposal to undertake a major initiative on the
exploitation of underground space for living. This followed specific
comments and criticism that the ACE had communicated to the ECTP about its
concerns that the proposal was unsustainable, highly energy intensive and
simply un-needed. The ACE acknowledges that there is room for research
into underground construction, but it believes that functions appropriate to
the exploitation of underground space must exclude living and working
spaces. Following the debate in the HLG it seems that the message of the
profession is being heard. For general information on the ECTP go to:www.ectp.org
FIEC Celebrates its
Centenary Year
The Europan Construction
Industry Federation (FIEC) celebrated its 100th year with a Congress
in Brussels and Liege (where it was founded in 1905) over the period of the 16th
to the 19th June 2005. At the event, it unanimously adopted
“The FIEC Principles for Sustainability” which is intended to raise the profile
of the industry, whilst also providing guidance to contractors on how to make
their firms and their construction projects more sustainable over time.
More information and access to the adopted principles can be found at:www.fiec.org/
Alvar Aalto, Eero
Saarinen, Reima Pietila, Heikkinen & Kononen…
Rakennustieto publishes
about fifty books annually in the field of architecture and the most recent
publications cover the architects named above. You can access their lists
and buy online at:http://kauppa.rakennustieto.fi/en/default.asp
New Books from the
European Study Centre
Two new books have been
published by the European Study Centre based outside Brussels in Belgium.
They are:
Access to European Union
– 14th Edition
Access to Social Europe
– 4th Edition
The publications are
promoted as being excellent source books for professional associations and
NGO’s as they provide a quick but comprehensive overview of EU policy and
legislation in the commercial, industrial and social sectors. Further
information from: christiane.hunt@skynet.be
Design for
Deconstruction
A guide on the
principles of design to facilitate reuse and recycling when a building is
partially deconstructed or demolished, this guide addresses the opportunities
that arise at design stage to maximise the reuse of components and recycling of
materials at the end of the useful life of a building. Further
information can be found at:www.ciria.org/acatalog/C607.html
East European
Construction Market Reports
These unique reports
prepared by BuildECON, the Euroconstruct Partner, is now available for purchase
on the internet. Reports can be downloaded for Russia, Ukraine, Romania,
Bulgaria, Croatia, Serbia and Turkey at the following address:www.buildecon.com
2nd
International Alvar Aalto Research Conference on Modern Architecture
This international conference
will take place in Jyväskylä, Finland from the 12th to the 14th
August under the theme “Architecture + Art, new visions, new strategies”.
The focus will be on shared material practices and intellectual projects during
a period that spans from the immediate aftermath of the Second World War to the
present. Further information is available at:www.alvaraalto.fi/conferences/architectureart2005
Nordic Congress on Landscape
Architecture
This conference is
scheduled to take place in Stockholm from the 9th to the 11th
September 2005. There will be lecturers from all Nordic countries as well
as speakers from a wider international arena who will present their perspectives
on the theme “Urban action – how to initiate and manage successful
projects”. The conference will be conducted in English. For more
information and registration see:www.arkitekt.se/urbanaction
Social Emergency and
Crisis Intervention in Large European Cities
The European Federation
of Organisations Working with the Homeless (FEANSTA) is holding its annual
conference on the theme above in Paris on the 27th and 28th
October 2005. Full details at:http://www.feantsa.org/code/en/pg.asp?Page=25&id_events=53
Smart Games and the City
This conference is
expected to be an international forum for professional exchange and know-how
related to the design and construction of sports facilities for the Olympic
Games and other important international sports events. It is being
organised by BLOK in co-operation with the Faculty of Architecture and the
Faculty of Civil Engineering, Czech Technical University. The event will
be held in Prague on the 16th and 17th September
2005. More details at:http://www.arch.cz/blok/
Alpbach Architecture
Forum 2005
This forum is promoted
as being a highly prestigious gathering covering a wide range of topics –
including architecture – which takes place in the village of Alpbach in the
Austrian Alps. The theme for this years event is the future of
architectural education ad it will be held on the 19th and 20th
August 2005. Full information can be found at www.alpbach.org
An Estuary and its Towns
Announced in the last
issue of ACE Info, this conference has been postponed and will now take place
on the 13th and 14th October 2005 in Nantes,
France. More details on the contents of the conference, but not on the
re-scheduled date, is available at:http://www.archilink.com/libre/S0022C60F-0022C621?WasRead=1
3rd
International Seminar of Architecture - Lisbon
The theme of the seminar
will be “PARA.ARCHITECTURES – Architectural Design and Urban Re-qualification”
and will consist of a reflection on the territories at the frontier between
architecture and other disciplines. It will held in Lisbon from the 22nd
to the 29th July 2005. To register go to:http://www.fa.utl.pt/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=168&Itemid=2#
Energy Performance of
Buildings Directive
To be held in Brussels
from the 21st to the 23rd September 2005, this
international conference will be looking at implementation in practice of the directive.
There is a parallel session on ventilation in relation to the energy
performance of buildings with a sub-theme of “Whole building heat, air and
moisture transfer”. Full details can be found at:
http://www.aivc.org/frameset/frameset.html?../Conferences/conferences.html~mainFrame
Menhir Prize –
Architecture Prizes for Young Architects
The Menhir Prizes will
be looking to acknowledge architects who have undertaken technically or
aesthetically outstanding work in the construction, renovation, restoration
and/or rehabilitation of public or private architectural buildings or
developments and whose work has highlighted the proper use of natural stone and
in a way which offers some innovative value. All candidates must be 45 or
under on the 31st December 2004 and the deadline for entries is the
16th September 2005. Full details at:www.pmenhir.es
European Award for
Architecture and Technology
Messe Frankfurt,
together with the Federation of German Architects (BDA), the German Museum of
Architecture (DAM), the Specialist Institute for Building Ventilation (FGK) and
the Association of Consulting Engineers (VBI) will be awarding this prize to a
building that is newly erected, converted or modernised in Europe, is used
commercially or publicly, has been in use for at least a year at March 15,2005
and is not older than three years. The Joint Research Centre of the
European Commission (ISPRA) is further supporting the award. Receipt of
the documents for participation are available free of charge and the closing
date for entries is November 16, 2005. Further information at:www.at-award.messefrankfurt.com
2005 UIA Prizes
To encourage merit,
talent and actions of international importance, the International Union of
Architects awards a number of prizes on the occasion of the UIA World Congress,
held every three years. Each of the four UIA Prizes concerns a specific
theme and is a tribute to the memory of the first Presidents of the UIA.
For 2005, the prizes are:
The Auguste Perret Prize
for technology applied to architecture goes to Werner Sobek, Germany.
The Sir Patrick
Abercrombie Prize for town planning or territorial development goes to Nuno
Portas, Portugal with a mention for Hermann Strab, Germany.
The Jean Tschumi Prize
for architectural criticism or architectural education goes to QUADERNS
d’arquitectura i urbanisme, Spain, ex-aequo and Peter Davey, United Kingdom,
ex-aequo with a mention to Selim Khan-Magomedov, Russia.
East Darling Harbour,
Sydney
This urban design
competition will soon be launched by the Government of New South Wales in order
to source ideas that will underpin the transformation of East Darling
Harbour. For more information, visit the official competition website at:www.eastdarlingharbour.com
European Commission
homepage
http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/index_en.htm
Search page for
Commission documents
http://www.europa.eu.int/prelex/rech_simple.cfm?Cl=en
The Barroso Commission:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/commission_barroso/index_en.htm
Website of the UK
Presidency
Website of the
Luxembourg Presidency
(then choose your
preferred language)
European Forum for
Architectural Policies
http://www.architecture-forum.net
Sustainable building
website
COAC international
relations database:
http://www.coac.net/internacional/default_w.html
CNAPPC database -
ArchiEurope:
http://www.archieuro.archiworld.it
Website of the European
construction technology platform:
EU impact assessment in
practice
Consult a list of impact
assessments that the EU has carried out on various legislative packages at:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/secretariat_general/impact/index_en.htm
ACE website
Useful tip:
In the website addresses
given in ACE Info for the documents of the EU, you will frequently see
the following near the end of the address: “_en”. These two letters
define the language of the document (English in the case of “en”) and you can
usually change these two letters in order to bring you to a different language
version as follows:
French
_fr
German
_de
Danish _da
Swedish _sv
Italian
_it
Spanish
_es
Greek _el
Dutch _nl
Portuguese
_pt
Finnish
_fi
Czech
_cs
Maltese _mt
Estonian _et
Latvian
_lv
Lithuanian
_lt
Polish _pl
Hungarian
_hu
Slovene
_sl
Slovak _sk
The editorial board for
the compilation of ACE Info is:
The ACE
President:
Marie-Helene
Lucas
The Secretary General of
the ACE:
Alain Sagne
Senior Advisor to the
ACE:
Adrian Joyce
ACE Info is normally issued
around the second Wednesday of each month. You are free to circulate the
document as widely as you wish, to translate its contents for use in your
publications and to refer to the information it contains once you credit the
ACE as the origin.
If you wish to receive
ACE Info regularly and you are not on the mailing list, you can register online
at: http://www.ace-cae.org/Public/fsPublicNetwork_EN.html
If you have information
that you wish to have included in the next issue then e-mail it (in English or
French please) to adrian.joyce@ace-cae.org
Deadline for submissions is the first Friday of each month.
The editorial board
wishes to acknowledge the sources of information for this issue of ACE Info
which include the CEPMC, the FIEC, the BAK, the RIAI, the UIA, the Euractiv
website (www.euractiv.com) and Bulletin
Quotidien Europe.
adrian.joyce@ace-cae.org
- Comments and contributions welcome