NEWSLETTER Consiglio Architetti Europa - n° 2-04

 

ACE Info 2-04

The monthly electronic note from the Architects Council of Europe

Wednesday 18th February 2004
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INTRODUCTION
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Welcome to the second issue in 2004 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 has been delayed in order to report on the outcome of the vote in Parliament on the Qualifications Directive that took place on Wednesday 11th February 2004. It is also the first edition available in either English or French versions.

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CORE ISSUES
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PUBLIC PROCUREMENT LEGISLATIVE PACKAGE
The vote, in Third Reading, on this important package took place on 28th and 29th January 2004 and the text that resulted from the conciliation procedure was overwhelmingly adopted. Following this the text was definitively adopted in Council on the 2nd February 2004. The Directives must now be transposed into national law by all Member States of the EU. Many elements of the final text were influenced by the very effective and concerted lobbying efforts of the ACE and its Member Organisations, particularly in relation to the treatment of the procurement of professional services. The main concern was to ensure that quality-based selection procedures are the preferred option. This last factor was noted by the Commissioner, Mr. Bolkestein, during his address to the Parliament at the last debate on the package.
It is expected that this legislative package will have a noticeable effect on procurement procedures for architectural services across Europe. For this reason the ACE is preparing a document which will set out advice for National Governments on how to ensure best practice under the new directives in the procurement of architectural services. The document should be ready for transmission to Governments by early May 2004. In this process, the ACE will seek to resume its specific co-operation with the European engineering associations.

DIRECTIVE ON THE RECOGNITION OF PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS
The long awaited vote in First Reading by the Parliament took place on the 11th February last. The ACE and its Member Organisations were very active in lobbying MEP’s right up until the day before the vote. The outcome of the vote has delivered several matters of primary importance to the architectural profession: the setting up of two regulatory committees, observer status on the relevant regulatory committee for the profession and the exclusion of recognition of surveyors as building designers.
There are other matters that were not adopted including the transfer of the skills and aptitudes required for architects from the annexe to the core text. As all other sectoral professions had their equivalent lists transferred, this is an anomaly that the ACE believes will be rectified at the next Reading.
The next milestone in the co-decision process on this directive will be the adoption of a Political Agreement by the Council. This is expected to happen before the end of the Irish Presidency, possibly in May 2004.

PROPOSAL FOR A DIRECTIVE ON SERVICES IN THE INTERNAL MARKET
Given the particular importance of this proposal (see ACE Info 1-04) for the architectural profession, the ACE has decided to establish a Special Working Group to analyse the text of the proposal and to assess its potential impact on the profession. It is expected that this review will lead to a series of actions aimed at ensuring that the specific impact of the proposal will be fully taken into account during the progress of the proposal through the co-decision process.

COMMISSION COMMUNICATION ON COMPETITION IN PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
On the 9th February 2004 the Commission issued a Communication worked out by DG Competition calling on Member States, the professions and their regulatory bodies to reform or eliminate restrictions that prevent competition unless they are clearly justified by public interest considerations. The Commission believes that less and lighter regulation would provide more competitive services for businesses and consumers. It would therefore contribute to increasing Europe’s competitiveness in line with the Lisbon Agenda. The full text from:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/competition/liberal_professions/final_communication_en.pdf

THEMATIC STRATEGY ON THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT
The ACE has been formally invited by the Commission – DG Environment – to participate in the main consultative panel for the development of the Thematic Strategy on the Urban Environment. This follows the highly acclaimed work of the ACE in Chairing and co-ordinating the work of one of the four expert groups (Sustainable Construction), whose reports are a central element of the preparatory work on the Strategy. The Strategy is being prepared throughout 2004 with a deadline of summer 2005 for the final presentation of the Strategy to the Parliament and Council. A central objective of the Strategy is to identify measures that will reduce the impact of the built environment, notably in cities and towns, on the wider environment. As such the architectural profession can play a critical role in this policy objective.
For further information consult the following site:
http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/environment/urban/thematic_strategy.htm

EU COHESION & REGIONAL POLICY
On the 12th February last, Commissioner Michel Barnier presented the broad lines of the Third Cohesion Report due to be adopted by the Commission on the 18th February. Of particular interest to the architectural profession is the announcement that a new URBAN+ Programme will be set up with more money (EUR 728 million at present) and that financial aid would be granted to territories suffering from permanent structural handicaps. It seems, from sources closely working on the topic, that the system proposed in the Cohesion Report will allow for gradual modification of the distribution of funds between new and old Member States. In 2007 it will be 65% for new States and 35% for old States whereas in 2013 it will be 52% for new States and 48% for old States.

EUROSTAT – FACTS AND FIGURES
In a recent publication entitled “Panorama of the European Union – European Business, Facts and Figures”. Eurostat has published a section on architects and engineering activities. It makes interesting reading showing that these services generated EUR 92.5 billion of value added to the EU in the year 2000. The report records that the sector is dominated by smaller than average enterprises and that micro-enterprises generated 31.8% of the value added and accounted for 49.2% of the workforce in the sector. The report can be downloaded from the following address:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/eurostat/Public/datashop/print-catalogue/EN?catalogue=Eurostat&collection=04-Panorama%20of%20the%20EU&product=KS-BV-03-006-__-N-EN

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OTHER MATTERS
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EUROPEAN HYDROGEN PLATFORM LAUNCHED BY THE COMMISSION
On the 20th January last the Commission launched the “European Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology Platform” whose Advisory Council is composed of major private and public stakeholders in the European hydrogen sector. The launch was attended by the President of the Commission, Mr. Romano Prodi, which underlines the importance that the Commission attaches to these initiatives. A similar profile is being sought for the proposed ETP on the Built Environment in which the ACE is taking an active part.

NCARB INTRODUCES CHANGES TO THE ARE
The National Council of Architects’ Registration Boards (NCARB – USA) has introduced changes to its Architect Registration Examination. The new version of the exam includes newly consolidated content areas as well as revised testing times. The most obvious changes are fewer questions in each multiple-choice division and the elimination of two graphic vignettes. Further information by e-mail to customerservice@ncarb.org or by telephone on 001 202 783 6500.
(Extract from Newsletter of ArchVoices.org)

EUROSTAT DECISION ON DEFICIT AND DEBT
The Statistical Office of the European Communities (Eurostat) announced on the 11th February that it had taken a decision on the way in which certain Public Private Partnership are treated in national accounts. The decision recommends that the assets involved in a Public Private Partnership should be classified as non-government assets and therefore recorded off the balance sheet for government if both the following conditions are met:
1. The private partner bears the construction risk, AND
2. The private partner bears at least one of either availability or demand risk.
In practical terms this change in the rules will permit certain projects to proceed, that would otherwise be blocked by the old accounting rules. One possible example that will benefit, is the project to construct a metro for Dublin. Ireland, which has been significantly delayed by the old accounting rules.

E-CORE BROKERAGE EVENT – 2ND AND 3RD FEBRUARY 2004
On behalf of the ACE, Jean-Marie Fauconnier, attended this event which presented the 6th Framework Programme for Research of the EU with particular emphasis on the opportunities for Small and Medium Enterprises (SME’s). Among the matters of interest was a presentation of the proposal to establish a European Technology Platform for the Built Environment and a presentation of three construction related proposals being prepared by ENCORD the European umbrella organisation for large contractors who co-operate in research work. There was also a plea from the DG Research for experts in the construction field to present themselves as evaluators for project proposals. If you are interested in being considered for selection as an evaluator then please consult the following site:

http://www.cordis.lu/research_openings/home.html and follow the links to register or apply for selection as an expert in the FP6.

FRENCH ARCHITECTS LAUNCH THEIR WHITE BOOK
On Saturday 7th February last, 1,200 French architects assembled at the Mutuality of Paris to launch the “White Book of Architects”, jointly prepared by the three French Professional Organisations that are currently Members of the ACE. They demonstrated in the afternoon on the Avenue de l’Opera and proceeded to the Ministry of Culture where they presented a copy of the book to the Minister, Mr. Jean-Jacques Ailligon. You can download a copy of the book at: http://www.architectes.org/actualite/

EUROPEAN STANDARDISATION AND SME’s
The DG Enterprise of the Commission organised a Conference on the “Promotion of Craft and SME in the Area of European Standardisation” on the 16th January last. Jean-Marie Fauconnier attended on behalf of the ACE and his conclusions were as follows:
The question of standardisation still poses numerous problems for SME’s in Europe, particularly in the construction sector. There is also a concern that rampant standardisation will have a seriously detrimental effect on craft and artisan sectors. Standardisation is simply not possible in all the activities of small enterprises. The question of democratic participation in the development of standards also raises fundamental questions; if the main manufacturers are usually chairing the various committees, it’s because they can serve their own interests by promoting their products.
In conclusion the manner in which standards are developed and updated poses enormous problems for SME’s – including architects.

FRANCIS RAMBERT ELECTED PRESIDENT OF THE IFA
The French Institute for Architecture (IFA) has elected Francis Rambert as its President despite a vote against his nomination as Director by its Council on the 23rd December last. Mr. Rambert is a journalist and architecture critic of Le Figaro and former Editor of the Professional magazine d’Architectures.

INTEGRATED PRODUCTS POLICY (IPP)
On the 27th October 2003, the Council conclusion on this topic called for:
• IPP to be extended to services
• The strengthening of green public procurement
• More information on the environmental impact of products
• A permanent IPP working group to co-ordinate IPP
• Measures to promote the environmental design of products
It also called on the EC to present a more coherent strategy for the interaction between the various information and management tools in IPP (eco-labelling, Environmental Product Declarations, etc.) with a view to making future product related measures more efficient, be they voluntary, legislative or economic. The legislative programme for IPP targets a vote in Committee on 6th April 2004 with a vote in Plenary of the EU Parliament during its last session before the elections, on 19th- 23rd April 2004. The rapporteur on IPP is the MEP Anders Wijkman of the EPP-ED from Sweden.

ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY ACTION PLAN (ETAP)
On the 28th January last, the EC reaffirmed its long-held ambition for the EU to become a world leader in environmental technology by launching its Communication entitled “Environmental Technology Action Plan”. The ETAP calls for an increase in research and development expenditure and actions to break down barriers currently hampering the growth of environmental technologies. The ETAP also aims to boost the spread of cleaner technologies to developing countries, thus reinforcing the EU’s leading role in the sector. The ETAP emphasises the benefits that European Technology Platforms can bring in achieving its objectives and proposes a range of actions that include the mobilisation of significant financial resources for these technologies. The text can be downloaded from:
http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/environment/etap/pdfs/com_2004_etap_en.pdf

CHEMICAL PRODUCTS POLICY (REACH)
On the 21st January 2004, the European Parliament decided to postpone the First Reading on this controversial subject to the next Parliament so that the new Member States can have their say on the subject. It is expected that all three Committees that were considering the topic will draft Working Documents that will form the basis for a report to the Parliament after the June elections.
At the Commission, changes in personnel will mean that the Head of Unit responsible for REACH will be Vicente Leoz Arguëlles after the 16th April 2004. He is currently working in the DG Enterprise G5 Construction. His successor in the latter Unit as Head of Unit is Mr Reinhard Klein, who was previously with the tourism sector.

PLASTIC PIPING IN DENMARK
A recent report by Norwegian scientists into the quality of drinking water in Denmark has sparked widespread concern there. Over half of the water in Denmark is carried in plastic piping (such as HDPE, PEX and PVC) and it seems that a number of chemicals including hormone disrupters and others banned from use in food packaging are leaching into the water.

COMPETITIVENESS OF BUSINESS-RELATED SERVICES
The Commission published, on 4th December 2003, a Communication on the competitiveness of business-related services and their contribution to the performance of European enterprises. The Communication ties in with the Commission Strategy on the Internal Market for Services and sets out measures to complement the provisions of the Services Directive. Amongst others, the Communication’s proposed measures include the setting up of voluntary standards in the same way as for manufactured products, rules on reporting intangible assets such as training and the drawing up of quality indicators and best services practices. The Commission is expected to initiate a consultation to identify ways of moving forward on these different measures and will be organised through a European Forum on business-related services that will include professional organisations. Discussion on this topic is on the agenda of the next meeting of the European Business Services Round Table (EBSRT) on the 2nd March, with a presentation from the Head of Unit in charge in DG Enterprise, Mr Ole Guldberg. Further presentations from Mrs Froehlinger (Head of Unit, Services Unit, DG Internal Market) and Mrs Wachtmeister (Head of Unit, Services, DG Competition), are also on the agenda. ACE will attend.

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EVENTS
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THE ARCHITECT AND THE MARKET
The ACE Executive Board has decided to hold a one-day public conference in conjunction with its next General Assembly. The Conference will address the issues raised by the related actions of DG Internal Market and DG Competition in relation to services and will provide a valuable opportunity for full debate on the crucial issues raised by these actions for the profession. The Conference will take place in Milano, Italy on Thursday 6th May with a start time of 10h30, designed to permit delegates to travel to Milano that morning. Further information will be disseminated as the programme for the event is developed.

EUROPEAN WEEK FOR SAFETY AND HEALTH AT WORK
This year the week will concentrate on Construction with focal points of activity across the EU. The week itself will be from the 18th to the 22nd October 2004, but is being launched on the 30th April 2004 in Dublin. Full details are available on:
http://ew2004.osha.eu.int

CONFERENCE – USE OF RECYCLED MATERIALS IN BUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES
This conference will take place in Bilbao in on the 9th – 11th November 2004 and is organised by RILEM and the Polytechnic University of Barcelona. It will deal with many issues of interest to architects including:
• Demolition
• Specifications related recycling
• How to realise recycling in countries making a start
• State-of-the-art in different countries
For information see: http://congress.cimne.upc.es/rilem04/frontal/default.asp

PLEA 2004 CONFERENCE – EINDHOVEN
Co-organised by the Sustainable Building Support Centre and the Delft University of Technology, this conference will focus on sustainability as an integral quality of the work of building professionals, with special attention being given to the urban context. The BNA President, Kees van der Hoeven, is a member of the Scientific Committee on behalf of the ACE. For information visit:

http://www.plea2004.nl/PLEA2004.htm

EUROPEAN PRIZE FOR URBAN SPACE
The Barcelona Centre for Contemporary Culture, the French Institute of Architecture, The Architecture Foundation, the Netherlands Institute of Architecture and the Architecture Centre of Vienna have announced their call for the third award of the European Prize for Urban Public Space. Full details can be accessed at: http://urban.cccb.org

EU FUNDING AT YOUR FINGERTIPS
This is a two-day seminar organised four times a year by the ECPAB, a Brussels-based organisation that is dedicated to organising public and customised events on public affairs in the EU. The next seminar will be held on 8th – 9th March and will cost EUR 1,200 to attend. Full details are available at:
http://www.eutraining.be/pdf/funding.pdf

HOUSING: GROWTH AND REGENERATION
The European Network of Housing Research is holding a conference in Cambridge on the 2nd – 6th July 2004. It aims to reflect the changing role of housing in wealth creation and for the restructuring of older, mainly urban, areas. It will also address the central role that housing plays in the broader area of social inclusion. Full details at:
http://www.enhr2004.org

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PUBLICATIONS
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ALMANAC OF ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN 2004
This book has appeared annually since the year 2000 and has been, according to the publisher, acclaimed by many as “a useful tool … as well as an interesting read for any professional designer”.
You can purchase it on line at: http://www.di.net/almanac/2004.html for $33.66

FREE CPD
A new website intends to put high quality CPD at your fingertips. It has been acclaimed by the Architects Journal as a very promising initiative and business idea and is worth checking out: http://www.freecpd.co.uk/

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USEFUL LINKS
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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

WEBSITE OF THE IRISH PRESIDENCY
http://www.eu2004.ie/

COMMISSION CONSULTATION ON PUBLIC PROCUREMENT
http://europa.eu.int/yourvoice/pubproc/index_en.htm

SUSTAINABLE BUILDING WEBSITE
www.sustainablebuilding.info

B4E CONFERENCE INFORMATION
http://www.b4e.org

ACE WEBSITE
http://www.ace-cae.org

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
Italian _it Spanish _es Greek _el
Dutch _nl Portuguese _pt Finnish _fi Swedish _sv

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EDITOR’S NOTE
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The editorial board for the compilation of ACE Info is:

The ACE President: Leopoldo Freyrie
The Secretary General of the ACE: Alain Sagne
Senior Advisor to the ACE: Adrian Joyce

ACE Info is normally issued on 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 do not wish to receive this monthly document, then please e-mail info@ace-cae.org requesting to be removed from the list.

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.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
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The editorial board wishes to acknowledge the sources of information for this issue of ACE Info which include the Euractiv website (www.euractiv.com), Bulletin Quotidien Europe, CCBE-Info, Batiactu (www.batiactu.com), CNOA(F), CEPMC Environmental Update, ArchVoices.org and Jean-Marie Fauconnier.

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adrian.joyce@ace-cae.org – Comments and contributions welcome