The following table shows the ECAP-relevant projects from the Life+ Call 2007- 2009 (Environment Policy & Governance component):
Table 11.3 ECAP-relevant projects from the Life+ Call 2007 and 2009 (Environment Policy & Governance component):
Projects Call Total Budget
in Euro
EU-funded Budget in
Euro
Project coordinator
Sustaingraph 2009 1,383,813 691,906 Association of enterprises
E.N.A. 2009 3,000,199 1,500,099 Local authority
Eco-Cluster 2009 934,967 466,358 Park-Reserve authority
SSCM4ECAP 2009 1,717,395 856,777 Local authority
iGreen 2009 5,272,074 2,597,037 Regional authority
esymbiosis 2009 1,763,295 878,047 Local authority
carbon 20 2009 2,114,200 1,050,925 Local authority
eta-beta 2009 1,950,500 975,250 Development agency
CleEn - 21 2008 1,170,741 585,370 Professional association
eurocopter 2008 3,576,266 1,624,588 No data.
Key
Direct ECAP-relevance Indirect ECAP-relevance
Source: Excel-Sheet on Life+ from European Commission, European Union (2009), European Union (2010).
All projects deliver guidance for SMEs to improve their environmental impact.
Different project-types include:
adaptation and promotion of information,
implementation of environmental management model and accreditation, monitoring of environmental impact of products and
developing and establishing a model for Public-Private-Partnerships (PPP).
The biggest part of the ECAP-relevant projects is to adapt and promote information especially for SMEs. These are five of the nine projects analysed. These information and guidance projects can be more differentiated into projects, which have their main focus on workshops and trainings to disseminate information; and into projects that develop new information tools, for example a web-based platform for Industrial Symbiosis.
One project is “E.N.A.”, which has the objective to improve the environmental performance of SMEs in the naval sector of the Italian region Marche57. In this project more than 300 companies will be informed about the Eco-Design Directive (2005/32/EC) and their requirements for energy-using products, the way to calculate their carbon footprint and the possibilities for environmental management systems in the nautical industry. The aims will be reached by workshops and trainings.
Two projects focus on the implementation of an environmental management model in SMEs, i.e.
with the goal of EMAS or Acorn accreditation. One project has the objective to monitor the environmental impact of products throughout their life-cycle and develop an eTool for this purpose. A
57 http://facultas.wordpress.com/2010/07/23/news-eu-approves-e250-million-funding-for-new-environmental-protection-projects-under-life/
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framework model for Public-Private-Partnerships is developed, applied and demonstrated in another project. The guidance brings together local authorities and SMEs in these cities.
Seven of the nine projects are led by an SME support organisation as project coordinator. These are regional and local authorities, a Park-Reserve authority and a Development agency for an Italian region. The remaining two projects have an association of enterprises as project coordinator.
It can be summarized, that between 2007 and 2009 two to eight per cent of the total Environment Policy & Governance component of Life+ was invested directly or indirectly in ECAP-relevant projects with an increasing trend. Most of these funded projects had the aim to develop new information tools or to adapt information on special branches or clusters and to raise awareness through workshops and trainings.
11.5 Research Framework Programme 7 (FP 7) 11.5.1 Introduction
The FP 7 programme encompasses different strands of research activities. One strand is specifically adapted to SMEs. In comparison to CIP or LIFE+, FP7 focuses on scientific-technical demonstration projects.
The major initiatives that favour the involvement of SMEs include selection of SME-relevant topics are SME-dedicated calls, a budget earmarked for SMEs within specific calls and coordination and support actions across the themes. It should be noted that SME participation is not uniform across the themes.
Particular attention has been paid to ensure enhanced SME participation within the various calls for proposals, particularly with regard to knowledge-intensive SMEs. Research in the interest of SMEs is promoted with an explicit reference to the expected impact upon SMEs. The expected results of these projects must be of interest and potential to SMEs, the consortia should have a significant share of the requested EC funding going to SMEs.58
Areas of particular interest to SMEs have been identified in individual work programmes. Financial and administrative procedures have been simplified and funding rates for the R&D activities of SMEs have been increased to 75%. There is also greater flexibility in choosing the appropriate type of project.
In the following tables, the share of projects aimed at SMEs financed in the field of environment is given:
Table 11.4 Percentage of funding going to SMEs.
Theme Explanation % of funding going to SMEs
HEALTH Health Research 10,7
KBBE Food, agriculture, fisheries and biotechnology
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ECAP-Relevant actions are primarily to be found in the Energy and Environment field but are also contained in other fields especially the FP7 funding stream “Research for SMEs”.
11.5.2 ECAP-relevant projects financed by FP 7
The FP 7 Database has been searched for ECAP relevant key words including SMEs, environment, environmental impact, environmental management system, EMAS, ISO 14001, better regulation, compliance assistance, ECAP.
Approximately 180 projects have been screened for interest of ECAP. These derive from the different strands of the FP 7 research areas, including Research for SMEs, Environment, Energy, ICT, etc.
Many projects are of a highly scientific-technical nature and target very specific issues, e.g. improving certain production processes or inventing new technical equipment thereby opening markets for SMEs.
SMEs can be part of the consortia or the direct target group. Also there are projects that only mention as one aim among others to favour SMEs, e.g. by opening market or networking opportunities to them.
11.5.3 Not directly ECAP-relevant projects
The majority of environmentally relevant projects that involve SMEs as partners or direct/indirect beneficiaries are not directly ECAP relevant as their aim and focus are too specifically scientific-technical.
The following categorisation applies:
Projects improving technical processes (in production, distribution or service) in order to improve businesses‟ environmental impact. These projects can be rather broad or concern only a very specific issue.
Some examples of such a project are FRISBEE - Food Refrigeration Innovations for Safety, consumer Benefit, Environmental impact and Energy optimization along cold chain in Europe (FRISBEE). New solutions for improving refrigeration technologies along the food chain Ecoefficient Biodegradable Composite Advanced Packaging (ECOBIOCAP) Development of biodegradable food packaging. Smart release of biocides in finishing materials for the sector of construction (AXIOMA)
Projects promoting networking, dissemination and international co-operation to improve uptake of knowledge and scientific results. Examples of this project type is
A network of national contact points providing cutting-edge National Contact Point services to the knowledge based bio-economy research community (BIO-NET)
Support of dissemination and exploitation of results obtained in research projects realized with the participation of the SME sector (USEANDDIFFUSE)
More general environmental-related projects with the inclusion of SMEs as partners of the project consortia. Examples include:
Interactions between soil related sciences - Linking geophysics, soil science and digital soil mapping (ISOIL)
Impact Monitoring of Mineral Resources Exploitation (IMPACTMIN)
Projects specifically aimed at SMEs as users of the result and which help certain branches of SMEs to develop more environmentally friendly products or processes that they sell, i.e. indirectly ECAP-relevant project examples include:
Supporting the roofing SMEs in the development and use of a new generation of roofing materials applicable with fault tolerant procedures, reducing the use of petroleum-based products (NU-ROOF)
The New Eco-friendly Advertising Tool Which Gives an Alternative Real-Time Outdoor Advertising Media for SMEs (ECOBOARD)