How to register • Through the Conference web-site at: http://ies.jrc.cec.eu.int/Units/imw/events/AQUAECO where registration form, additional information and most recent details of the programme can be found. • Or filling out and sending the attached registration form before 25 October 2002 to: AQUAECO-Conference Secretariat Information and Public Relations Joint Research Centre (attention: Patrizia Waschuth) Ispra Site, TP 020, I-21020 ISPRA (VA), Italy Accommodation Accommodation will be arranged in the Regina Palace Hotel, Stresa (Lago Maggiore), Italy. Room rates from 99 € onwards. For more details check the web page: www.regina-palace.it Registration Registration will commence on Monday 25 November between 18.00 and 22.00, during the Welcome Reception at the lobby of the Hotel Regina Palace. Registration desk will be opened again at 8.00 on 26 November, and it will be open throughout the conference. The conference presentations will start on 26 November at 9.00. Social program • 25 November (starting at 18.00): Welcome reception. • 27 November: Conference Dinner. • 28 November: Visit to EC-JRC Ispra-site. For more information contact: Patrizia Waschuth Tel. +39-0332-78.97.99 or 78.98.89 Fax +39-0332-78.24.35 or 78.54.09 Email aquaeco@jrc.it EUROPEAN COMMISSION JOINT RESEARCH CENTRE DG RTD Hosted by JRC-IES Institute for Environment and Sustainability EUROPEAN COMMISSION JOINT RESEARCH CENTRE DG-RTD The EU water policy is facing new challenges which require continuous research support; one of the most important tasks is the implementation of the Water Framework Directive (WFD), which discards the end-ofpipe approaches and moves to establish integrated water resource and ecological water quality assessment and management approaches at river basin or catchment scale. Background & Objective Topics The conference will include keynote lectures, invited presentations and a poster session. Attendees are invited to submit abstracts for posters. The poster session will be active throughout the conference. 3) Integrated approaches for research and management of aquatic ecosystems and catchments 2) Assessment of the ecological status and sustainablity 1) Water Policy – Key policy issues and research needs Thematic Sessions ➤ Presentation of approaches and case studies of integrated research, assessment and management of inland waters and coastal areas; and examples of the applicability of methods and tools for the assessment and prediction of integrated catchment management for the use of river basin managers and policy makers. ➤ Recent advances in integrated water management models, assessment and management tools, and technologies to monitor, prevent and mitigate pollution, and in the development of indicators of ecological status of water bodies. ➤ Challenges in the ecological quality assessment of aquatic ecosystems, with special focus on the definition and assessment of ecosystem sustainability in relation to the structure and functioning of ecosystems. The conference topics will address the key scientific challenges related to the requirements of EU water policies, with a special focus on issues deriving from the implementation of the Water Framework Directive, with cross-cutting issues with the Nitrates, Urban Waste Water Treatment, Bathing Water and Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Directives. Global perspectives and experiences of water quality management and the long-term impacts of climate change will be highlighted as well: The key issues are to assess how river basins, aquatic and wetland ecosystems, groundwaters, estuarine and coastal waters under human pressures from agriculture, industry, urban development, and recreation —on the background of global, mainly climatic changes — will sustain their vital functions, maintain biodiversity, and supply ecosystem services necessary for the sustainability of the environment and society. Further, there is a strong need to develop methods, strategies and tools for integrated water resources management at catchment scale. Addressing both natural science, environmental socio-economics and policy aspects, scientists and managers have to develop practical tools for the integrated management of catchments and the evaluation of the ecological quality of aquatic and wetland ecosystems, groundwater bodies, and the coastal zone. Such classification systems should reflect deviation from reference conditions, and allow harmonised approaches to define good ecological status of the various water body types. The European Commission research and technological development is implemented through the RTD Framework Programmes. The FP-5 comprises both projects executed by external consortia of institutes managed by the Research Directorate General (DG RTD), and in-house research executed by the Directorate General Joint Research Centre (DG JRC). The Key Action «Sustainable Management and Quality of Water» of DG RTD, and activities within the Institute for Environment and Sustainability (DG JRC) have established thematic projects which contribute advanced knowledge, management and policy tools and enabling technologies in support to the EU water policies. Within the context of the Common Implementation Strategy of the WFD, co-ordinated by the Environment Directorate General (DG ENV), and in line with FP-6 research programmes, the JRC is launching the European Centre for Ecological Water Quality and Intercalibration (EEWAI), with a special focus on comparison and harmonization of the surface water ecological quality assessment systems in Europe. co-organisers : Institute for Environment and Sustainability ➤ EC-DG JRC Prof. Steven Eisenreich Dr. Anna-Stiina Heiskanen ➤ EC-DG RTD Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development Programme (EESD) Key Action «Sustainable Development and Quality of Water» Dr. Andrea Tilche Poster Sessions Abstracts for the Poster sessions are invited to be submitted (electronic submission is recommended), with a maximum of 400 words, through the Conference web-page: http://ies.jrc.cec.eu.int/Units/imw/events/AQUAECO by 25 October 2002. The instructions for abstracts and abstract submission forms are available at the web-page. Please send abstracts as email attachments (RTF or word documents) to email: aquaeco@jrc.it. Travelling Stresa on the Lago Maggiore can be reached by flight to Milan Malpensa (35 km; recommended) or Linate (110 km) Airports. Bus transport will be organised from the Malpensa Airport to Stresa. There is also public transport to Stresa (bus and train). See conference web-page for more details. The Venue The conference will take place in Stresa, Italy, at the Lago Maggiore, in the Regina Palace Hotel (www.regina-palace.it). Registration fee The registration fee is 100 € per person for registrations received before 25 October (80 € for participants from the EU Candidate Countries and accompanying persons). After 25 October, registration fee will be 130 €, and can be paid upon registration. The fee includes admission to conference and poster sessions, the book of abstracts and conference information, welcome reception, refreshments, lunches, conference dinner, and visit to JRC Ispra.