EFCA in the period 2007-2011
1. Mission
The “European Federation of Clean Air and Environmental Protection Associations”, EFCA, is a scientific international, non-political, non-governmental and non-profit expert organisation, committed to the advancement of environmental science, environmental technology, environmental policy and environmental management, recognizing the need for protection of the environment and public health, in the interest of European environmental policy, the national Associations and the public at large in the whole of Europe.
EFCA is active in the field of air pollution sciences and environmental protection, taking into account relations with the climate change problem. By taking position at the interface betweenscience and (European) policy on environmental problems, it aims to contribute to the identification of solutions with a sound scientific basis, which are technologically feasible, deliverable, cost-effective and politically acceptable.
This defines EFCA’s mission as to help to achieve policies and measures that will protect the environment, climate and human health in Europe against the effects of pollution while fostering sustainable development.
2. Identity and priority topics
EFCA was founded by the core of European members of the International Union of Air Pollution Prevention and Environmental Protection Associations, IUAPPA. The foundation of an independent Federation was a response to the decision of the European Council and Parliament that protection of the environment should be a topic for a joint policy; it was felt that a specific European science based organisation could play a role in this. In recent years this role was developed step-by step. It has now been recognised at the European institutional level.
EFCA’s member associations represent the leading expertise in relevant fields and have strong links to regulators, NGOs, industry, local government and civil societies throughout Europe. With their support EFCA encourages professional activity and co-operation among and between experts and the professional associations in Europe and fosters the exchange and correct use of knowledge at local, national and international level.
EFCA is committed to continue a policy of constructive contributions in dialogue with the different parties in Europe. Specifically, EFCA will pay attention to:
- The Thematic Strategy on Air Pollution (TSAP) and the Convention on Long Range Transboundary Air Pollution. EFCA will actively monitor the process of implementation of present legislation across Europe; in particular, it will consider means to increase its effectiveness with reference to other environmental problems.
- The emerging commitment to take measures to limit climate change below tolerable levels calls for a detailed integrated approach with existing and future policies in other public domains, such as clean air. EFCA is committed to facilitate discussions and to stimulate initiatives which could result in successful integrated solutions.
- In the context of CAFE the domain of Transport and Traffic has a high priority because of its key position in many European cities when seeking for compliance with clean air objectives; it also provides options for integrated approaches including the climate change terrain
Other topics within the field of Clean Air and Climate Change may be added depending on their urgency and opportunities for cooperation with relevant organisations for which EFCA is open; these may include energy policies, spatial and urban planning, indoor air pollution and other.
3. Means
EFCA has recognised a number of activities which could serve its objectives and those of its members; pursuing these requires a pro-active attitude. The most relevant ones are:
Conferences
Sponsoring conferences, organized primarily by its members has been EFCA’s most prominent activity during the last 10 years. The expertise of EFCA-members with respect to the selection of relevant topics and their knowledge of and access to target groups still qualifies it as an important activity for the next five years. EFCA will continue to encourage its members to develop initiatives and will consider invitations from other parties for cooperation with sympathy, while continuing to have available its considerable and expanding network for the promotion of such.
Workshops
Workshops more recently have been added to EFCA’s activities. Workshops (or the more open seminars) with a more targeted programming may produce state-of-the-art overviews of specific topics and stimulate quality discussions; this results in added value, for scientists as well as stakeholders in the respective policy field. In addition, workshops are very suitable for strategic cooperation with stakeholders. EFCA expects that workshops will take a larger share in its activity programme in the next five years; it will be open for cooperation with other parties and will encourage its members to assist in making that expectation true.
Participation in relevant European working groups
In relation to its priority topics EFCA may offer experts for participation in working groups in the context of the EU, UNECE or other bodies.
Projects
Projects related to environmental policy, though not EFCA’s core-business, may promote European cooperation within and across European countries. As the membership of EFCA associations includes research institutes and consultancies, together with industry, regulators, local authorities and NGOs, EFCA is in a position to form consortia through its network and is open to cooperation itself. EFCA may compose teams of experts on a variety of topics within its field on request, creating championship of scientific analysis of problems, potential solutions and promotion of such. It may also manage and conduct peer review studies.
Website
EFCA’s website, www.efca.net, is an essential asset among the means which EFCA has available to realise its ambitions. Apart from providing information on EFCA itself and its members the website supports the following functions:
- Announcement of EFCA sponsored activities, such as conferences, workshops, etc.
- Publication of selected presentations or summaries of these resulting from EFCA sponsored conferences, special sessions or workshops
- Organised presentations of scientific and policy-oriented information on environmental topics, with special attention for the European situation, by providing relevant links as well as by placing documents at the site
- Keeping a glossary of essential terminology and concepts on environmental topics up-to-date
- Publication of activities of its members and of others on request
- Facilitation of exchange of ideas and information through the internet by organised discussions
- EFCA is committed to improve the value of its website in the next five years.
Newsletter
The EFCA-Newsletter aims at increasing the internal cohesion within the federation by reporting on the observations of EFCA’s officials and delegates in the scientific and policy arena in Europe and by circulating information from within EFCA countries and their associations. The electronic format is meant to facilitate circulation within EFCA’s member associations and among EFCA’s external relations.
Publications
The delivery of publications is an additional means to satisfy EFCA’s objectives. EFCA may support its members with the publication of proceedings of conferences or workshops, both on paper or on electronic information carriers, or the publication of a special issue of a scientific journal; in particular, the journal Environmental Sciences, Journal of Integrative Environmental Research, of which EFCA is co-founder, or any other international journal of an EFCA member is to be considered in relevant cases.
Mutual help and assistance among members
Furthermore, EFCA-members are committed by their membership to support each other in several ways: promoting international activities of sister organisations, providing assistance in the identification of speakers on specific topics, nominating experts for (national) projects and other services which are in the interest of EFCA and/or its members.
4. External liaisons
EFCA cannot achieve its objectives in isolation and should, as far as its capacities allow, liaise with stakeholders in the fields in which it wants to operate. While many external liaisons are operational on an informal basis through personal contacts of EFCA Officials, liaisons have been developed on with some bodies which are leading in EFCA’s programme of priority topics:
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The Directorate-General Environment of the European Commission; EFCA’s accreditation amounts to a seat in the Steering Group of the Clean Air For Europe Programme (CAFE SG); After the discontinuation of the CAFE SG contacts are being continued informally;
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The Joint Research Centre of the EU in Ispra; the relation with ‘Ispra’ is at present directly connected with the implementation of the Thematic Strategy;
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The Convention on Long Range Transboundary Air Pollution of the UNECE; an accreditation has been obtained in 2007.
EFCA’s priority topics will require opening liaisons with additional European organisations; in addition, liaisons with stakeholders in the CAFE Programme or Climate Change policy and with NGOs with comparable objectives may appear to be desirable.
5. Resources
The level of activity which EFCA can achieve is dependent on its resources: budget, capacity and expertise.
As an independent federation without any subsidies EFCA’s annual budget is limited to membership fees. EFCA’s activities, by consequence, are completely run by volunteers, though out-of-pocket expenses may be covered by sponsorship of partners.
EFCA’s capacity consists of a group of officials and delegates from EFCA associations who are being backed up by their associations. Personal experience and extensive networks in their own country constitute the expertise of the federation.
In line with its ambition to increase its field of active participation, EFCA is committed to explore possibilities to increase the capacity of its resources in the three respects mentioned above.
6. Public relations and communication
Apart from the activities which it develops or sponsors, EFCA presents itself to the outer world in the following ways:
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by publishing the three-annual EFCA Handbook; it contains all the essential information on EFCA as an NGO, its activities and its members; it is meant for members and selected relations
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by a concise brochure with main data on EFCA, suitable as hand-out for external relations
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by maintaining a website, www.efca.net; the website includes the information in the Handbook, where it is regularly updated
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with the EFCA Newsletter, meant for electronic distribution among the members of EFCA associations and among EFCA’s external relations.
7. Membership
Coverage in Europe
Since its foundation participation in EFCA has gradually increased from the original five founders and presently stands at 14 associations. These are operating in 12 countries, 9 of which are Member of the European Union. In the majority of countries which are not represented in EFCA, however, associations which qualify for membership do not exist; in a few countries existing associations have so far refrained from joining EFCA because they did not avail of the capacity to participate actively.
While European coverage is still far from complete the persistence of environmental problems in Europe justifies the expectation that in more countries organisations with comparable objectives will develop and will be interested in participation in EFCA.
EFCA is interested to increase its representation within Europe and will be attentive in identifying and assisting early initiative. It could offer its capacity to advice emerging organisations when requested; the great diversity within EFCA in types of member associations may be helpful in this respect.
With respect to participation in EFCA, associations in statu nascendi may join EFCA as observer and have access to information and exchanges immediately. Observers do not pay a membership fee; when applying for membership a fee will be agreed which takes into account the position of the association.
Approved by electronic ballot, 21 December 2007