News

EUROPARC NORDIC-BALTIC SECTION MEMBER MEETING & SEMINAR

March 6-8, 2012

Tallinn (Nordic Hotel Forum) and Noarootsi parish, Lääne county (Roosta Holiday Village)

Term „Green Infrastructure” is used more and more frequently in nature conservation and development discussions. Green infrastructure means different things to different people depending on the context in which it is used. For example, some people refer to trees in urban areas as green infrastructure because of the “green” benefits they provide, while others use green infrastructure to refer to engineered structures (e.g. water treatment facilities) that are designed to be environmentally friendly.

Green Infrastructure is a network of natural areas and features, including protected areas, high nature value agricultural land, greenways, wetlands, green roofs, parks, forest reserves and marine areas. Green Infrastructure can support a range of vital ecosystem functions, and thus also provide recreational opportunities, support human health and improve the quality of life.
In June 2011, the European Commission adopted a new strategy to halt the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services in the EU by 2020. There are six main targets and 20 actions to help Europe reach its goal. Seminar focuses on the target 2- Better protection for ecosystems, and more use of green infrastructure.

Thus, EU Green Infrastructure is aimed at strengthening ecosystems by developing an integrated land management. It will protect and restore Europe's rich natural heritage and counter loss and fragmentation of the natural environment. Green Infrastructure is an essential tool for climate change mitigation and adaptation. Investing in and building up Green Infrastructure needs smart and integrated approaches to spatial planning. It is an important element of the EU's biodiversity and nature policy, and developing Green Infrastructure will support achieving the agreed EU biodiversity targets.

Seminar is dedicated to dr Eerik Kumari (07.03.1912-08.01.1984), pioneer figure in Estonian nature conservation.

Looking forward to seeing you in Estonia!

NBS secretariat 2012-2014
Kaja Lotman & Nele Sõber
Keskkonnaamet / Estonian Environmental Board
kaja dot lotman at keskkonnaamet dot ee / nele dot sober at keskkonnaamet dot ee
+372 5247899 / +372 5142992

Seminar is organized by Environmental Board and financed by Environmental Investment Centre
Please note that the organizers have the right to do minor changes in the programme!

PROGRAMME

Tuesday, March 6: Nordic-Baltic section member meeting

Meeting venue: Nordic Hotel Forum, room „Vega“ (Viru väljak 3, Tallinn, www.nordichotels.eu)

13.00-17.00 LUNCH

Preliminary agenda:
1) Activity plan 2012
2) Europarc Federation strategy
3) Merger with Eurosite
4) Silent partner in Grundvig project
4) Other matters

Arrival is expected to be during March 6th until 5-6pm!

After the meeting organized transport to Roosta Holiday Village from Nordic Hotel Forum. If
necessary picking up guests from Tallinn Lennart Meri Airport and/or Tallinn Harbour.

Wednesday, March 7: Seminar „Protected areas as part of Green Infrastructure“

Meeting venue: Roosta Holiday Village, Noarootsi parish, Lääne county (www.roosta.ee)

Moderator Professor Kalev Sepp

9.45-10.00 REGISTRATION
10.00-10.10 Welcoming words / Estonian Environmental Board, Director General Andres Onemar
10.10-10.50 Green Infrastructure initiative on EU level- practical solutions with multiple benefits /
European Commission, DG-RTD, Karin Zaunberger
10.50-11.30 Design, implementation and cost elements of Green Infrastructure projects / Ecologic
Institute, Researcher McKenna Davis
11.30-12.00 Practical solutions designating Green Infrastructure / Estonian University of Life
Sciences, Professor Kalev Sepp

12.00-13.00 LUNCH

13.00-13.40 Beskydy Landscape Protected Area regarding migratory corridors for big mammals,
practical implementation of Czech Green Infrastructure concept in large protected areas / Nature
Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic, expert Martin Strnad
13.40-14.00 Example of Green Infrastructure initiative: Green Belt / BUND (Friends of the Earth
Germany), Regional coordinator of Baltic Green Belt Jörg Schmiedel
14.00-14.20 Examples of Green Infrastructure in South-East Europe / WWF Danube-Carpathian
Programme, Green public funds officer Raluca Dan
14.20-14.40 Developmens in Estonian nature conservation / Estonian Ministry of Environment,
Councillor Hanno Zingel
14.40-15.10 How to integrate Green Infrastructure into spatial planning? / Estonian Environment
Information Centre, Biological diversity advisor Lauri Klein

15.10-15.25 COFFEE BREAK

15.25-15.55 Development of Green Infrastructures in Latvia through initiative “Place a Stone in a
Stream“ / Latvian Nature Conservation Agency, Senior expert Andris Urtans
15.55-17.00 Workshops:
1) Benefits of Green Infrastructure- moderator Karin Zaunberger
2) Natura 2000 principal and administrative coherence- moderator Lauri Klein
3) Next steps to implementing Green Infrastructure- moderator Kalev Sepp
4) How sustainable is Green Infrastructure?- moderator Jörg Schmiedel
17.00-17.30 Conclusions, results of workshops

19.00 DINNER

Stand presentation on dr Eerik Kumari.
Thursday, March 8: Excursion
Start at 8.30
09.00-12.30 Estonian-Swedes area (nature in Põõsaspea peninsula, cultural aspects: Rooslepa
Chapel, Saare Manor, Lyckholm museum, building wooded boats)

LUNCH

12.30-14.00 Silma nature reserve, Silma Õpikoda (nature centre)
14.00 Organized bus transport to Tallinn airport/harbour (drive takes max 2 hours)

Check the weather forecast for the excursion day!

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Organized transport is done on arrival day at 17.00-18.00 and departure day 14.00 after the
excursion. If arrived later/departed earlier please contact Nele Sõber directly!

Costs:
The seminar, including meals and excursion is free of charge. Participants are to pay accommodation and travel themselves.

Accommodation:
Bookings should be made directly to Roosta Puhkeküla/Holiday Village! We have reserved 20 houses with 2 beds, so we recommend to pair-up (http://www.roosta.ee/en/holiday-house-with-onebedroom).

But you can book bigger houses also!

Roosta Puhkeküla
Elbiku, Noarootsi vald, 91202 Läänemaa
Tel: +372 472 5190
Mob: +372 525 6699
Fax: +372 472 5191
Web: www.roosta.ee
Email: roosta@roosta.ee

Prices:
1 house with 2 beds costs 75 EUR, breakfast is included.

Travel information:
By car: Look at the maps below!
By airplane: Airplanes to/from Tallinn (http://www.tallinn-airport.ee/eng/info/timetable) + your own
country’s airline possibilities
By boat/ferry: Boats to Tallinn from Stockholm and Helsinki and back
(http://www.portoftallinn.com/passenger-ship-schedules)
By bus to meeting venue in Tallinn: Public transport from Tallinn airport to the city centre (bus no 2, bus stop A. Laikmaa)

REGISTRATION
Registration and accommodation booking should be made until February 15th! Fill in the attached
registration form and send it back to nele dot sober at keskkonnaamet dot ee

WELCOME TO ESTONIA!

EU-NORM I International Symposium in June 2012

We are glad to invite you to the EU-NORM I International Symposium, which will be held in Tallinn (Estonia), 5 to 8 June 2012. More information on the website of the symposium.

The major topics of the symposium are:

• Regulation: the current and future EU BSS Directive and the new international standards 
• Building materials and other consumer products
• General occupational health and safety (OHS): a baseline level of protection of workers
• Dose assessment: modelling versus measurements
• Behaviour of natural radionuclides in the environment
• Measurement techniques: limitations and advantages
• Disposal versus reuse/recycling
• Legacy sites with NORM contamination
• NORM aspects of rare earth processing

Remark: radon is not a topic of the symposium, except when related directly to NORM

Why NORM?

Radionuclides of natural origin are ubiquitous in both working and public environments, although their activity concentrations vary considerably. Exposures to natural sources are in most cases not a matter of regulatory concern. However, there are situations where exposures to natural sources may require consideration as to whether controls should be applied. In many cases either raw materials are containing increased levels of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM), either the level of natural radionuclides gets enhanced during the processing of the raw materials.

Over the last decades the attention for NORM has been broadened resulting in a growing interest in this topic from stakeholders such as NORM industries, researchers and authorities. This interests is one of the reasons that in many places throughout Europe (and abroad) many universities, institutes and industries as well as governmental bodies are involved in research & development on NORM related topics. Moreover, on a large scale also experience with NORM is gained on topics such as the occurrence of NORM, measurement methods, management approaches and industry specific treatments. It is the aim of the EU-NORM symposia to bring together experts as well as interested persons who have an interest in the wide scope of NORM related subjects.

We hope that this symposium, like previous NORM symposia, will lead to increased harmonization of regulatory approaches and wider application of international standards. In particular it will focus on the dissemination of the latest information on the new European Basic Safety Standards. Also the potential environmental impact of NORM residues as well as their use in building materials will receive special attention.

VISION CONFERNCE ON ESTONIAN NATURE CONSERVATION "NATIONAL PARKS – PIONEERS OF NATURE CONSERVATION"

On June 1-2, 2011 Estonian Vision Conference on Nature Conservation “National Parks – Pioneers of Nature Conservation” will be held at Palmse Manor conference centre in Lahemaa National Park. Conference is organized by Environmental Board and Estonian University of Life Sciences. Two-day conference is for invited guests and participation fee will not be charged.

Additional information about conference:

• Leelo Kukk (Environmental Board, leelo dot kukk at keskkonnaamet dot ee)
• Kalev Sepp (Estonian University of Life Sciences, kalev dot sepp at emu dot ee)
• Maaria Semm (Estonian University of Life Sciences, maaria at emu dot ee)

More information about the conference