Introduction:

The European Conference on Waste Reduction corresponds to the objectives of Directive 2008/98/EC on Waste to promote and foster waste prevention programmes throughout Europe. It is a key event for reflecting on the new challenges to European waste prevention policies and for sharing and defining innovative prevention strategies, which must be carried out at local, regional and State level.

Member States' legal obligation to establish waste prevention programmes all over Europe makes us aware of the fundamental role of waste prevention regarding climate change and the need to break the direct link between economic growth and the environmental impact associated with waste generation.

In order to meet these new challenges, the conference programme is intended to:

• - Present the European Union study on the directives that must be designed as part of the waste prevention programmes of Member States and European regions and the targets that must be achieved in accordance with European regulations.
• - Establish and share a set of qualitative and quantitative indicators developed for types of waste in order to measure the progress of waste prevention programmes and compliance with them.
• - Share sustainable innovative actions and examples of waste prevention, underlining the impact on the environment throughout the lifecycle of products; that is, from the production and design of consumer goods to reuse and the end of their life.
• - Integrate and mobilise the socioeconomic fabric (government agencies, networks of associations, schools, universities, businesses, NGOs) to promote best practices in raising awareness of waste prevention in each context.
• - Promote business competitiveness in an emerging sector and channel the synergies generated, breaking the link between economic growth and greater environmental damage.

The European Conference on Waste Reduction is the official event to launch the European Week for Waste Reduction, which is supported by the European Commission's LIFE+ programme. The principal partners in the project are ADEME (French Environment and Energy Control Agency), which is the project leader, ACR+ (Association of Cities and Regions for Recycling and Sustainable Resource management), ARC (Waste Agency of Catalonia), IBGE (Waste Management Agency for the Brussels Region, Belgium) and LIPOR (Greater Porto Inter-municipal Waste Management Service, Portugal). Among other activities, the project is planned to include the organisation of a European Week for Waste Reduction, with continental scope and impact all over Europe, along with the European Awards for Waste Reduction.

Programme, paper and presentations:

Euopean conference on waste reduction programme [PDF 800 KB]
You can read the papers or presentation by clicking on the Adobe icon next to each speaker.

Programme of technical visits:

Technical visits programme of the 25th of November [PDF 60 KB]

Dates:

24th November 2009
25th November 2009 (technical visits)

Place:

Palau de Congressos
Pg. de la Devesa, 35. Girona
http://www.auditorigirona.org/eng/pc.edifici.php

• Representatives of government agencies
• Representatives of waste agencies and waste consortiums
• Managers, directors and technicians from industrial and environmental services companies
• Representatives of networks of associations and NGOs
• Representatives of institutions (universities, etc.)

Registration:

The registration to the Euopean conference on waste reduction is closed

Practical information:

1.	HOTELS NEAR THE PALAU DE CONGRESSOS
	Hotels near the Palau de Congressos in Girona with special prices for conference participants:
	-	Hotel Carlemany **** www.carlemany.es (special price on request until 1 November. Quote reference EWWR)
	-	Hotel Ciutat de Girona **** www.hotel-ciutatdegirona.com (special price on request until 1 November. The reference EWWR must be given)
	-	Other hotels in the city
	Hotel locations and distances to the Palau de Congressos in Girona (hotel location appendix)

2.	TRANSPORT TO THE PALAU DE CONGRESSOS IN GIRONA
	-	- Prepared parking spaces for vehicles next to the Palau de Congressos
	-	Information about transport and road links to the Palau de Congressos (transport appendix)

3.	SERVICES AT THE PALAU DE CONGRESSOS IN GIRONA
	-	Simultaneous interpreting service in four languages (Catalan, Spanish, English and French)
	-	Wi-Fi service on the Palau de Congressos site
	-	Lunch service on 24th November offered by Urbaser
	-	Coach transport service included in the programme for 25th November