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European Compost Network ECN successfully founded
At the 18th of October the foundation of the European Com post Network took place
successfully with participants form 19 Countries - sponsored by the ORBIT e.V.,
Knoten Weimar and the Hungarian Compost Organisation.
The newly founded Network stands for sustainable solutions in composting, anaerobic
digestion and other treatment possibilities of organic waste. The foundation
of the ECN corresponds to the demands of the markets and of decision-makers after
intensive exchange of research results, know-how and experiences and following
common efforts for an all together strategy and standards on the European level.
Compost organisations, enterprises, universities, research institutions and municipal
authorities are co-workers in the ECN.
For the moment are members from 21 countries (Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Finland,
France, Greece, Great-Britain, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway,
Austria, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and
Hungary) engaged in the ECN and thus represent about 1000 treatment plants for
organic wastes with altogether 17 million tons annual capacities. Using Budapest
as conference location gives a sign of the Eastern-European EU-countries being
included within the network from the beginning.
In the opinion of many partners offers the foundation of the ECN extremely high
chances for the momentary situation of the compost industry. As the questions
of the compost industry will be regulated to a high amount in future by the EU
(like EU-Biowaste ordinance, EU-Soil strategy protection of the soil). The possibilities
to partake in the decisions for individual organisations in individual States
are small. In addition the common possibilities of a European non-governmental
organisation (NGO) are much more higher. Often just European organisations are
accepted in Brussels as partners for a dialogue.
About one third of the urban wastes in Europe are biologically degradable. That
is per year a potential of 50 million organic wastes of which at the moment only
19 million tons are treated as compost or are digested. In order to guarantee
in the future a sustainable utilization some pre-conditions must be fulfilled.
Such as an effective separate collection of organic wastes, a common treatment
on the basis of high standards, properly trained personnel in the plants, high
compost quality, effective monitoring and a safe use.
The European commission has taken these aspects into the working papers for a
planned European Guideline for Biowastes which shall be presented until the end
of 2004 in a final draft to the EU commission. This shows explicit how important
it is support the development of the organic waste management on a European level
inclusively the work of the EU commission.
In the frame of these tasks the members of the European Compost Network (ECN)
founded the following working groups which are open for all interested persons
and parties from all over Europe:
WG 1: Assistance and Support for the EU Biowaste
Directive (Manager: M. Brøgger, Denmark)
WG 2: Standardisation and quality mangement(Manager:
Dr. B. Kehres, Germany)
WG 3: Hygiene requirements for biological treatment
(Manager: Dr. J. Gilbert, UK)
WG 4: Quality management in biological waste treatment plants
(Manager: E. Favoino, Italy)
WG 5: Assistence for the EU-Soil Strategy
(Manager: F. Amlinger, Austria)
WG 6: Support of the development in the Mediterranean and Candidate Countries
(Manager: F. Giro i Fontanals, Spain und Dr. L. Alexa, Hungary)
WG 7: Public Relation and Information
(Manager: J. Barth, Germany)
Further informations see:
http://www.compostnetwork.info or
directly at the European Compost Network ECN c/o ORBIT e.V., Postbox 22 29, D-99403
Weimar, Tel.: 0 25 22 / 96 03 41, Fax: 0 25 22 / 96 03 43,
E-mail: info@compostnetwork.info
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