Romanian participation in European Union projects on sustainable development – sustainable transport

The sustainable development concept underlying this vision means not only a development of the consumer society, but also a sound economic development beyond any immediate interest, aiming at building up a better and better world for all the people and particularly for the generations to come, to live in.
To this end in view, the European Union earmarks considerable funds which are granted to the most competitive proposals of projects out of the numerous ones yearly submitted to Brussels under the 7th Framework Research Program ( FP7 ) and the Program „Intelligent Energy Europe” ( IEE ).
The proposal for ECORailS project, developed as a result of a strenuous and creative effort by a partnership of 14 prestige institutions from six European countries (Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Italy, Romania and Hungary) was one of the few selected within the IEE competition in 2008, being also the only project awarded in the field of railway transport.
Starting from the idea that railway transport – the most eco friendly and comfortable, as well as the safest – is not enough competitive yet, the focus of ECORailS will be on rolling stock procurement by awarding according to new methodologies able to stimulate its development, particularly in point of its Life Cycle Costs and environmental conditions, criteria to be evaluated throughout the service life (approx. 30 years).
The project will provide the railway transport administrations and the railway operators reference instruments (guidelines, procedures, legal support etc.) in order to get the most competitive offers of railway applications in point of efficient energy use, operation costs, technological standard and safety, as also related to green criteria.
The project will also trigger a fierce competition among the manufacturers who will have to creatively develop rolling stock in order to meet the new procurement principles and criteria.

The ECORailS Project -„Energy efficiency and environmental criteria in the awarding of regional rail transport vehicles and services” will have a duration of 26 months (1st May 2009 – 30th June 2011), with an overall budget of about 1.4 million Euro.
On 26th May 2009, all the project partners will gather for the official launching and the kick-off meeting of the project in Berlin, with the European Commission representatives also attending The event is to be advertised by ample press releases in the European Union countries.
The ECORailS project consortium is made up of partners involved in the field of transports and in related lines of activity, showing that the railway transport sustainable development issue has top priority and is of interest to more and more media Europe-wide.
The ECORailS consortium consists of the following partners:
1.TSB Innovation Agency Berlin GmbH FAV, Transport Technology Systems, Germany –project coordinator (WP1), WP4 – pilot applicatins in Berlin area - and WP7
2.Senate Department for Urban Development, Germany
3.Pro Rail Alliance, Germany – coordinator of WP6 and of the „User Platform”
4.KCW GmbH, Germany
5.Berlin University of Technology, Germany
6.Trafikstyrelsen, Denmark
7.Transportforskningsgruppen I Borlänge AB, Sweden – coordinator of WP3 and WP4 – pilot applications in Øresund area
8.Province administration of Brescia, Italy – coordinator of WP4 and pilot applications in Brescia area
9.Università Commerciale \'L. Bocconi“, Italy
10.Università di Roma \'La Sapienza\', Italy - WP2 coordinator
11.Integral Consulting R&D, Romania – coordinator of WP5 and WP4- pilot applications in Timişoara area
12.„Politehnica” University of Timişoara, Romania
13.CFR Călători Timişoara, Romania
14.Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Hungary

The project will also be supported by administrative decision makers, authorities, railway operators, infrastructure companies, external experts, representatives of UIC (International Union of Railways) and CER (Community of European Railway) and Infrastructure Companies. Their involvement will be substantiated in the setting up of the ‚ECORailS User Platform”, a reference group which will regularly meet during the project to identify expectations and needs, will have good practice repeated and evaluate the project results in a user- oriented approach.
In Romania the project has the support of the Ministry of Transports, SNTFC CFR Călători (the Romanian National Railway Transport Company – Passenger Transport), the Ministry of the Environment, and we do trust it will also be backed up by other authorities, the civil society, non-governmental organizations, professional organizations (particularly by those in the railway line) etc.

The project work plan contains 7 interractive WPs (Work Packages):
WP1 – Project Management – provided by the general coordinator –TSB FAV Berlin and the management team also including Pro Rail Alliance Germany, Transportforskningsgruppen I Borlänge AB Sweden, Province Administration of Brescia Italy and Integral Consulting R&D Romania
-WP2 – Technologies
-WP3 – Legal frames and awarding procedures
-WP4 – Pilot applications – to take place in 4 areas: Berlin, Øresund, Brescia and Timişoara
- WP5 – Evaluation and Validation – for the works and results of the whole project
-WP6 – Communication and Dissemination
-WP7 – IEE Dissemination Activities (Intelligent Energy Europe).

The participation of some representatives of the Romanian technical scientific community - Integral Consulting R&D Bucharest and „Politehnica” University of Timişoara, as well as of the Romanian Railways Company - Timişoara Regional Office – in this important European project is an honour and also and acknowledgement of Romania’s capacity of quickly getting geared to the European Union’s research work and priorities referring to life and environmental conditions.
The Romanian participation in such a project will aso allow all those concerned to keep abreast of the major changes and the future trends in the field.
As a result of such regular update information received, the factors involved in the railway transport (local authorities, rolling stock manufacturers, and also general public) will be given the opportunity of getting gradually acquainted with these issues throughout the project, in order to better get tuned to and efficiently meet the European Union’s regulations which are to govern railway procurement in the latter half of year 2011.