/Minutes_GB_Meeting_31.01.07

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ESHA Governing Board 14.00 – 17.30

Brussels, 31.01.2007

Participants: António Sá da Costa Bernhard Pelikan Christer Söderberg Christine Lins Emilio Font de Mora Fiacc Obrolchain Ghislain Weisrock Hubert Zimmer Jean-Pierre Corbet Marcin Switajski Maria Laguna Nino Frosio Noémie Laumont Peter Schubert Sara Gollessi

APREN ESHA SERO ESHA APPA IHPA GPAE R for D SCPTH TRMEW ESHA APER EDORA KÖ APER

ESHA – European Small Hydropower Association Renewable Energy House, Rue d’Arlon 63-65, B - 1040 Bruxelles, Belgium Tel: +32.2.546.19.45 Fax: +32.2.546.19.47, e-mail: info@esha.be, I: www.esha.be


Bernhard Pelikan welcomed the Board Members. The following points of the agenda were discussed.

1.

Overview of ongoing activities a) WFD - Strategy Coordination Group update

Maria explained the work done by ESHA working group on the WFD. The European Commission set up at the beginning of 2006 a working group on Hydromorphology and WFD under the activities of the Strategy Coordination group (SCG) for the common implementation of the Water Framework Directive (WFD). This group is composed of Member States representatives as well as stakeholders (WWF, EEB -European Environment Bureau, European Water Association, EURELECTRIC, ESHA, EREF, etc.). The objective of the activity is to identify and share good practice approaches to managing the adverse impacts of water uses on the hydromorphological characteristics of surface water bodies. In 2006 the working group have produced a technical and a policy paper: a technical document identifying good practices in relation to preventing deterioration, restoring hydromorphological conditions and mitigation measures; a policy paper making recommendations on the integration of energy (hydropower) policy, transport (navigation), policy and flood management policy with water policy. Maria explained that a new mandate for 2007-2009 for the Hydromorphology activity has been approved by the Water Directors. The mandate is more focused on the exchange of information via workshops rather than via the production of documents. A workshop on Hydropower and WFD will be organized the first workshop in 2007, with the input and support of the SCG. It is proposed that this first workshop will focus on hydropower. This workshop will take place 4-5 June in Berlin. ESHA has been invited to participate in the workshop giving a SHP statement. Bernhard Pelikan will do a presentation there. As soon as the first programme for the workshop is ready it will be circulated to ESHA governing board members. Maria explained that ESHA is also participating in the environmental objectives working group. The working group will work in 2007 on a guidance document on environmental objectives and exemptions the first meeting of this working group took place in Brussels on 22nd January. The first version of the report will be circulated by end of March 2007. Finally Maria explained that in parallel the EC has launched a cost benefit study. A Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA) workshop took place in Brussels on 20th November 2007. The EC plans to have a report on this issue by mid 2007, so before the draft programme for measures from the MS. The report aims at providing a generic framework for a CBA of the WFD, including the types of costs and benefits to be expected from the WFD, apparently the Commission has to report to the EP on this next year. Its main focused is on agriculture. However the organisers have now, following EURELECTRIC's and ESHA comments, decided to investigate also the costs for hydropower plants (initially not included in study). Governing board members expressed they support to these policy activities, and Bernhard Pelikan encourage them to participate in the WFD workshop in Berlin so that the hydro sector is widely and strongly represented.


b) Sustainable Hydropower & IHA sustainability guidelines Bernhard Pelikan explained that one of his students is working on analysing the applicabilitiy of the sustainability guidelines developed by IHA to SHP. Based on this ESHA will develop a position on these sustainability guidelines which should be ready before May 2007, and the results will be presented by Bernhard in the IHA conference at the end of May in Turkey. c)

Call for proposals for FP7

Maria explained that a call for proposals for the FP7 was launched by the EC at the end of December, and the deadline for submission is on the 3rd May 2007. Under two budget lines one managed by DG Research and the other one my DG TREN, there is the possibility of submitting a proposal for a specific support action in the field of renewable. In the DG Research budget line there is a specific call for projects on hydropower. Maria explained that the call asks for a collaborative project (or new or improve hydro components and concepts- a purely research project), and for a support action on a strategy for hydropower (a promotion action). Maria encourages the members of the board to send her ideas for project proposals, and confirming her their interest for being in a project consortium, she also reminded the members that ESHA budget stability is highly dependant on EU projects, so if ESHA wants to ensure funding for its activities in two years, it needs get projects accepted for funding by the EC. Emilio Font de Mora, explained that EWEA, is working on the organisation of a wind European Energy Day, similar to other initiatives as the car free day that is celebrated every year in all cities in Europe. Emilio suggested that ESHA board could think about doing something similar. d)

Projects i) SHERPA project update

Maria explained that the SHERPA project partially funded by the EC, started in October 2006, with a kick-off meeting of all the partners in Brussels. The project will run for 2-years and a series of deliverables and events are expected under this project. In the first 4 months of the project the first deliverables of the project are available. ( i.e the guide on how to develop a small hydropower plant in Spanish, public image folders, policy forum in France). Maria gave to the board members a copy of the first draft of the public image folders and asks them for comments. Ghislain Weisrock explained the high-level policy event on hydropower that took place in the Ministry of Economics in France. Maria explained that Petras Punys is organising a policy event in Lithuania for March 2007, in the framework of SHERPA activities. ii)

RESTMAC (RES Technology Marketing Campaign)

Maria explained that ESHA has to work on a series of publications and events under the RESTMAC project contract obligations. In the framework of this project a workshop will be organised on SHP for Central South East Europe, on the 19th of April in Budapest, in the framework of the RENEXPO fair. Maria explained that ESHA has been working with EC


Bratislava on the programme for the event and that the conference programme will be shortly announced in RENEXPO website (http://www.renexpo-budapest.com/) and in ESHA website. Bernhard and Maria will use this event to set contacts in these countries to enlarge ESHA representation in these countries.

iii)

SHAPES

Even though the SHAPES project proposal for FP6 has been accepted, ESHA is still waiting to the EC to send the contract. The project will not start earlier than April 2007. e)

Collaboration

i) HEA-Europe industry Jean-Pierre Corbet explained the background of ESHA industry collaboration and the setting up of HEA-Europe. Christine stressed the necessity to move forward on involving the industry in ESHA. ESHA weakness came from the fact that the hydro industry it is not represented in the association. Christine remained the board that in EPIA or EWEA the industry is well represented, and this gives the associations a more professional way of working. Christine doubted on how the collaboration with HEA-e will move forward so she reminded the board that a strategy on how to involved directly industry as members should be re- thought. ii) IEA-Annex II Small Hydro Bernhard explained that a memorandum of understanding will be shortly signed between IEA-Annex II Small Hydro task force and ESHA for promoting synergies in the work of the two organisations and to avoid overlapping between their actives and ESHA activities. iii) Alliance for Rural Electrification (ARE) Maria explained that the ARE is working on promotion of hybrid systems for rural electrification in developing countries and that APER will work on this issue on behalf of ESHA with ARE working group on hybrid technologies in order to ensure that hydropower is represented. f) ESHA Participation in events Maria explained the participation of ESHA events in meetings up to June 2007, and distributed a list of those events to ESHA members. It was suggested that governing Board members keep Maria informed about the events their attend in their own country. g) New members Maria explains that ESHA had some contacts with Finish Small hydro association with Liisa Hiltunen (hiltunen@welho.com), they have been invited to ESHA governing board meetings, but there is no feedback from them so far. It was proposed that Christer could contact them to check whether they will became members of ESHA or not. 2. Update on Hidroenergia 2008, Bled Slovenia Marko Gospodjinacki was not in the meeting for doing an update on Hidroenergia 2008, 1113 June in Bled, Slovenia. The first announcement of the conference and the sponsorship packages should be ready at the end of February 2007. As soon as they are available they will be sent to ESHA board member to a wider distribution in heir countries.


3.

News from EREC a) European RES Policy Conference Christine explained EREC’s policy conference that took place in Brussels on 29-31 January 2007. It was organised by EREC and the German Federal Ministry of Environment under the German Presidency of the Union. It was a high-level policy conference where EREC presented its roadmap on RES for 2020. EREC policy strategy for the conference was to underline the need for sectoral targets (electricity, heating and cooling and biofules). Christine expresses her concerns about the fact that hydro sector was not represented (no sponsors from the Hydro sector were present in the Conference or in the exhibition, but from all other RES notably from wind and PV but also from Biomass). She underlined that if hydro wants to be placed in the Renewable sector, efforts should be made to get hydro companies in these conferences. She stressed again the necessity of strengthen ESHA industry based. b) Energy Package incl. RES roadmap & EREC roadmap Christine explained the EC has presented his energy package at he beginning of January that in includes a RES roadmap with targets for 2020. EREC and its members’ associations have been lobbying for 2020 RES mandatory sectoral (for heating, electricity and transport) targets, but the EC has come up with an overall dining 20% target of RES in 2020 overall energy mix and only sectoral targets for bio-fuels. Ghislain Weisrock remarked that the energy package is rather negative for hydro and that we should focused our communication not only on preserving existing production but also insisting on the future development and the existing potential. c)

Extension of the REH

Christine explained that due to the need of additional space due to expansion plans of some associations: REH will be enlarged by the building next doors (Rue d’Arlon 67). 4. Budget & Membership fees for 2007 The board formally approved the budget and membership fees for 2007. 5.

Miscellaneous

Christine presented EREC Greenpeace Energy (R)evolution Scenario. Some Board members raise some concerns about the way hydro is represented in the report. Bernhard will complain formally in next EREC board about this issue, Nino Frosio asked Christine if there is a way to pay only a full fee for being member of all RES associations in the house. Christer proposes to organise annually a study tour in the different counties. Marcin Switajski pointed himself as volunteer to do it for the first time in Poland. The next ESHA Governing Board meeting and with a General Assembly will take place on Tuesday 12 June 2007 in Brussels. From 10.00-17.00


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