Best LIFE-Environment projects

Website: ec.europa.eu/environment/life/project/bestlifeenv.htm

In October 2005, the EU Member States represented on the LIFE-Committee, together with the LIFE Unit, have identified the 24 best LIFE-Environment projects completed during 2004 and early 2005.

The main aim of the Best Projects exercise is to promote the LIFE projects selected as 'the best practices' by focusing part of the European Commission's and individual Member States communication actions on helping them to further disseminate their results. This is a pilot exercise. However, if 2005's trial run is successful, the initiative will be repeated with more substantial resources for 2005-2006.

All 24 projects will be featured in an online publication to be published in December 2005. The publication will focus on the projects' innovative qualities and results, as well as their possibilities for replication. The document will be available from the website, and those subscribed will be informed by a LIFEnews alert.

The five projects selected as the 'best of the best' included four relating to energy and transport (in no particular order):

* STIRLING Motor implemented by Mayer & Cie.
* SMILE implemented by Agence de l'Environnement et de la Maîtrise de l'Energie
* BBMpassiv implemented by BBM - Beschaffungsbetrieb der MIVA
* ENERWASTE implemented by Matadero Frigorífico del Nalón

Of the 24 projects, a total of 9 were related to energy and transport as follows:

* SMILE (France) - Sustainable Mobility Initiative for Local Environment.
* STIRLING Motor (Germany) - Miniature block-type thermal power station based on a long-lived Stirling motor.
* IEM in Hospitals (Germany) - Development of environmental management systems in hospitals from four European Regions and integration in QM-Systems.
* TANDEM (Italy) - Pilot action for promoting EMAS among local bodies operating on a large territory (provinces and main municipalities) in TANDEM with Local Agenda 21.
* ENERWASTE (Spain) - Implementation of an AD facility at a Spanish slaughterhouse for a sustainably closed energy and waste cycle.
* ECOBUS (Spain) - Collecting used cooking oils for recycling as biofuel for diesel engines.
* BBMpassiv (Austria) - Multifunctional company and administration building with logistics and cultural centre in passive house standard in sustainable timber construction.
* ENERLAB (Latvia) - Energy labelling of apartment buildings.
* EQUATION (Netherlands) - Demonstration and dissemination project for stimulating architects and local governments to build in a sustainable way with the help of innovative design tools.