Invitation to Attend the 12Th EIONET Workshop

European Environment Agency

European Topic Centre

on Air and Climate Change

Second Announcement

19th EIONET Workshop on

Air Quality Assessment and Management Bern, Switzerland

30 September to 01 October, 2014

Dear colleagues,

It is a great pleasure to invite you to the 19the Eionet Workshop on Air Quality (AQ) Assessment and Management. This year the meeting is kindly being hosted by the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN).

The workshop will start on 30 September at 08:00 (registration) and will end on the 01 October at 17:00. The meeting will take place at Hotel Bern, Zeughausgasse 9, 3011 Bern, Switzerland.

As in previous years, the meeting will provide an overview of the member countries’, EEA’s and ETC/ACM’s key work on air quality assessment and management in 2014. The afternoon of Wednesday, 01 October, we will have a joint session with Eionet noise colleagues. The EIONET Noise meeting will then continue on 02 to 03 October (noon).

The following topics will be addressed in the EIONET Air workshop:

·  Status of the negotiation of the new EU Air Policy Package proposed by the Commission;

·  Key data (flow) activities, particularly IPR / e-Reporting; network design, monitoring strategy, coverage of measurements etc.

·  Air quality assessment work in the EEA member countries, by EEA and the ETC/ACM;

·  Reports from relevant organisations, networks and projects (WHO, AQUILA, FAIRMODE, EMEP and relevant Task Forces under the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution etc.).

·  Links between air quality and noise pollution: assessment, planning and reporting; a joint session with EIONET Noise NRCs.

With respect to the implementation of the IPR, the two main objectives are to inform the EIONET Air Quality Community of the progress and experiences with testing the new e-reporting system, and demonstrating the interim AQUI system to report air quality data.

We would like to encourage you to present results or issues in relation to the e-reporting of air quality data under the IPR, particularly also if your country has not been involved in the reporting implementation pilot.

Please let us also know if you would like to inform the AQ community colleagues about specific assessment topics addressing the AQ situation in your country, as for example in relation to the SOER2015 reporting.

Please send us your feedback and ideas by the 31 August 2013 so that we can prepare the detailed draft agenda for the meeting, which we plan to send out in early September. Background papers and further information will also be made available on the newly established interest group website and the ETC/ACM website:

http://forum.eionet.europa.eu/nrc-air-quality/

Reimbursement

The usual EIONET workshop conditions apply, meaning that EEA will reimburse travel and pay a daily allowance (i.e. for the two meeting days) for one (1) participant per EEA member country and EEA cooperating country (to be nominated by the National Focal Point).

Information and documents for ordering tickets and claiming reimbursement from the EEA will be sent once the nomination has been received.

For any logistical questions on the meeting, please contact Catherine Brytygier at

Registration

Please register online by 31th August 2014 at:

http://forum.eionet.europa.eu/nrc-air-quality/library/19th-eionet-workshop-air-quality-assessment-and-management

If you encounter any problems, please contact:

Catherine Brytygier ().

You will receive a third announcement with a detailed agenda in due course before the meeting.

Accommodation and other practical information:

Please find attached to this announcement some information on Bern, hotels close to the meeting place and how to reach the venue etc.

The hotels in the attached list will give a special rate, provided you book using the code “EIONET workshop 2014”. The conference hotel Bern has 40 rooms reserved until end of July. You are advised to arrange your accommodation promptly.

We look forward to receiving your registration, including also information on the presentation you might wish to give.

Thank you very much in advance!

We wish you a nice summer,

Anke Lϋkewille Cristina Guerreiro

EEA Air Quality Project Manager ETC/ACM – NILU

19th EIONET Workshop on Air Quality Assessment and Management

on 30 September to 01 October 2014

and

EIONET Noise Workshop

01 October to 03 October 2014

Bern, Switzerland

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Bern

Bern is the capital of Switzerland and is located in the German speaking part of Switzerland.

For more information you may contact Bern Tourism: http://www.bern.com/en/index.cfm

Meeting Venue

The meeting will take place in the Hotel Bern

(http://hotel-bern.ch/en/ )

Hotel Bern

Zeughausgasse 9

Ch-3011 Bern

Telephone: +41 (0)31 329 22 22

Accommodation

Please find below some information on hotels close to the meeting place, which offer special rates.

Please use the booking code “EIONET Workshop 2014” to profit from the special rates. Rates include breakfast, but not the tourist tax of CHF 5.30 per person and night.

How to get there

Bern-Belp is a small international airport, offering connections to some European cities. There is a bus transfer to Bern railway station. http://www.flughafenbern.ch/en/home

Zürich, Basel and Geneva airports

These international airports are well connected to Bern by public transport within one to two hours. Trains run usually every half hour.

www.flughafen-zuerich.ch www.euroairport.ch www.gva.ch

Timetables for trains and buses:

www.sbb.ch Be aware that in general no tickets are sold in trains or on buses. You can buy tickets online, at ticket counters or at ticket machines.

From the train station Bern to the Hotel Bern it is a ten minute walk:

A: Train station Bern, exit Neuengasse B: Hotel Bern

Practical information

Passport and visa requirements

Participants are responsible for checking possible visa requirements and making their own visa

arrangements before departure, including visa for transit or stopover. Early contact with the Swiss

Embassy or Consulate in your country is strongly advised. For more information, please view the list of Swiss representations abroad: http://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home/reps.htm.

Currency

The Swiss currency is the Swiss franc (CHF). 1 CHF is about 0.82 EUR.

Electricity

The Swiss voltage is 220‐230.

The electricity frequency is 60 Hz.

The most used plugs have 3 pins (J type)

so an adaptor may be necessary.