Stimulating discussion
19 March 2008
The EDA's summer event, held in Bilbao at theGrand Hotel Domine on the 7th to 10th June 2007, marked a change for the Association, wit the handover of the presidenc from Jan Brandis to Yve Canessa, and the latter handin over the vice presidency Giuseppe Panseri. The handov was actually carried out duringt Gala Dinner heldat the Restaura Etxanobe on the Saturday night
Mr Canessa's term of off will run for the next three yea with a similar hand over tak place to Mr Panseri at the end that time.
The formal conference itself s a number of presentations fro industry figures in the morning, including an update on the Danish Association's Site Assessment me, practical demolition rk, and the working's the UK's Institute of molition Engineers. Of icular note was one from Jukka Takala, directof he European Agency for th and Safety, during which he indicated that ocus of the EU, where pationalheath and safety ncerned, will be on the mentation of the existing tion, as well as its dation and simplification, than the drafting of egulations. The strategy is to reduce workplace accidents25% over the next five years (the last five years saw a 20% reduction).
And now we get to meat of the event, which occupied the after slot. The EDA proposes to use the lobbying and monitoring expertise of Kellen Europe to ensure the industry is well represented at a EU level so that any legislation or recommendations that will affect our industry will have input from our industry–hopefully,
Two representatives from Kellen were in attendance, and in a joint presentation, Rachel Barlow and Pierre Conrath ran through the lobbying process, its goals and best practices. It had been decided that to maximise the efficiency of Kellen's efforts, the EDA should identify two key topics that need urgent attention and it was at this point that things went somewhat awry.
E–procurement implementation, high reach excavators and the Waste Framework Directive had been identified as being the main initial topics by the EDA board working with Kellen, and the latter two were favourite for first attention. How and when this determination had been reached was not clear.
What then resulted was a spirited discussion, with some delegates arguing vehemently for dust suppression to be included at the expense of high reach.
Once the dust had settled, it was determined that Kellen would carry out its lobbying for the NFDC's Guidance Notes on the use of high reach to be used as a basis for regulations at a European level and in Kellen's view, this would be well accepted by the relevant official bodies.
In a parallel effort, Kellen would also begin to exercise its lobbying expertise in relation to the Waste–End of Life Criteria.
Naturally, to be fully effective, Kellen should be able to lobby from a position of strength–and it could be said that the absence of certain other European demolition associations from the EDA's list of members has an adverse impact on this. D&Ri understands that the new president and vice president appear to have got out of the blocks running, with an initiative shortly due to start with the beginning of discussions with the German association. It would be good if one of the strongest European demolition associations was once again backing the EDA and its efforts to benefit the European industry.
As always there was a full social programme to keep the delegates' companions entertained during the formal sessions and evening events for all.
