UEPG celebrates commitment to biodiversity

The European Aggregates Association's recent 20th anniversary was marked with a celebration of achievements in sustainability and a commitment to biodiversity. Claire Symes reports

Since it was first established in 1987, the 2886 European Aggregates Association (UEPG) has grown from humble beginnings to represent 22 national quarrying organisations. According to UEPG secretary general Anthony Fell, the association wanted to mark its 20 year milestone with a constructive event rather than just a celebration, and it certainly achieved its aims.

During the two day anniversary event, held in Brussels on 3 and 4 May, the UEPG signed up to a worldwide biodiversity agreement, presented its Sustainable Development Awards, held a conference looking at future challenges for the aggregates industry and gained a new president.

The event started at the Concert Noble with the UEPG's signing of the Countdown 2010 Declaration, which is being coordinated by the 1778 International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). "In joining the Countdown, the UEPG is effectively signing up the whole industry to promoting biodiversity," said Fell. "Through the initiative, we will promote research involving stakeholder, non-governmental organisations and experts to improve practice in the industry." The prime target of the Countdown is to stop erosion of biodiversity by 2010 and, through the agreement, the UEPG has also committed itself to dialogue with the EU on promoting biodiversity. Fell said that the UEPG will be working on a number of initiatives to promote good practice, including distribution of a CD-ROM to disseminate this information. "Examples of what can be achieved will be invaluable for SMEs," said Fell.

More than 150 delegates witnessed the signing, and the audience included a number of dignitaries from the EC and the quarrying industry. "We were delighted that Euopean Environmental Commission president Miroslav Ouzky, Directorate General Enterprise director Patrick Hennessy and Environment Directorate head of nature and biodiversity Patrick Murphy attended the event," said Fell.

Sustainable success

Signing of the agreement was followed by presentation of the UEPG's 2007 Sustainable Development Awards. "The awards were widened this year to cover the three pillars - social, economic and environment," said Fell. The 26 entries were judged by an independent panel chaired by former Le Monde environmental editor Roger Cans and formed by WWF Austria CEO Hildegarde Aichberger, Dr Nicholai Martens from the University of Aachen and Italian expert Dr Alfredo Martini.

In the economic category, the two winners were the UK's Eton Aggregates for development of Dorney Rowing Lake and nature reserve and France's 4511 GSM, part of the 726 Italcementi Group, for using delivery by river to cut 17,000 lorry movements per year from its plant north of Paris.

Italy's Grupo Grigolin and Spain-based 939 Cementos Portland Valderrivas took the main awards in the social category, with the UK's Quarry Products Association collecting a special award. "Grigolin gained its place by transforming a former munitions dump," said Fell. "Achievements in health and safety helped both Valderrivas and the QPA secure their awards - Valderrivas for its proactive approach and the QPA for development of www.safequarry.com" Environmental awards were made to family owned Swiss company Grob Kies's work on restoring meadows and creeks in its local area and to Spain's Compania General de Canteras's efforts to work with the local authorities to restore flora and fauna. Special environmental awards were presented to Czech Republic-based Ceskomoravske

Sterkovny for establishing habitats and to Lenz Ziegler Reifenscheid in Germany for its public relations work to promote nature.

Future challenges

The UEPG's anniversary event moved to the Biblitheque Solvay in Brussels for the second day, for a forum entitled 'The European Aggregates Industry: Addressing Future Challenges'. Delegates were welcomed to the event by the Belgian Extractive Industry Association (FEDIEX) managing director Jean-Pierre Jacobs.

Speakers at the forum included the UEPG's new president Denis Mertens, who disussed secondary aggregates. Professor Andre Vervoot from the University KU Leuven, Belgium raised the topic of securing access to aggregate resources, while Werner Bosmans, Hans Pietersen and Andras Demeter, all from the EC's Directorate General for the Environment, looked at various sustainability and biodiversity issues.

The event concluded with outgoing UEPG president Didier Audibert officially handing over the presidency to Gralex's Denis Mertens