Contribution to Policy Development. IWWA will contribute to the formation of a policy background that creates an enabling environment for ISWM. IWWA recognises that waste management policy is not isolated, but strongly linked to other sectors such as environment, energy and trade, and these links will be considered when developing of guidelines and recommendations. The involvement of local authorities and policy makers in capacity building and dissemination activities will help overcoming institutional barriers and raise awareness among higher governmental levels in the promotion of waste treatment technologies and systems. Synergies and interactions among the members of the African waste treatment Network will be strengthened through the participatory inter-institutional approach of IWWA project, as the stakeholders will be trained in alternative models of public-private-non-governmental partnerships. Finally, the international co-operation which will be accomplished through the IWWA Co- ordination Action, will allow Europe to achieve a better position to both share its expertise and to contribute to capacity building and technology transfer in Africa.
Contribution to Policy Development. The work contributes to the implementation of European policies on issues relating to co-ordination of research on genetic resistance to plant pathogenic viruses, and their vectors, in European crops and their influences on society. It will help to strengthen the EU commitment to support the biotechnology sector, and to improving the availability of virus/vector resistant crops, decreasing the amounts of pesticides used and increasing the quality and efficiency of crop production systems. It will also address the many ethical issues relating to the use of virus/vector resistant transgenic (GM) crops in Europe, for example, how to reconcile the conflict between the need for increased food production and for environmental conservation, and how to ensure that these crops can be grown safely, with acceptance by the consumer. The work contributes to the implementation of European policies. This project directly addresses the call, and the wider Food Quality and Safety policies of the EU. The law and ethical policies surrounding the use and release of GMOs are still evolving and at different rates in different member states. The project will complement and strictly adhere to EU policy objectives including:
(1) Council conclusions and roadmap of 26 November 2002 for a strategy on life sciences and biotechnology. Official Journal of the European Union (2003/C 39/05), 18.2.2003, C 39/9-13 (2) Directive 2001/18/EC of the European Parliament and of The Council of 12 March 2001 on the deliberate release of genetically modified organisms. OJ L 106, 17.4.2001, p.1. Directive as amended by the Council Decision 2002/811/EC (OJ L 280, 18.10.2002, p.27)
