On February 6, 2017 the fifth General Assembly of the European Enhanced Landfill Mining Consortium (EURELCO) took place. The General Assembly was attended by 80 participants from 13 EU Member States. Guest speaker for this 5th General Assembly was Belgian Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Hilde Vautmans who launched her ambitious ELFM EU Action Plan. Concurrently, the newly initiated EU projects ETN NEW-MINE and Interreg Europe COCOON were presented, along with the projects that are currently in evaluation (ETN MAGNOLIA and Interreg Rawfill). Katleen Vandormael and Peter Tom Jones presented, respectively, the EURELCO communication and an outlook for the future functioning of the EURELCO network. Subsequently, new project concepts were discussed in breakout sessions. The General Assembly was concluded with a unique event in which the EURELCO and ETN NEW-MINE researchers went in dialogue with the “locals” living in the vicinity of the Remo landfill site in Houthalen-Helchteren, which is the benchmark landfill mining demonstration project managed by Remo Milieubeheer (Group Machiels). This “locals” event (part of the general EU MSCA-ETN NEW-MINE programme) was attended by 60 participants. The event led to an agreement between EURELCO/NEW-MINE to organise a structural and long-lasting, interaction between the “locals” and the ELFM research community.

PROGRAMME

15.00: Welcome and introduction by Peter Tom Jones, President EURELCO
15.10: EURELCO and the European Policy: which way forward? by Hilde Vautmans, MEP
15.40: Progress since the last General Assembly

• Pitch presentations on new EURELCO projects

  • ETN NEW-MINE by Peter Tom Jones, President EURELCO

  • COCOON by Annick Vastiau, Coordinator EURELCO

  • RAWFILL by Marta Popova, SPAQuE

  • ETN Magnolia by Fred Nguyen, ULg

• Update EURELCO Communication by Katleen Vandormael, Communication Manager EURELCO

16.20: Status questionnaire EURELCO: on governance and future targets by Peter Tom Jones
16:30: Short break
16.45: Development of new projects: “EURELCO Café”

• Table 1: EU H2020 MSCA-ETN IN-SITU MINING (submission Jan., 2018) led by UGent & Cardiff University

• Table 2: Interreg possibilities led by i-Cleantech Vlaanderen

• Table 3: EU EIT RawMaterials: KAVA projects related to ELFM led by KU Leuven

• Table 4: Horizon 2020 RIA project on GEOPHYSICS led by ULg

17.45: Closing of the meeting

18:30: Dinner (EURELCO/NEW-MINE consortium partners + locals)
20.00: Event “NEW-MINE and EURELCO meet the locals (of the Remo landfill site)”