The Technological Institute of Optics and Imaging (AIDO) has received financing from the European Commission for the BatsGraph project, within the framework of the Union’s LIFE+ programme for the environment.
The aim of this project is to resolve the specific environmental problems in the Graphic Arts industry and contribute to improvements in climate change. With this aim, this initiative has the tools to implement the proper techniques that reduce the emission of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) via surface treatments with organic solvents in different printing companies. For this reason, one of the aims of this project is to contribute to the development of legislation on environmental policy.
Confronted against the need that European printing companies have to reduce environmental impact, the BatsGraph project contains a basic, practical method that carries out a series of tests, evaluations and methodological actions focused on implementing the best available techniques to optimise the processes based on respecting the environment.
The actions developed in this project may be divided into five steps:
Study the European Graphic Arts companies´ environmental policies.
Recompile the best practices to implement the environmental techniques in the European graphic arts industry.
Develop a diagnosis for executing improvement tools in the European graphic arts industry.
Dissemination and diffusion.
Expected results
Spanish participation in LIFE+ projects
Through this initiative, the European Union has approved 33 Spanish projects that amount to 30 million Euros in financing. 70% of the total is headed by Spanish organisations, with AIDO as one of the coordinators.
Within the LIFE+ programme a total of 143 projects have been approved for all Member States. Its aim is to contribute to the application, updating and development of the union’s environmental policy and legislation, including the integration of the environment into all policies in order to reach sustainable development, and backed by the application of the Sixth Environmental Action Programme for the environment.
The Ministry of Environment, Rural and Marine atmospheres presented a total of 147 Spanish proposed projects distributed throughout the three components in which the programme is divided. Of these, they have been awarded participation in 8 projects for Nature and Biodiversity, 21 projects included in Environmental Policy and Governance and 4 projects on Information and Communication, which has supposed an increase in economic funding by 52.17 percent relative to the forecasted amount for Spain in the 2007 contest.
For the 2008 LIFE+ contest, the European Union’s Official Journal had already published its bases in 15 July, leaving the project presentation period open until 21 November, 2008, when they had to be presented to the Ministry of Environment, Rural and Marine atmospheres.
For this contest, Spain has been assigned 22 million euros, which is an 11% increase relative to the initial budget assigned in the 2007 LIFE+ contest.