Regional Workshop on "Environmental knowledge and information exchange in the Mediterranean"

The SMAP Regional Management and Support Unit, co-lead by the Italian Environment Protection Agency (APAT) and the Finnish Environmental Institute (SYKE), organises the Regional Workshop on "Environmental knowledge and information exchange in the Mediterranean" to be held in Rome, at APAT premises  on 5-6 December 2007.

The workshop will assemble some 50 participants from the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean countries, regional organisations and projects, institutes dealing with environmental information and the EC. The idea is to continue the good dialog that was set in motion last year in Rome. The event of 2007 will gather again all the SMAP Clearing House Focal Points and Administrators together and involve also  new actors in the dialog.

This workshop will present the outcomes of 2007 and provide a forum for discussion on a wide range of common challenges faced in improving the exchange of environmental knowledge in the region. It aims mainly:  

• To summarize lessons learned of the SMAP Clearing House initiative at regional and national levels;
• To share recent experiences on exchange of environmental knowledge and information in Mediterranean region (information systems, technical challenges, data issues, interoperability, communication);
• To discuss and make a proposal of sustainable ways forward for the SMAP Clearing House.

1. SMAP Clearing House – progress and lessons learned to ensure its sustainability and continuity at national and regional levels (half a day)
2. EU and Mediterranean Programs experiences on Environmental Information Exchange (half a day)
3. Integrating Information Systems: main challenges (half a day)
4. Plenary and Conclusions