Ongoing international projects

Project 101075609 (GSEU = A Geologic Service for Europe) is an institutional capacity-building project (CSA = Coordination and Support Action) that will culminate (in 2027) in the finalization of the structure of the Geological Service for Europe. The project’s role is to establish and test the most suitable ways for national geological services to operate as components of the Geological Service for Europe.

Project budget: 23 168 128.25 EUR
Implementation period: 2024 – 2027
Project partners: 42 project partners + 6 associated partners from 33 European countries.
Coordinator: EuroGeoSurveys
Project manager: Dr. Francesco Pizzocolo
Project web page: https://www.geologicalservice.eu/

About the project:
The project’s research activity is geared towards several objectives, including:

(1) Development of harmonized pan-European data and information services in Europe, with a focus on:

– Critical raw materials

– Geothermal energy resources and underground storage capacities for sustainable energy carriers and CO2 sequestration.

– Groundwater dynamics and quality, geological and climate change information for coastal vulnerability assessment, and baseline geological data

(2) Establishment of the European Centre of Excellence on Sustainable Resource Management to promote the implementation of the United Nations Framework Classification for Resources (UNFC) and the United Nations Resource Management System (UNRMS).

(3) Development of geological data infrastructure—building upon the existing EGDI—to disseminate and provide permanent access to data and information services developed within the project and beyond, targeting a wide range of stakeholders, with the specific aim of fostering further innovation and strengthening market uptake of innovative solutions.

(4) Provision of a common European geological knowledge platform as a single open-access portal to the project results and to the partners’ underlying data and information collections and infrastructures at national and regional levels.

(5) Strengthening the network of national and regional geological research organizations to provide geological knowledge and services in a sustainable manner.

Responsible for Romania: Dr. Marian MUNTEANU (Geological Institute of Romania))

The GeoNetSee project (An AI/IoT-based geosensor system for the real-time monitoring of unstable terrain and man-made structures) is supported by the Interreg Danube Region Programme, co-funded by the EU. It aligns with the Danube Region Programme priority “A more competitive and smarter Danube Region” and the specific objective “Enhancing innovation and technology transfer in the Danube Region.”
Project budget: €1,791,280.00
Interreg funding: €1,433,024.00
Implementation period: 2024–2026
ID: DRP0200783
Project partners: 14 project partners + 12 associated partners from 9 Danube countries
Lead Partner: School of Electrical Engineering, University of Belgrade
Project manager: Prof. Dr. Vladimir Rajović
Project web page :GeoNetSee | Homepage (interreg-danube.eu)

About the project:
GeoNetSee will develop a solution for monitoring unstable terrain and man-made structures, comprising a network of geosensors and a platform for the real-time collection, processing, and visualization of data. The platform—named the Danube Collaboration Center (DCC)—will share collected data, research findings, best practices, and multidisciplinary expertise. The DCC will foster partnerships and collaborations with similar EU organizations and commissions to leverage existing expertise, share resources, and align efforts regarding data collection, analysis, and knowledge exchange. The GeoNetSee system will undergo testing in both laboratory and operational environments (with three countries serving as pilot sites and six as testing locations). The solution entails installing permanent CORS stations in Serbia, Montenegro, and Bosnia and Herzegovina; these will integrate into the European Plate Observing System (EPOS), which also encompasses the EUREF Permanent GNSS Network (EPN). An innovation chain driven by technology- and knowledge-intensive activities will be established across the Danube Region to bridge innovation gaps and facilitate the adoption of advanced technologies, fostering a smarter and greener Danube region.

Contact person RO: Dr. Iustina POPESCU (Geological Institute of Romania)

IMPEL - WATER AND LAND REMEDIATION (IMPEL - W&LR)

IMPEL - WATER AND LAND REMEDIATION (IMPEL - W&LR)

Project title: Soil remediation and groundwater decontamination – IMPEL (European Union Network for the Implementation and Enforcement of Environmental Law)
Period: 2022-2027
Funded by: The European Commission
Web page: https://www.impel.eu/en/projects/water-and-land-remediation

Description

Over the years, we have become increasingly aware of the threat posed by poor soil management and the qualitative and quantitative degradation of water resources. This situation stems largely from the inadequate implementation of European Union environmental legislation, due to: i) an excessive number of different administrative structures operating within a single thematic area; ii) the need to operate within a defined strategic framework established by framework directives; iii) insufficient data and information; and iv) a lack of dissemination activities and technical support.
The management of contaminated sites follows a different dynamic in each Member State, partly due to legislative differences involving varying definitions—such as “potentially contaminated sites,” “contaminated sites,” and “remediated sites.” For this reason, the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC), together with the EEA-EIONET network, launched an initiative to establish common definitions and site categories. A survey conducted among Member States in 2018 led to the definition of six site categories. It is now important to establish criteria for selecting the appropriate management practice or remediation technology for each of these categories.

Objectives
The project aims to:

Providing the technical support and facilitating the exchange of experience needed to advance the remediation of contaminated sites in Europe, thereby offering a reference point for Member States that currently lack an applicable procedure.
Disseminating knowledge, skills, and best practices through the development of technical guidance and the initiation of support actions among partner countries.
Engaging key European networks focused on contaminated sites, such as COMMON FORUM, Eionet WG Contamination, and NICOLE.

Results
The project aims to produce technical guidance reports for eight contaminated site remediation technologies (translated into national languages), as well as a final report presenting the progress achieved by the project’s partner countries.

Raport 1:Oxidarea chimică in-situ (ISCO) – Report 1: In-situ Chemical Oxidation (ISCO)

Raport 2: Extracția vaporilor din sol – Soil vapor extraction

Event organized by the Geological Institute of Romania: Water and Land Remediation Conference, 15-16 noiembrie 2022

Responsible for Romania:

Dr. Eng. Iustina POPESCU–Institutul Geologic al României

IMPEL - GIEDA

IMPEL - GIEDA

Project title: Geospatial Intelligence for Environmental Damage Assessment (GIEDA) – IMPEL (European Union Network for the Implementation and Enforcement of Environmental Law)
Period: 2023–2024
Funded by: European Commission
Web page: Geospatial Intelligence for Environmental Damage Assessment (GIEDA) | Impel

Project description

The rapid growth of geospatial techniques—such as spatial statistics and Earth observation remote sensing—alongside recent advances in artificial intelligence, has enhanced the capacity to monitor environmental processes. In recent decades, there has been growing awareness that geospatial technology can monitor, inspect, and assess the environment, providing necessary information to regulators and supporting investigations into environmental crimes and violations of environmental laws. However, competent EU authorities need to determine how information generated through geospatial intelligence can best meet the requirements for investigating specific environmental crimes—in the most efficient manner—to ensure its admissibility and use in court proceedings.

Project objectives

The Geospatial Intelligence for Environmental Damage Assessment (GIEDA) project aims to contribute to the information needs related to illegal activities affecting environmental matrices, demonstrating the ability to produce a posteriori evidence of environmental damage caused by environmental incidents, violations, eco-criminal acts. Effective methodological approaches using geospatial intelligence, based on the synergistic use of earth observation and geostatistical analysis, can provide valuable and spatially explicit information, improving the ability to produce evidence: characterization of the affected area in terms of nature, gravity, spatial extent, temporal occurrence and estimates of quantitative variations of specific biophysical parameters, can be a strong support for environmental damage assessment.

The reporting of actual cases—envisaged under the GIEDA project and involving a questionnaire addressed to environmental authorities—aims to share knowledge with practitioners and enhance the capacity to request and produce evidence, thereby supporting the assessment of environmental damage in accordance with the Environmental Liability Directive and the Environmental Crime Directive.

Representatives for Romania: Monica CRIȘAN – National Environmental Guard
Dr. Eng. Iustina POPESCU – Geological Institute of Romania