Implementing Sustainable Strategies in City Development 2003-06

Newsletter 6, 8 December 2003

First auditing process for BUUF Interreg is completed

The first financial report of the 13 BUUF project partners within the EU was sent to Rostock Office in late October by the lead partner Uppsala University, Baltic University Programme. The information today is that the report will not be dealt with before early January 2004.

In connection with the reporting all routines for auditing the project were established. Ernest and Young, the Uppsala Office, will serve as external auditor. They in turn will have contact with all auditors of the 13 EU partners.

Subcontracting

Subcontracting between the lead partner, Uppsala University, and other partners in the project will be worked out. As of today 7 such subcontracts have been signed. We will sign contracts with all 13 EU partners. We will also sign subcontracts with non-EU partners as needs or wishes appear. Strictly legally, however, partners will normally not need subcontracting as all details are spelled out in the project description. These were accepted as the co-financing documents were signed.

Second financial report

The second financial report to Interreg will cover costs occurring during the period July 1^st to December 31^st, 2003. The Baltic University Secretariat will request that these are sent in by February 1^st, 2004. All partners concerned have separately received detailed instructions for how to write this report.

Additional funding

A most successful application to Phare funding was made by the team from Livani, who actually got two projects financed! This will help considerably when organising the conferences in Jelgava and Livani in early March 2004. Congratulations and thanks from us in the BUUF Steering committee.

Further financial contributions were received from Hamburg Harburg Technical University, as the Hamburg team was able to fund a considerable part of the Kaunas Best Practice Conference in October on their BUUF budget!

The regional development council in Uppsala – C-Framåt – has also contributed to support the project. Thank you! Further applications for funding in Sweden are being processed.

Best practice booklets editors assigned

The Steering Committee has assigned Dr Elzbieta Plaza to be editor of the best practice booklet on Urban Water Management, and the BUUF project coordinator Dr Dorota Wlodarczyk as editor of the best practice booklet on Urban Green Structures. Both editors are of Polish origin but are working at the Royal Institute of Technology, KTH, in Stockholm.

The Steering Committee

The BUUF Steering Committee at KTH, The Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, will meet for the last time for this year on December 11 in Stockholm.

Each partner city is again encouraged to set up a small project group consisting of 3-5 persons. The participating universities may be part of this group.