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The European Commission has adopted a Green Paper setting out the future challenges of its policy for a trans-European transport network (TEN-T). The aim is for the policy to be realigned to contribute more effectively to objectives aimed at combating climate change and to support Europe's increasing international role through better infrastructure connections with its neighbours and the wider world.

FEHRL and member institutes maintained a high profile during the 88th Transportation Research Board meeting in Washington (11th-15th January).   A centre-point of the activities was the FEHRL exhibition stand which attracted considerable interest and was a meeting point for FEHRL.   A number of presentations were given by attending FEHRL institute staff  and the Secretariat.

The 3rd phase of the Long Life Pavements project that will start this year, requires that several countries take an active role such as constructing roads using epoxy asphalt and high performance cementitious materials. Countries that are ready to take part in the project, and in particular countries that will be able to construct, in 2009-2010, test field sections of road using these materials should apply by January 31st 2009.

On January 1st the FP7 project DIRECT-MAT (DIsmantling and RECycling Techniques for road MATerials – sharing knowledge and practices) started. In this 1,2 M€ project twenty partners from fifteen countries cooperate to build a web database and to draft Best Practice guides that will facilitate the sharing of national experiences on dismantling and recycling or safe disposal of road materials.

At a ceremony attended by senior EC and Member State officials,  FEHRL’s President, Claude Van Rooten, joined with other surface transport research organisations in signing a major declaration.  The Lyon Declaration commits the signatories to work together to consolidate surface transport research.

The two-day event took place in Moscow on 27 – 28 November, 2008 as part of the SIMBA II project. It was jointly organized by FEHRL and the Russian Professional Association in Vehicle Prevention (PAIRP). The FEHRL institute experts (from DRI, EPFL, IBDiM, KTI, LCPC, VTI and ZAG) presented an overview of EU activities.

At the last General Assembly, FEHRL adopted its new strategy to extend participation to Institutes outside Europe. The Israel National Road Institute (INRC)  has been officially accepted as the first Associate.

During three days, the Exhibition which was held in Paris' fully restored Grand Palais drew 42.600 visitors, amongst whom many schoolchildren. Thanks to the information uploaded on the different projects, the website is a real catalog of European Science and has already been visited 200.000 times.

Eugene OBrien, FEHRL's Research Coordinator for Ireland, was interviewed as part of an initiative by the UCD Earth Institute, an internal group in the university promoting multi-disciplinary research into Sustainability issues. In the video, posted on you-tube, Eugene describes some of the concepts being discussed in the ERTRAC committee on the long-term future of long distance freight.

LAVOC, the Traffic Facilities Laboratory (LAVOC) at EPFL is hiring a Scientific Collaborator with interest in developing and leading research in pavement design, mechanical performances of road construction. This position will be open until filled. More detailed information about the position is described in this file.