Project coordinator from INCDS:
Senior researcher I Dr. Nicu Constantin Tudose
About ENFORCE
With a duration of 4 years (2024−2027), ENFORCE aims to bring communities and authorities together to ensure compliance with environmental regulations and promote sustainable management practices.
The project is coordinated by the G.A.C. (France) and will be implemented by a consortium of 25 partners from 10 European countries including Romania through the “Marin Drăcea” National Research and Development Institute.
Main objective of ENFORCE
The ENFORCE project aims to enhance environmental compliance by integrating citizen science with innovative technologies. This initiative seeks to bridge the gap between local environmental data and the requirements set forth by regulatory authorities, fostering collaboration among grassroots organizations, researchers, and local governments. Through a tailored, interdisciplinary approach, ENFORCE is committed to empowering communities to play an active role in environmental governance and enforcement.
< wpml_linebreak > ENFORCE strives to move beyond awareness-raising to empower citizens and public authorities towards co-creating a pan-European collaboration and innovation hub to mainstream the use of citizen science for environmental compliance assurance: the ENFORCE Plaza.
The specific objectives
1. Empower communities by involving grassroots organizations, local and regional authorities, and researchers in environmental monitoring efforts, ensuring a collaborative approach to compliance. 2. Develop creative toolkits and protocols that align citizen-collected data with official standards, enhancing its admissibility in court and applicability in environmental compliance cases. 3. Introduce the Data Readiness Level (DRL) framework to assess the maturity of environmental data for use as evidence in regulatory actions. 4. Utilize geo-spatial intelligence and AI-enhanced tools to strengthen data quality and reliability, enabling informed decision-making for environmental governance. 5. Support the European Union’s sustainability actions and align with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in promoting sustainable cities and communities through improved environmental compliance and governance.
Case studies
The project will be implemented through 8 case studies across Europe, including Valle Galeria (Italy), Brașov (Romania), Crete (Greece), Barcelona Urban Beaches (Spain), Puglia (Italy), Flanders (Belgium), East Devon Catchment (UK), and Amsterdam (Netherlands). Each location presents unique environmental challenges, allowing ENFORCE to tailor its approach to meet diverse local needs. By engaging grassroots organisations, local and regional authorities, and a diverse group of researchers, ENFORCE aims to develop a robust, interdisciplinary strategy for effective environmental monitoring and enforcement.
Partners
GAC Group, France
Agencia Estatal Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Spain
University of Exeter, United Kingdom
Bielefeld University, Germany
University of Crete, Greece
Hasselt University, Belgium
International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Austria
52°North Spatial Information Research GmbH, Germany
Institutul National de Cercetare-Dezvoltare in Silvicultura “Marin Drăcea”, Romania
Singular Logic, Greece
International Data Corporation, Italy
EVI Sights, Netherlands
AMARANTHUS Social Coop, Greece
BUSINNESS DEVELOPMENT GROUP SRL, Romania
Westcountry Rivers Trust, United Kingdom
European Network of Living Labs, Belgium
European Association of Remote Sensing Companies, Belgium
European Citizen Science Association, Germany
A Sud Ecologia e Cooperazione Odv, Italy
Heraklion Bar Association, Greece
Enrich Global, France
CIHEAM Bari, Italy
Waag Futurelab, Netherlands
Barcelona Cicle de l’Aigua SA, Spain
Digital For Planet, Switzerland
Contact
Project website: https://join-enforce.eu
Email: contact@join-enfoce.eu
Linkedin: @enforce_eu
