NEWS

 

© Lugo                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             © Grebe

home
Commission
Cave Protection
Contact
work teams
Partner
bibliography
documents
links
news
1st eurospeleo protection symposium
eurospeleo protection label
FSUE

 

 cave protection meeting in Brussels on the 24th January
The European Cave Protection Commission is invited by Basque Member of the European Parliament Mikel IRUJO AMEZAGA to a cave protection meeting in Brussels. In the Basque Country was recently discovered a palaeontological cave from the lower Magdalenian period, called PRAILEAITZ. The Parliament would like to help preserving these type of caves and invited to a meeting to compare and exchange ideas. In addition, this will be an introductory meeting about cave protection in Europe.
More soon here!

********************************************

1st EuroSpeleo Protection Symposium during Vercors 2008
During the 4th European Speleological congress the 1st EuroSpeleo Protection Symposium will take place. The European Cave Protection Commission organizes this symposium together with the FÉDÉRATION FRANÇAISE DE SPÉLÉOLOGIE.
More soon here!

********************************************

cave protection meeting in Brussels

On the 24th January Jean-Pierre Bartholeyns (President of the UIS Department of  Protection and Management), Bärbel Vogel (President of the German Speleological Federation) and Christiane Grebe for the European Cave Protection Commission attended the first meeting about cave protection in the European Parliament.

As result the participants agreed on a declaration about cave protection to the European Commission, which is now in progress. Furthermore the "Karst environment and Cave Protection Forum" was founded under the leadership of Mikel IRUJO AMEZAGA. We'll keep you informed about the next steps!

********************************************

1st EuroSpeleo Protection Symposium

The symposium will take place from the 24th August till the 29th August with one free day in between on the 26th August for the GAM of the FSUE. You can always find the latest news on our homepage under 1st eurospeleo protection symposium.

********************************************

1st EuroSpeleo Protection Symposium

The 1st EuroSpeleo Protection Symposium will take place under the patronage of Mikel Irujo Amezaga, who will also attend the 4th European Speleological Congress on the 23rd August for the official opening and the opening of the EuroSpeleo Protection Symposium on the 24th August.

********************************************

Launching of the Call for the EuroSpeleo Protection Label

Find more here under eurospeleo protection label.

********************************************

Updated agenda of the 1st eurospeleo protection symposium.

********************************************

New cave in ICE Tunnel in Thuringia;  Germany

A big and beautiful cave was discovered on march 30th, when digging a tunnel for the ICE railway line (from Erfurt to Nürnberg). First it was only a small hole, they tried to fill it up with 500 m3 concrete - no chance. When digging further they found a big cave. Cavers of the Thuringian caving club could visit the very beautiful cave (many speleothemes, 3 lakes) and they recognised, that the natural drainage was blocked by the concrete so that the water level of the lakes was rising by 12 cm per hour. After 3 hours the cavers had to leave the cave and the entrance was closed with concrete forever. So it was not possible to complete the documentation of the whole cave.

The explored part of the cave is positioned on the west side of the tunnel. It has developed along the south fault of the Thuringian Forest in triassic limestone. The cave crosses the tunnel from northwest to southeast. Only the northwest part could be investigated at this time. A streamlet flows from the western end with about 10 to 20 liters water per second through the cave. The cave is on average 10 to 15 meters high and between 2 and 7 meters wide. At the most westerly point we stopped exploring at an area of breakdown, but there is a chance it is passable. About 100 meters prior the breakdown a side passage enters. The ancillary passage is headig southwest. It is the finest part of the cave and exploration was stopped at a low airspace bedding plane. The water here flows, in the form of a streamlet, towards the main cave.
At present, the eastern part of the cave will be opened by digging the tunnel.
Since yesterday we have contact with the Bahn AG through the Thuringian geological office, which is part of the ministry of agriculture, nature conservancy and environment.
The processes around the discovering of this cave show that all the existing mechanisms have not worked properly. Every offices first declared no competences. There are too many gaps in the law and between different laws and regulations. Cavers from other European countries have all experienced the same situation. So European cavers require change at a European level.
The conclusions described in the German Speleological Federation’s paper. „For construction projects in karst areas“ (“Zur Entdeckungen von neuen Höhlen bei Bauvorhaben“).

More information and the statements:

German Speleological Federation (pdf, 27 KB)

statement of Mikel Irujo Amezaga, Member of the European Parliament (pdf, 46 KB)

statement of the Christiane Grebe, European Cave Protection Commission (pdf, 32 KB)

statement of Jean-Pierre Bartholeyns, UIS Department of Protection and Management (pdf, 19 KB)

 

During the 3 hours the speleologist could see the cave, the following picture was made. In Germany nobody has ever seen such straw stalactites. As the cave is now closed with concrete, there won't be a opportunity to see these speleothems in the near future. Does something similiar exist in your country or do you work on this issue? If you know somebody, who can provide information about this kind of formations, please send a mail to Bärbel Vogel, president of the German Speleological Federation, or to protection@eurospeleo.org. Thank you.
 

********************************************

European event, where the ECPC participates.

 I Jornadas Científicas de Espeleologia in Portugal. Olivier Vidal, general secretary of the FSUE and member of the ECPC-commission board, and Ana Sofia Reboleira, member of the ECPC-commission board and operator for the publications work team, will participate and give a little presentation about the ECPC

********************************************

Updated agenda of the 1st eurospeleo protection symposium.