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Objectives:

- To contribute to the increase of European competitiveness and availability of raw materials, and to improve the welfare of society in general;

- To ensure the integrity, resilience and environmental sustainability, aiming to allow ecosystems and society to adapt to climate change and other environmental changes;

- To promote the preservation of abiotic resources and biodiversity (reducing environmental impacts) and the recovery of degraded areas;

- Particularly, through methodologies for sustainable natural resource management and study of environmental risks and impacts, waste management  waste-water and chemicals, planning and land management, water resources management, valuation and valorisation of ecosystem services, and promotion of the urban and rural environment quality;

- To develop materials that 1) minimize environmental impact during the manufacturing process, distribution, use and end of life-cycle, 2) present structural reliability, reusability and recycling ability, chemical stability and biological safety;

- In particular, recycled materials, renewable materials, materials for residues treatment, biodegradable materials, materials that promote the well-being and health, materials for energy efficiency and materials for "green" energy;

- Design of products and processes following approaches that respect the environment, looking for innovative solutions that minimize the environmental impact by using manufacturing processes that require less energy (more efficient ) and less toxic materials;

- To design products that reuse and/or re-utilize other materials, that are more durable and function better, generating less waste accumulation;

- To promote the adoption of sustainable building materials, based on local resources, and the use of recyclable materials and waste;  

- To promote energy efficiency in buildings, optimizing insulation and favouring renewable energy resources, and the efficient management of water;

- To develop tourist products based on the basic principles of eco-tourism, making use of local resources, and developing animation activities in rural areas consistent with the cultural values ​​of the people involved;

- Integrated development of rural and natural areas.