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Objectives of the proposed action

o In the short term, the project has the following aims:

• To assess the most efficient methodologies for the different process steps: collection, handling, transport, ....

• To analyse the present costs for biofuel production and utilisation in southern Europe and to assess potential cost reduction by optimising the different processes in the pro-duction-utilization chain.

• To analyse the present market situation and to estimate the potential for future devel-opment considering different scenarios, not only in the selected regions but also in southern European regions.

• To identify market barriers for the use of solid biofuels for heating applications in southern Europe.

• To design a biofuel residue "stock office" at regional level to collect small quantities of woody residues generated in small wood industry, agricultural woody crops pruning, ....

• To identify and quantify the benefits (social, environmental, employment ...) of the utilization of solid biofuels for heating and cooling in southern Europe.

• To submit the results and conclusions of the project to the decision makers (regional au-thorities, forest and wood industry) in the analysed regions.

• To propose efficient socio-political measures at local / regional level to encourage the development of biofuel market in southern Europe.

• To disseminate the project results and to make general public aware of biofuel potential in Spain and Italy.

• To disseminate the project results and its applicability in other European regions at EU level and in the Accession Countries.

o In the long term, after the finalisation of the project, the objectives are:

• To encourage the adoption of steady continuous economical support policies and other political measures by the local governments (Navarra and Tuscany) to promote the local biofuel heating market.

• To promote the establishment of feasible biofuel residue "stock offices" in Navarra and Tuscany as an intermediate between small woody residues producers and biofuel manu-factures.

• To encourage the participation of relevant local actors (regional government, forestry land owners, wood industry associations, wood residue producers, energy indus-tries......) in the creation of organized collection and distribution paths for solid biofuels (Navarra and Tuscany).

• To make citizens aware of the biofuel heating potential and benefits in Spain and Italy.

• To make the case regions of Navarra and Tuscany available as examples for other re-gions of Southern Europe.

• To encourage other southern European regions to carry out similar projects for the val-orisation of their forest residues.

• To contribute to solve a critical environmental issue, as the forestry fire, by means of increasing the silviculture work for forest cleaning with the valorisation of the woody residues generated.

o The specific barriers in southern Europe which will be addressed and aimed to be removed with this project are:

• To reduce biofuel production and utilization costs to increase the competitiveness against oil and gas, taking into account local conditions.

• To reach a minimum market size to reach a steady growth of the market by itself.

• To organise collection and distribution structures for solid biofuels.

• To make consumers aware of the possibilities of biofuel heating and cooling.

• To make timber wood producers aware of the possibilities of forest residues as biofuel.

• The dispersion and atomization of some wood residue producers and the seasonal gen-eration of some wood residues difficult and increases the cost for its utilisation for bio-fuel production. The creation of a biofuel residue "stock office" will support the utilisa-tion of these residues.