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EU Environment Policy

Latest news on the environment policies of the European Union.

Europe 2020: a new economic strategy 03 March 2010, 15:08 CET
The Commission’s proposal on a new strategy follows a public consultation that attracted some 1 500 comments. The strategy builds on what has been achieved and the lessons learned. The first priority must be to hasten the exit from the crisis, but the strategy must also provide the building blocks for growth that will be sustainable in the future. Europe is recognised the world over for its high quality of life, underpinned by a unique social model. The strategy should ensure that these benefits are sustained and even further enhanced, while employment, productivity and social cohesion are optimised.

Europe 2020: new economic strategy - briefing 03 March 2010, 15:07 CET
The European Commission has launched the Europe 2020 Strategy to bring Europe out of the crisis and prepare the EU economy for the next decade. The Commission identifies three key drivers for growth, to be implemented through concrete actions at EU and national levels: smart growth (fostering knowledge, innovation, education and digital society), sustainable growth (making our production more resource efficient while boosting our competitiveness) and inclusive growth (raising participation in the labour market, the acquisition of skills and the fight against poverty). This battle for growth and jobs requires ownership at top political level and mobilisation from all actors across Europe. Five targets are set which define where the EU should be by 2020 and against which progress can be tracked.

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) - briefing 02 March 2010, 14:11 CET
The European Commission has announced its intention to come up with a proposal by the summer to allow more choice to Member States in deciding whether to cultivate GMOs. Under the current legal framework, as decided by the Council and the European Parliament, the Commission has adopted two decisions concerning the Genetically Modified Amflora potato: the first authorises the cultivation of Amflora in the EU for industrial use, and the second relates to the use of Amflora's starch by-products as feed. The European Commission also adopted today three decisions on the placing on the market of three GM maize products for food and feed uses but not for cultivation. All five authorisations were subjected to the highest scrutiny, ensuring all concerns regarding the presence of an antibiotic resistance marker gene are fully addressed. The Decision to authorise the cultivation of Amflora is the end of a process which started in Sweden in January 2003 and is based on a considerable volume of sound science.

Ukraine is more than just a transit country 25 February 2010, 23:23 CET
Ukraine is one of the top 20 countries in terms of greenhouse gas emissions and it is the site of Chernobyl. It is also a country which, after it became independent, gave up its nuclear weapons.

Major progress on wind in 2009 15 February 2010, 16:35 CET
2009 is in danger of being remembered as the year of the Copenhagen ‘failure’ and Obama’s failure to get a cap-and-trade bill through the US Senate. However, it should be remembered as a year when, despite extremely difficult economic conditions, major polluting countries made substantial progress in expanding wind energy.

SETAC Europe Conference on science and technology for environmental protection (Seville, Spain, from 23 May 2010, 00:00 CET to 27 May 2010, 00:00 CET) —
The twentieth annual meeting of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) will be held in Seville, Spain from 23 to 27 May 2010.

Substantial EU progress on CCS 10 February 2010, 23:40 CET
On Tuesday 2 February 2010, European Union member states agreed to European Commission proposals on how to distribute billions of Euros collected under the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) to CCS and renewable energy projects. The EU aims to have 10 to 12 large-scale (above 250Mw) CCS plants operational by 2015. This target was agreed in 2007 and the source of funding identified in 2008, but arguments about whether the Commission or national governments should select the schemes have held up progress in actually making awards of most of the money.

Protected sites can be contested on environmental grounds only 08 February 2010, 18:06 CET
The European Court of Justice has ruled that EU Member States can only refuse to give their agreement to the list of protected sites of Community importance drawn up by the European Commission on environmental grounds, following some ambiguity as to the circumstances surrounding the development of a protected site in Germany.

Enlistment of Community protected sites can only be contested on environmental grounds, EU Court says 10 March 2010, 01:46 CET
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled that Member States can only refuse to give their agreement to the list of protected sites of Community importance drawn up by the Commission on environmental grounds, following some ambiguity as to the circumstances surrounding the development of a protected site in Germany.

Renewing and decentralising Iraq’s electricity 04 February 2010, 23:27 CET
The European Union and Iraq on 18 January signed an agreement to strengthen their energy cooperation in areas such as natural gas, energy security and renewables (see EUbusiness: EU, Iraq sign energy agreement).

Provision of public goods through agriculture in the European Union 26 January 2010, 00:21 CET
This study, financed by the European Commission, was undertaken by the Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP), UK. The conclusions and opinions presented in this report are those of the consultants and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the European Commission. The purpose of this report is to examine the concept of public goods as it applies to agriculture in Europe and to assess the role and importance of CAP measures in encouraging the provision of public goods by agriculture. The evidence draws on a wide range of sources, including scientific literature, evaluation studies, an in-depth analysis of the policy framework, along with detailed information collected from eight regional case studies conducted in the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Romania, Spain, Sweden, and the UK between April and July 2009.

Trade and Imports of Animal Products - personal consignments 21 January 2010, 13:46 CET
Personal consignments containing meat, milk or their products and brought into the EU continue to present a real threat to animal health throughout the EU. Hence pathogens could be introduced into the EU if personal consignments containing meat, milk or their products are sent by post or carried in the baggage of travellers arriving from countries outside the EU, where such pathogens may be circulating.

Is the EU good for business? 14 January 2010, 22:59 CET
Speaking on green growth, Richard Branson, chairman of Virgin, called for high carbon taxes on energy intensive industries (and he explicitly included aviation in this, despite running an airline), with the money going to clean energy investments.

ICTs to facilitate the transition to an energy-efficient, low-carbon economy 14 January 2010, 12:02 CET
The EU is committed to a 20 % reduction in its carbon emissions by 2020. This target will be difficult to reach if the potential of ICTs is not fully exploited. ICTs can allow CO2 emissions to be reduced considerably whilst bringing the European Union up to a high level of innovation and competitiveness.

Entry into force of new system to better control fisheries and fight against illegal fishing - briefing 12 January 2010, 00:10 CET
On 1 January 2010, a set of new, strong rules will enter into force to bolster the control system of the European Union's Common Fisheries Policy. These rules will give the EU and its Member States new and powerful tools not only to protect the resources of our seas and oceans from unscrupulous operators, but also to protect the livelihoods of honest fishermen who would otherwise be exposed to unfair competition. With no preferential treatment from one country to another and no real temptation to cheat, because offenders will not be allowed to get away scot-free, the new system will enable fishermen to ply their trade under the same conditions, thus promoting a culture of compliance throughout the fisheries sector.

Europe must follow Germany and Spain 07 January 2010, 16:23 CET
For the next six months, Spain holds the Presidency of the EU and, from the start of February, there will be a new European Commission, with the German Gunther Oettinger, a member of Merkel’s centre-right CDU party, as Energy Commissioner. Spain and Germany lead the EU on wind and solar power, so there are good grounds to hope that the new leadership will result in a major speeding up of the low carbon transition.

Quality of petrol and diesel fuels: sulphur and lead 07 January 2010, 17:01 CET
To reduce pollution from car emissions, the EU has introduced new environmental specifications applicable to fuels: a ban on the marketing of leaded petrol and the obligation to make sulphur-free fuels available within the Union.

Was Copenhagen worth it? 29 December 2009, 11:55 CET
Yes, just. The Copenhagen Accord is vague and, having been negotiated by a small number of countries led by the US, China, India, Brazil and South Africa, was only “noted” by the Conference, not formally adopted.

The safety of toys in the EU 03 March 2022, 22:23 CET
Toys contribute to child development and play is an essential part of growing up. However, toys have to be safe for children to play with. Ensuring that toys marketed in the EU do not put children at risk is a priority. EU legislation aims to ensure that toys meet safety requirements that are amongst the strictest in the world, especially in relation to the use of chemicals in toys.

Focus on forests and finance 17 December 2009, 15:40 CET
During the last two days of the Copenhagen Summit, world leaders should focus less on targets and more on forest protection and finance.

EU Strategy for biofuels 16 December 2009, 18:14 CET
The EU sets out seven strategic policy areas for the development of the production and use of biofuels by the Member States and developing countries.

Sixth Environment Action Programme 16 December 2009, 00:10 CET
The EU defines the priorities and objectives of European environment policy up to 2010 and beyond and describes the measures to be taken to help implement its sustainable development strategy.

Copenhagen + Obama = progress? 10 December 2009, 23:47 CET
The single most important thing that must be agreed at Copenhagen is to provide substantial extra money to protect forests.

List of 15 energy projects for European economic recovery 09 December 2009, 23:09 CET
The European Commission has approved 15 energy projects which will significantly contribute to the economic recovery of the EU, while increasing our security of energy supply and substantially reduce CO2 emissions. With the decision, the Commission grants EUR 1 billion to six Carbon Capture and Storage projects and EUR 565 million to nine offshore wind energy projects.

Greenhouse gas emission allowance trading scheme 08 December 2009, 00:55 CET
The European Union (EU) is establishing a greenhouse gas emission trading scheme for the cost-effective reduction of such emissions in the Community. This scheme should enable the Community and the Member States to meet the commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions made in the context of the Kyoto Protocol. Installations operating in the energy sector, iron and steel production and processing, the mineral industry and the paper and board industry will automatically be subject to the emission trading scheme.