European Union News - Environmnet

The European Commission presented a proposal in order to reach a significant reduction in emissions of climate-warming fluorinated gases (F-gases). Emissions of F-gases, which have a warming effect up to 23,000 times more powerful than carbon dioxide, have risen by 60% since 1990, while all other greenhouse gases have been reduced.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) announced that its investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy have reached €10 billion since the launch of its Sustainable Energy Initiative (SEI) in 2006. SEI has financed 552 projects ranging from the insulation of a nursery in Slovakia to energy efficiency credit lines in Turkey.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) provided a €150 million loan to the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam with the purpose of part-financing projects that will contribute to the mitigation of climate change.

The European Environmental Agency has released its first Report on Protected Areas in Europe which shows the development of such environmental areas over the past years. In the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Habitats Directive and the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, the report highlights that despite the significant increase in the extent of protected areas, there is still little attention paid at this issue at pan-European level.

The Council adopted the directive amending directive 1999/32/EC as regards the sulphur content of marine fuels. It renders the most recent International Maritime Organisation (IMO) rules on marine fuel standards mandatory in the EU. The directive aims therefore to reduce some certain emissions from shipping considerably and to provide a high level of protection for human health and the environment.

The European Commission presented a new proposal which is intended to lighten administrative burdens and make it easier to assess the potential impacts of major projects, without weakening existing environmental safeguards.

The European Commission launched a public consultation which intends to gather views on how to follow up the renewed political commitment to sustainable development reached at the United Nations Rio+20 world summit, held in Rio de Janeiro in June 2012. In particular, the Commission seeks to develop specific actions and concrete measures to make sustainable development a reality. The consultation is open until 15 January 2013.

The European Union is celebrating that it is now twenty years since the EU adopted the Habitats Directive, one of the two building blocks of Natura 2000, Europe's network of protected areas. LIFE, the EU funding instrument for the environment, is also celebrating its 20th anniversary.

Despite reduction successes, it becomes clear that emissions need to be even further reduced to protect health and the environment. This is the main conclusion drawn from the European Environment Agency (EEA) report ‘Evaluation of progress under the EU National Emission Ceilings (NEC) Directive’ that considers whether the EU has successfully addressed environmental and health objectives set out when the Directive was adopted in 2001.