European Union News - Environmnet

The Internal Market Committee at the European Parliament adopted a report which points out that Europe's cities would be much less congested and cleaner if more two-wheeled vehicles were used. The report also stressed that motorbikes need to be safer and more environmentally friendly.

NoiseWatch is the application name that will map the noise levels across Europe in order to help the many millions of people exposed to damaging levels of noise. This application is part of the application package Eye on Earth, which already includes WaterWatch, displaying information on bathing water quality, and AirWatch, which shows near-real time information on air quality.

The EU-fund EcoGrid project will run a pilot real-time market place for distributed energy resources on the Danish island of Bornholm by asking 2,000 electricity customers to reduce their power consumption when the wind is either too weak or too strong for the wind turbines on the island to work. The project seeks to reduce the consumers electricity grid.

The EU signed a milestone agreement with the Central African Republicto prevent illegal wood imports to EU from this country. By 2014, therefore, all shipments of wood products to the European Union from the Central African Republic will be required to carry a licence certifying their legal origin.

According to the European Union, the United Nations climate change conference which will start on 28 November in Durban, must agree on a roadmap and deadline for finalising an ambitious, comprehensive and legally binding global framework for climate action by all major economies.

The Agriculture Committee approved a resolution which asks for EU and national measures to improve the efficiency of the food supply and consumption chains, sector by sector, e.g. by promoting direct relations between producers and consumers and to tackle food wastage as a matter of urgency. The Committee added that a better education is need to avoid excessive waste.

The Transport Committee adopted a resolution in which sets targets for safe and sustainable transport by 2020 and calls for the abolition of all remaining barriers and borders in order to complete the creation of a single transport area for goods and passengers which is competitive, co-modal and resource efficient.

The European Red List shows that a considerable portion of Europe’s native fauna and flora, finding that a large proportion of molluscs, freshwater fish and vascular plants now fall into the threatened category. The List also highlights that many species protected under the EU Habitats Directive and included in the Natura 2000 network of protected areas now have an improved chance of survival.