European Union News - Environmnet

MEPs at the Industry, Research and Energy Committee voted on the draft directive on the management of spent fuel and radioactive, that EU Member States should be allowed to export radioactive waste to non-EU countries provided the waste is processed in accordance with new EU safety rules. The Committee also backed stricter rules for the protection and training of workers in the industry.

The ECO2 project, pooling the resources of geologists, biologists, chemists, economists, social scientists and lawyers, is going to provide a comprehensive risk assessment and guidelines for monitoring sub-seabed CO2 storage. This research is targeting the implementation of carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) in the region and assessing the impact in the short and long term can lead this activity in marine ecosystems. Making the geological storage of carbon dioxide (CO2) environmentally safe is high on the priorities for the EU.

New online maps published by the European Commission and the European Environment Agency, in close cooperation with the Joint Research Centre, give Europeans close-up picture of air pollution from diffuse sources, such as transport and aviation.

The European Commission and the European Nuclear Safety Regulators' Group (ENSREG) agreed on the criteria covered and the way controls will be done. In addition, they decided the starting day for the stress test in European nuclear power plants.

The European Union have signed throughout the European Commission an agreement with the World Bank in which the EU will contribute with €54.5 million to support disaster risk reduction programmes in African, Caribbean, and Pacific countries. The contribution to the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) responds to the need of to making the world safer from the consequences of natural hazards.

Analysis carried out by Europol shows that organised crime groups based in the European Union (EU) are trafficking endangered species of wild fauna and flora. Routes used for illegal immigration and drugs trafficking are also being used for smuggling rare animals, corals and valuable plants.

The European Commission organizes from 24 to 27 May 2011 in Brussels the 11th edition of Green Week, the biggest annual conference on European environment policy. This year is focusing in "Resource Efficiency - Using less, living better".

At the Council meeting on 12 May, EU's ministers for justice and home affairs agreed to promote the use of early flood warning systems such as the European Flood Alert System (EFAS) when discussing integrated flood management.

EU will ban cadmium in jewellery, brazing sticks and all plastics from December 2011. The reason behind this prohibition is that consumers including children risked being exposed to cadmium through skin contact or through licking. The ban on cadmium in jewellery will protect consumers, in particular children. It is equally good for the environment, as cadmium-free plastics will help to reduce pollution.