European Union News - Environmnet

The European Commission has handed on June 2010 a mandate for the development of relevent standards on  common charging system for electric cars, scooters and bicycles to the European Standardisation Organisations bodies, CEN-CENELEC and ETSI. Thanks to this mandate plugs and connectors will use the same standard all across Europe, providing a true European solution independently of brands or countries. The Commission expects that the standard will be ready by mid-2011.

The Directorate-General for Climate Action launched a public tender to analyse the behavioural climate change mitigation options and their appropriate inclusion in quantitative longer-term policy scenarios. The tender, published in the Official Journal “S”, with a budget of 150,000 euros will run over twelve months.

On the occasion of the meeting between the Committee of the Regions and national ministries of Urban Development held in Toledo (Spain), President of the Committee, Mercedes Bresso, stressed the need for future EU regional funding to increase attention in bridging infraregional disparities. At this meeting President Bresso presented the results of the recent CoR opinion, prepared at the request of the Spanish presidency.

The meeting of the European Council taking place in Brussels on Thursday June 17th 2010, which ended up Spanish Presidency of the European Union, achieved the adoption of a new 10-year strategy for jobs and growth. European leaders also reinforced their determination to ensure fiscal sustainability, committing to ensure financial stability and agreed on the need to reinforce coordination of economic policies.

EU leaders will focus on jobs and growth. They are expected to adopt "Europe 2020", the new strategy for jobs and growth, when they meet in Brussels on 17 June. The one-day meeting chaired by Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Council, will also discuss the forthcoming G 20 summit, economic governance and post-Copenhagen climate strategy.

Norway, together with Belgium and Spain has been given the EU's go-ahead last month for a large-scale joint European marine research programme. The planned cooperation aims to boost knowledge of environmental conditions, marine resources and commercialisation in the seas and oceans managed by European countries.

EU environment ministers agreed to work together in the fight against drought and water scarcity and to support the development of an observatory which would reinforce prevention.

The Committee of the Regions, in cooperation with the European Commission, has launched a survey on sustainable energy policy in cities and regions.

Clean bathing waters are vital for key economic sectors such as tourism and for plant and animal life. The annual bathing water report presented by the European Commission and the European Environment Agency shows that 96 % of coastal bathing areas and 90 % of bathing sites in rivers and lakes complied with minimum standards in 2009. It also describes where to obtain detailed and up-to-date information on bathing sites.

The Commission has decided to encourage industry, governments and NGOs to set up certification schemes for all types of biofuels, including those imported into the EU. It laid down what the schemes must do to be recognised by the Commission. This will help implement the EU's requirements that biofuels must deliver substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and should not come from forests, wetlands and nature protection areas. The rules for certification schemes are part of a set of guidelines explaining how the Renewable Energy Directive should be implemented.

From 9-11 June, stakeholders interested in the ongoing preparations of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region will meet in Constanta, Romania to discuss the strategy's potential priority areas for action.