European Union News - Environmnet

The sea has always played a key role in Europe's prosperity. 20 May is a dedicated "European Maritime Day" in the EU. This year, in cooperation with the Italian government, the Commission is organising a 3-day conference in Rome from 18 to 20 May. This important event brings together stakeholders, administrations and other players from the European Union and this time also from a number of third countries, in particular from the Mediterranean region, to discuss the global challenges faced by maritime Europe today. European Maritime Day was set up as one of the key actions of the EU's Integrated Maritime Policy, launched in 2007.

The European Commission is promoting cycling as a healthy and safe way to travel in cities at the 15th Velo-City conference, organised by the Brussels Region and which opened today in the presence of Vice-President Antonio Tajani, responsible for transport. The world's largest conference related to cycling takes place in Brussels, at Tour & Taxis until Friday 15 May and brings together one thousand participants from across the world to discuss the future of cycling in cities.

Any advertisement that reflects the technical characteristics of refrigerators, washing machines or furnaces should indicate the energy consumption of the product, according to the Parliament decision. MEPs who have voted on the directive that governs the energy labeling, suggest that the label of a product is valid for three to five years and the energy rating standards are updated regularly.

Two major concerns of citizens – health and environment - were the big winners when the European Commission and the European Patent Office (EPO) presented the 2009 European Inventor of the Year awards, in Prague. Honoured were 4 inventions: a drug to combat chronic myelogenous leukaemia, a malaria drug based on an herbal agent, enabling the commercial use of solar energy and a highly efficient heat exchanger.

The European Commission welcomes the formal adoption of the climate and energy package and legislation to reduce CO2 emissions from new cars and transport fuels. The measures, agreed in December, put Europe firmly on the road towards becoming a low-carbon economy and will increase energy security. The package sets legally binding targets to cut greenhouse gas emissions to 20% below 1990 levels and to increase the share of renewable energy to 20%, both by 2020. It will also help achieve the EU's objective of improving energy efficiency by 20% within the same timeframe. The package makes Europe the first region in the world to implement such far-reaching, legally binding climate and energy targets.

A group of EU-funded researchers are counting the costs of the damage caused by invasive species in Europe. Writing in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, scientists from the DAISIE project highlight the invasive species with the greatest economic and environmental impacts. The findings of the project will contribute to the EU's Strategy on Invasive Alien Species.

The Official Journal of the European Union has published on April 20th 2009, a Call for proposals for actions in the field of eco-innovation under the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP), which will be funded with up to 30 million Euro. Closing date for applications is September 10th 2009.

EuropeAid published last April 11tb a bid to improve hydrologic practices in the Mediterranean water.

Three resolutions on water, trade and climate change, and the financial crisis have been adopted at the third plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly Euro (EuroLat) meeting in Madrid between 6 and April 8, in addition to endorsing the "Euro Charter for Peace and Security".

Although the European Union is the world leader in research and technological development in aquaculture and brings to the planet about half of all the consumed fish, that position has not been reflected in an increase in production compared to what has happened in other parts of the world. The Commission therefore intends to relaunch the sector by presenting a new strategy to provide a new impetus and promote sustainable growth.