European Union News - Environmnet

The Hungarian capital was judged by an independent panel of experts to have done the most to raise public awareness of air pollution from traffic and promote cleaner alternatives during European Mobility Week  Almada in Portugal and Zagreb, the Croatian capital, were runners-up among a group of ten european cities.

The European Commission adopted two Communications related to disasters: a Community approach to reducing the impact of natural and man-made disasters within the EU, and a strategy for supporting disaster risk reduction in developing countries. Both Communications contribute to the implementation of the Hyogo Framework for action 2005-2015, adopted at the world conference on disaster reduction.

The European Parliament has adopted a report that claims that the Commission recognizes as legally binding the target of getting a saving objective of 20% by 2020. Also, this report proposes to follow the national action plans of Member States, to introduce energy efficiency standards in public procurement procedures and to support the compulsory use of smart energy meters.

The European Commission has published in the Official Journal of the European Union, OJEU on February 13th 2009, Regulation (EC) Nº 127/2009 laying down the procedure and conditions for the sale of cereals held by paying agencies or intervention agencies. This Regulation recognises that cereals held by the paying agencies or intervention agencies should be sold without any discrimination between Community purchasers, and that in principle invitations to tender permit that objective to be achieved although in certain cases it must be possible to use other methods of sale.

This Recommendation describes the reference characteristics of an operator’s Nuclear Material Accountancy and Control system complying with the legal obligations of Regulation (Euratom) Nº 302/2005. Some of the characteristics described in this Recommendation are therefore only relevant to facilities with corresponding activities and not to those facilities which involve no measurement.

Based on the report by Raporteur Saïd El Khadraoui, the Transport Committee gave a first reading, with amendments, to a Commission proposal to revised the 1999 "Eurovignette" directive. According to the legislation approved by the EP Transport Committee on February 11th 2009, charges on heavy-goods vehicles should be based in part on the air and noise pollution they produce and the congestion they cause.

The Official Journal of the European Union has published on February 10th 2009, a new Call for Proposals for for modal shift, catalyst, motorways of the sea, traffic avoidance and common learning actions under the Second Marco Polo Programme. The proposed budget for 2009 Call, which will close on May 8th , will be approximately 62 M€.

The European Commission has adopted the first ever EU Plan of Action for the Conservation and Management of Sharks, which aims to ensure that effective steps are taken to help rebuild shark stocks wherever they are under threat, if necessary on a precautionary basis, and to set down guidelines for the sustainable management of the fisheries concerned, including those where shark are taken as by-catch. The plan also includes measures to improve scientific knowledge of shark stocks and shark fisheries.

The Official Journal of the European Union, OJEU, published on February, 4th 2009, the Council Decision on the signing, on behalf of the European Community, of the Protocol on Integrated Coastal Zone Management in the Mediterranean to the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment and the Coastal Region of the Mediterranean. This Protocol aims at implementing coastal management as to ensure sustainable development and integrating all the related economic activities, respecting the ecosystems and landscapes as well as Mediterranean cultural heritage.

The European Parliament adopted in its Plenary Session on January 3rd, a report in which MEPs call call for mandatory emergency action plans in case of gas supply shortages, more grid interconnections among Member States, a specific road map for investments in nuclear energy, and new climate targets to be achieved by 2050, including cutting greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80%. These wide-ranging recommendations would make up the EU's future energy policy.

The European Commission has authorised under state aid rules of the EC Treaty, a scheme offering reduced-interest loans to businesses investing in the production of green products. The aid, which is one of the measures adopted by France to tackle the current economic crisis, will support businesses faced with financing problems because of the credit squeeze, while at the same time making it easier for them to invest in products with an environmental benefit.

The Communication from the Commission provides concrete proposals how to reach an agreement at the Copenhagen summit. It addresses three key challenges of the new international agreement – targets and actions, financing low carbon development and building an effective global carbon market.