Photo by Milos Prelevic on Unsplash The Brussels-based European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) backs a new and strengthened governance of the oceans. It calls for increased international cooperation, the safeguarding of the well-being of the marine environment and the protection of fish stocks from overfishing, given their vital importance for local communities. Increased international cooperation in order…
Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash Despite EU action to reduce its generation, the amount of hazardous waste generated in the EU has continued to increase since 2004. A review published today by the European Court of Auditors sheds light on existing and future challenges in dealing with hazardous waste: improving classification, ensuring traceability, increasing recycling, and combating…
Photo by Carlos “Grury” Santos on Unsplash Climate change is the biggest issue facing the future of our planet. As President of COP26 in Glasgow last year it was UK Cabinet member Alok Sharma who secured world-wide agreement of a realistic programme to address it. Sharma would later condemn the Egyptian President of COP27 from failing to build…
Photo by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash The Social Climate Fund was proposed by the European Commission in July 2021 and revised by the Council of the European Union in June 2022. The European Court of Auditors (ECA) has been asked by the Council to deliver an opinion on the revised proposal. The Social Climate Fund has the potential…
Electrification has simply substituted dieselisation, without any change in the business model or in the EU regulatory framework, reveals an alarming ETUI report. The ‘Fit for 55’ revision of the CO2 regulation for new cars and vans will not only keep reinforcing the trend towards heavier and more powerful vehicles but it will also drastically…
The EU Commission has set new limits for underwater noise—a growing threat to the health and lives of whales, dolphins and many other marine species. The move is hailed as a significant step to help Member States achieve Good Environmental Status (GES) for the ocean in their jurisdiction. “This is a necessary and long awaited…
The European Commission has received a petition signed by 150,000 people, asking for new standards to protect fish welfare. Over the next few months, the Commission will be reviewing the EU laws for many farmed animals. Compassion in World Farming, a Brussels based campaign group, says it wants to ensure that specific standards for farmed…
A senior Belgian MP has told a conference that the Arctic has, until recently, been a “black hole” for his country. The frank admission was made by Jasper Pillen, a federal deputy in the Belgian House of Representatives, who was addressing a conference on the Arctic. Pillen told the meeting that it was “common to have…
Climate change is “real, rapid and relentless,” an international conference in Brussels on the Arctic was told. The comments were made by Mike Sfraga, who chairs the influential U.S Arctic Research Commission, and who gave an address to the Arctic Futures Symposium. The event was told that the impact of global warming is accelerating four…
The International Polar Foundation has announced the winner of the first ever “Laurence Trân Arctic Futures Award.” The winner is Containing Greens AB, a startup created by young entrepreneurs based in Luleå, Sweden. An initiative of the International Polar Foundation and financed by the Trân family, the award provides €7,500 of financial assistance to a fledgling…
