The European Parliament has adopted a set of comprehensive and ambitious rules on sustainability, safety, labelling and information on batteries. The future of batteries in Europe must be socially and environmentally sustainable. Now the ball is in the Council’s court to match our ambition and finalise its position in order for the new Batteries Regulation…
A large majority of MEPs have voted to adopt the General Union Environment Action Programme to 2030 (8th EAP) in the European Parliament. The decade-long environment legislation sets out the EU’s main priorities, together with strong monitoring and governance provisions to ensure these priorities are achieved. Climate mitigation and adaptation, circular economy, biodiversity protection and…
The IPCC, the world’s most authoritative climate science body, has released its highly anticipated Working Group II report on climate impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability. The report finds that the world is already facing the “unequivocal” consequences of climate change, which is killing people, damaging food production, destroying nature and reducing economic growth. Some of these…
EU fishermen could expand their fishing activities to the North Pacific Ocean already this year. The EU Committee on Fisheries agreed today to give consent to membership for the fishing convention in this area. MEPs voted unanimously (26-0) in favour of the report by MEP Bert-Jan Ruissen, which proposes opening up the northern pacific to…
In the letter, S&D vice-president and shadow rapporteur in the environment committee, Simona Bonafè, and S&D shadow rapporteur in the economic affairs committee, Paul Tang, expressed their opposition to the labelling of gas and nuclear-based energy production as taxonomy compliant. While recognising the role played by gas and nuclear to meet the energy needs nowadays towards the transition to a…
Drinking water across the EU will have to be monitored more closely for the potential presence of two endocrine disrupting compounds (beta-estradiol and nonylphenol) throughout the whole water supply chain. This comes after a decision by the EU on Wednesday. As required by EU rules in force since last year, the Commission established today a first ‘watch list’ of emerging compounds to…
The European Commission has allocated €1 million in emergency funds to respond to the consequences of floods in Brazil. During the past two months, heavy rains affected several Brazilian municipalities, particularly in the states of Bahia and Minas Gerais, resulting in disastrous consequences for the population and the loss of houses, schools and vital infrastructures….
ECR MEP Zbigniew Kuzmiuk’s Opinion pertaining to the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) has been adopted by the European Parliament’s Agriculture Committee (AGRI). The Opinion voices firm support for the introduction of the new mechanism, but also expresses some concerns of Committee members’ surrounding the potential consequences of its implementation. “I am very pleased with…
The EPP group says gas “can bridge the gap” and reduce CO2 emissions faster. In a statement, it said, “To reduce Europe’s CO2 emissions, we also need gas. Not for ever and everywhere, but for a transitional period and in certain situations.” It goes on, “Gas is the cleanest fossil energy source and gas infrastructure…
The European Conservatives and Reformists Group (ECR) has signalled support for the European Commission’s proposal to include nuclear energy and fossil gas in the so-called “Taxonomy Regulation”, which sets out the criteria for green investments. “Without the promotion of nuclear energy, the scenario of high energy prices could worsen in the future. When it comes…
