We publish here in full, with the permission of the authors, the text of a report first published on 23 December) by the Institute for Global Threats and Democracy Studies (www.igtds.org). The bottom of the Baltic Sea may contain nuclear waste burial sites made by the Russian military in the early 1990s. This complements the…
Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) requires more than political commitment, says the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC). Increased investment, especially by the private sector, is needed to address current economic, social and environmental challenges. The Committee therefore advises the EU and its Member States to adjust their investment and tax policies to enhance…
The Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR) said it welcomes the proposal of the European Commission to enshrine the 2050 climate neutrality objective into law by March 2020. To achieve the goal of becoming the first climate neutral continent, Europe’s climate objectives must be supported with a stronger ambition represented by higher reduction emission targets, while…
Climate Action Network Europe says that after a year of unprecedented mobilisations calling for urgent climate action, world leaders at COP 25 failed to step up climate action in line with the 1.5°C objective of the Paris Agreement. It says the lack of ambition at COP25 puts more pressure on the EU to come forward…
The European Parliament and the Council have submitted their responses on the appeal of the legal action challenging the EU’s 2030 climate target. Despite the political momentum in the EU to increase the 2030 climate target, both institutions argue that the families and the Sami youth who are affected by the climate crisis shouldn’t be heard in…
A delegation from the European Parliament arrived in Madrid this week to participate in the COP25, where they will meet with key stakeholders in the negotiations. An official delegation from the European Parliament will take part in the UN conference on climate change, the COP25, in Madrid in Spain this week until 14 December. It…
New rules on plant health, designed to stop diseases spreading or jumping borders, will become effective on Saturday. The EU Regulation 2016/2031 on protective measures against plant pests was steered through the European Parliament by UK member Anthea McIntyre, Conservative MEP for the West Midlands. It became law in December 2016 and is directly applicable…
According to the climate change performance index (CCPI) published today at the climate summit COP25 in Madrid, the EU lost six ranks due to its failure to increase its 2030 climate target. The CCPI which is published by Germanwatch, the New Climate Institute and the Climate Action Network (CAN) evaluates the efforts of 57 countries and the…
photograph copyright ©Jimmy De Bock The way we see the world is often best captured by a photograph. Iconic images of mankind’s plight and triumphs have over and over again been seared into our collective memory. In this spirit, yesterday Jimmy De Bock Exhibitionon Tuesday, 3 December, BOLDT – in cooperation with Fondation Franz Weber…
Researchers from the Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM) in Antwerp have spotted tiger mosquitoes in Belgium this year, finding eggs, larvae and adults of Aedes albopictus. The species was located in three motorway parking areas in both Wallonia and Flanders. This supports an earlier indication that the mosquito was travelling to Belgium with motor vehicle traffic from…
