Labour and left-wing green MPs have called on prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende to explain claims that he had asked European Commission chairman Manuel Barroso to relax European rules on biodiversity, the Volkskrant reports on Monday.
On Saturday the paper published details of correspondence from Balkenende to Barroso in which he called for European rules on protecting Europe's best wildlife areas to be changed.
The measures, known collectively as Natura 2000, were 'missing the target' and threatened to restrict economic activity because of the strict way they are applied, Balkenende wrote.
'Natura 2000 fails to strike a balance between ecological value, economic interests and other uses,' Balkenende wrote.
In his reply, Barroso rejected all Balkenende's claims. 'Natura 2000 does not threaten the balance between economic and natural development,' the president wrote.
Labour MP Diederik Samsom said he is shocked by Balkenende's letter. It is an 'intervention to undermine nature protection', he told the paper.
Sursa.
Barosso Brief
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marți, 12 ianuarie 2010
luni, 31 august 2009
Breaking butterflies upon a wheel of indifference?
Nature's cycle does not match politicians'. A price therefore needs to be put on the environment.
Why are butterflies harder to rescue than banks? This is not just an Alice-in-Wonderland question, but a serious problem for the European Union as it begins to rethink its policy on protecting biodiversity. The differences between economic recovery and environmental recovery can throw some light on the question.
Two years since the financial crisis struck, the first green shoots of economic recovery are now evident. France and Germany are, by some standards, out of recession. Optimists think the UK might follow next year. But the EU's member states are a long way from environmental recovery. Many of Europe's habitats, animals, birds and plants are deemed to be in a poor state of conservation, while international talks on a global deal to limit climate change are bogged down.
Sursa.
Why are butterflies harder to rescue than banks? This is not just an Alice-in-Wonderland question, but a serious problem for the European Union as it begins to rethink its policy on protecting biodiversity. The differences between economic recovery and environmental recovery can throw some light on the question.
Two years since the financial crisis struck, the first green shoots of economic recovery are now evident. France and Germany are, by some standards, out of recession. Optimists think the UK might follow next year. But the EU's member states are a long way from environmental recovery. Many of Europe's habitats, animals, birds and plants are deemed to be in a poor state of conservation, while international talks on a global deal to limit climate change are bogged down.
Sursa.
vineri, 29 mai 2009
Lobbyists – the fifth power in the EU
Sofia. Transparency of political institutions is a prerequisite for legitimacy. It should be easy to scrutinize how decisions are made, what are the influences behind them and finally how resources, i.e. taxpayer’s money, are allocated. Therefore rules for lobbying are ultimately a question of legitimacy.
At the moment it is estimated that there are about 15000 lobbyists and 2500 lobby organisations in Brussels. Counting permanent visitors’ badges and “express”-badges there are approximately 5000 lobbyists operating in the European Parliament.
Lobbyists are the fifth power in the EU and one can easily guess what the reason for the siege of European institutions is - the EU dictates 80% of the legislation of its member states, in fields where numerous interests are involved – agriculture, international trade, telecommunication, food safety, transport etc, The Dnevnik comments.
............
Bulgarian ecology organizations that brought illegal constructions over sites included in the Natura 2000 Sites for Nature Conservation list are among the examples of successful citizen lobbying.
If the Lisbon Treaty comes into force, the range of the European Parliament’s authority over the EU legislature will be broadened.
Sursa.
At the moment it is estimated that there are about 15000 lobbyists and 2500 lobby organisations in Brussels. Counting permanent visitors’ badges and “express”-badges there are approximately 5000 lobbyists operating in the European Parliament.
Lobbyists are the fifth power in the EU and one can easily guess what the reason for the siege of European institutions is - the EU dictates 80% of the legislation of its member states, in fields where numerous interests are involved – agriculture, international trade, telecommunication, food safety, transport etc, The Dnevnik comments.
............
Bulgarian ecology organizations that brought illegal constructions over sites included in the Natura 2000 Sites for Nature Conservation list are among the examples of successful citizen lobbying.
If the Lisbon Treaty comes into force, the range of the European Parliament’s authority over the EU legislature will be broadened.
Sursa.
miercuri, 13 mai 2009
EUROPE: Help the Economy, Hurt the Environment
BUCHAREST, May 13 (IPS) - The European Economic Recovery Plan devised by the European Commission last year to help deal with the financial crisis is likely to fast-track environmentally damaging projects in the new member states.
One of the tenets of the European Economic Recovery Plan (EERP), launched in November 2008 by European Commission (EC) president Jose Manuel Barroso, is acceleration of payments to new EU member states from the European Structural and Cohesion Funds and the European Investment Bank.
The accelerated funds, amounting to about 23 billion euros, are destined mainly for infrastructure development, and are considered essential by the EC to creating employment and assisting the economic recovery of the Central and Eastern European countries.
The EERP, which was approved by the European Parliament in March 2009, stresses the need for "smart" investments through promotion of clean technologies, support for micro-enterprises, and programmes for re-training labour.
But environment groups warn that these payments could be used by the new member states for infrastructure projects that are environmentally costly, have better alternatives, or are not sustainable in the long run.
Sursa.
One of the tenets of the European Economic Recovery Plan (EERP), launched in November 2008 by European Commission (EC) president Jose Manuel Barroso, is acceleration of payments to new EU member states from the European Structural and Cohesion Funds and the European Investment Bank.
The accelerated funds, amounting to about 23 billion euros, are destined mainly for infrastructure development, and are considered essential by the EC to creating employment and assisting the economic recovery of the Central and Eastern European countries.
The EERP, which was approved by the European Parliament in March 2009, stresses the need for "smart" investments through promotion of clean technologies, support for micro-enterprises, and programmes for re-training labour.
But environment groups warn that these payments could be used by the new member states for infrastructure projects that are environmentally costly, have better alternatives, or are not sustainable in the long run.
Sursa.
marți, 31 martie 2009
Natura 2000 Spania : Boom-ul imobiliar determina rapoarte negative de la UE
EU Parliament: Spain Guilty of Property Abuses
The European Parliament today approved a report slamming Spain for all manner of evils relating to the Spanish property sector, including the ‘land grab’ and Ley de Costas scandals that have created so much misery for home owners in Spain.
The report, by Danish MEP (Greens) Margrete Auken, paints a depressing picture of developers and corrupt politicians trampling over private property rights and the environment in pursuit of their own enrichment, whilst the authorities look the other way. This is the 3rd EU report slamming Spain for foul practices in its property sector in almost as many years.
..........
“Whereas the natural Mediterranean island and coastal areas of Spain have suffered extensive destruction in the last decade as cement and concrete have saturated these regions in a way which has affected not only the fragile coastal environment – much of which is nominally protected under the Habitats /Natura 2000 and Birds Directives, such as urbanisations in Cabo de Gata (Almería) and in Murcia – but also the social and cultural activity of many areas, which constitutes a tragic and irretrievable loss to their cultural identity and heritage as well as to their environmental integrity, and all this primarily because of the absence of supra-municipal planning or regional planning guidelines placing reasonable limits on urban growth and development, set on the basis of explicit criteria of environmental sustainability, and because of the greed and speculative behaviour of certain local and regional authorities and members of the construction industry who have succeeded in deriving massive benefits from their activities in this regard, most of which have been exported."
Sursa.
The European Parliament today approved a report slamming Spain for all manner of evils relating to the Spanish property sector, including the ‘land grab’ and Ley de Costas scandals that have created so much misery for home owners in Spain.
The report, by Danish MEP (Greens) Margrete Auken, paints a depressing picture of developers and corrupt politicians trampling over private property rights and the environment in pursuit of their own enrichment, whilst the authorities look the other way. This is the 3rd EU report slamming Spain for foul practices in its property sector in almost as many years.
..........
“Whereas the natural Mediterranean island and coastal areas of Spain have suffered extensive destruction in the last decade as cement and concrete have saturated these regions in a way which has affected not only the fragile coastal environment – much of which is nominally protected under the Habitats /Natura 2000 and Birds Directives, such as urbanisations in Cabo de Gata (Almería) and in Murcia – but also the social and cultural activity of many areas, which constitutes a tragic and irretrievable loss to their cultural identity and heritage as well as to their environmental integrity, and all this primarily because of the absence of supra-municipal planning or regional planning guidelines placing reasonable limits on urban growth and development, set on the basis of explicit criteria of environmental sustainability, and because of the greed and speculative behaviour of certain local and regional authorities and members of the construction industry who have succeeded in deriving massive benefits from their activities in this regard, most of which have been exported."
Sursa.
miercuri, 25 februarie 2009
DECIZIE – Europarlamentarul roman Magor Csibi introduce penalitati pentru defrisarile ilegale din toata Europa
Comisia pe Mediu, Sanatate Publica si Siguranta Alimentara (ENVI) a adoptat azi, 17 februarie, cu o mare majoritate de voturi regulamentul Parlamentului European si al Consiliului de stabilire a obligatiilor operatorilor care introduc pe piata lemn si produse din lemn. Initiativa a fost anuntata de catre europarlamentar inca de anul trecut, cu ocazia unei conferinte sustinute in Baia Mare, unde acesta are deschis un birou parlamentar.
Magor Csibi, europarlamentar liberal, a declarat ca se bucura de reusita. "Dupa un an de activitate si lobby intens am reusit sa vad rezultatele muncii mele in votul majoritar pozitiv pe acest regulament", a spus acesta.
Sursa.
Magor Csibi, europarlamentar liberal, a declarat ca se bucura de reusita. "Dupa un an de activitate si lobby intens am reusit sa vad rezultatele muncii mele in votul majoritar pozitiv pe acest regulament", a spus acesta.
Sursa.
luni, 16 februarie 2009
EU Biodiversity Action Plan
Stavros Dimas, Member of the European Commission, responsible for environment, convened on 11th of February 2009 a conference in the European Parliament on the nature protection and biodiversity issues. The main questions were: would the EU meet its 2010 nature protection targets, and what more actions were needed?” Biodiversity is one of the EU political priorities; MEPs are key partners in the process of developing and shaping nature protection policy and the Commission-EP cooperation gives a good chance to focus political attention on the critical issues. The BC publishes an abridged version of the Commissioner’s speech.
Nature protection and biodiversity are not yet on the top of political agendas in the same way that climate change is, mentioned the Commissioner, but there can be no other political issue that is more important or more fundamental as it concerns quite literally, the future of life on Earth. However, one of the main reasons the EU takes measures to combat climate change is because of the threat it poses to ecosystems and species. Protecting biodiversity needs to be given the same political attention as combating climate change.
The Commissioner compared the recent assessment of the EU’s Biodiversity Action Plan to a school report card, which would presently depict that “good efforts over recent years have been made but it must be done considerably better”.
Sursa
Nature protection and biodiversity are not yet on the top of political agendas in the same way that climate change is, mentioned the Commissioner, but there can be no other political issue that is more important or more fundamental as it concerns quite literally, the future of life on Earth. However, one of the main reasons the EU takes measures to combat climate change is because of the threat it poses to ecosystems and species. Protecting biodiversity needs to be given the same political attention as combating climate change.
The Commissioner compared the recent assessment of the EU’s Biodiversity Action Plan to a school report card, which would presently depict that “good efforts over recent years have been made but it must be done considerably better”.
Sursa
miercuri, 4 februarie 2009
MEPs respond to call to protect Europe's wilderness
Only 1% of Europe is untouched by humans and everything must be done to preserve what is still out there for the future. That's the message in a report by Hungarian Socialist MEP Gyula Hegyi backed by MEPs Tuesday.
The importance of protecting Europe's wilderness in the future against climate change is one of the key aspects stressed by the report. It calls for greater mapping of such areas to enable threats to be detected.
It also calls for responsible tourism that will not damage such areas and greater use of the EU's existing "Natura 2000" programme to protect such areas. At present 13% of the forest zone of the 27-member EU is designated as Natura 2000 sites under the existing Birds and Habitats directive.
Articolul aici.
The importance of protecting Europe's wilderness in the future against climate change is one of the key aspects stressed by the report. It calls for greater mapping of such areas to enable threats to be detected.
It also calls for responsible tourism that will not damage such areas and greater use of the EU's existing "Natura 2000" programme to protect such areas. At present 13% of the forest zone of the 27-member EU is designated as Natura 2000 sites under the existing Birds and Habitats directive.
Articolul aici.
Highlights of the February Strasbourg plenary session 2-5 February 2009
.........
Climate Change Committee sets out future policy goals
MEPs will be debating and voting on Parliament's Temporary Committee on Climate Change final recommendations for the EU's future integrated policy on climate change. MEPs in the committee take as a basis the EU objective to keep the global average temperature increase below 2°C and call for a target of a 25-40% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions to be achieved by 2020. They recommend detailed measures to be taken in the key economic sectors. MEPs in the committee are concerned that "climate change is both more rapid and more serious in terms of its adverse effects than was previously thought".
..................
MEPs want to strengthen Natura 2000 network
The Environment Committee calls the Commission to set wilderness conservation as a priority in its strategy to address climate change and defends an EU wilderness strategy, complementary to other existing instruments. In addition, MEPs underline the importance of strengthening the Natura 2000 network, stressing the need for more coherent policies among different sectors, such as agriculture and energy, in order not to undermine the conservation objectives of Natura 2000.
.............
Press release
Climate Change Committee sets out future policy goals
MEPs will be debating and voting on Parliament's Temporary Committee on Climate Change final recommendations for the EU's future integrated policy on climate change. MEPs in the committee take as a basis the EU objective to keep the global average temperature increase below 2°C and call for a target of a 25-40% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions to be achieved by 2020. They recommend detailed measures to be taken in the key economic sectors. MEPs in the committee are concerned that "climate change is both more rapid and more serious in terms of its adverse effects than was previously thought".
..................
MEPs want to strengthen Natura 2000 network
The Environment Committee calls the Commission to set wilderness conservation as a priority in its strategy to address climate change and defends an EU wilderness strategy, complementary to other existing instruments. In addition, MEPs underline the importance of strengthening the Natura 2000 network, stressing the need for more coherent policies among different sectors, such as agriculture and energy, in order not to undermine the conservation objectives of Natura 2000.
.............
Press release
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