http://www.endseurope.com/news ENDS Europe: Europe's environmental news service Fri, 03 Sep 2010 03:04:14 GMT Saturday Sunday 180 http://www.endseurope.com/feeds/europeLogo318x66.png http://www.endseurope.com/news http://www.endseurope.com/24579?rss=news The European Commission adopted on Wednesday the criteria and indicators EU member states will use to assess the environmental status of their seas under the marine strategy framework directive. Some criteria are fully developed and can be immediately used, while “others require further Wed, 01 Sep 2010 23:00:00 GMT http://www.endseurope.com/24584?rss=news The southern region of Andalucia has approved the introduction of Spain’s first-ever tax on single-use plastic bags. A charge of five eurocents per bag will apply from 1 January 2011, rising to ten eurocents a year later. Biodegradable and reusable bags are excluded, as are single-use bags for Wed, 01 Sep 2010 23:00:00 GMT http://www.endseurope.com/24585?rss=news Greenhouse gas emissions from transport in the EU could be reduced by 89% by 2050 compared with 1990 levels if all the options currently available are embraced with bold ambition, new research shows. In the final report of a project set up by the European Commission to explore emission-reduction Wed, 01 Sep 2010 23:00:00 GMT http://www.endseurope.com/24586?rss=news The EU needs “massive investment” in grid infrastructure and a common methodology for setting binding targets for energy efficiency, the European Parliament’s rapporteur on the energy strategy for Europe has said. Responding to a consultation on the ten-year strategy launched by Wed, 01 Sep 2010 23:00:00 GMT http://www.endseurope.com/24570?rss=news The economic benefits of using biogas are more likely to result from the way it is produced rather than its use as an energy source, a policy paper published by the Swedish government on Tuesday has concluded. The so-called biogas strategy, which was commissioned last year, focuses on anaerobic Tue, 31 Aug 2010 23:00:00 GMT http://www.endseurope.com/24571?rss=news The president of Slovakia, Ivan Gasparovic, has refused to sign into law a draft act reorganising the structure of the Slovak government and reinstating the environment ministry as a separate entity. Slovakia currently has one ministry for environment, agriculture and regional development, the Tue, 31 Aug 2010 23:00:00 GMT http://www.endseurope.com/24574?rss=news Germany's cabinet on Wednesday approved a tax on air passengers and lower eco-tax reductions for manufacturers and farmers. But it postponed a decision on a planned tax on nuclear-fuel rods until later this month. The measures are part an austerity programme announced in June, which is meant to Tue, 31 Aug 2010 23:00:00 GMT http://www.endseurope.com/24576?rss=news The global ICT sector has unveiled a new methodology for evaluating the carbon emission-reduction potential of its products and services. The tool, launched on Wednesday, is the first common yardstick for CO2 savings from ICT offerings. Developed by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) on behalf of the Tue, 31 Aug 2010 23:00:00 GMT http://www.endseurope.com/24578?rss=news Most EU member states are not planning to increase biofuel use beyond the EU’s target of 10% in transport fuels by 2020, amid the uncertainty generated by conflicting reports over the effect of biofuels on land use that have emerged this summer. A recent ENDS study of the national renewable Tue, 31 Aug 2010 23:00:00 GMT http://www.endseurope.com/24562?rss=news The European Commission has adopted new standards for fuel blends in line with recommendations made by the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN), following advances in vehicle technology. The 1998 fuel quality directive sets environmental specifications and analytical methods for petrol and Mon, 30 Aug 2010 23:00:00 GMT http://www.endseurope.com/24563?rss=news German government plans to introduce an energy efficiency label for cars are dividing opinions. Hailed by the German car industry as a model for Europe, the proposed label has been attacked by environmental and consumer groups as a “deception”. The label proposed by the German economy Mon, 30 Aug 2010 23:00:00 GMT http://www.endseurope.com/24564?rss=news The impact of Portugal’s forest fires on the country’s compliance with Kyoto targets has come under the spotlight, after a report on Saturday by environmental NGO Quercus claimed the fires this year have produced more than one million tonnes of CO2. Some 71,000 hectares of forest have Mon, 30 Aug 2010 23:00:00 GMT http://www.endseurope.com/24565?rss=news The price of European emission allowances (EUAs) could rise to at least €25 per tonne by the end of the year depending on forthcoming regulatory developments, Deutsche Bank said in a report on Tuesday. The firm had predicted in April a price of €18-20/t by end 2010. The firm said that EU Mon, 30 Aug 2010 23:00:00 GMT http://www.endseurope.com/24569?rss=news The EU should stay away from binding limits and consider setting instead trigger values that would spark off the implementation of noise reduction measures set out in national action plans, a consortium of three consultancies has advised the EU. The consultancies Milieu, Risk and Policy Analysis and Mon, 30 Aug 2010 23:00:00 GMT http://www.endseurope.com/24557?rss=news Carbon market analyst Point Carbon expects a quarter fewer carbon credits from the Kyoto protocol's clean development mechanism (CDM) this year after credit issuance delays for HFC-23 projects while these are investigated for fraud. The analyst expects 107 million international carbon credits to be Sun, 29 Aug 2010 23:00:00 GMT http://www.endseurope.com/24558?rss=news The European Chemicals Agency on Monday published proposals from Austria, Germany and the Netherlands for eleven new substances to be included on the list of substances of very high concern (SVHC). A public consultation on the proposals will run until 14 October. Eight of the substances, including Sun, 29 Aug 2010 23:00:00 GMT http://www.endseurope.com/24559?rss=news Member states may vote on ecodesign standards for several energy-using products (EuP) including water heaters in October or November following final stakeholder feedback and inter-service consultations within the European Commission. Revised draft ecodesign rules for water heaters were issued before Sun, 29 Aug 2010 23:00:00 GMT http://www.endseurope.com/24560?rss=news The lifetime of German nuclear power plants should be extended by up to 15 years past their planned shutoff date, chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday. Her remarks follow publication of a consultants’ report claiming that Germany will miss its climate goals if it sticks to a 2022 nuclear Sun, 29 Aug 2010 23:00:00 GMT http://www.endseurope.com/24542?rss=news The number of national renewable energy action plans submitted to the European Commission increased to 19 after France and Luxembourg sent theirs a few days ago. The French plan was sent on 16 August and published by the commission on Monday. The Luxembourg plan was sent and published on Monday. Tue, 24 Aug 2010 23:00:00 GMT http://www.endseurope.com/24543?rss=news The French government has announced a 12% reduction in feed-in tariffs for large photovoltaic (PV) installations and 'professional projects' from 1 September. Tariffs for household PV installations will remain unchanged at €0.58 per kWh. The move reflects PV's "spectacular development" in Tue, 24 Aug 2010 23:00:00 GMT