http://www.endseurope.com/news ENDS Europe: Europe's environmental news service Sun, 20 May 2012 04:30:02 GMT Saturday Sunday 180 http://www.endseurope.com/feeds/europeLogo318x66.png http://www.endseurope.com/news http://www.endseurope.com/28840?rss=news France's new prime minister Jean-Marc Ayrault has appointed Nicole Bricq as the country's new environment minister, it was announced on Wednesday evening. Tue, 15 May 2012 23:00:00 GMT http://www.endseurope.com/28839?rss=news European Parliament and member state negotiators have provisionally agreed new air pollution limits for ships after three rounds of trialogue talks with the European Commission, ENDS understands. Tue, 15 May 2012 23:00:00 GMT http://www.endseurope.com/28838?rss=news Germany has filed a lawsuit in the Court of Justice of the European Union over a number of safety standards in the new toy safety directive. The country says the law, which will fully apply from July 2013, would weaken its own standards. Tue, 15 May 2012 23:00:00 GMT http://www.endseurope.com/28833?rss=news Germany and Sweden plan to recommend eight substances of very high concern (SVHC) for addition to the REACH candidate list later in the summer, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) revealed this week. Tue, 15 May 2012 23:00:00 GMT http://www.endseurope.com/28830?rss=news Total solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity in the EU should reach 120 gigawatt-peak (GWp) by 2020, according to new predictions from renewable energy consortium Eurobserver. The current cumulative target in national renewable energy plans is 84.3GWp. Tue, 15 May 2012 23:00:00 GMT http://www.endseurope.com/28829?rss=news Cyprus, Estonia and Lithuania can continue allocating free EU emissions trading scheme (ETS) allowances to electricity generators until 2019, the European Commission announced on Wednesday. Tue, 15 May 2012 23:00:00 GMT http://www.endseurope.com/28825?rss=news Discussions are needed on the amount of climate aid richer nations will provide to poorer ones between 2013 and 2020, finance ministers agreed on Tuesday. But their lack of firm commitments for the period was criticised by NGO Oxfam. Mon, 14 May 2012 23:00:00 GMT http://www.endseurope.com/28823?rss=news Greater alignment of agricultural subsidies with environmental aims should not lead to more bureaucracy, warned agriculture ministers meeting in Brussels on Tuesday. They echoes recent calls from some countries for greater flexibility. Mon, 14 May 2012 23:00:00 GMT http://www.endseurope.com/28822?rss=news Building residual separation and research facilities at landfills is a critical step towards eliminating waste, delegates at the Zero Waste Europe conference, held by a group of EU municipalities, companies and researchers committed to this goal, were told last week. Mon, 14 May 2012 23:00:00 GMT http://www.endseurope.com/28821?rss=news The European Commission will publish a review of possible solutions to the slump in EU emissions trading scheme (ETS) prices by the summer recess in July, climate commissioner Connie Hedegaard told reporters on Tuesday. Mon, 14 May 2012 23:00:00 GMT http://www.endseurope.com/28820?rss=news Eight Chinese and two Indian airlines missed a March deadline for submitting 2011 emissions data under the EU emissions trading scheme (ETS). Member states may apply penalties if the firms fail to meet an extended mid-June deadline. Mon, 14 May 2012 23:00:00 GMT http://www.endseurope.com/28811?rss=news New guidance on 'vignette' charges for cars published by the European Commission on Monday says little about accounting for external environmental costs. But a consultancy report suggests this would not be the most effective policy. Sun, 13 May 2012 23:00:00 GMT http://www.endseurope.com/28810?rss=news Economic instruments are an effective way to encourage compliance with the EU's hierarchy of waste management practices, a European Commission official pointed out at a seminar held by waste management association FEAD in Munich last week. Sun, 13 May 2012 23:00:00 GMT http://www.endseurope.com/28809?rss=news More EU action is needed to limit land take and tackle the loss of biodiversity in Europe, agriculture commissioner Dacian Ciolos told a meeting on soil protection held by the European Commission's environment department in Brussels on Friday. Sun, 13 May 2012 23:00:00 GMT http://www.endseurope.com/28808?rss=news The EU executive has put forward its proposal to create a European Innovation Partnership (EIP) on water. EIPs were introduced by Europe's flagship initiative on innovation and aim to pool expertise in priority areas. Sun, 13 May 2012 23:00:00 GMT http://www.endseurope.com/28805?rss=news Cuts to solar subsidies announced by the German government earlier this year are being delayed after about two thirds of the country's federal states opposed the plan on Friday. The proposals are being referred to a conciliation committee. Thu, 10 May 2012 23:00:00 GMT http://www.endseurope.com/28799?rss=news Germany has finally revealed how many EU emissions trading scheme (ETS) allowances it expects to give away for free from 2013. Member states were meant to submit the information to the European Commission in September. Thu, 10 May 2012 23:00:00 GMT http://www.endseurope.com/28798?rss=news Decisions on whether to approve new coal-fired power plant projects in developing nations under the UN's clean development mechanism (CDM) are set for further delays, following a meeting this week. A temporary halt to approvals began last year. Thu, 10 May 2012 23:00:00 GMT http://www.endseurope.com/28797?rss=news The UN climate meeting starting in Bonn on Monday will include discussions on important technical issues such as the transparency of emission reductions, EU negotiator Artur Runge-Metzger told ENDS on Thursday. Thu, 10 May 2012 23:00:00 GMT http://www.endseurope.com/28793?rss=news The European chemical industry is planning to take up new sustainability commitments towards the end of the year, which would set targets for 2020 or beyond and interim milestones. One possible target is to stop sending plastics to landfill. Wed, 09 May 2012 23:00:00 GMT