Latest General Policy News
Experts debate ways to kick-start green growth
30 Jan 2012The EU must create a single market for environmentally-friendly products, stimulate demand for them and remove barriers to eco-innovation to drive green growth, a senior European Commission official said at a meeting in Brussels on Thursday.
Green laws benefit from better regulation – report
21 Feb 2012Many of the examples of smarter, less burdensome regulation received by an EU working group on red tape were from the environment sector, the group has said in a report presented to the European Commission on Wednesday.
NewsPortugal to update its environmental law
13 Feb 2012The Portuguese government is revising a 1987 piece of legislation on environmental protection regarded as unwieldy and outdated. The law deals with a range of problems including water pollution, noise and industrial waste.
NewsGreener EU budget good for jobs, say NGOs
9 Feb 2012More than half a million jobs could be created in Europe if 14% of the next EU budget for 2014-20 is invested in green sectors such as renewable energy and nature protection, a group of environmental groups has said.
NewsCommission plans simplified funding rules
9 Feb 2012Sweeping changes to rules on EU funding proposed by the European Commission should make it easier for green projects to apply for support, it says. The new rules would also introduce standard environmental requirements across all funding schemes.
NewsSpanish government plans to relax green laws
3 Feb 2012Spain's new centre-right government wants to reform major areas of environmental legislation to ensure it "does not act as an obstacle to economic development", environment minister Miguel Arias Cañete told MPs on Wednesday.
NewsFrance seeks to clarify precautionary principle
3 Feb 2012Use of the precautionary principle enshrined in the French constitution since 2005 must be completely transparent and applied using well-defined rules, French MPs said in a resolution adopted this week.
CommentBrussels must build consensus on green goals
1 Jun 2010After failing to steer the talks towards its goals in Copenhagen, the EU needs to provide new impetus for its climate change and sustainability priorities. A Green New Deal that commits to mandatory and uniform carbon accounting would be a good start.
Best of the web
More general policy news, picked by ENDS Europe
20 Feb 2012
10 Feb 2012
- Britain to champion green accounting at Rio+20 Reuters
- Mediterranean nations want 'blue' economy UNEP
8 Feb 2012
6 Feb 2012
- Hedegaard: Rio+20 should shift focus from GDP growth The Guardian
26 Jan 2012
- Pre-Rio+20 talks begin in New York UN press release
24 Jan 2012
- Bjorn Lomborg's climate sceptic thinktank to close The Guardian
6 Jan 2012
- Official launch of Denmark’s plans for its EU presidency Press release
19 Dec 2011
15 Dec 2011
- Potočnik: the EU's hopes for Rio+20 DG Environment
13 Dec 2011
2 Dec 2011
- UNECE publises environmental review of Bosnia Press release
7 Nov 2011
- Rio+20 summit moved to make way for UK royal jubilee The Guardian
26 Oct 2011
- India cuts environmental rules in new enterprise zones Economic Times
25 Oct 2011
- EC consults on Nagoya's ABS protocol DG Environment
19 Oct 2011
29 Sep 2011
26 Sep 2011
21 Sep 2011
20 Sep 2011
- EFSA hits back at 'conflict of interest' claims theparliament.com
Danish presidency programme
Denmark took over the presidency of the EU on 1 January.
Read ENDS article on its provisional agenda of meetings
See also its website and full programme of work officially presented on 6 January
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