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.
Spanish 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.
NewsEU states resist plan for greener cohesion funds
2 Feb 2012Member states are opposing proposals to earmark some cohesion funds for low-carbon projects under the next EU budget and to make funding conditional on compliance with environmental laws, according to green groups.
NewsDraft Rio+20 text 'a good start', say world states
30 Jan 2012Government representatives meeting in New York last week gave their support to a first draft of the Rio+20 negotiating text released by the secretariat of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) in early January.
NewsGreen policymaking faces uncertain future
25 Jan 2012Europe's economic crisis could slow environmental policymaking but also presents an opportunity to promote issues such as resource efficiency, according to a report published by the Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP) on Tuesday.
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
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
19 Sep 2011
- UNEP calls for Asia-Pacific green growth revolution Press release
14 Sep 2011
2 Sep 2011
- Rio+20 summit coordinator seeks agricultural focus The Guardian
14 Jul 2011
- Lithuania spends €290m on water management Recycling Portal
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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