Newsletter March 2004

Three climate policy scenarios for 2010

The technical report no. 93, published by the European Environment Agency, compares three climate policy scenarios based on their different use of Kyoto mechanisms.
The report highlights the potential ancillary benefits for air pollution regarding reductions in pollutant emissions and evolutions in environmental impacts and control costs.
EEA technical report no. 93, Exploring the ancillary benefits of the Kyoto Protocol for air pollution in Europe (PDF, 482 (...)

How eco friendly is your MEP?

The first step for a democratic Europe is to have a view on how your MEPs vote.
Just before the European Parliament elections, a new website highlights the vote (for five years) of MEPs and political parties about environmental issues.
Friends of the Earth Europe, in collaboration with Greenpeace, the European Environmental Bureau, the European Federation for Transport and Environment, and Climate Action Network Europe, chose 10 key environmental decisions taken by the current European (...)

A call for a UN Environment Organisation

Considering the rapid deterioration of world environment, Friends of the Earth International is calling for the transformation of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) into a UN Environment Organisation which would have the same membership and funding basis as other UN specialised agencies.
Several governments have already expressed their support for this reform.
This organisation would provide effective financial, technical and political support, for the coherent and coordinated improvement (...)

Better protection for workers against electromagnetic waves

On 30 March 2004 the European Parliament adopted a new Directive to protect the health and safety of workers against the dangers of exposure to electromagnetic fields.
The Parliament, at second reading adopted only 5 amendments to the Council’s common position - and these amendments are apparently acceptable to the Council. Member States will have four years to enact the Directive into national law.
The Directive lays down maximum values for exposure to electromagnetic fields to protect the (...)

Addressing the health hazards of mercury

DG Environment is organising a stakeholder consultation on Mercury in Brussels on 31 March 2004 as preparation for the development of an EU Strategy on Mercury.
A consultation paper prepared by DG Environment presents an analysis of the situation relating to the use, control, emissions and impacts of mercury and its compounds. The chlor-alkali industry is the largest present user of mercury in the EU. However, for a variety of reasons, the use of mercury in this industry sector is being (...)

DG Environment issues environment related indicators leaflet

DG Environment of the European Commission has issued a leaflet with a selected number of environment related indicators in the EU.
This study, released on 23 March 2004, is the first step to understand the actual situation in each European country in terms of improvements and needs in the environmental sector, and intends to keep the public informed.

Impact of natural disasters and technological accidents in Europe

The European environment agency (EEA) has issued a report titled "Mapping the impacts of recent natural disasters and technological accidents in Europe"
The report, issued on 23rd March 2004, focuses on the period 1998-2002 and analyses the human and economic costs, and the impact on environment of natural disasters and technological accidents across Europe, using a large number of maps, illustrations and case (...)

EU agrees water facility on world water day

The European Union agreed on Monday 22nd of March to set up a special Water Facility to permit access to clean water and sanitation for ACP countries.
This agreement, reached on World Water Day, was based on the Commission initiative to boost the delivery of water and sanitation infrastructure in African, Caribbean and Pacific countries (ACP countries), launched on 2003.
The Water Facility focuses on governance, ownership and access to flexible sources of funding.
The EU Water Initiative (...)

Cancer, environment and society

ARTAC (the French Association for Research on Treatments Against Cancer) organises a conference on "Cancer, environment and society" on 7th May 2004.
EEN Director, Génon Jensen will be amongst the European speakers.
Participants to this conference include representatives from many European and French NGOs working on Environmental issues and the European Commissioner for Environment, Margot Wallström.
This event takes place under the sponsorship of the Nicolas Hulot (...)

The Kyoto protocol becomes EU law

Last 10 March 2004, all provisions of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol were made legally binding in the EU by a Decision of the European Parliament and the Council (Decision 280/2004/EC concerning a mechanism for monitoring Community greenhouse gas emissions and for implementing the Kyoto Protocol).
This means that the Kyoto Protocol has force of EU law. The Decision reaffirms the EU’s global leadership in fighting climate change.
The Kyoto Protocol is part of the U.N. Framework Convention on (...)

Third international event for effective environmental policies

"Bridging the Gap": Information for Action will take place at the Burlington Hotel, Dublin on 28-30 April 2004. The conference, which is hosted by the Environmental Protection Agency of Ireland, is co-organised by the European Environment Agency, Copenhagen.
There will be sessions on environment and human health, climate change, impacts and adaptation, environmental impact assessment, biodiversity and land use, european environmental information needs.
Speakers will include:
UNEP (...)

Environment and Health Stakeholder Meeting

The European Commission will discuss the latest developments on the EU’s Environment and Health Strategy with stakeholders March 19, 2004 in Brussels.
EPHA Environment Network (EEN) and EPHA will attend, as well as many member organisations.
EEN provided written comments to the Commission following the March 3-4, 2004 Consultative Forum meeting. EEN is a member of the Consultative Forum.
The revised documents that will be dicussed at the meeting inlcude:
Main topics of the Environment and (...)

9th European roundtable on sustainable consumption and production

The Environmental Performance Agency of the Basque Government (IHOBE) organises the 9th European Roundtable on Sustainable Consumption and Production (ERSCP 2004) on 12-14 May 2004 in Bilbao, Spain.
The ERSCP 2004 will serve as a platform to deal with both the prevailing as well as the emerging themes of sustainable production and consumption. This European forum of experts will promote the dissemination and implementation of innovative experiences on sustainability.
Click here to read (...)

MEP accuses EP to block new EU chemical law

MEPs have been accused of delaying the new EU chemical legislation by Italian socialist Guido Sacconi.
In an interview with an EU online newspaper, Mr Sacconi (who is also the rapporteur for the REACH regulation in the Committee for Environment of the EP) said that MEPs have tried to block the EU’s controversial new chemical law by debating on the procedures and form, and not going into the content of the legislation.
EU competition ministers met in Brussels on 11 March 2004 to look at (...)

Scientific worshops on endocrine disruption

The Comparative Research on Endocrine Disrupters (COMPRENDO) organises a workshop titled "Ecological relevance of chemically induced endocrine disruption in wildlife" next 5-7 July in Exeter (UK).
The first cluster workshop "Multi-organic risk assessment of endocrine disrupters", 31 March - 1 April in Illetas, Mallorca (Spain), organised by EURISKED is now full.
The cluster workshops are open to scientists, policy makers and stakeholders who are not members of a cluster project.
For more (...)

EEB warns Competitivenes Council

The European Environmental Bureau (EEB) the 8th March exhorted members of the Competitiveness Council to work to restore the balance between the different objectives of sustainable development.
The EEB is very worried about the recent political trend to highlight ’competitiveness’ as a super-objective, given precedence over social and environmental objectives. In past statements from EU institutions in particular, environmental commitments and aims have been presented as a burden to growth (...)

UN highlights the environmental impact of old computers

A report from the UN University is calling for global efforts to reduce the environmental damage caused by computer equipment.
Manufacturing computers is materials intensive; the total fossil fuels used to make one desktop computer weigh over 240 kilograms, some 10 times the weight of the computer itself. This is very high compared to many other goods: For an automobile or refrigerator, for example, the weight of fossil fuels used for production is roughly equal to their weights. Also, (...)

Conference on climate change

Brussels based think-tank, the Center for European Policy Studies (CEPS) will host the 2nd Annual Brussels Climate Change Conference on 11-12 May 2004, organised by a British consultancy.
The event will take stock of recent EU and international developments and will be mainly attended by industry representatives.
EPHA’s related articles
New publications on climate change and health
Climate change impacts on health, agriculture and (...)

New report: the global burden of asthma

A new report by the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) was released the report on February 2004 at the World Asthma Meeting in Thailand, Bangkok .
The "Global Burden of Asthma" report states that over 30 million people in Europe now have asthma. It also highlights that while mortality from asthma has fallen in Europe, asthma care is failing patients more than previously recognised, and prevalence of asthma in children is also a focus for (...)

The epidemic dimension of asbestos in the US

US environmental think-tank, the Environmental Working Group launched a website on asbestos on March 2004.
Reports on their website highlight that since 1979, at least 43,073 people have died from exposure to this mineral in the US.
EWG predicts at least 100,000 more will die of asbestos-related diseases over the next 10 years and warns that more than 1 million people are still being exposed to it in the everyday environment.
US governement prohibited new uses of asbestos in 1989 after (...)

Book on health and environment policy in the UK

The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) publised on November 2003 the book “Healthy people, healthy planet: a decade of progress in health and environment practice and policy in the UK”.
It was written by Chris Church and Christine Wordsworth.
This book analyses areas such as food, transport, health and environmental impact assessment and examines the role of key processes and UK agencies.
For more information, please contact the (...)

International congress on sustainable products and practices

CleanMed Europe, the international healthcare congress on sustainable products and practices in Europe, meets on 6-8 October 2004 in Vienna, Austria.
Co-organisers of this congress are the Vienna Hospital Association and Healthcare Without Harm.
To participate you should register at the Conference website or complete the Registration you will find enclosed. Please note that registration closes on August 31, 2004.
Agenda and participants.
Conference (...)