Newsletter April 2004

Round table on chemical safety

On May 17th, the European Centre on Sustainable Policies for Human and Environment will organise a round table titled "REACHing beyond POPs and PIC: EU leadership in global chemical safety".
This event aims to mark the entry into force of the Stockholm Convention and it follows a similar round table co-hosted by ECOSPHERE and the Pesticide Action Network UK which took place in London on February 24th to note the coming into force of the Rotterdam (PIC) Convention.
For more information (...)

AIRNET 3rd annual conference

AIRNET, the thematic network on air pollution and health, organises a conference on 21-23 October 2004 in Prague.
The conference will address the question to what extent AIRNET has succeeded in bridging the gap between policy and science. This was one of AIRNET’s goals when it was initiated in 2002.
National and EU policy makers, industry, patient, environmental and health care organisations and researches involved in the field of air pollution and health as well as everyone participating (...)

Major US study to analyse environmental impact on children’s health

A US National Children’s Study which will study 100,000 uterine children until they are 21 years old is planned to start in 2006.
The study is being planned by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
The goal is to determine how environmental factors impact children’s health and which genes can make that (...)

MEPs contamined by 76 different toxic chemicals

WWF and The Co-operative Bank took and analysed the blood of 47 people from all over Europe in December 2003. These included 39 Members of the European Parliament, 4 Observers from accession countries, 1 former MEP and 3 WWF staff, representing 17 countries in Europe. The results released on 21 April 2004 are unacceptable.
It reveal that every person is contaminated with a cocktail of persistent, bio-accumulative and toxic chemicals including chemicals from each of the 5 groups of chemicals (...)

The Parliament adopted ban on hazardous Ni-Cad batteries

European parliament voted last 20 April 2004 to ban Nickel-Cadmium (Ni-Cad) batteries.
This ban will cover Ni-Cad batteries used in household appliances as well as in power tools.
It also adopted restrictions on the use of lead in non-lead batteries which can be fully replaced by environmentally preferable Alkali-Mangan batteries, and higher collection rates than those proposed by the European Commission.
GREENS-EFA press release (...)

One-day workshop, Budapest - 22 June 2004

The European Environment Agency, WHO Europe and the Collegium Ramazzini will organise a one-day workshop just before the WHO Fourth Ministerial Conference on Environmental and Health.
This meeting is organised to summarise the science of some emerging environmental hazards to children as a basis for precautionary and preventive actions and to identify elements of the information systems and policy approaches needed to protect children’s health.
Draft Preliminary (...)

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 (...)

12th session of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development

The 12th Session of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development takes take place in New York from 14-30 April 2004.
It focuses on water issues sanitation and human settlements.
During the Commission session, the WHO will play a crucial role, launching two reports: "The Sanitation Challenge-Turning Commitment into Reality" and "Evaluation of the costs and benefits of water and sanitation improvements at the global level".
There will also be a discussion on sanitation and the Right to Water, (...)

15-18 million children suffer permanent brain damage from lead poisoning

A research study from the World Health Organisation (WHO) published on 25 March 2004 highlights that lead poisoning caused by chemicals and other environmental factors, such as indoor and outdoor air pollution, water and injuries, is linked to neuro-developmental problems and still threatens children.
15-18 million children in our countries suffer permanent brain damage from lead poisoning.
This research shows that up to one-third of children in Europe have "elevated" (more than 10ug/dl) (...)

National Allocation Plans for EU emissions trading

The European Commission received on the 31th of March the draft National Allocation Plans (NAPs) from each Member State, as required by the EU Directive on the Emission Trading System (EU-ETS).
The Directive links the EU greenhouse gas emissions trading scheme with the Kyoto project mechanisms. The Emissions Trading System (ETS) adopted last year is a central pillar of Europeans climate change policy.
Based on the criteria set in a Communication providing guidance to governments for the (...)