Sustainable Development

The European Public Health Alliance (EPHA) showed its support for the detailed response submitted by our member, European Heart Network, on the Green Paper on Urban Mobility launched by the Directorate-General for Energy and Transport.
Both responses are included.
For further information
Green Paper on Urban Mobility.
Directorate-General for Energy and Transport
EPHA related articles
EPHA presentation on Urban health - North West England Health (...)

The EU’s energy and agriculture commissioners are defending the bloc’s commitment to biofuels, following calls by a UK parliamentary committee for a moratorium on the promotion of the controversial alternative to fossil fuels.
On 23 January 2008, the Commission unveiled its proposal on biofuels as part of a wider climate and energy ’package’
Mounting criticism on biofuels
Fuels from vegetable oil, sugar, corn and a number of other crops and plants, collectively known as biofuels, are (...)

A Commission Green Paper on adapting to climate change promises a 2008 Communication on the health impacts and policies necessary because of climate change.
The European Commission, DG Environment, adopted a Green Paper on Adapting to Climate Change in Europe: options for EU action , on 29 June 2007. Commissioner Stavros Dimas gave a lecture on the subject in a conference that took place in Brussels on 3 July 2007.
The Green Paper on climate change is the Commission’s first comprehensive (...)

This article has been updated with information regarding a new report entitled "Environmental Democracy" published in 2006.
The Aarhus Convention is an international agreement which lays down a set of basic rules to promote citizens’ involvement in environmental matters and improve enforcement of environmental law.
In particular, it grants the public access to environmental information, provides for participation in environmental decision-making, and allows the public to seek judicial (...)

The Low Level Group on Clean Cars (LLG) has issued its final report. The LLG, which was set up in March this year by MEP Dorette Corbey, is a response to the European Commission’s High Level Group on CARS 21 which is a discussion between Enterprise Commisser Gunther Verheugen and the CEOs of a few car companies.
During four exploratory meetings the Low Level Group on Clean Cars has discussed how to ensure that the European automotive industry will retain its global competitiveness, be a (...)

The European Commission has produced a Handbook on Green Public Procurement.
It explains in clear, non-technical terms how public purchasers, such as schools, hospitals and national and local administrations, can take into account the environment when buying goods, services and works.
Each year public authorities spend some 16% of EU GDP, around 1,500 billion Euro, on goods, services and works. If they opt for environmentally sound goods, services and works, they will help the EU reach (...)

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 (...)

On 11 February 2004, DG Environment launched a consultation process on urban environment which invites comments on a draft strategy on improving the quality of life for citizens.
80 % of Europeans live in towns and cities but in many places, poor air quality, noise, heavy traffic, neglect of the built environment, poor environmental management and a lack of strategic planning have led to a lower quality of life, health problems and even premature deaths.
The Commission document identifies (...)

The World Health Organisation is launching two new publications to explore the impact of climate change and health at the COP 9 meeting in Milan, Italy on 9-12 December 2003. The ’Conference of Parties’ or COP is the "supreme body" of the Climate Change Convention. Its mission is to promote and review the Convention’s implementation.
The WHO programme on global change and health started in 1999 to implement the recommendations of the Third Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health (...)

The European Union and China have signed an agreement on strengthening environmental co-operation on 12 November 2003. The focus of the agreement is primarily on climate change, biodiversity and water. A key objective will be to co-operate in further developing and implementing multilateral environmental agreements.
See agreement attached.