Eurobrief July

The European Commission has launched a consultation on possible improvements to the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive.

EU emissions of sulphur oxides (SO2) fell by 20% in 2008, according to an annual emission inventory report published in July. The findings confirm a trend observed last year.

In order to pursue the decrease in industrial emissions witnessed in Europe since the 1990s, European companies need favourable, stable, consistent and predictable policy conditions.

Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger hinted in July that new laws on energy efficiency could be introduced if current progress in meeting long term carbon emission reduction targets is too slow.

The European Parliament has adopted a resolution on the bio-waste management green paper. It calls on the Commission to propose national bio-waste recycling targets to limit the amount of bio-waste available for the least desirable waste management solutions such as landfilling and incineration.

In July, the European Commission published its guidance on undertaking new non-energy extractive activities in accordance with Natura 2000 requirements.

An EU-funded report has warned companies that they must stop ignoring the problems created by their exploitation of ecosystems.

The European Parliament’s Environment Committee has backed the Commission’s proposed goal of halting biodiversity loss by the end of the decade.

The second-last round of global climate talks before the Cancún summit in December have taken place in Bonn.