Eurobrief March 2009

EDITORIAL CO2 reduction: sectoral approach, from dream to reality March 2009 - For some three years, the cement industry has been working hard to build a sectoral approach to reduce its CO2 emissions worldwide. The CSI (the Cement Sustainability Initiative) is the pioneer in that respect and its leadership is being followed by a broader constituency of regional cement associations including CEMBUREAU in Europe.

HEALTH AND SAFETY REACH - CEMBUREAU issues updated clinker and cement safety guidance CEMBUREAU has issued two updated Safety Data Sheet templates for clinker and cement, together with updated template guidelines.

EU EMISSIONS TRADING SCHEME IETA fears over EU CDM plans The International Emission Trading Association (IETA), which represents emission trading businesses, has criticised EU plans to shut down the clean development mechanism (CDM) for larger developing countries.

CEMBUREAU 7th Concrete Marketeers and Promotion Officers' conforence a success The 7th Conference of Concrete Marketeers and Promotion Officers organised by the European Concrete Platform in Brussels on 17 and 18 March 2009

EU EMISSIONS TRADING SCHEME UK underspending on carbon capture storage The UK has spent just £6.4m on research into Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) since 2004

OTHER NEWS Economic downturn has implications for emissions The global economic downturn could cut greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 50%, the Congress on Climate Change has heard.

ENVIRONMENT New IPPC guidance for cement sector The revised guidance on how the cement and lime sectors can apply best available techniques (BAT) under the EU’s IPPC (Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control)...

OTHER NEWS Competitiveness council urges support for industry Helping industry prosper in difficult economic times was discussed in the Competitiveness Council earlier this month, in preparation for the Spring European Council.

ENVIRONMENT Parliament adopts IPPC recast report The European Parliament voted to adopt in plenary first reading the Environment Committee’s Report on a recast of the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) Directive almost in its entirety earlier this month.

ENVIRONMENT Energy labelling proposal adopted in Committee The European Parliament’s Industry, Technology and Research (ITRE) Committee adopted Anni Podimata’s (Party of European Socialists, Greece) Report on energy labelling earlier this month.

ENVIRONMENT Commission holds meeting on NOx and SO2 trading An informal meeting was organised earlier this month by the European Commission with Member States and stakeholders on establishing an EU-wide NOx and SO2 trading scheme for IPPC (Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control) installations.

ENVIRONMENT EU energy tax Directive to be launched A proposal to revise the 2003 EU Energy Tax Directive is expected to be launched by the European Commission as part of a package of measures on environmental taxation.

ENVIRONMENT Fight climate change with private sector funding, say EU Ministers of Economy and Finance March’s meeting of the Ecofin Council underlined European finance minister support for incentives to enhance the global carbon market.

ENVIRONMENT EU earnmarks $130bn for environment projects The European Commission plans to invest €105 billion in environmentally friendly projects over the next few years.

BUILDINGS & BUILDING MATERIALS Adaptation to climate change: Commission to lauch white paper to be published on 1 April The European Commission plans to publish a White Paper on adapting to climate change on 1 April.

BUILDINGS & BUILDING MATERIALS JRC report examines energy efficiency in buildings EU policy on sustainable consumption and production (SCP) in the area of buildings is vital in order to ensure that environmental improvements are made, says a report from the European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC).

BUILDINGS & BUILDING MATERIALS Rise in construction sector production Seasonally adjusted production in the construction sector rose by 1.3% in the euro area and by 1.8% in the EU27 in January 2009, compared with the previous month.

WASTE Annulment of shipments of waste Directive considered The European Court of Justice has heard the case for the annulment of Regulation (EC) No 1013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 June 2006 on shipments of waste.

WASTE Czech push for simplified waste rules The Czech Presidency has proposed a simplification of existing EU waste legislation.

WASTE CEMBUREAU responds to biowaste consultation Earlier this month CEMBUREAU responded the European Commission’s Green Paper on the management of bio-waste in the EU