Following a tense debate, the European Parliament has voted in favor of a Nature Restoration Law that establishes legally binding targets to restore degraded natural areas in the European Union (EU). It is the first major piece of legislation to protect biodiversity in the EU in 30 years. Members of Parliament (MEPs) said the restoration […]
With one foot out the Brexit door, the UK is secretly trying to weaken EU commitments to the Paris agreement in a move branded “rude” by one member of European parliament (MEP), The Guardian reported Wednesday. The EU is currently set to reduce its energy use by 20 percent by making improvements to energy efficiency […]
European governments approved Friday a proposal to widen a ban on neonicotinoid pesticides that studies have found are harmful to bees and other pollinators. The move completely bans the outdoor uses of three neonicotinoids, or neonics, across the European Union. They include Bayer CropScience’s imidacloprid, Syngenta’s thiamethoxam and clothianidin developed by Takeda Chemical Industries and […]
By Julia Conley Green groups and public health advocates on Monday denounced the European Commission’s vote in favor of extending the license of glyphosate, the active ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup pesticide which scientists have labeled as a “likely carcinogen.” Eighteen member states of the European Union approved of the use of the weed-killer’s use for […]
The European Union unveiled proposals Wednesday to cut car and truck emissions by 30 percent by 2030. The plans also include fines for exceeding CO2 limits and financial incentives for automakers to produce more electric vehicles. The European car makers’ lobby called the 30 percent target “overly challenging,” while some environmental groups criticized the proposals’ […]
Dr. Christopher Portier, a toxicologist and former director of the U.S. National Center for Environmental Health, has criticized the conclusions of European Union agencies which found that glyphosate—the active ingredient in Monsanto‘s widely used weedkiller Roundup—is not carcinogenic to humans. In a May 28 letter to European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, Portier claims that the […]
Amid questions over whether the executive order would end U.S. involvement in the Paris agreement—and with no firm indication from the White House about staying in the agreement—top European Union climate official Miguel Arias Cañete expressed “regret” over Trump’s policies Tuesday, promising that the European Union “will stand by Paris, we will defend Paris and […]
Member states of the European Union voted in favor of a European Commission proposal that limits the use of glyphosate during the herbicide’s 18-month extension granted by the commission last month. Member state experts agreed to the following conditions: A ban of a co-formulant POE-tallowamine from glyphosate-based products Obligations to reinforce scrutiny of pre-harvest use […]
Given some member nations’ success with deploying renewable energy, the European Union surprised green advocates Wednesday with a report that focused more on diversifying its fossil fuel sources than clean energy or efficiency. The European Commission issued the communication to leaders, with more discussion to come at a summit beginning June 26 in Brussels. The 28-country bloc […]