IN FOCUS

16/01/2012	Electric and electronic devices: EU treats waste as resources
21/11/2011	Any chance of a ‘Durban Deal’?
28/03/2011	Storage and management of hazardous waste
17/01/2011	Cross-border healthcare
29/11/2010	The Cancun Conference

NEWS

06/02/2012	Chinese threat to aviation ETS: Yes to flexibility and negotiation, but Europe needs to implement its law. Peter Liese MEP
02/02/2012	Nutrition claims for foodstuffs: European Parliament stops misleading advertising. Renate Sommer MEP
31/01/2012	Roadmap 2050: Transition to low carbon economy until 2050. Romana Jordan MEP and Richard Seeber MEP
31/01/2012	Nutrition Health Claim: European Parliament stops misleading information. Renate Sommer MEP
24/01/2012	MRI Derogations: putting patients first. Philippe Juvin MEP and Peter Liese MEP

POLICY

Environmental problems are increasingly taking on a world-wide dimension and will continue to worsen if they are not dealt with decisively. In the European Union it is now recognised that environmental and economic problems are inextricably linked. Therefore, one of the European Union's fundamental tasks is to promote sustained, environmentally-friendly growth...

EMISSIONS TRADING SCHEME

At the EU Summit in early December, EU Heads of State and Government agreed on an ambitious package to reduce CO2 emissions and to increase the use of renewable energies. The agreement approved by the European Parliament will enter into force now.

Parliament finally adopted the EU Climate Change and Energy Package during December's plenary session. The measures will implement the greenhouse gas reduction goals set at the EU Summit in spring 2007. EU Heads of State and Government had agreed on a binding 20% reduction target by the year 2020 compared to 1990 levels. The implementing legislation includes a reform of the current EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) and a Directive on renewable energies.