Archive

BY KEITH NUTHALL
GOLDEN shares retained by the Spanish government in its privatised national tobacco energy Endesa and telecoms operator Telefónica are illegal under European Union freedom of movement of capital laws, the European Court of Justice has ruled. Spanish legislation allows Madrid control over some major decisions relating to the winding-up, de-merger, merger, disposal of assets and others of some privatised companies, including these two utilities.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
AN ITALIAN conservation group has teamed up with the European Space Agency to collate satellite data of water pollution, in a bid to influence national government policies on land use and urbanisation. The Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) Italia is concerned about environmental damage being caused at overdeveloped “hot spots,” especially on the coast.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
A SENIOR European Commission official has hit back at calls by environmental groups that the ongoing review of the European Union’s treaties should lead to the abolition of special commitments supporting nuclear power.

Instead, said François Lamoureux, Commission director-general for energy and transport, the 1957 Euratom treaty’s main provisions should be preserved in any reforms proposed this summer by the European Convention, the review body tasked with renewing the EU’s administrative structure.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Union legislation giving EU Member States legal targets to grow biofuel consumption has come in force and is being hailed by the European Commission as a key to Europe meeting its Kyoto protocol commitments.

Each EU national government will now have to set targets for growing the market share commanded by biofuels.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
A GLOOMY report from a consortium of high ranking European research teams has predicted that the world’s efforts to prevent greenhouse gas emissions are doomed to failure, even while the European Commission strives to force EU Member States to meet their Kyoto commitments.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Environment Agency has warned that Europe’s water resources are being put under threat by unsustainable economic practices, and although “only a few” European citizens suffer from “devastating shortages,” drinking water quality is a concern throughout Europe.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Union ministers are supporting moves proposed by the European Commission to boost energy cooperation between the EU and neighbouring countries in eastern Europe, north Africa and the Levant. At last week’s Council of Ministers for energy, EU Member States broadly supported the aims outlined the day before the meeting in a Communication, (policy paper), issued by the Commission.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) may like to pose as the globe’s environmental crusader, setting a good example to the bad old dirty United States, but the latest figures from the European Environment Agency (EEA) – for 2001 – have shown that for a second year running, EU greenhouse gas emissions have risen.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
A WORLD Bank report has called on the governments of the Balkans to pay more attention to the quality of their respective water sources and supplies, warning that neglect is leading to increases in pollution and damage from flooding.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Parliament is preparing to strengthen the proposed European Union (EU) directive on environmental liability, which is designed to ensure that polluters pay for damage that they cause through intent or negligence.

MEP’s on the parliament’s legal affairs and internal market committee are supporting amendments that would extend the scope of this legislation.…