Added to Case law, ECJ
* Case C-423/05, Commission vs. France
ECJ 2007-03-29, nyr
The Court has ruled against France regarding illegal landfill sites. France was condemned because it allowed the illegal sites, around 1,000 throughout the country, to continue to operate. The sites were neither registered nor meeting the minimum requirements set by EU law.
Sector: Waste
* Case C-388/06, Commission vs. France
ECJ 2007-03-29, nyr
In this case the Court condemned France for not taking the necessary measures to implement Directive 2003/96/EC which aims to restructure the Community framework for the taxation of energy products and electricity.
Sector: General
Added to Policy Areas, Climate Change
* Commission approves three more NAPs
On 26 March the European Commission gave its opinion on the second phase emissions National Allocation Plans (NAPs) of Poland, the Czech Republic and France. France’s proposal can remain unchanged, but both Poland and Czech Republic have to make some major changes. The limit of CO2emissions has to be much lower for the period 2008-2012: Poland has to decrease its original proposal by 26.7% and the Czech Republic by 14.8%. Both countries expressed their concerns about the possible damages to their national industry caused by the cuts of emission allowances.
* IPCC Meeting: Dimas very critical on United States and Australia
Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas put his speech aside while addressing the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Meeting in Brussels on 29 March 2007, criticizing both the US and Australia for not ratifying the Kyoto Protocol. He blamed Australia for being naïve in not ratifying the Protocol while 80% of its population is in favor. Moreover, he stated that the developing countries will never join the Kyoto Protocol unless the US does the same.
* US Supreme Court rebukes Bush administration climate policy
The Supreme Court has ruled in the first high court decision in a case involving global warming that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has violated the US Clean Air Act. The EPA has declined to regulate new-vehicle emissions standards to control the pollutants. The judgment puts new pressure on the Bush administration to address climate change issues more appropriately. The US Court of Appeal had ruled against the State of Massachusetts in the landmark Massachusetts vs. EPA case, before it came up to the Supreme Court.
Added to Policy Areas, Energy
* Commission: no more regular light bulbs as of 2009
The Commission wants to impose a number of strict energy saving measures on households from 2009 on. In the battle against climate change there will be, amongst others, no more space for the classic light bulb. The Commission derives its far going discretion in this matter from the 2003 Ecodesign Directive. Dutch company Philips, the world’s largest producer, already announced to be phasing out the production of its most famous invention and is in favour of a swift implementation of the announced measures.
* Ecological tax reform to save energy and cut greenhouse gas emissions
The European Commission has presented plans to introduce ‘green taxes’ in a Green Paper that was issued on 28 March 2007. The proposals include new legislation that makes use of well-known but ‘underutilized’ flexible mechanisms such as emission trading in order to stimulate investments in green energy. The taxes will be composed of an environmental and an energy part.
Added to Policy Areas, Waste
* German drinks packaging deposit system finally approved
On 22 March 2007 the Commission has closed the enquiry into the German bottles and cans collection system after the Member State had revised these rules. Under the scheme a mandatory deposit was installed on non-refillable drinks packages in order to promote refillable packaging. In 2004, the Court declared that the rules were too complicated and disproportionate and hindered the free movement of goods (see for the judgments and their abstracts C-463/01 and C-309/02 on the EEL Case Law Database). According to the Commission, the new rules work properly and that they are applied to imported products without any discrimination.
Added to Policy Areas, Water
* Commission reports critically on World Water Day
On the 22 March 2007, on the occasion of the United Nations World Water Day, the European Commission published a series of reports on the implementation of water protection legislation. The reports were published during a conference organized by the Commission on 22 and 23 March 2007. In the reports it is stressed that Member States must take drastic steps to implement the Water Framework Directive (WFD). According to the environment commissioner Stavros Dimas, 19 Member Sates have to change their policy, due to the non correct implementation of the WFD. Moreover, reports on urban waste water and the implementation of the nitrates directive were equally criticized and considered unsatisfactory in many Member States.
Added to National Pages, France
* The national green public procurement plan
On 22 March 2007 the French government created a new national green public procurement plan, which came into effect on 26 March 2007. The action plan for the period of 2007-2009 aims to promote France as one of the best performing states in green procurement.
Added to Events
* Bioenergy North America
At Bioenergy North America 2007 you will benefit from an in-depth analysis of incentive schemes and finance options to advance biomass and biofuels in North America. An event for producers and users, electricity generators, buyers of renewable energy, national and local government officials, agriculture/forestry landowners, technology suppliers
Date: 16-17 April 2007
Venue: The Millennium Knickerbockers, Chicago, US
* Implementing Sustainable Cities: Planning For Climate Change
Interpreting Policy To Integrate Sustainable Environmental Strategies And Meet Targets Through Quality Urban Planning And Development.
Date: 4 July 2007
Venue: Ibis Hotel, London, UK
Added to Job Postings
* CECED: Intern at Ecodesign
Ecodesign intern needed for a period of 6 months, with the opportunity of integration as full time member in the Brussels team. The intern will support the members of the CECED team that follows Ecodesign and Energy general issues. CECED represents in Brussels the European domestic appliances industry vis-à-vis the European Political Institutions.
Deadline: 22 April 2007
* Environmental Manager at Eurometaux
Eurometaux is seeking an Environmental Manager to monitor, report & lobby on technical & policy issues related to EU & international initiatives on secondary raw materials, waste, recycling, and end-of-life products.
Deadline: 28 April 2007
* European Commission: nuclear inspections assistants
The Commission is organizing a selection procedure to constitute a reserve list of approximately 30 candidates in order to fill about 15 assistant posts in the field of nuclear inspections in Directorate-General for Energy and Transport.
Location: DG TREN, Luxembourg
Deadline: 13/04/2007
Added to Who‘s who, National editors
* The EEL Team is delighted to welcome in the EEL Network a new editor for Montenegro
Olivera Kujundzic (Montenegro)
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Editors-in-Chief:
Wybe Th. Douma (T.M.C. Asser Institute, The Hague)
Jens Hamer (Academy of European Law, Trier)
Editors:
Leonardo Massai (T.M.C. Asser Institute, The Hague)
Ruben Vermeeren (T.M.C. Asser Institute, The Hague)
Sara Woods (T.M.C. Asser Institute, The Hague)
Technical realisation:
Marco van der Harst (T.M.C. Asser Institute, The Hague)
e-mail: eelnewsservices@asser.nl