Dear members of the EEL Network,

Allow me to present this new issue of the EEL News Service.

On 23 April, we have held our successful European Law Symposium on Better Regulation, here at the T.M.C. Asser Intitute, as part of our 50 years anniversary. Hereby I would like to thank those who could attend for their presence and participation.

Also, it is still possible to apply for the position of INTERN for the section EU environmental law at the T.M.C. Asser Institute in The Hague. More information can be found here.

Further, I can announce that two full scholarships are available for participants from India concerning the Asser Summer Programme on
International & European Environmental Law: The Future we Choose (24-28
August 2015). More information about the Summer Programme can be found here, while more information about the scholarships can be found here (.PDF).

Kind regards,

Wybe Th. Douma
Senior Researcher EU Law / International Trade Law
T.M.C. Asser Institute
e-mail w.t.douma@asser.nl

General

European Commission’s DG for Environment Consultation:Consultation on the evaluation of the EU Timber Regulation two years after its entry into application (15/04/2015 – 03/07/2015)
The objective of this consultation is to gain stakeholder and public input regarding a review of Regulation (EU) 995/2010 (the EU Timber Regulation; the EUTR). The review will provide essential elements for the mandatory report to be submitted by the Commission by 3 December 2015 to the European Parliament and the Council. The report may be accompanied, if necessary, by appropriate legislative proposals.

viEUws Video: Brussels Briefing on Environment – All you need to know for April 2015 (08/04/2015)
In this Brussels Briefing on Environment, leading journalist Sonja van Renssen provides an overview of the latest EU environment and climate policy developments.

Air

European Commission’s DG Research & Innovation News Alert:European Commission launches €3m prize to improve air quality in cities(16/04/2015)
The Commission announced a prize of €3 million to be awarded to the person or team that develops the best material to reduce the concentration of particulate matter in urban areas. The aim is to improve air quality in cities and reduce the serious health risks posed by particulate matter (PM), the air pollutant which has the most severe impact on health.

Also see:

▪ Science for Environment Policy – Alert 410 – Global health impact of PM2.5 air pollution assessed (.PDF) (16/04/2015)

EurActiv Article: German cities show excessive air pollution levels(28/04/2015)
In many cities, air pollution from fine dust particles and nitrogen dioxide exceeds the maximum threshold levels, according to a new report from the Environment Ministry.

Chemicals

EurActiv Article: European Commission’s ‘Better Regulation’ has killed 100,000, say unions (24/04/2015)
On 28 April, European trade unions have remembered the 100,000 people who die from occupational cancers every year. The unions accuse the Commission of not protecting workers from chemicals which cause cancers, due to suspended work on the necessary legislation.

EurActiv Article Protecting citizens from hazardous chemicals is in everyone’s interest (28/04/2015)
Hazardous chemicals are a vital part of many industries, but lax and inconsistent safety standards put workers’ health and lives at risk all over the world, writes Christian Friis Bach.

Climate Change

The Carbon Brief Blog Entry: Ambiguous Russian climate pledge mystifies many (01/04/2015)
Russia submitted a pledge to limit its emissions to the UN recently, simultaneously surprising and confusing many in the world of climate change.

European Commission’s DG for Climate Action Article: EU and Iceland sign agreement for joint fulfilment of second phase of Kyoto Protocol(01/05/2015)
The European Union, its Member States and Iceland have signed the agreement necessary for the joint fulfilment of the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol.

OpenDemocracy Article: Cross-party pledges mask deep divisions on climate policy ahead of the general election (02/04/2015)
With little time left until the drama of the next UK parliamentary election culminates, Olaf Corry asks what role climate change will play.

EurActiv Article: Business and the struggle between climate and profit(03/04/2015)
Business lobby groups use their influence to hold back EU legislation on climate change. The authors of a recent study believe this should force companies to reconsider their priorities.

RTCC Article: Dutch government heads to court on climate change charges(07/04/2015)
The Dutch government will have to defend its climate change policies in court, as an action brought by campaigners is finally heard by three district judges in the Hague.

Also see:

▪ The Guardian Article – Dutch government facing legal action over failure to reduce carbon emissions (14/04/2015)

EurActiv Article: A proposal to finance low carbon investment in Europe(07/04/2015)
This year is perilous in many respects for the bloc’s economy, but it is also rich in new opportunities, write Michel Aglietta, Étienne Espagne and Vincent Aussilloux. Climate change mitigation and adaptation is a field in which the European Union has a strong historical legitimacy and a responsibility to lead by example.

RTTC Article: Top development banks agree definition for climate finance(08/04/2015)
Leading development banks have agreed on a set of definitions for climate finance, in what officials say is an important step ahead of a proposed UN climate change pact in Paris later this year.

EurActiv Article: Cost to developing nations of leaving fossil fuels in the ground must be recognised (08/04/2015)
The EU must find a way of recognising the economic cost of developing countries leaving their fossil fuels in the ground, ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris, writes Ian Duncan MEP.

Politico Article: Paris climate deal ‘must have legislative backing’(13/04/2015)
Delegates at a United Nations climate summit in Paris at the end of this year are likely to agree on a global deal to reduce carbon emissions. Former UK deputy prime minister says that UN climate accord should be flexible, but must be translated into binding national legislation.

Politico Article: German emissions plan may breach EU rules (27/04/2015)
A scheme being proposed by Germany’s government to reach its emissions targets by slapping a penalty fee on some of the country’s oldest and most polluting coal-fired power plants may violate EU rules, its opponents warn.

EurActiv Article: Latvian Presidency proposes 1 January 2019 as start of reformed CO2 market (28/04/2015)
A new proposal from Latvia, holder of the EU Presidency, puts forward a date of 1 January 2019 to start reforms of the Emissions Trading System (ETS), according to EU sources, as part of efforts to seal a compromise deal.

Energy

JRC Article Smart grids in Europe: outlook and large scale application(01/04/2015)
On 1 April 2015, the JRC released two reports in the area of smart grids, which look at how smart grids research and innovation can help achieve the Energy Union’s targets of secure, sustainable, competitive and affordable energy.

Download report 1: Smart Grids Laboratories Inventory 2015 (.PDF)
Download report 2: A Smart Grid for the City of Rome (.PDF)

Politico Article: Ministers meet to discuss Turkish Stream (07/04/2015)
The foreign ministers of Hungary, Serbia, Greece and Macedonia met in Budapest on 7 April to discuss possible collaboration with the proposed Turkish Stream pipeline to bring Russian gas to Europe via Turkey, bypassing Ukraine.

Also see:

▪ EurActiv Article – Greece, Macedonia, Serbia and Hungary discuss ‘Turkish Stream’ (07/04/2015)

JRC Article: New governance proposed to enhance energy renovation in buildings (08/04/2015)
The JRC has recently launched a new report calling for a concerted effort to phase out inefficient buildings from the European building stock. It highlights the critical role of building renovation in reaching the EU targets in terms of climate and energy, jobs and growth and cohesion policies and proposes a new governance structure to facilitate the transformation of the EU building stock from being an energy waster to being an energy producer.

Download as .PDF

EurActiv Article: TAP pipeline open to other shareholders, including Iran(09/04/2015)
The Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), which will carry Azeri gas to European markets, and is seen as Europe’s alternative to its reliance on Russia, is open to new shareholders, including Iran, a spokeswoman for the project said on 8 April.

EurActiv Article: Momentum swells behind North Seas Grid (09/04/2015)
The North Seas Grid should be one of the building blocks of the Energy Union, companies and campaigners have told EU energy ministers, as momentum builds behind the project connecting offshore wind farms in ten countries.

EurActiv Article: New energy storage plant could ‘revolutionise’ renewable sector (09/04/2015)
Foundations for an energy storage plant in Ireland that could “revolutionise” the integration of renewable power into electricity supplies will be laid within weeks.

Euobserver Article: MEPs want Juncker fund to focus on energy saving projects (15/04/2015)
MEPs in the assembly’s industry and energy committee voted on Tuesday 14 April to call for at least €5 billion of the €16 billion guarantee provided by the EU budget to go into energy efficiency projects.

Also see:

▪ EurActiv Article – Irish PM ordered MEP to drop support for EU energy savings fund (20/04/2015)
▪ EurActiv Article – Socialists trade away Juncker Plan energy efficiency fund(21/04/2015)
▪ EurActiv Article – EFSI must deliver a sustained and sustainable economic recovery in Europe (27/04/2015)

EurActiv Article: Dutch denounce gas extraction in Groningen (15/04/2015)
Concerned groups and opposition political parties in Holland’s Groningen province dragged the Dutch government to court to demand a halt to gas extraction from the field where production has hit 50 billion cubic metres annually (bcm/y).

EurActiv Article: Commission’s fracking advisors controlled by lobbyists, claim NGOs (16/04/2015)
Environmental campaigners and the shale gas industry have clashed amid accusations that companies are controlling an influential European Commission group advising on fracking policy.

Politico Article: Tusk’s rude awakening (20/04/2015)
The energy union as we now know it is far from Donald Tusk’s initial pitch. It’s a turf war between states, sector and Commission that’s bound to happen.

EurActiv Article: EU delays ban on halogen bulbs (21/04/2015)
EU member states have voted to postpone a ban on inefficient halogen light bulbs by two years – to 2018.

viEUws Video: Brussels Briefing on Energy – All you need to know for April & May 2015 (23/04/2015)
In this Brussels Briefing on Energy, leading journalist Hughes Belin provides an overview of the latest EU energy policy developments.

EurActiv Article: Coal overshadows EU membership prospects of the Western Balkans (23/04/2015)
EU accession for Western Balkans countries must go hand in hand with environmental and climate action, writes Dragana Mileusnic.

EurActiv Article: Shell lobbied to undermine EU renewables targets, documents reveal (27/04/2015)
Shell successfully lobbied to undermine European renewable energy targets ahead of a key agreement on emissions cuts reached in October last year, newly released documents reveal.

Nature & Agriculture

EurActiv Article: Hi-tech farming touted as way to green Europe’s food chain (03/04/2015)
Connected agriculture – from farm to retail – was promoted at an event in Brussels, as the way to wean European agriculture off its addiction to chemicals, water and fossil fuels.

Politico Article: Parliament ready to concede biofuel fight (08/04/2015)
Faced with little alternative, MEPs are preparing to admit defeat on a controversial proposal to limit the kind of biofuel that can be used to meet EU renewable energy targets. MEPs wanted the legislation to be far stronger than the version being pushed through by member states.

Also see:

▪ Politico Article – EU agrees to limit biofuel use (14/04/2015)
▪ EurActiv Article – Lawmakers agree to limit food-based biofuels(14/04/2015)
▪ Euobserver Article – MEPs approve plan to put cap on older biofuels(14/04/2015)
▪ European Parliament Press Release – Environment committee backs compromise on cleaner biofuels (14/04/2015)
▪ Oxfam Highlight – Europe finally decides to stunt growth of destructive biofuels (date not specified)
▪ EurActiv Article – Bio-based chemical industry victim of EU biofuel reform(16/04/2015)
▪ European Parliament Press Release – Parliament supports shift towards advanced biofuels (28/04/2015)

EurActiv Article: Commission prepares minimal reform of GMO imports(09/04/2015)
The European executive plans to present a new legal framework for GMO imports by the end of the month. Member states could be given the final say over imports, a possibility that disappoints environmentalists.

Also see:

▪ Politico Article – Commission retreats on GM imports (09/04/2015)
▪ EurActiv Article – European Commission clarifies new GMO import rules(16/04/2015)
▪ Euobserver Article – EU to give countries greater powers on GM food(14/04/2015)
▪ EurActiv Article – Freedom of choice over GMO cultivation is a step forward(20/04/2015)
▪ Politico Article – A GMO pitch everyone hates (22/04/2015)
▪ Euobserver Article – EU to return GMO powers to states (22/04/2015)
▪ Euobserver Article – Did green groups learn anti-GMO tactics from climate sceptics? (22/04/2015)
▪ EurActiv Article – EU proposal on GMO food criticised by Greenpeace, industry (22/04/2015)
▪ EurActiv Article – US trade negotiator ‘very disappointed’ at European GM food ban (23/04/2015)
▪ Politico Article – EU biotech move fans U.S. frustrations (24/04/2015)
▪ EurActiv Article – Germany sceptical of national import ban on GM foods(24/04/2015)
▪ European Commission Press Release – Commission authorises 17 GMOs for food/feed uses and 2 GM carnations (24/04/2015)

EurActiv Article: Agriculture poses immense threat to environment, German study says (10/04/2015)
Conventional agriculture is causing enormous environmental damage in Germany, warns a study by the country’s Federal Environment Agency, saying a transition to organic farming and stricter regulation is urgently needed.

Euobserver Article: EU threatens Thailand with fish product ban(21/04/2015)
The EU gave a “yellow card” over illegal fishing to Thailand, one of the EU’s main suppliers of cheap fish products. A procedure of dialogue is now open with Thailand, which has six months to take measures or face a EU ban of its products.

Also see:

▪ EurActiv Article – The fight against illegal fishing: The EU’s role in a global challenge (27/04/2015)

viEUws Video: Brussels Briefing on Agriculture – All you need to know for April & May 2015 (24/04/2015)
In this Brussels Briefing on Agriculture, AGRA FACTS journalists Rose O’Donovan & Ed Bray provide an update on the latest developments in EU agricultural policy.

European Parliament Press Release: Fish discard ban: MEPs delay sanctions (28/04/2015)
Fishermen will have two years to “adapt” before sanctions for failing to comply with the new fish “discard” ban take effect, under a law passed by Parliament on Tuesday 28 April.

Politico Article: EU auditors rip €700 million farm program (28/04/2015)
The European Union’s top accounting watchdog issued a new report on Tuesday slamming a farming development fund as a failure. But the European Commission is defending the program and considering extending it for four more years.

European Parliament Press Release: New EU forest strategy: better management can boost rural jobs, say MEPs (28/04/2015)
The new EU forest strategy must focus on managing forests sustainably, promoting efficient use of the raw materials that they produce, and boosting the competitiveness of forest-related industry so as to create jobs, says a non-legislative resolution voted by Parliament on Tuesday 28 April.

Also see:

▪ European Parliament Press Release – Forest strategy: making the most of Europe’s natural resources (28/04/2015)

Noise

European Commission’s DG for Research & Innovation: Keeping the noise down in city centres (08/04/2015)
If you live or work in a city centre, you will know how stressful constant traffic noise can be. But adaptations to roads, tyres, vehicles and urban planning could reduce traffic noise to less than one-tenth current levels in towns and cities, say EU researchers. They have paved the way by developing an approach – along with new designs for road surfaces and tyres – to turn the volume down.

Transport

EEA Article: New cars’ CO2 emissions well below Europe’s 2015 target(15/04/2015)
New cars sold in 2014 emit on average 2.6 % less CO2 than those sold in 2013 and almost 7 grammes of CO2/km below the 2015 target, according to provisional data published today by the European Environment Agency.

EurActiv Article: Responsible flying grounded by aviation’s fuel tax exemption (16/04/2015)
Countries must reform the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s position on fuel subsidies to bring them into line with well-established global objectives, writes Andrew Murphy.

European Parliament Press Release: Ships’ CO2 emissions: MEPs adopt new reporting rules (28/04/2015)
Draft EU rules requiring ship owners using EU ports to monitor and report CO2 emissions each year received the support of the House on Tuesday. The new rules, already informally agreed with the Council of Ministers, will apply from 2018 on to ships over 5,000 gross tons, regardless of the country in which they are registered, as a first step towards cutting their greenhouse gas emissions.

Waste

viEUws Video: Newly-appointed FFA Chairman Janez Potočnik slams “immoral” levels of food waste (02/04/2015)
In an exclusive interview with viEUws, Janez Potočnik, former European Environment Commissioner (2010-2014) and chairman of the Forum for the Future of Agriculture and of the Rise Foundation, talks to AGRA FACTS journalist Rose O’Donovan about the future challenges facing the global agricultural sector.

viEUws Video: Panel Debate– How can Europe capitalise on the Circular Economy? (16/04/2015)

EurActiv Article: Vella told Timmermans not to axe Circular Economy package (28/04/2015)
Frans Timmermans, the Commission First Vice-President in charge of Better Regulation, ignored Environment Commissioner Karmenu Vella’s advice not to ditch the Circular Economy package of waste, recycling and incineration laws, it has emerged.

Also see:

▪ EurActiv Article – Judges limit Commission’s power to retract EU laws(28/04/2015)

European Parliament Press Release: MEPs clamp down on wasteful use of plastic carrier bags (28/04/2015)
EU countries will be required to reduce the use of the commonest and most polluting plastic bags drastically under new rules voted by Parliament on Tuesday 28 April.

Events

1 May – 31 October 2015

Event: EXPO 2015
Topic/Title: Feeding the planet: energy for life
Organisation: Bureau International des Expositions (BIE)
Venue: Milan, Italy

More information / EU at EXPO Milano website

5 May 2015

Event: Conference
Topic/Title: The Outlook for Energy: A View to 2040: Energy Union in the global energy perspective
Organisation: Center for European Policy Studies (CEPS)
Venue: CEPS Conference Room 1, Place du Congrès, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium

More information

11 May 2015

Event: Policy Dialogue
Topic/Title: The Energy Union: internal and external views
Organisation: European Policy Centre (EPC)
Venue: EPC, 14-16 Rue du Trône/Troonstraat, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium

More information

18 – 19 May 2015

Event: Workshop
Topic/Title: Novel Approaches to Climate Governance and the Role of Entrepreneurship
Organisation: COST – Innovations in Climate Governance (INOGOV)
Venue: Amsterdam, The Netherlands

More information

25 – 29 May 2015

Event: 2015 INSPIRE – Geospatial World Forum Conference
Topic/Title: Convergence: Policies + Practices + Processes via PPP Organisation: European Commission and Geospatial Media and Communications
Venue: Lisbon Congress Center, Lisbon, Portugal

More Information

29 – 30 May 2015

Event: 2015 EU-Arctic Conference
Topic/Title: European Union and the Arctic
Organisation: Dundee University School of Law & K.G. Jensen Centre for the Law of the Sea (JCLOS)
Venue: University of Dundee, Dundee, Scotland, UK

More Information

2 – 5 June 2015

Event: Workshop
Topic/Title: The External Dimension of European Union Environmental Policy (EEEP): Pursuing environmental norms, rules and policies beyond borders
Organisation: Centre for the Study of Governance Innovation (GovInn), University of Pretoria
Venue: Pretoria, South Africa

More information

25 – 26 June 2015

Event: Inagural workshop of the UACES CRN
Topic/Title: European Energy Policy
Organisation: UACES CRN on the European Energy Policy
Venue: Norwich Business School, University of East Anglia, United Kingdom

More information

24 – 28 August 2015

Event: Summer Programme on International & European Environmental Law
Topic/Title: International & European Environmental Law: The Future We Choose
Organisation: T.M.C. Asser Instituut
Venue: T.M.C. Asser Instituut, R.J. Schimmelpennincklaan 20-22, The Hague, Netherlands

More information / Draft programme (.PDF)

▪ Note: Two full scholarships available for participants from India (.PDF)

2 – 4 September 2015

Event: Conference
Topic/Title: Effectiveness of Environmental Law
Organisation: European Environmental Law Forum (EELF)
Venue: Centre d’Etudes et de Recherches Internationales et Communautaires (CERIC), University of Aix/Marseille, Aix en Provence, France

More information / Programme (.PDF)

Colofon

Editors-in-Chief

Wybe Th. Douma (Senior Researcher, T.M.C. Asser Instituut and Lecturer of
International Environmental Law, The Hague University)

Leonardo Massai (Senior Lecturer on International and EU Environmental Law, Catholic University of Lille)

Editors

Wouter van Kuijk (T.M.C. Asser Instituut, The Hague)

Steffen van der Velde (Junior Researcher, T.M.C. Asser Instituut, The Hague)