The European Commission reports the highest number of legal cases against member states for breaking environmental rules than for any other EU policy area. In its annual report on infringements, the commission mentioned it opened 175 new cases relating to environmental law in 2019, compared to 147 cases relating to the internal market, 83 to… [Read more]
Global tourism sector to fight plastic pollution during and after COVID-19 – new UN recommendations
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has hit the tourism sector hard, putting more than 100 million jobs at risk; as countries begin to recover, new UN recommendations advise that the tourism sector builds back better, continuing its push to fight plastic pollution. The Recommendations for the Tourism Sector to Continue Taking Action on Plastic Pollution During COVID-19… [Read more]
LIFE SMART Waste project update and waste regulators Covid-19 response
Regulating Covid-19 waste is affecting much of Europe. The LIFE SMART-WASTE project has issued updates around their capacity building and the response to Covid-19 from the waste sector regulators in Wales (UK). Through their digital brochure they have published a summary LIFE SMART Waste’s conclusions and recommendations arising from the project’s capacity-building initiatives to help… [Read more]
UNODC: COVID-19 shows that wildlife crime is a threat, both to environment and biodiversity, and to human health
The World Wildlife Crime Report 2020 launched by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) emphasizes the threat that wildlife trafficking poses to nature and the biodiversity of the planet. The report highlights the trafficking of some wild species – pangolins, birds, turtles, tigers, bears and many more. When wild animals are poached… [Read more]
New studies document online wildlife trafficking in Belgium and The Netherlands and highlight potential technological solutions
Online monitoring of social media outlets and e-commerce websites by researchers from TRAFFIC and WWF between July and September 2019 found more than 100 suspicious posts relating to at least 93 birds and 94 reptiles in Belgium and the Netherlands. The study—Stop Wildlife Cybercrime in the EU: Online trade in reptiles and birds in Belgium… [Read more]
Connecting protected areas with green infrastructure strengthens Europe’s ecosystems
The European Union’s (EU) network of protected sites, Natura 2000, could be further connected with green infrastructure to create a trans-European nature network. According to a European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing, published today, highways and other infrastructure currently disconnect about 15 % of the Natura 2000 sites from other nature areas, reducing their capacity for… [Read more]
Surge in global e-waste, up 21 % in 5 years, according to Global E-Waste Monitor 2020
The third edition of The Global E-Waste Monitor 2020, launched by the Global E-waste Statistics Partnership (GESP), provides comprehensive insight to address the global e-waste challenge. A record 53.6 million metric tonnes (Mt) of e-waste – discarded products with a battery or plug such as computers and mobile phones – is reported generated worldwide in… [Read more]
Germany holds Presidency of the EU Council July – December 2020 with motto: “Together for Europe´s recovery”
On 1 July 2020, Germany takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union for the 13th time since 1957. The Presidency rotates every 6 months and will be held by Germany in the second half of 2020. To ensure coherency, three Presidencies are grouped together – Germany shares the Trio-Presidency with Portugal (1st half… [Read more]
Need for circular economy models: longer-lasting electronics benefit environment, climate and circular economy
Extending the lifetime and delaying obsolescence of electronics can significantly reduce their environmental and climate impacts and contribute to meeting the European Union’s (EU) environment, climate and circular economy objectives. According to a European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing, smartphones, televisions, washing machines and vacuum cleaners all are used on average for shorter periods than both… [Read more]
WasteForce webinar on existing methodologies for impact assessment of changes affecting waste trade, 2 July 2020
Several policies at national, regional and international levels have been introduced to address the issues linked to waste shipments. However, even in the presence of these regulations, significant amounts of illegal waste shipments are occurring across the European borders and beyond. It is not clear whether, and if yes, to what extent, these policies have… [Read more]
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