VWgate: CEO Winterkorn resigns
German car manufacturer Volkswagen cheated on diesel engines to meet environmental standards…
Environment
Europe takes a new step towards reducing energy dependence
- Politics , Economy , Analysis , Environment
Three documents issued by the European Commission on 25 February 2015 aim to advance work on the Energy Union, a project figuring prominently on the Juncker Commission’s agenda. It is hoped that the proposed actions will help diversify Europe’s energy sources and turn the EU from the world’s largest energy importer to the world’s leader in renewable energy production.
EU governments to confront biotech industry
Biotechnology is the subject of heated debates worldwide. This is mainly why it took the EU so long to adopt a Directive that gives national governments the responsibility to decide whether to prohibit the cultivation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) on their territory. In response to a request by 13 member states, the European Commission drafted the Directive in 2011. Back then, it faced stark opposition by France, Luxembourg, Austria and Poland, and it was only in 2014 that a political agreement allowed for its adoption in January 2015.
EU climate change deal found wanting
The deal made by the European leaders to cap the greenhouse gas emissions was criticised as soon as it was announced. Hailed in the media as a historic agreement, it was intended to put pressure on the world’s biggest polluters
