News from Euroland

Update August 2011

ANIMAL WELFARE

Derogation for battery cage ban by Belgian Minister Onkelinx unacceptable and illegal! --Eurogroup for Animals strictly condemns the suggestion of Belgium to allow a six-month “period of grace” for egg producers following the introduction of the barren battery cage ban ... more


ENVIRONMENT

-EU agrarian reform: Agriculture Commission at UBA seeks to make consideration of environmental aspects condition of subsidies -- Europe’s agriculture sector is granted 57 billion euros per year in public funding. Do these subsidies make sense, and where might there be room for improvement in EU subsidies policy? Is environmental protection adequately taken into account in EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)? … more

Modern EU agriculture jeopardises biodiversity in new member states -- Study from Romania highlights the importance of traditional agriculture in protecting amphibians... more

Final assessment of the 6th Environment Action Programme shows progress in environment policy – but with shortfalls in implementation… more

EEA: There is a big potential to cut greenhouse gases (GHGs) from municipal solid waste management, according to a new report from the European Environment Agency (EEA)... more


FISHING AND HUNTING

The European Commission proposes a new Regulation for the sustainable management of Baltic salmon -- Scientific advice indicates that stocks in some of the approximately 30 wild salmon rivers in the Baltic are outside safe biological limits and at risk of genetic depletion…more

Swedish wolves now safe? Nay! -- After the EU threatened legal action because of the ongoing Swedish wolf-killings, the government has now decided to stop the massacre. However, one important loophole was kept open... more


GM

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has published updated guidance on the post-market environmental monitoring (PMEM) of GM plants… more

European Commission supports Argentina in Monsanto battle -- The European Union has agreed with Argentina regarding complaints filed by Monsanto over roundup ready soybean products shipped from Argentina to Europe…. more


HEALTH/HUMAN AND ANIMAL

EU funds new research project to respond to unexpected epidemic threats such as E.coli -- The European Commission has decided to allocate an additional €12 million from the EU's Research Framework Programme to reinforce Europe's capacity for tackling pathogens like the virulent Escherichia coli (E.coli) bacteria that recently infected close to 4,000 people in Europe and killed 46…. more

EFSA evaluates the public health risk of bacterial strains resistant to certain antimicrobials in food and food-producing animals… more

Electronic identification of bovines to further strengthen food safety and animal health in the EU…more

Source: Compilation EVANA
Author: Div