Robert Hodgson
Europe
Austrian trade and industry bodies call for Green Deal reversal
Chief of Federation of Austrian Industries, Christoph Neumayer and Chamber of Commerce chief Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer, called on the EU executive to roll back Green Deal regulations in its ongoing war on red tape, while the European insurance industry lobby has also weighed into the debate.
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Earth News
Serbian lithium mine European Parliament film screening fuels dispute
The European Union needs lithium for its energy transition and is eagerly eyeing huge reserves in northern Serbia, but twenty years after making the discovery in the Jadar valley, Rio Tinto’s ambitions to mine the site remain stuck in a mire of environmental opposition and Balkan politics.
Europe
Unions and NGOs fearful of EU Commission's new pro-business plan
Civil society groups and unions are nervous about the political turn taken by the European Commission under Ursula von der Leyen’s second presidency, and warn its new Competitiveness Compass could steer it away from green deal aspirations and workers’ rights.
Europe
Use of EU funds to lobby MEPs was ‘inappropriate’, commissioner says
The conservative European People’s Party (EPP) has questioned the use of public funds for campaigns they say run against the EU’s own interests. The Commission says it’s fixed the problem, but some see it as part of a wider attack on environmental campaigners.
Europe
Germany, Interpol and WWF team up to tackle environmental crime
With environmentally destructive activities such as illegal logging and waste disposal among the largest areas of organised crime worldwide, Berlin is bankrolling a collaboration between civil society and the international police body Interpol.
Europe
Europe's noisy cities raise concerns from EU auditors
Loud urban environments can have ruinous health impacts from sleep disturbance to cardiovascular problems, but lawmakers and local authorities are failing to take the issue as seriously as air pollution, the European Court of Auditors has warned.
Europe
Chemicals industry accused of aggressive lobbying against PFAS ban
Investigations by European NGOs and newspapers point to a concerted industry campaign to limit incoming EU restrictions on PFAS, toxic substances dubbed ‘forever chemicals’ because they can persist for centuries in the environment. The European Commission denies it is being unduly influenced.
Europe
Unions, NGOs fear sweeping deregulation amid competitiveness drive
Trade union leaders and environmental campaigners are among over 250 groups warning against a bonfire of red tape as the second von der Leyen commission presses on with its core goal of shielding European industry from US and Chinese competition.
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