EU pesticides laws agreed
September 28, 2009
The EU Council of Ministers last week formally adopted the final text of the package of new EU laws on pesticides. These are:
Directive on sustainable use of pesticides
Regulation on placing of plant protection products on the market (repealing Directives 79/117/EEC and 91/414/EEC)
Directive on improving construction and maintenance of machinery for pesticide application
A key issue of [...]
Biodiversity alarm
June 26, 2009
Europe is failing to meet its 2001 target of halting the loss of biodiversity by 2010.
Yesterday EU Environment Ministers expressed deep concern at this failure and at the increasing threats to biodiversity from invasive alien species.
Golf Europa reported in April on the high level conference in Athens on biodiversity.
Yesterday’s clear message from EU national governments [...]
No progress on soil
June 26, 2009
Golf Europa has reported in the past on proposals from the European Commission for the first ever EU legislation on soil policy.
At their meeting yesterday of the EU Environment Council, Ministers failed to reach agreement on the draft EU Directive on soil protection. Some governments do not agree that legislation on soil policy is appropriate [...]
EU soil policy change?
March 25, 2009
The German government has suggested a new approach by the EU on soil policy.
In 2006, the European Commission issued a proposed Soil Framework Directive. Since then, national governments have failed to agree that an EU Directive was appropriate on soil.
At this week’s meeting of EU Agriculture Ministers, the German government suggested the EU consider a [...]
Biocides review extension
March 25, 2009
The EU’s evaluation of active substances used in biocidal products (insecticides, preservatives, disinfectants, etc) is taking longer than originally foreseen. The original 1998 Biocides Directive set a deadline of 14 May 2010 for completion of biocides evaluation.
The European Commission has proposed a transitional period from May 2010 up to 14 May 2013, during which [...]
New EU study on sport funding
March 23, 2009
The latest open call for tender from the European Commission’s Sports Unit is for a “Study on Internal Market Barriers to Sport Funding”.
The study will look into public and private sources of sport funding and into financial streams within particular sports. It will also address possible cross-border obstacles that could affect the financing of sport. [...]
New EU law on pesticide application machinery
March 20, 2009
New EU legislation on pesticide application machinery looks set to be agreed. Last week a European Parliament Committee agreed its Opinion on a European Commission 2008 proposal for a new Directive on pesticide application machinery.
The Parliament broadly supports the Commission’s proposal and is forecast to adopt formally its Opinion in the EP plenary session of [...]
New EU water report examines golf
March 19, 2009
A major, new report by the European Environment Agency (EEA) confirms that, in many parts of Europe, water use is unsustainable. The report also provides recommendations for a new approach to managing water resources.
The report contains numerous references to golf, which are highlighted below. The EEA Press Release accompanying the report starts “From golf courses [...]
Pesticide review programme completed
March 17, 2009
The European Commission has completed the review of existing pesticides that were on the market before 1993. This programme concerned about 1,000 substances, of which about 250 have passed the harmonised EU safety assessment. All reviewed pesticides have undergone a detailed risk evaluation with respect to their effects on humans and on the environment. This [...]
Environmental Impact Assessment: Doonbeg
April 27, 2008
There is inevitable potential for conflict between the aims of economic development and the aims of environment policy.
Over the years, the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) has evolved to counter criticisms that ERDF programmes and projects failed to take account of environmental concerns.
In the 1990s, two large-scale Irish golf projects brought this question of the [...]