| 10 Apr 2008 |
| The new Polish government’s first steps to correct Natura 2000 designation | ||
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On 31st March and 1st April the Polish Ministry of Environment organised a „biogeographic seminar” style discussion for governmental and non-governmental experts on the extension of the Natura 2000 network in Poland. Agreement was reached, that more site designation is necessary for the majority of species and habitats. |
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| CEEweb supports protection of Bulgarian Natura 2000 site | ||
| Together with seven other international nature conservation and mountaineering organisations, CEEweb has sent a letter to Bulgarian authorities demanding a halt to illegal construction in Rila National Park, the country's largest national park. Despite its natural values which qualified the area for the inclusion in the European protected area network Natura 2000 the Bulgarian Government decided not to take up the buffer zone of the National Park in the list of protected sites. The underlying economic reasons are clear as the illegal construction works of skiing facilities have already started in the area. | ||
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| Illegal constructions in protected areas continue | ||
| Illegal infrastructure developments in protected and Natura 2000 areas are not a rare phenomenon in Bulgaria. The construction works started very recently in the Irakli-Emine Natura 2000 area are just the newest example of this trend. | ||
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| 33,8% of Bulgaria is Natura 2000 | ||
| After long delays in the designation of the Natura 2000 network, the Bulgarian government made a final decision on the last group of potential sites. 47 new sites were added to the official list which will be sent to the European Commission. With this decision, the Natura 2000 network covers 33,8% of Bulgaria’s terrestrial area. CEEWEB welcomes the positive decision of the Bulgarian government on the included sites. | ||
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| Progress on Natura 2000 designation in Poland | ||
| As a respond to the continous pressure from the European Commission and the number of legal cases started against the country the Polish government adds 75 new sites to the official list of Natura 2000 sites. Many of the newly proposed sites have been proposed by NGOs. The progress is mainly due to the European Commission, which decided not fo finance any investments on "potential" (not submitted / established) Natura 2000 sites from Structural Funds. | ||
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| Bulgaria reaching 28% in Natura 2000 designation | ||
| Bulgaria's government adopted Thursday the proposal of the National Bio Diversity Council for fixing 27 more protected areas, which will be included in NATURA 2000 program. | ||
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| POLAND - EU subsidies frozen over failure to desiganate Natura 2000 | ||
| Several hundred million zlotys of the EU subsidies have been frozen because the Ministry of Environment failed to designate special protection areas for birds as part of the Natura 2000 program. | ||
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| Bulgarian NGOs lodge complaint with EC over Natura 2000 | ||
| Six Bulgarian eco-organizations and the global environment conservation organization WWF have lodged a complaint against the Bulgarian government with the European Commission. | ||
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| Poland challenges Europe on 'via-baltica' highway | ||
| The Polish government announced on 17 July 2007 that the construction of the 'via baltica' motorway between Prague and Helsinki would start on August 1 - despite repeated warnings from the Commission that the project contravenes EU rules on biodiversity protection. | ||
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| PROTEST LETTER! PreDobra (TooGood) for so little electricity! | ||
| Please sign this protest letter, send it to the Croatian prime minister and two addressed ministers, and support our campaign against building of hidropower plant on one of the most beautiful rivers in Croatia, also proposed Natura 2000 site and part of Croatian National Ecological Network under PEEN. | ||
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| Biodiversityin European Development Cooperation | ||
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19-21 September 2006 Supporting the sustainable development of partener countries Most poor people depend on the food, fuel and water that are provided by nature. Threats to the biological diversity that delivers these goods and services can thus have direct impacts on their livelihoods. In turn, the conservation of nature can in some cases generate more options to improve their existence. |
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| Carpathian Convention - Last ratification | ||
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Romania ratifies the Carpathian Convention at the national level. After long waiting, according to infromation from the Romanian Focal Point of the Carpathian Convention, that the ratification Law (389/19.10.2006) of the Carpathian Convention has been published in the Official Journal (No. 879/27.10.2006) of Romania. |
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| Failure to Manage Global Warming Would Cripple World Economy | ||
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Environment News Service 30/10/2006 The most comprehensive review ever carried out on the economics of climate change warns that global warming could inflict worldwide disruption as great as that caused by the two World Wars and the Great Depression. But there is still time to avoid the worst impacts, it says. |
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| Busy year ahead for EU environmental policies | ||
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Environment Daily 2011, 06/01/06 Notwithstanding continuing pressure for greater European competitiveness, 2006 will be a busy year in EU environmental policy-making. We are pleased to offer the following summary of some of the highlights. |
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Carpathians gets Legal Protection !
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Mountain Region in the Heart of Europe gets Legal Protection Vienna/Nairobi, 4 January 2006 - The up to 18 million people living in the Carpathian mountain region have cause to celebrate today with the entry into force of a new international treaty to conserve the area's rich wildlife, wondrous landscapes and cultural heritage. With the decision of Hungary, it brings to four the number of nations that have now ratified the Carpathian Convention allowing it to come into full legal life. The other three countries are the Slovak Republic, Ukraine and the Czech Republic. The Carpathian region contains Europes greatest reserve of pristine forest and is a refuge for brown bears, wolves, bison, lynx, eagles and some 200 unique plant species found nowhere else in the world. |
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| The Carpathian Ecoregion Initiatve (CERI) is seeking Executive Secretary | ||
| The Carpathian Ecoregion Initiatve (CERI) is pleased to announced that it is seeking a permanent full-time Executive Secretary (formerly Coordinator), based at the headquarters of the organization in Bratislava, Slovakia, starting in February 2006. The position will be funded for at least three years. | ||
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| Quo vadis Natura 2000 - article in Planta Europa Newsletter | ||
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CEEWEB policy office, in cooperation with Planta Europa Office has published an article about biogeographic seminars in the Planta Europa Newsletter (Quo vadis Natura 2000). The article can be found on the website of Planta Europea http://www.plantaeuropa.org/newsletternov2005.htm or downloaded as a pdf file http://www.plantaeuropa.org/documents/penewsnov2005.pdf |
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| CEEWEB Internship programme | ||
| CEEWEB aims to strengthen the relation and cooperation with the members through launching an internship program. Within this framework the Policy Office plans to receive and organise interns from and to CEEWEB member NGOs. | ||
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| UK EU Presidency endorse the Countdown 2010 initiative to halt the loss of biodiversity | ||
| The UK's commitment to stopping the loss of nature was the key message in Jim Knight's, UK Minister for Rural Affairs, Landscape and Biodiversity (Defra), opening address at the EU Nature Directors Meeting in Aviemore, Scotland. | ||
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| EU's green policy engine fears deep freeze | ||
| Tensions are running high as the European Commission prepares to debate EU environmental policies on Wednesday. Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas is fighting to avert further delays in the publication of seven thematic strategies. Behind him, European green policy makers are nervous and despondent. | ||
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| EU leaders back world environment organisation | ||
| EU leaders on Friday called for the UN environment programme (UNEP) to be given more money and a stronger mandate. The statement lines up the whole of the EU officially behind calls for Unep to become a World environment organisation, with a political clout to match the World trade organisation. | ||
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| EP is last hope to ensure adequate Natura 2000 funding | ||
| The European Parliament will have a vital role to play in guaranteeing that the Natura 2000 nature conservation network receives sufficient funding in the future, environmentalists told a seminar staged in Brussels on May 24 by the European Environmental Bureau (EEB). | ||
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| International Day of Biodiversity | ||
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The UN has proclaimed May 22, the International Day for Biological Diversity, to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues. As announced by Hamdallah Zedan, the Executive Secretary to the Convention on Biological Diversity, the theme for International Day for Biological Diversity 2005 is: Biodiversity: Life Insurance for our Changing World. This year's theme for IBD reminds us that, in addition to providing the physical conditions for all life, biodiversity also plays an important role in protecting life and making it resilient to the pressures brought about by change. |
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| PEBLDS Council granted observer status for CEEWEB | ||
| The PEBLDS (Pan-European Biological and Landscape Diversity Strategy) celebrated its 10th Anniversary on its 9th Council Meeting. Besides dealing with crucial issues, the Council elected CEEWEB as an NGO representative to the Bureau. This is an apparent appreciation of the commitment and work CEEWEB has been doing for the implementation of the PEBLDS during the past years. | ||
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| CEEWEB's accreditation to UNEP | ||
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CEEWEB has been working within the UN system (GEF; CBD, etc.) for years, and following the decision of the last General Assembly (2004), the Policy Office has made the needed attempt in order to formalize the cooperation. For this CEEWEB requested the United Nations Environment Program to accredit CEEWEB to the Governing Council of UNEP. We are happy to announce, that we have received the official confirmation, that CEEWEB has been fully accredited to UNEP! |
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| Stakeholders to revive EU's sustainable development strategy | ||
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A conference on 14-15 April will look at the achievements and shortcomings of the EU's sustainable development policies and define future actions. In a recent consultation, stakeholders have criticised the strategy for lacking real targets and objectives. |
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| G8 Ministers Urged to Take Action on Poverty by Conserving Biodiversity and Ecosystems | ||
| G8 Environment and Development Ministers, meeting on the 17-18th of March in Derby, UK, can reduce poverty and improve the livelihoods of the world's poorest people by halting the loss of biodiversity and improving the protection of ecosystems. | ||
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| Press release from EEB concerning today's vote in the European Parliament on the Natura 2000 financing report | ||
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EEB (Brussels, 9 March, 2005) Tomorrow the European Parliament has an opportunity to demonstrate its care for Europe's nature in a crucial vote on the financing of Natura 2000. |
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| Biodiversity facts and figures | ||
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From SciDevNet In this section you will find the latest data on the extent and the distribution of the world's biodiversity. It also includes the most recent estimates of extinction threats for different groups of species, as well as facts and figures on the value of biodiversity and efforts to conserve it. |
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| Kyoto Protocol Takes Effect, Without U.S. | ||
| Seven years after it was brokered by the United Nations, the Kyoto Protocol went into effect last week, despite lack of involvement by the world's biggest polluter, the United States. | ||
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| EEB position paper published on the Lisbon Strategy review | ||
| A noisy Economy child and an Environment child with a fatal disease - EEB has issued its position paper stating that the integration of sustainable development into the Lisbon Strategy is totally neglected. | ||
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| EU's green policy challenges highlighted | ||
| EU environment policy stands at a crucial crossroads in its development and faces so many competing pressures and uncertainties that it could well slow down and change direction, according to a new report for a committee of British MPs. | ||
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| International organic movement makes headway against GMOs at the IUCN World Conservation Congress | ||
| Bangkok-Bonn December 1st, 2004. Over 1000 governmental and non-governmental member organizations of the World Conservation Union (IUCN) held their 3rd World Congress from November 17th until 25th.The Union gathers only every 4 years and attracted this time nearly 5000 participants from over 130 countries to Bangkok/Thailand. | ||
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| PRESS RELEASE - Borrell taking care of nature | ||
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(9 November, 2004, Brussels) Europe's nature is threatened by the current focus on economic development, which will harm human health, according to a large group of nature conservation organizations representing millions of worried European citizens. Josep Borrell Fontelles, President of the European Parliament, was given a symbolic gift today to remind him of the beauty and importance of European nature. A 1x1 m wooden planter containing five European plants was presented to Mr Borrell (see photo attached) for all MEPs by the European Habitats Forum. |
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| Half of Europe's Bird Population Struggling to Survive | ||
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November 8, 2004 According to the latest assessment, 226 bird species of Europe - 43% of all those occurring regularly here - are threatened by the consequences of climate change and agriculture. |
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| Steering towards 2010: Red List Index provides a sensitive new tool for tracking biodiversity loss | ||
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From BirdLife, 25-10-2004 The vast majority of the world's nations are committed to significantly reducing the rate at which biodiversity is being lost by 2010. But without ways of measuring changes in the status of biodiversity, it will be impossible to tell if we are making progress towards that goal. |
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| Trade in wildlife: EU satisfied with outcome of CITES Conference of the Parties | ||
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From EuropaWorld The EU Presidency and the European Commission are satisfied with the outcome of the 13th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in Bangkok, Thailand. The Parties agreed to all major points that the EU was promoting to protect a number of endangered species and to ensure sustainable wildlife trade. |
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| USA BLOCKED ENDORSEMENT OF THE UNECE STRATEGY ON EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT | ||
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15 October 2004, Geneva, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Committee on Environmental Policy (UNECE CEP). The United States blocked the decision on endorsement of the UNECE Strategy on Education for Sustainable Development (UNECE Strategy on ESD). |
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| Six demands to Environment Council from EEB | ||
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The European Environmental Bureau (EEB) has warned the Environment Council of its six key demands for the Council's meeting on 14 October. One of the most sensisitive environmental issues is biodiversity and Natura 2000: the money to protect them risks being diverted to other national projects. |
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