News
Publish date: November 16, 2005
Written by: Gunnar Grini
News
The new Government in Norway has stated that it wishes to take active role in the finishing stage of the seven year long process of deciding on the new European new chemical legislation, called REACH. As a first step, the new Norwegian Minster of the Environment, Bjørnøy sent a letter to several MEPs urging both the European Parliament and the Council to adapt a version of REACH that ensures a strengthened regime for chemical legislation.
In the letter, Bjørnøy states that the new Government in Norway will strive to ensure a toxin-free environment, and reminded European decision makers that REACH should be adopted in a manner that makes it a key instrument toward protecting human health and the environment from chemical risks.
Decision by the end of 2005
The REACH bill was scheduled to be voted on at the Competitiveness Council on November 28th and 29th. However, Germany asked for a postponement to give its incoming government, led by new Chancellor Angela Merkel, time to examine the dossier. The UK Presidency has accepted Germany’s request to postpone a vote, still hopes to clinch a deal before its six-month rotating presidency of the EU finishes at the end of the year. Commissioner for the Environment, Stavros Dimas has stated that the Commission supports the UK Presidency in trying to find a compromise in Council before the end 2005. In the mean time, the Parliament will vote on REACH on the 17th of November.
Bellona believes that there is a need for a harmonised chemical legislation that that meets its key objective: ensuring a high level of protection for human health and the environment.
Recent attacks on Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant "mark the beginning of a new and gravely dangerous front of the war," the UN atomic agency's director general said last week.
After years of inaction, Germany is working on its Carbon Management Strategy to resolve how CCS can play a role in climate action in industry. At the end of February, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action published first key points and a proposal to amend the law Kohlenstoffdioxid Speicherungsgesetz (KSpG). Bellona Deutschland, who was actively involved in the previous stakeholder dialogue submitted a statement in the association hearing.
In the midst of a global discussion on whether natural gas should be used as a transitional fuel and whether emissions from its extraction, production, transport and use are significantly less than those from other fossil fuels, Russia has developed ambitious plans to increase its own production of liquified natural gas (LNG) in the Arctic – a region with 75% of proven gas reserves in Russia – to raise its share in the international gas trade.
In this news digest, we monitor events that impact the environment in the Russian Arctic. Our main focus lies in identifying the factors that contribute to pollution risks and climate change.