How much exposure to agricultural chemicals can Europe’s environment take? The dispute over the use of pesticides has been fermenting since plans for a substantial reduction were presented in Brussels. Proponents and opponents both claim: if they are not listened to, the food supply is in danger.
The European Union recently gave final approval to a ban on sales of new cars with internal combustion engines from 2035. Linked to that decision is a world map that has been circulating on social media since late February and which shows Europe and California — which announced similar rules — in blue. The online posts argue that because these areas “where sales of combustion engine vehicles will be banned in 2035” represent “1/16th of the world population,” the new legislation will be useless in the fight against climate change. However, the map is incomplete: many other regions around the world have also announced such initiatives in recent years. What’s more, the EU and California represent just over a fifth of the world’s car fleet and have the potential to influence the rest of the world on the matter, experts told AFP.
Austrian ministers Gewessler and Rauch express their concerns about an upcoming EU proposal for genetic engineering. European Commissioner Thierry Breton announces his plans for a “cyber shield” and a “cyber reserve.” Belgian and German police raid the EPP’s offices in Brussels as part of an ongoing investigation.
The European Commission has recently presented an action plan for more sustainable fisheries. The aim is to ban fishing with bottom trawls in protected marine areas by 2030 at the latest. This caused strong opposition from some member states, which might lead to a watering down of the plan.
A French sailing vessel from the Tara Foundation studies the impact of pollution on biodiversity along the European coast. German Agriculture Minister Özdemir campaigns against an EU ban on bottom trawl fishing. The European Parliament endorsed an agreement on salary transparency for companies.