News

Legislation

Noise review rejects binding limits

European authorities should avoid setting binding EU-wide limits on noise and opt for ‘trigger values’ instead. This is the central recommendation to emerge from a series of consultancy reports as part of a review of the EU's 2002 Environmental Noise Directive.

Mandatory EU-wide limits would raise the political profile of environmental noise but would be very costly and interfere with existing national rules, the consultants say. Most EU states already impose legally binding limit values and others are considering them. Trigger values – thresholds that would prompt the implementation of noise reduction measures set out in national action plans – represent a more cost-effective option, according to the review.

The appraisal by consultancies Milieu, Risk and Policy Analysis and TNO comprises an implementation review, an inventory of noise reduction measures, and policy recommendations.

Noise is something of a ‘cinderella’ area compared to other aspects of pollution monitoring, the review concludes. Member states' lack of expertise in noise mapping, coupled with strained financial resources, has hindered their progress on noise reduction.¹ The consultants recommend that the Commission make harmonised noise mapping methods compulsory, with derogations for certain states on the grounds of excessive cost. National authorities should also receive additional guidance, workshops and training to improve compliance.

Measures to curb noise at source should be improved, the consultants say. For road traffic, reducing tyre noise has high potential but requires tighter regulations and better road maintenance. In urban areas, plans for noise mitigation should be integrated with other planning. But forcing closer cooperation between action on noise and air quality is not recommended. The directive's text should be improved to clarify definitions such as quiet areas and major roads.

Poor quality data remains a big problem. Action plans for areas with more than 250 000 people were due by January 2009, but only a small number have been finalised.²

Governments gave the review a muted response. In the absence of EU-wide noise limits or a legal requirement to implement noise action plans, some are questioning the ultimate purpose of the Environmental Noise Directive.

European Commission: Environmental Noise Directive: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/noise/review.htm; plus final reports: www.milieu.be/noise/

Biofuels face uncertain future

Conflicting reports over the effect of biofuels on land use are creating uncertainty over the future use of biofuels in Europe. A recent study of national renewable energy action plans submitted to the European Commission shows most EU states are not planning to increase biofuel use beyond the EU's 10% target of transport fuels by 2020. Only Finland expects to use a much larger share of biofuels than required by the EU by that date. EU officials had hoped a recent agreement on certification of biofuels would improve market take-up.³

Friends of the Earth Europe called on the EU to scrap its biofuels policy, saying that Europe's demand for biofuels is a major driver of land-grabbing in Africa. Based on data for 11 African countries, it claims that at least five million hectares of land are being acquired by foreign companies to produce biofuels, mainly for the European market.

However, recent research from Sweden pokes holes in the argument that biofuels do not have any climate benefit. The researchers analysed the impact of biofuels on the environment, both in relation to one another and to the fossil fuel alternatives. They conclude that biofuels produce between 65% and 140% less greenhouse gas emissions than petrol and diesel, even when direct and indirect land use changes are taken into account. The assumption that land in developing countries is carbon rich and therefore releases a lot of carbon dioxide cannot be substantiated, the researchers say.

The impact of biofuels on food markets is also being reappraised. A 2008 World Bank report suggested a direct correlation between an increased use of biofuels and a 75% spike in global food prices in 2006–08. However a new report issued by the Bank concludes that the food price rises were due mainly to an increase in energy costs and to speculation in the commodities market. Worldwide, biofuels account for only about 1.5% of the area under grains or oilseeds, the report says.

Oil companies trading biofuels in Norway will have to ensure their products meet sustainability criteria that are in line with EU guidelines, the government has announced. In addition, emissions of greenhouse gases per unit of energy will have to be cut by 6% before 2020, according to a statement by the Climate and Pollution Agency (Klif).

Friends of the Earth: http://www.foeeurope.org; World Bank: http://www-wds.worldbank.org; Lund University report: http://miljo.lth.se; Klif: http://www.klif.no

German government under fire over CCS

The German government is facing renewed opposition from a number of federal states over a proposed law on carbon capture and storage (CCS). The states, some of which had strongly opposed an earlier draft, want the right to opt out from applying CCS technology in the power sector.

The states of Lower Saxony, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Schleswig-Holstein all oppose the law. Regional politicians from all three states have criticised federal Environment Minister Norbert Rottgen for breaking his promise to include an opt-out clause.

Utility firm RWE froze its plans to build a CCS pilot plant in Schleswig-Holstein after protests from local residents, and the federal government withdrew a first-draft law in 2009. The new law only allows pilot plants that store up to eight million tonnes of CO₂ per year.

Fanning the flames, the German Economic Research Institute (DIW) said in a report that CCS technology was too expensive and too uncertain to serve as a realistic option for German energy policy. The Institute criticised the government's energy strategy for assuming that CCS technology will be market-ready in 2025.

Meanwhile, the European Commission has launched a network of CCS projects intended to help its members identify best practice through information sharing. This exclusive club is open to the EU's first few large-scale demonstration projects. Many of these are in receipt of EU funding, although the Commission stresses that membership will not facilitate access to further funding.⁴

RWE: http://www.rwe.com; DIW: http://www.diw.de/; EU network: http://www.ccsnetwork.eu/

Marine criteria unveiled

The European Commission has adopted the criteria and indicators EU states will be required to use in assessing the environmental status of their seas under the Marine Strategy Framework (MSF) directive. Ministers agreed the measure before the summer recess.⁵

The directive requires EU members to assess the quality of their marine waters and establish targets for improvement by 2012. Some criteria are fully developed and can be used immediately, while others require further refinement, the Commission said in a statement. However, environmental groups are worried that the criteria may not be sufficiently ambitious, and that governments may be given too much leeway in deciding how to apply them.

In a related move, the Commission has also published a policy paper on improving access to marine data. The paper makes recommendations that will help achieve the environmental objective of the MSF directive. Two existing measures, the Inspire and Environmental Information directives, lay down the legal foundations for a better use of marine data, the paper notes. But these laws are “not in themselves sufficient”, since they do not necessarily apply to key bodies such as scientific and academic institutions.

More than 100 scientists, policy-makers and industry representatives backed a call for an integrated network of marine observatories monitoring Europe's seas, at a meeting organised by the European Science Foundation. Delegates agreed such a network was essential to provide reliable, long-term data to underpin science and policy in areas such as fisheries, aquaculture, energy, shipping, as well as tourism and recreation. The meeting was in preparation for the EurOCEAN 2010 Conference, a high-level policy event held in Ostend in October.

A further €45m of funding for green maritime research is available through a current call under the EU's research framework programme.

European Commission: http://europa.eu/rapid/ (marine criteria, ref: IP/10/1084; and marine data, ref: IP/10/1117); EurOCEAN 2010: http://www.eurocean2010.eu/

EPA marks legislation milestones

The US Environmental Protection Agency celebrated two landmark pieces of environmental legislation during Pollution Prevention Week in late September. This year sees the 40th anniversary of the Clean Air Act (CAA) and the 20th anniversary of the Pollution Prevention Act.

Commenting on the achievements, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson said: “Since 1970 we have seen a steady trajectory of less pollution in our communities and greater economic opportunity throughout our nation. We will continue those trends as we face the clean air challenges of the next 40 years, including working to cut greenhouse gases and grow the American clean energy economy.”

The Clean Air Act of 1970 initially targeted emissions contributing to ‘acid rain’ and was later expanded to cover emissions of six key air pollutants. The Pollution Prevention Act of 1990 laid the groundwork for reducing pollution at its source and protecting children and families from exposure to harmful pollutants, as well as significantly reducing the amount of contaminants released into the environment.

Air quality improvements under the CAA alone are estimated to reach almost $2 trillion by 2020.

EPA: Pollution Prevention Week, http://epa.gov/p2week/; Clean Air Act: http://epa.gov/oar/caa/40th.html

Environmental quality

Climate panel feels the heat

The global scientific panel on climate change needs to “fundamentally reform” how it operates after embarrassing errors dented its credibility, an independent investigation has concluded. The UN ordered the review by a group of leading science academies after a political uproar earlier this year over the key 2007 study that critics called the “Climategate” scandal.

The review found that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) had been “successful overall” but called for changes in its leadership structure, stricter guidelines on source material and a check on conflicts of interests. The five-month probe also recommended an overhaul of the position of IPCC Chair, currently held by Prof. Rajendra Pachauri.

The IPCC's landmark 2007 study pointed to evidence that climate change was already hurting the planet, building momentum for global action to limit carbon emissions.⁶ But in the run-up to the global climate summit in Copenhagen in 2009, the Panel was rocked by a scandal involving leaked emails which critics say showed its scientists had skewed data.⁷ An assessment that Himalayan glaciers, which provide water to a billion people in Asia, could be lost by 2035 was later traced to a magazine article.

“I think the errors made did dent the credibility of the process - there's no question about it,” said Harold Shapiro, a former president of Princeton University who led the review. “Trust is something you have to earn every year,” he told reporters. “We think what we recommend will help.”

In Brussels, European Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard said that “after all the fights” the main findings of the 2007 report are “still unchallenged.” “The bottom line, and this report says it, is that overall the IPCC has done a very good job, but there were some minor errors and they were corrected.”

The UN review finds that guidelines on source material for the IPCC were “too vague” and calls for specific language and enforcement on what types of literature are unacceptable. It also recommends creating a more permanent and professional position of IPCC chair, changing the current part-time arrangement. The chair tenure – two terms of six years each – is too long, it added. Prof. Pachauri said he would accept whatever fate member states decide for him.

UNEP welcomed the report and said it would be discussing the findings and recommendations at the IPCC plenary meeting in October.

UNEP: http://www.unep.org/

Europe stakes out position on biodiversity

European stakeholders have called on world leaders to commit to put an end to ecosystem loss by 2020. Governments are due to negotiate a new global agreement on biodiversity at a meeting in Nagoya in late October.

Speaking at a conference in Ghent organised by the Belgian Presidency of the EU, Flemish Environment Minister, Ms Joke Schauvliege said: “Europe wants to put an end to the decline of biodiversity and ecosystem service by 2020, repair as much damage as possible and increase its contribution to combat the worldwide loss of biodiversity.”

The conference came as the European Parliament's Environment Committee and green groups called on the EU to strengthen its negotiating position ahead of the Japan meeting. In a resolution, the Committee called on the EU to push for a global commitment to protecting 20% of land, freshwater and sea areas and restoring 15% of degraded ecosystems by 2020. It also wants an end to subsidies that are harmful to biodiversity and the attainment of zero net deforestation by 2020.

The European Commission is consulting on a future EU policy, including sub-targets in six areas: agriculture and forestry, fisheries, nature protection, green infrastructure, invasive species and the EU's contribution to global biodiversity. It follows a consultation on biodiversity policy earlier this year.

Environmental groups, meanwhile, have called on the EU to increase support for “high nature value” (HNV) farmlands as part of efforts to halt biodiversity loss. They want such farms to be prioritised under a reform of the EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). An EEA report earlier this year showed that little CAP funding was being spent on such farmlands, which are usually small-scale.⁸ Green groups want an EU payment scheme to support such activities, rather than intensive farming, as part of a revised agricultural policy. The Commission is set to unveil its proposal for reforming the CAP in mid November.

The Ghent conference also saw the release of the latest report from the influential The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) project, this time aimed at local and regional policy-makers.⁹ Factoring ‘ecosystem services’ into policy-making can help cities and regional authorities save money, the report argues, while boosting the local economy, enhancing quality of life, securing livelihoods and generating employment.

A new book, sponsored by UNEP, argues that biodiversity loss is harming medical science. Medical practitioners have harnessed natural substances for treatments and cures for thousands of years. The whittling away of nature's cornucopia threatens to compromise the ability of current and future researchers to make discoveries that benefit patients everywhere, the authors say.

A critical global assessment of biodiversity issued in May noted that none of the 21 global sub-targets set by the UN for 2010 have been achieved.¹⁰

Ghent Conference: http://www.lne.be/en/2010-eu-presidency/events/bio-diversity-post-2010; European Commission: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/consultations/biodecline.htm; European Parliament, Environment Committee: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/; TEEB: http://www.teebweb.org/; ‘Sustaining Human Life: How Human Health Depends on Biodiversity’: Oxford University Press

Gulf spill: the aftermath

As engineers announced they had finally capped the Deepwater Horizon well in the Gulf of Mexico, attention turned to the long-term implications of the disaster for both the environment and human health. A preliminary report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and other federal agencies says no ‘dead zones’ have been observed or are expected as a result of the oil spill, the largest in US history.

Tests showed dissolved oxygen levels have dropped by about 20% from their long-term average. Scientists attribute these lower levels to microbes using oxygen to consume the oil. However, dissolved oxygen levels measured within 60 miles of the wellhead have stabilized and are not low enough to become ‘dead zones’ – an area of very low dissolved oxygen that cannot support most life. “While we saw a decrease in oxygen, we are not seeing a continued downward trend over time,” according to Steve Murawski, NOAA's Chief Scientist for Fisheries and the head of the Joint Analysis Group.

Dead zones, also known as hypoxic areas, are defined in marine waters as areas in which dissolved oxygen concentrations are below 2 mg/l. They are commonly observed in the nearshore waters of the western and northern Gulf of Mexico in summer, but not normally in the deep water layer (3300–4300 feet) where the lowered oxygen areas in this study occurred [see separate item below].

Meanwhile, the National Institutes of Health is launching a multi-year study into the potential health effects from the oil spill. The study will focus on workers' exposure to oil and dispersant products, and potential health consequences such as respiratory, neurobehavioral, carcinogenic, and immunological conditions. It is also expected to evaluate mental health concerns and other oil spill-related stressors such as job loss, family disruption, and financial uncertainties. BP is contributing $10 million for this and other important health research through the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GRI), a ten-year, $500 million independent research program to better understand and mitigate the environmental and potential health effects of the Gulf spill.

Other studies suggest the spill has dented the public's trust in scientists overall. More people are likely to believe scientific studies claiming that oil drilling is riskier, not safer, than was previously thought, according to a new study of attitudes in California. The findings, published in the journal Public Understanding of Science (PUS), show that scientists' efforts to influence public opinion have a limited effect. The team, led by Eric Smith of the University of California, Santa Barbara, concludes that prior beliefs play a critical role in many policy disputes, muting the influence of scientific studies.

On the separate issue of hydraulic fracturing in natural gas extraction, EPA has issued voluntary information requests to nine companies as part of a scientific study initiated last year.¹¹ The study aims to determine whether the practice has an impact on drinking water and the public health of people living in the vicinity of hydraulic fracturing wells.

NOAA Joint Analysis Group: http://ecowatch.ncddc.noaa.gov/JAG/index.html; Gulf Worker Study: http://www.niehs.nih.gov/about/od/programs/gulfworkerstudy.cfm; EPA: http://water.epa.gov/type/groundwater/uic/class2/hydraulicfracturing/index.cfm#voluntary

Expanding threat of hypoxia in US waters

Incidents of hypoxia – a condition in which oxygen levels drop so low that fish and other animals are stressed or killed – have increased nearly 30-fold in US waters since 1960, according to a new interagency report.

Hypoxia incidents were documented in nearly 50% of the 647 waterways assessed, including the Gulf of Mexico, home to one of the largest such zones in the world. The condition has been prevalent throughout the Gulf and the mid- and south-Atlantic coastal regions since the 1980s. Chesapeake Bay, in the mid-Atlantic region, has suffered from repeated summer bouts of hypoxia going back at least to the 1950s. The report was complied before the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, which has been subject to separate, intensive monitoring [see item above].

Federal research programmes are addressing many aspects of the problem and coordination among the relevant governmental entities is increasing, the report finds; as a result, some areas are now in better condition than they were a few decades ago. But overall, management efforts to stem the tide of hypoxia “have not made significant headway,” the report concludes, in part due to increased development and population growth in coastal watersheds.

“The report shows good progress on research into the causes of hypoxia and the specific management requirements to restore systems such as the Gulf of Mexico and Chesapeake Bay, but we still have a long way to go to reduce this environmental threat,” noted NOAA's Dr Jane Lubchenco.

Unnatural levels of hypoxia, which occur mostly in the summer, are primarily the result of human activities that deliver nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorous into waterways. Fertilizer runoff, sewage discharges, and air pollution are major contributors. The supply of added nutrients entering bodies of water supports blooms of algae, which in turn are decomposed by oxygen-depleting bacteria. The resulting hypoxia can suffocate animals that cannot move away, such as shellfish, and – depending on how quickly the hypoxia develops – either kill or force into less suitable habitat free-swimming animals such as fish, shrimp, and crabs.

National Science and Technology Council: ‘Scientific Assessment of Hypoxia in U.S. Coastal Waters’, http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ostp/nstc/oceans

Capturing benefits of methane hydrates

Methane hydrates are often in the news for all the wrong reasons – as a potential driving force in climate change. Now scientists are looking at how to exploit the huge locked-up reserves of frozen methane as an energy source.

Methane gas hydrates are formed when gas and water are brought together in a relatively unusual environment of high pressure and low temperature. Examples include beneath thick frozen soils in the Arctic and in certain settings in the deep oceans. As global demand for energy grows and continues to outpace supply for the foreseeable future, so does pressure to explore the use of methane hydrates as an economically-viable energy source.

Global reserves of hydrates are estimated at up to 22 000 trillion cubic metres, although it is generally agreed that only a small percentage of this might ever be recoverable. In the United States alone, the US Geological Survey estimates the resource potential at approximately 5600 trillion cubic metres. Assuming only 1% recovery, these deposits could meet the natural gas needs of the country (at current rate of consumption of 0.62 trillion cubic meters) for the next 100 years.

Research into the hydrates is being conducted by internationally-renowned scientists in several countries. To synthesize the rapidly evolving scientific and technological knowledge, UNEP, via its GRID-Arendal facility in Norway, is seeking to improve international collaboration in this area.

“Many nations are operating under the assumption that initial gas hydrate production (on a test scale) could occur by 2015, with the more realistic timeframe of 10–15 years for large scale commercial production”, said Yannick Beaudoin, Project Manager at GRID-Arendal.

The main implications of the research into methane hydrates revolve around the possible environmental costs of developing this new energy source versus their overall value to society. However, Mr Beaudoin notes, “the environmental impact of gas hydrate development cannot be well understood until initial field tests are conducted.” Ultimately, the research is expected to guide government and industry officials in their decision-making, and produce an online knowledge resource on this important topic.

Meanwhile, Methane to Markets, an international partnership promoting cost-effective recovery and use of methane in industry and agriculture, continues to grow. A recent ministerial meeting in Mexico heard that the initiative embraced 36 country partners, representing nearly 70% of global methane emissions. More than 1000 public and private sector organisations have also signed on to date.

GRID-Arendal: www.methanegashydrates.org; Methane to Markets: http://www.methanetomarkets.org/

Swedes tune biogas economics

Anaerobic digestion is likely to be the most cost-effective way of producing energy from biogas, according to a new policy paper from Sweden. The economic benefits of using biogas are more likely to result from the way it is produced rather than its use as an energy source, the paper concludes.

Sweden's biogas strategy, launched last year, focuses on anaerobic digestion of waste as a valuable opportunity to break the cycle of nutrients and thus provide a significant economic benefit in addition to the biogas produced.

According to the Swedish Energy Agency study, the total volume of biogas generated through anaerobic digestion could more than double from the current estimate of 1.5 terawatt hours to 3–4 TWh. This would maximise the environmental and climate benefits, primarily by cutting methane emissions, using sewage sludge and manure, and also food waste from restaurants and industry. A subsidy of SKr0.2 (2 eurocents) per kilowatt hour is proposed for biogas produced from manure.

Using biogas should be “a priority for heavy vehicles in urban areas”, the Environmental Protection Agency said in a statement. Recent research suggests a doubling of the biological waste-to-energy market in Europe by 2016.¹²

Swedish Energy Agency: http://www.energimyndigheten.se/; Swedish EPA: http://www.naturvardsverket.se/

Chemical hazards

Authorisation for SVHC chemicals

EU ministers have voted to add the first six substances of very high concern (SVHCs) to an authorisation list under the REACH chemicals regulation. These substances cannot be used in the EU without special approval. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) recommended their inclusion in the list in 2009.¹³

Under the new rules, the phthalates DEHP, BBP and DBP, flame retardant HBCDD, and the chemicals musk xylene and MDA cannot be used in the EU for periods varying between 42 and 54 months after the law's entry into force, expected in January. The launch of the authorisation list was long delayed because of internal disagreements within the EU executive over substitution requirements.¹⁴ Ministers also approved new criteria for classifying a substance as persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) and very persistent and very bioaccumulative (vPvB).

In addition, eleven new chemicals are earmarked for inclusion in the SVHC list under proposals tabled by ECHA. The substances have been proposed because of their potentially serious effects on human health or the environment. Eight of the substances, including four types of cobalt, are considered as carcinogenic, mutagenic and/or toxic for reproduction (CMR). The other three are proposed because of their PBT properties.

Companies using chemicals on the SVHC list are obliged to provide information about their use on request. All 38 substances on the list may eventually be subject to authorisation under REACH.

ECHA: http://echa.europa.eu/doc/press/pr_10_16_svhc_consultation_20100830.pdf

Parliament expands biocide authorisations

The number of biocides subject to approval at EU level would be expanded under new rules being backed by the European Parliament. Under the proposals, most biocidal products would be eligible for such authorisations from 2017. The Parliament wants companies to be able to seek EU approval when bringing new biocidal products to market, rather than resorting to national authorities. Industry groups say EU-wide authorisation should apply to all biocides.

Meeting in plenary session in Strasbourg, MEPs deleted a provision that would have allowed the EU to charge annual fees for authorisation. They also shortened the timeline for the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) to evaluate a biocidal product from nine months to three. Green MEPs argued it would be difficult for ECHA to handle such an increase in authorisations without extra resources, a concern also shared by the European Commission. It had proposed that only new or “low-risk” products would be eligible for EU authorisation.

MEPs approved an amendment allowing governments to make minor adjustments to EU authorisations in certain circumstances. Exclusion criteria used to ban the most dangerous substances were also strengthened by adding environmental criteria and allowing derogations only in extreme cases.

Ministers have been less enthusiastic about expanding the scope of the biocides directive.¹⁵ They want a 2020 deadline for increasing the number of biocides requiring authorisation. Some countries prefer to see more substances authorised at national level. Speaking after the vote German MEP Christa Klass, who is the Parliament's lead on the issue, said she was “fairly sure” the Council and the Commission would eventually fall into line. The Belgian Presidency hopes to reach a first reading agreement among ministers by December.

European Parliament: http://www.europarl.europa.eu; Green/EFA group: www.greens-efa.org; NGO reaction: http://www.wecf.eu/

France commits to pesticide reductions

France is to cut non-agricultural use of pesticides by 50% by 2018 under a framework agreement between the government, local authorities and industry.

The use of pesticides in areas such as roads, pavements, parks, playgrounds, sports fields, industrial sites and airports represents about 5% of annual pesticide use in France and can lead to water contamination, the government says.

The signatories agreed to better train pesticide users, favour urban developments that require minimal pesticide use, and improve maintenance practices so that pesticides are only used as a last resort. They will also create a professional information exchange.

French Environment Ministry: http://www.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/

Waters at risk from illegal drugs

Research from Spain highlights the increasing risk to drinking water resources of cocaine, ecstasy and other controlled drugs. The results prompted researchers from the University of Valencia to issue a warning about the continued presence of these substances on wildlife and human health.

The researchers tested the water in the canals and irrigation channels in the L'Albufera Natural Park in Valencia for a variety of illegal drugs. They looked for the residue these drugs leave behind in human urine after they have been taken, and which end up in the water. “The results confirm the presence of drugs such as cocaine, amphetamines, codeine, morphine and cannabis in the surface waters at levels ranging between 0.06 and 78.78 nanograms/litre”, noted Yolanda Picó, lead author of the study.

The results, published in the journal Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, positively showed the presence of eight kinds of drugs, particularly cocaine and ecstasy. “Cocaine and its metabolites (such as benzoylecgonine) were ubiquitous in all the samples taken, while ecstasy (3.4-methylendioximetamphetamine, or MDMA) was also found very frequently”, Prof. Picó explained.

This indicates “with increasing likelihood, that drugs are reaching the sewer and channel systems, and that in many cases they could be affecting the irrigation channels and waters of the L'Albufera lake”, Prof. Picó added. The L'Albufera Natural Park is one of the most important wetlands in Europe because of its biodiversity of flora and fauna, and is a key area for migratory birds.

Exhaustive eco-toxicological studies into the risk these substances could pose to people and the environment have not yet been carried out. However, the scientists have issued a warning about the possible consequences. “The health problems potentially caused by consuming these, added to the fact that these residues are still strongly pharmacologically active, may have consequences for land organisms and aquatic fauna”, said Picó.

Yolanda Picó et al. in Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, 397(7): 2851–2864, August 2010. DOI: 10.1007/s00216-010-3720-x

Public & occupational health

Europe mulls nano register

Manufacturers in Europe would be required to make information on the presence of nanomaterials available to consumers and to maintain a register to trace these materials back to their source, under proposals being considered by ministers.

The measures, formulated by the Belgian Presidency, are the first concrete proposals following recent reviews and consultations on the tracing of nanomaterials.¹⁶ The paper urges the EU to develop a regulatory framework quickly to avoid a situation where differing national policies disrupt the market, as occurred with GMOs. France is already considering unilateral national action.

There has been continuing concern that the relatively new science of nanotechnology is not being covered by EU legislation. Although such materials are already used in products, little is known about their potential effects on human health. A recent consultation showed overwhelming support for a register among stakeholders.

Guidance on how the REACH chemicals regime will cover nanomaterials will not be complete until early 2011. But the Commission said a legislative definition of nanomaterials was being treated as “a high priority” and would be tabled before the end of the year. In the past, the EU executive has indicated that the existing legislative framework is capable of dealing with nanomaterials. A recent consultancy study concluded that they were only partially covered because REACH legislation only deals with parent substances used to create nanomaterials.¹⁷

Belgian Presidency: http://www.eutrio.be/

Regions hit out at GM policy

Regional representatives have criticised the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), claiming the agency is in urgent need of reform. Delegates at a Brussels conference on ‘GM-free regions’ voiced frustration with the way EFSA handles safety issues posed by genetically modified crops.

Responding, Health Commissioner John Dalli said he was aware of delegates' concerns and assured them that the authority's long-delayed guidelines on risk assessment would be finalised by November. A strict science-based authorisation system remains in place despite the recent decision to allow national bans on GM crops, Mr Dalli explained.¹⁸ The Commission will publish its own report on the socio-economic implications of GMO cultivation by the end of the year, he added.

But many delegates remained unhappy with the lack of an EU-wide moratorium on GM approvals. Representatives of major food and retail companies, including Carrefour Group and EDEKA Nord, told delegates they would continue their non-GMO policy. The Brussels Capital Region is the latest European area to declare itself a GMO-free region.

GMO Free Regions: http://www.gmo-free-regions.org/

Research activities

Public ‘misled’ over nuclear waste

Greenpeace has accused EU advisors of producing misleading research on the deep geological disposal of radioactive nuclear waste, papering over continued concerns from scientists. The European Commission and the public are being mislead in the debate on future disposal options, Greenpeace says.

A draft nuclear waste directive is due this autumn. The EU's Joint Research Centre (JRC) and the Geological Disposal Technology Platform (IGD-TP) – an industry grouping – have said that there is a scientific consensus on safety issues, and that construction should proceed.

But Greenpeace disagrees, saying there is still a risk that radionuclides from such disposal facilities could be released in groundwater, future glaciations could cause faulting of the rock, or earthquakes could damage the containers. The JRC and IGD-TP reports make little or no reference to scientific studies, it adds.

A Commission spokesperson insisted there is broad international consensus that deep geological disposal is safe, reflected in the conclusion of the OECD's Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA). The JRC report was thoroughly reviewed by the IAEA and the NEA, and no major conceptual or research gap was found, he added. Greenpeace said the NEA position was based on the collective views of national experts rather than an objective analysis of scientific evidence.

Meanwhile, a strong majority of stakeholders including industry representatives and public authorities would support binding EU legislation on nuclear waste, according to the results of a public consultation. The conclusion is in line with previous public polling.¹⁹ The Commission expects to table legislative proposals before the end of the year.²⁰

Greenpeace: www.greenpeace.org; EC consultation: http://ec.europa.eu/energy/nuclear/consultations/doc/2010_05_31_fuel_waste_summary.pdf

Europe seeks new approach on biotech

The European Commission is to set out “a more coherent approach” to biotechnology research, Research Commissioner Maire Geoghegan-Quinn has announced. Research policy in this area is “fragmented”, she said.

The new policy will be outlined in a forthcoming policy paper and will be in place by the end of 2011 in time for the EU's next research framework programme. It will aim to “build a knowledge-based bio-economy”, Ms Geoghegan-Quinn said. Biotech research is central in a wide range of areas, from developing biological materials to green industrial processes in sectors such as food, chemicals and paper. A consultation will be launched later this year.

Europe's seventh research framework programme has dedicated nearly €2bn to biotechnology research.

European Commission: http://europa.eu/rapid/ (reference: SPEECH/10/423)

European patent at risk

The prospect of a true Europe-wide patent appears to be receding after European Commission proposals were challenged by the European Parliament and some governments.

During the summer the Commission had proposed to grant an EU patent as long as it is in one of the three official languages of the European Patent Office (English, French or German) and the claims are translated into the other two languages. The EU patent would then be valid throughout the EU. The Commission hoped that this would greatly reduce costs. At the moment a patent validated in 13 Member States is estimated to cost €20 000, compared to the US equivalent of €1850. However, even with the proposed changes, the Commission estimates that the average EU patent will cost €6200.

The Commission says that the proposal is unlikely to be successful and that this would have a detrimental effect on the EU's innovative capacity. The Belgian Presidency said it would continue to push for agreement, nevertheless.

References

1. M. Sharpe, J. Environ. Monit., 2010, 12, 1385.
2. M. Sharpe, J. Environ. Monit., 2009, 11, 2108.
3. M. Sharpe, J. Environ. Monit., 2010, 12, 1503.
4. M. Sharpe, J. Environ. Monit., 2010, 12, 393.
5. M. Sharpe, J. Environ. Monit., 2010, 12, 1506.
6. M. Sharpe, J. Environ. Monit., 2007, 9, 220 , 338 & 494.
7. M. Sharpe, J. Environ. Monit., 2010, 12, 568.
8. M. Sharpe, J. Environ. Monit., 2010, 12, 1008.
9. M. Sharpe, J. Environ. Monit., 2009, 11, 2108; M. Sharpe, J. Environ. Monit., 2010, 12, 1386.
10. M. Sharpe, J. Environ. Monit., 2010, 12, 1386.
11. M. Sharpe, J. Environ. Monit., 2010, 12, 1008.
12. M. Sharpe, J. Environ. Monit., 2010, 12, 1503.
13. M. Sharpe, J. Environ. Monit., 2009, 11, 467.
14. M. Sharpe, J. Environ. Monit., 2010, 12, 1010.
15. M. Sharpe, J. Environ. Monit., 2010, 12, 395.
16. M. Sharpe, J. Environ. Monit., 2010, 12, 1509.
17. M. Sharpe, J. Environ. Monit., 2010, 12, 1647.
18. M. Sharpe, J. Environ. Monit., 2010, 12, 1647.
19. M. Sharpe, J. Environ. Monit., 2010, 12, 1385.
20. M. Sharpe, J. Environ. Monit., 2010, 12, 1217.

---