Environmental digest

Legislation

Price rises force biofuels rethink

Sharp increases in cereal prices in world markets and concerns about environmental impacts are forcing a rethink on policies for biofuel production from energy crops.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has called for the EU and US to tone down their measures, saying there was a need for “adjusting biofuel mandates when global markets come under pressure and food supplies are endangered”. In an interview in the Financial Times, FAO head José Graziano da Silva was even more explicit about the need to lower or temporarily scrap US ethanol quotas. This would “give some respite to the market and allow more of the crop to be channelled towards food and feed uses”, he explained.

EPA is currently reviewing the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) after the governors of two major US agricultural states – Arkansas and North Carolina – asked for a temporary waiver. In letters sent to the EPA in August, they said ethanol production now used about 40% of US-grown corn, which was having a devastating economic impact on the poultry and cattle sectors following last summer's severe drought. Business leaders are also concerned. Speaking at an industry event in Sweden, Paul Bulcke of food giant Nestlé said “agricultural food-based biofuel is an aberration”.

In Europe, meanwhile, the European Commission is preparing to publish a long-awaited impact assessment and proposal on the indirect land-use change (ILUC) effects of biofuels. Under the proposals, which have been widely leaked, biofuels from food crops would account for no more than 5% of final energy consumption in the transport sector by 2020. The estimated ILUC impact of three crop groups is given in an annex to the proposal, which aims to revise directives on renewable energy and fuel quality. Oil crops have the highest impact with 55 grams of CO₂ equivalent per megajoule, followed by sugars and cereals with 13 g and 12 g of CO₂ eq. MJ⁻¹, respectively. Feedstocks with no ILUC impact include waste, agricultural, aquaculture and forestry residues and “aquatic materials”.

The measures aim to revise the 2009 directive on renewable energy. One of the main changes would be to introduce a higher greenhouse gas (GHG) saving requirement of 60% for biofuel installations that started operating on 1 July 2012 or later. Under existing rules, this requirement applies to installations operating from 1 January 2017 or later. Other proposals are expected to include providing market incentives for biofuels with a low ILUC impact, a methodology for accounting and reporting estimated emissions caused by indirect land-use change, and simplifying rules aimed at EU biofuel producers for calculating GHG savings.

Industry reacted angrily, claiming the (unofficial) proposals threatened EU competitiveness and jobs. European biodiesel association EBB said the proposals would “wipe out the entire EU biodiesel sector” if they became law. The 5% limit on biofuels from food crops was “preoccupying” and based on “uncertain and unscientific” data, according to EBB. The ILUC factor of 55 grams of CO₂ equivalent was “badly calculated” and would seriously restrict producers' access to fuel markets because of suppliers opting for other biofuels. The association is also concerned about proposed accounting rules benefiting biofuels from sources such as non-food cellulosic and lignocellulosic materials, saying these risked leading to fewer agricultural fields and food price increases. Roughly 80% of biodiesel made in the EU comes from rapeseed oil.

Earlier this year a study from Germany's Friedrich-Schiller University raised doubts about the actual greenhouse gas savings of locally produced rapeseed biodiesel, saying they are not as high as suggested by the renewable energy directive.¹ These findings are confirmed by more recent research by Switzerland's Empa research institute. While many biofuels based on agricultural products do help to reduce GHG emissions, they lead to other environmental pollution such as too much acid in the soil and over-fertilised lakes and rivers. “Most biofuels therefore just deflect the environmental impact: fewer greenhouse gases, thus more growth-related pollution for land used for agriculture”, according to Empa's Rainer Zah. Only a few biofuels have an overall better ecobalance than petrol, Empa concludes, especially biogas from residues and waste materials, which – depending on the source material – impact on the environment up to half as much as petrol.

EBB believes that only biodiesels from palm oil may survive in the market, which is contradictory to EU objectives on sustainability since they are linked to deforestation in countries such as Indonesia. The proposal would also force Europe to import more diesel from Russia, costing billions of euros to its economy. Some 450 000 direct and indirect jobs are at stake, EBB pointed out, and Europe could lose an economic sector with an annual turnover of €10bn.

Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger refuted such claims, stressing that only second-generation biofuels would be allowed beyond the 5% limit. “The Commission's message for post-2020 is that our clear preference is biofuels produced from non-food feedstocks, like waste or agricultural residues. We are pushing biofuels that help us achieve substantial CO₂ emissions, do not compete with food and are sustainable at the same time,” he said in a joint statement with Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard. Assuming no major disagreements, a deal between Member States and MEPs could be reached in the spring.

FAO: http://www.fao.org; EPA: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/fuels/renewablefuels/index.htm; European Commission: http://ec.europa.eu/energy/renewables/biofuels/biofuels_en.htm; Empa: http://www.empa.ch/

Opinions fracture over shale gas

Europe is continuing to struggle to find a coherent response to shale gas exploitation despite an increasing body of evidence on the costs and benefits, both economic and environmental. A series of studies on hydraulic fracturing – also known as ‘fracking’ – by the Joint Research Centre (JRC), the European Commission's in-house scientific service, focus on the energy security benefits, climate change and environmental impacts.

In terms of energy security, shale gas production could help lower natural gas prices and keep dependence on imports under control, according to the JRC. The climate impacts analysis concludes that shale gas emits more greenhouse gases than conventional natural gas produced in the EU. But if well managed, it could generate up to 10% lower emissions than imports via pipelines. However, the authors warn these findings are “far from clear-cut”. The climate benefits of shale gas compared with coal use in electricity generation are clearer, with emission cuts of 41–49% estimated.

But shale gas wells are more hazardous to the environment and human health than conventional ones, according to a third consultancy study on environmental impacts. For individual projects, the study rates the risks of groundwater and surface water contamination as high. Risks to air quality and biodiversity are deemed moderate while seismic risks are considered low, although the cumulative impact of multiple installations would be much higher.

The study calls for “robust regulatory regimes” to mitigate risks and to improve general public confidence. This means removing numerous gaps in the regulatory landscape, such as in directives on industrial emissions, water and environmental impact assessments (EIAs). This latter point is backed up in a separate study commissioned by German Environment Agency UBA. It calls for mandatory EIAs for shale gas projects but says blanket bans are unnecessary. The Commission is expected to table a proposal to revise EIA rules in the autumn. A previous study for the Commission's energy department found that existing legislation could be amended to provide greater protection.²

The new scientific evidence had little impact in the political arena, with MEPs dividing along party lines when the issue was raised at the European Parliament's Industry and Energy Committee. Socialist and other MEPs criticised members from the conservative EPP group for the adoption of a “pro-industry” resolution. Opponents wanted to see more guarantees to ensure the safety of shale gas exploration and production. British MEP Fiona Hall of the liberal ALDE group said: “the resolution is too favourable to the shale gas lobby and does not sufficiently take environmental aspects into account.”

The Parliament's Environment Committee is also considering the matter, but is less divided following initial discussions earlier in the year.³ It is calling for tough environmental and health protections and a thorough analysis of EU legislation. MEPs also want the Commission to consider including fracking in the environmental liability directive and for operators to be obliged to disclose the chemicals they use. Other measures advocated by the Committee include the measurement of methane and chemicals in groundwater and of air quality levels at potential drilling sites prior to the beginning of operations, as well as regular sampling during operations.

Both committees called for additional scientific data on the impacts of shale gas exploration and production in the EU, apparently with little regard to the three studies published by the Commission just a week earlier. The issue will be considered by the Parliament's full plenary shortly.

Meanwhile, the Czech Republic has become the latest EU country to impose a moratorium on shale gas exploration. The temporary ban will apply from mid-October and last until at least next June. Environment minister Tomáš Chalupa said existing laws did not give sufficient certainty regarding the safety of such activities. Bulgaria and France also have moratoriums because of environmental concerns. Poland is involved in large-scale exploration with several state-owned and foreign firms drilling in more than 100 concession areas. One of these, Exxon Mobil, has stopped its activities because they were not commercially viable. Business leaders in France have called for a rethink on the measures there, which many see as a political move by President Hollande to protect an alliance with the Green party.

Elsewhere, the South African government has given the green light to shale gas exploration in the semi-arid Karoo region. Evidence of water contamination would be grounds to rescind the permit, the mines minister said, addressing fears its decision to develop the abundant resource could harm the environment. South Africa has some of the world's largest shale gas reserves.

European Commission: impact studies http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/jrc/downloads/jrc_report_2012_09_unconventional_gas.pdf, http://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/eccp/studies_en.htm and http://ec.europa.eu/environment/integration/energy/; European Parliament: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/; UBA: http://www.uba.de/; Czech Environment Ministry: http://www.mzp.cz/

Forest talks make progress

Steps towards a legally binding agreement to protect European forests are making steady progress after a successful meeting in Bonn. The week-long meeting was the first opportunity for delegates from 48 countries to discuss a draft text put forward earlier by a negotiating committee.

Last year, ministers from the pan-European region, including EU states, Russia, Turkey and Norway, pledged to strike a deal on forests by the end of 2013.⁴ A committee to steer the negotiations was setup six months ago.

The draft text would commit the treaty's signatories to national and collaborative measures to implement sustainable forest management, including addressing threats such as fragmentation, desertification, fire and disease. The role of forests as carbon sinks would also be enhanced. Further commitments cover climate adaptation, water and soil protection, biodiversity, afforestation and protected areas. National programmes and legislation would have to be developed to implement the agreed objectives.

Last year, ministers said the forthcoming deal should be implemented by 2020 but the draft sets no deadlines. Specific targets may be set in a protocol to the agreement, possibly after 2013. “Postponing talks on targets is unacceptable”, said Veerle Dossche, European forests campaigner at FERN. The NGO has questioned the effectiveness of the deal.

Further negotiations will follow in Turkey early next year.

Forest Europe: http://www.foresteurope.org/; FERN: http://www.fern.org/

Environmental quality

World faces ‘water bankruptcy’

Major regions of the world are in danger of running out of water as a result of climate change, growing population and escalating demands on finite resources. This is the stark message from a review of almost 200 international water-related projects undertaken by the Global Environment Facility (GEF). “The consequences of poor decision-making are dire”, the GEF says. “We face a ‘water bankruptcy’ in many regions of the world with implications for food and energy security, adaptation to climate variability and change, economic growth and human security challenges.”

Insufficient and disjointed management of human demands on water and aquatic systems has led to situations where both social and ecological systems are in jeopardy and have even collapsed, the GEF says. River basins in particular are set to experience growing pressures due to urbanization, rising water scarcity and poor water quality.

The report synthesizes findings of over 90 scientists worldwide assigned to five GEF International Water Science (IW:Science) working groups focusing on groundwater, lakes, rivers, land-based pollution sources, and large marine ecosystems and the open ocean. One of the success stories highlighted is the effort to rid Lake Victoria of alien water hyacinths, where an unsuccessful project using harvesting and chopping machines was replaced with biological control of the hyacinths using a weevil. The GEF-backed approach yielded immediate positive results for biodiversity and local communities.

Other key findings include that dissolved oxygen levels in marine areas (a critical ecological indicator) have dropped significantly over a relatively short time. In 2008, over 400 marine dead zones were known to span a total area of more than 245 000 square kilometres. The report also highlights a major increase of stored heat in oceans. Such changes could have negative impacts on ecosystems, sea levels and human livelihoods. Also, the management of groundwater remains isolated from other ecosystems, and the limitations in recharge capacity of aquifers are not well understood by decision makers.

Investing in science, in order to identify emerging issues and track trends relating to the use of water resources, can help to reduce such risks, according to the study. Links between science and policymaking also need to be strengthened. “One of the principal lessons from this review is that science must play a more central role in determining the nature and priority of these investments,” noted Ivan Zavadsky, GEF's International Waters Focal Area Coordinator.

The report was launched on the opening day of the GEF International Waters Science Conference held in Bangkok, Thailand. The conference discussed priorities for international waters science over the next decade and to enhance the use of science in GEF projects and beyond.

GEF: “Science-Policy Bridges over Troubled Waters”, http://www.inweh.unu.edu/River/IWScienceReports.htm

Safety and weather curb Arctic drilling

A combination of safety concerns and encroaching winter ice floes have put a stop to controversial oil and gas drilling in the Arctic Ocean. Companies withdrew from the region in mid-September in both the US and Russian territories as the winter weather moved in. But prospectors promised to return next year, despite the environmental and safety concerns.

In Alaska, Shell's offshore drillers abandoned hope of striking oil this year but drilled so-called ‘top-wells’ in preparation for the 2013 season. Shell had until September 24 to drill into oil reservoirs in the Chukchi Sea, according to US rules designed to accommodate the dangers of drilling in increasing ice and deteriorating weather in the environmentally sensitive region. The work finally got underway after a series of delays regarding permitting.⁵ Ice cover in unexpected quantities has also been a complication. Shell's activities in the Beaufort Sea, another Arctic province, were hit by similar issues.

Arctic drilling is estimated to have cost Shell $4.5 billion since 2005, almost one sixth of the company's annual capital spending budget, and has faced a series of setbacks. Other companies are making similar investments as they seek to exploit new fields. “The Arctic has a high cost of supply and it is going to take high oil prices to keep it competitive until we can drive down the costs,” noted ConocoPhillips Chief Executive Ryan Lance.

Russian company Gazprom Neft has delayed the start of drilling operations at its offshore Prirazlomnoye oil field due to safety concerns. The field is now expected to start producing oil in September or October of next year, according to a Reuters report. “Work won't start until the company can ensure complete safety,” a source close to the project told the news agency. The project to develop the 526 million barrel Prirazlomnoye oil field in the Pechora Sea, which is slated to make Gazprom the first company in the world to pump oil commercially from offshore Arctic fields, has already been delayed several times. It is estimated to have cost between $4 and $5 billion and is expected to reach peak production of 120 000 barrels per day in seven to eight years.

All of this makes European politicians' calls for a ban on Arctic oil and gas drilling look increasingly hollow. MEPs on the European Parliament's Environment Committee repeated these calls in their recent debate on EU offshore safety rules. The Parliament has already rejected such a ban in a vote last year, and the European Commission left any such measures out of its formal legislative proposal put forward last October.⁶ MEP Justas Vincas Paleckis, who is guiding the measure through the committee, said a ban was unlikely to receive backing from Russia, Canada and the US. But the proposal still appears among the 250-odd amendments proposed by MEPs on the committee.

European Parliament: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/; The Moscow Times: http://www.themoscowtimes.com/

New monitoring effort targets Gulf improvements

A new initiative aims to monitor reductions in nutrients – nitrogen and phosphorus – in watersheds in and around the Gulf of Mexico. The Mississippi River Monitoring Collaborative will evaluate progress toward reducing the amount of nutrients entering local waterways and ultimately to the Gulf. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is also preparing to update its technical standard for water quality monitoring to better measure the amount of nutrients coming from farm fields.

Nutrient runoff from agricultural, urban and industrial sources has been a persistent problem in the region and has contributed to the Gulf of Mexico hypoxic zone, an area of low oxygen that is largely uninhabitable by fish and other marine life. Efforts to tackle this are being undertaken under the remit of a multi-agency initiative known as the Hypoxia Task Force.⁷

The new Mississippi River Monitoring Collaborative, made up of federal and state agencies, is identifying streams with long-term nutrient monitoring and streamflow records. So far, the team has collected more than 670 000 nutrient data records from 12 states in the Mississippi River Basin, which it will use to evaluate where conservation practices and policies are working, and where new or enhanced nutrient reduction strategies need to be developed.

“It is important we continue to have strong cooperation as we work together to monitor the progress cities, industries and farmers are making as they make changes and address water quality concerns,” said Bill Northey, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture and co-chair of the Task Force.

EPA: http://water.epa.gov/type/watersheds/named/msbasin/index.cfm

Europe chases ‘blue growth’

The EU is to invest in maritime sectors as a way of boosting economic growth, according to a new policy paper from the European Commission. Marine minerals, renewable energy and biotechnology will be targeted, with detailed policy measures to be announced next year. These will aim to give confidence to investors in wind, tidal, wave and other offshore renewables and support coastal tourism while improving its sustainability. Strategic guidelines on aquaculture will also be adopted in early 2013.

Improving resource security through extracting minerals such as cobalt and zinc from the seafloor will be the focus of an impact assessment and policy paper to be delivered in 2014. The Commission estimates that 5% of the world's minerals could come from the ocean floors by 2020, rising to 10% in the next decade. Another paper to be issued in 2014 will focus on options to harness the potential of marine biotechnology to supply new drugs, chemicals and biofuels.

The proposal complements moves to embed environmental technologies in the EU's industrial policy (see separate item below) and to provide backing to bio-based industries which include fisheries and aquaculture.⁸ Many of Europe's marine areas are already under environmental stress, however, and will struggle to comply with new quality standards.⁹

European Commission: http://ec.europa.eu/maritimeaffairs/policy/blue_growth/documents/com_2012_494_en.pdf

Plastic soup threatens marine life

A ‘soup’ of tiny plastic particles is now ubiquitous in the world's oceans and poses an increasing threat to marine life, scientists say. The assertion is backed up by a series of studies in both the northern and southern hemispheres.

Tiny plastic particles enter the sea when plastic debris decomposes. The microscopic fragments, invisible to the naked eye, are the result of waste products such as plastic bags and bottles, degraded over years or decades by UV light and sea water. Such particles are probably also released from cosmetics and from clothes in the wash, subsequently entering the sewage system and surface waters and eventually reaching the sea.

Very little is known about the effects plastic nanoparticles have on sea life. A study funded by the EU and the Dutch government is monitoring the existence of plastics in the seas in order to learn more about them.

The research team, led by Professor Bart Koelmans of Wageningen University, exposed mussels to various concentrations of nanoplastic in order to discover the concentration at which an effect was noticeable. The team also varied the quantity of algae – the normal food source for mussels. By giving the plastic nanoparticles colour, and by measuring them using dynamic light scattering, it was possible to determine the particle concentration that exerted an effect. The researchers found that the extent to which the tiny plastic particles clump together is also extremely important for understanding particle uptake and the resulting effects in marine organisms. “It means that those effects are not easy to predict because the biological availability of the particles can differ enormously from one organism to another, and because variation in water quality also plays a role”, says Prof. Koelmans.

The researchers have developed a detailed computer model that enables them to analyse the interaction of plastic and other toxic substances in the food web. In a separate study, the team found 12% of fish had plastic debris in their stomachs. Debris also makes lungworms more susceptible to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which bind to plastics.

Other research shows the first traces of plastic debris have been found in what was thought to be the pristine environment of the Southern Ocean. Samples taken by the French scientific research vessel Tara from four different stations at locations in Antarctica revealed traces of plastic at a measure of approximately 50 000 fragments per square kilometre – a rate comparable to the global average. “We had always assumed that this was a pristine environment, very little touched by human beings,” said Chris Bowler, scientific co-ordinator of Tara Oceans. “The fact that we found these plastics is a sign that the reach of human beings is truly planetary in scale”. The schooner made a two-and-a-half-year, 70 000 mile voyage across the Atlantic, Pacific, Antarctic and Indian Oceans, to investigate marine ecosystems and biodiversity under climate change and will voyage to the Arctic in 2013.

Meeting in Honolulu last year, scientists and policy-makers promised a ‘cross-sectoral’ approach to help reduce the occurrence of marine litter and the associated risks.¹⁰

Effects of nanopolystyrene on the feeding behaviour of the blue mussel (Mytilus edulis L.); A. Wegner et al., Environ. Toxicol. Chem., 2012, DOI: 10.1002/etc.1984

Chemical hazards

New push toward global chemicals management

Governments worldwide are being urged to take action to improve the global governance of chemicals. Proposals set out by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) aim to make chemical management safer by 2020 and to convince governments of the need to take action. The recommendations focus on “mainstreaming sound chemicals management” in poor countries' development plans and greater industry involvement.

As a first step, the third International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM3), meeting in Nairobi, agreed to extend until 2015 a Trust Fund that has to-date provided over US$31 million to improve the management of potentially hazardous chemicals in 105 countries.

Concerns about the lack of progress in achieving the 2020 goal agreed at the Johannesburg Earth Summit ten years ago were first raised by Sweden in April¹¹ and then by the Rio+20 conference in June.¹² The ICCM3, organised under UNEP's Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) framework, addressed these concerns.

Delegates at the conference also recognized the need to better understand and communicate the risks posed by endocrine disrupting chemicals and marked them as an emerging issue under SAICM. There were also many calls to take action on highly hazardous pesticides, which industry experts and campaigners said were often deployed inappropriately by end users.

UNEP's Global Chemicals Outlook, published at the Nairobi conference, highlights the costs associated with poor chemicals management. Official Chinese data show the number of environmental accidents increased significantly between 2002 and 2009, it notes. The report also mentions disasters such as the Probo Koala scandal, which cost Trafigura $250m.

UNEP: ‘Global Chemicals Outlook’, http://www.unep.org/; and Nairobi conference: http://www.saicm.org/

EU f-gas production down in 2011

EU production of fluorinated gases (so-called f-gases) fell by 5% to about 44 000 tonnes last year, according to the European Environment Agency (EEA). Imports of potent greenhouse gases and sales in the EU also fell, while exports rose slightly. The figures are compiled from data submitted by the 120 firms that produced or traded more than one tonne of f-gas. Last year, 13 more companies fell into this category than in 2010.

The overall results mask differing patterns for the various gases. Sales of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which are mostly used in refrigeration and air conditioning, fell by 13% while there was a 17% rise in sales of the more potent greenhouse gas sulfur hexafluoride (SF₆). There have been calls for further restrictions on SF₆ and HFCs as part of the EU's current review of its f-gas rules, which will be completed later this year, and for substitution programmes to be speeded up.¹³

Shipping is one candidate sector. Environmental groups wrote to the European Commission recently suggesting the EU should ban the use of HFCs aboard new ships and extend onshore containment and recovery rules to existing vessels. The Clean Shipping Coalition, CDM Watch and the Environmental Investigation Agency say the new rules could legitimately be applied to all ships visiting EU ports. Ships were excluded from the original rules because of technical problems with alternative gases and an assumption that the sector's f-gas emissions would be tackled under greenhouse gas controls, but this is no longer the case, the NGOs say.

In a statement to mark International Ozone Day, Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard pointed to the need for agreement as soon as possible on a global phase-down of HFCs. The Montreal Protocol held important lessons for a new global climate agreement, she added, as it is legally binding and excludes those that refuse to participate from sharing in its benefits.

European Environment Agency: http://www.eea.europa.eu/; CDM Watch: http://www.cdm-watch.org/

Public and occupational health

UK bides time over bee pesticides

The UK has ruled out any immediate action over research linking bee deaths to neonicotinoid insecticides, despite measures elsewhere. France, Germany, Italy and Slovenia have all introduced limited restrictions and NGOs have called for an EU-wide ban. Concern has risen since two widely cited articles in Science published earlier this year.¹⁴

“None of the studies gives unequivocal evidence that sub-lethal effects with serious implications for colonies are likely to arise from current uses,” UK environment ministry DEFRA said in a statement. Furthermore, “existing studies submitted in support of the present regulatory approvals [for pesticides] fully meet current standards.”

A separate study by the Environment Agency and University of Exeter raised further questions about calculations used in some of the research linking neonicotinoids to bee colony collapses. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) reached a similar conclusion in June but is conducting a full review, due to be completed in December.¹⁵ The EU agency has also begun consulting on guidance setting out the methods that should be used to assess pesticide risks to bees. This will update the existing methodology for honey bees and introduce new rules for bumble and solitary bees, and should also be finalised by the end of the year.

NGO PAN-UK criticised the lack of action. “DEFRA and EFSA admit the risk assessment for these pesticides has been inadequate so why are they still on the market?”, a spokesperson asked. “They should be withdrawn immediately until the risk assessment is up to scratch”, he added. Retailers are also increasingly concerned and supermarket group The Co-operative has written to DEFRA requesting “an urgent review of the science and regulatory environment of neonicotinoid pesticides”.

Reacting to the French Government's decision to ban the use of Ilium OSR and Cruiser OSR, two neonicotinoids,¹⁶ EU Health Commissioner John Dalli said he would await the results of the EU's own studies before acting. Decisions should be based “on proper and robust science based risk assessments” rather than knee-jerk reactions he noted.

Meanwhile, Denmark has banned herbicides containing bifenox after finding levels in groundwater exceeded safety limits. It has also warned the EU the substance can break down on fields to give another herbicide, nitrofen, which was banned in 1986.

DEFRA: http://www.defra.gov.uk/; University of Exeter: http://www.exeter.ac.uk/; EFSA: http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/consultations/call/120920.htm

Europe's approaching to nano risks splintering

Businesses and consumers face the prospect of a raft of national rules and regulations on nanomaterials after Denmark became the fourth EU country to announce it is to create a national register. France has already established a mandatory nano reporting scheme for products containing nanomaterials and Belgium and Italy have similar plans.

The Danish plan was first raised in a budget announcement last year, which also saw €3.2m set aside for research on nanomaterials' health and environmental effects. It should help establish how widespread nanomaterials are and identify possible risks. A trial version will be launched next summer but the government has not issued an official start date.

France's reporting programme was finalised in February and begins in earnest next year. It requires firms that make, import and distribute more than 100 grams of a nanomaterial to submit an annual declaration with data on quantities and usage.

The possibility of a nano register has also been raised in Germany. The UK ran a voluntary reporting scheme from 2006 to 2008 but received very limited responses. The Environment Agency is conducting research on nanomaterial use.

Danish Environment Ministry: http://www.mim.dk/; Environment Agency: http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/

Final diesel engine study

The US-based Health Effects Institute has published the final version of a study into the health effects of exposures to emissions from new generation heavy-duty diesel engines. This final report updates a draft version published earlier in the year,¹⁷ adding a fourth study by Daniel Conklin of the University of Louisville describing an investigation into possible cardiovascular markers of diesel exhaust exposure.

The report focuses on results obtained in rats and mice exposed for 1 and 3 months (and some results in rats at 12 months) to exhaust from a 2007-compliant diesel engine with after-treatment to reduce particulate matter concentrations. The results have fed into an assessment by the International Agency for Cancer Research, which recently declared diesel exhaust a known human carcinogen.¹⁸

Health Effects Institute: ‘Advanced Collaborative Emissions Study (ACES) Subchronic Exposure Results: Biologic Responses in Rats and Mice and Assessment of Genotoxicity’, Research Report 166, http://www.healtheffects.org/

Research activities

Europe bets on eco-growth

A new industrial policy for the EU, due shortly, is expected to include several measures to turn Europe into a major producer of environmental technologies. A draft paper produced by the European Commission discusses the need to ensure that the advanced technologies developed in Europe are produced in the region rather than in other parts of the world. The EU has so far failed to turn its technological leadership into an industrial advantage, it notes.

Solar panels is one such example. The EU accounts for around 77% of the world market and more than 30% of patents for such technologies are European but only 13% of production is based there. The situation with lithium batteries is even worse, with 30% of patents coming from Europe but zero production. “If Europe cannot keep up with investment in the adoption and diffusion of new energy- and resource-efficient technologies, our future competitiveness will be seriously compromised,” the Commission warns.

To address this problem and encourage investment and job creation in eco-industries, the Commission will propose the creation of a European innovation partnership for clean technologies. The recently launched SPIRE partnership is also seen as playing a major role in the development and commercialisation of these technologies.¹⁹

Also, EU Environment Commissioner Janez Potočnik is considering setting up an innovation programme to support the development of clean air technologies in Europe as part of next year's air quality review. As part of its industrial policy, the Commission will also announce a ‘Fitness Check’ or review of EU waste legislation, followed in 2013–2014 by an action plan to develop new markets for waste and recycling. Other measures will include speeding up the development of standards to encourage the uptake of bio-based products.

Meanwhile, a coalition of NGOs, trade unions, and business associations have called for a big rise in green funding in the EU's next budget. The coalition of 48 groups wants 1% of the total EU budget for 2014–2020 to be allocated to the LIFE environment and climate funding programme. The coalition says this is money well spent given the scheme's multiple benefits and proven effectiveness. Legislators have warned NGOs not to expect a big increase in funding because of the squeeze on public finances.

European Commission: http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/index_en.htm

Time for the pan-European researcher

Europe should develop a common framework for the professional development of researchers, a recent study by the European Science Foundation (ESF) recommends. There is a real demand among researchers for a more structured approach towards professional development and active career planning, the report says. The ESF suggests using the UK-developed Vitae Researcher Development Framework (RDF) as a template.

Trials of the RDF across Europe gave encouraging results. The RDF enables researchers to evaluate and plan their own personal, professional and career development. It also supports principal investigators and supervisors in their role supporting the development of researchers, as well as trainers, developers, human resources specialists and careers advisors in the planning and provision of services. In addition, it offers employers an understanding of the blend of skills unique to researchers and their potential as employees.

The ESF recommends the creation of a European Researcher Development Framework (ERDF) in order to provide “a single European language” describing researchers' skills and attributes and thereby facilitate mobility. The European Commission should consider investing in such a framework to promote the professional development of European researchers, it says. Governments, research funders and research performing organisations should work together to offer researchers at all career levels adequate training and development means. But the study also stresses the need for individual researchers across Europe to take responsibility for their own professional development, for example using the suggested ERDF as a tool.

Martin Hynes, CEO, European Science Foundation commented: “this new study has revealed a clear need for a European Researcher Development Framework which can aid researchers' professional development. The adoption of the RDF, adapted as recommended in the report, would also be a great tool for supporting intersectoral mobility”.

European Science Foundation: http://www.esf.org/

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