Is there light at the end of the tunnel?  Some time ago I remember reading a sombre cartoon that had as its caption: “Unfortunately, due to the on-going economic recession, the light at the end of the tunnel has been switched off”.  Fortunately, working for a solutions-based organization like WWF, I believe there still is light at the end of the tunnel, however I do worry about the lack of urgency and the apparent unwillingness by many of...

The National Protected Areas System, Greece’s backbone of nature conservation policy, is falling apart. Several ecologically unique national parks are at serious risk of irreversible damage, due to the inability of the local management authorities to counter the mounting threats to their conservation status. ...

Romania fast tracks investments in shale gas US energy giant Chevron recently obtained another necessary environmental permit for its shale gas exploration project in Eastern Romania, from the Environment Protection Agency of Vaslui County....

In a brief news release of July 25th, the Czech Government announced its plans to stop providing financial support to all new renewable energy investments, effective January 2014. According to Prime Minister Jiří Rusnok, the reason for this “legal amendment is the increasing financial burden placed on electricity consumers, due to the cost of support to renewable energy in electricity prices, which directly threatens the competitiveness of th...

In a non-legislative resolution, the European Parliament finally approved the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for 2014-2020.  The €959.988 million EU budget, which amounts to 1% of the EU’s gross national income, is shorter by €34.188 million, compared to the current MFF 2007-2013.  In June 2012, the Commission had proposed a €1.045.282 million budget....

In a June 11th vote on the new directive on environmental impact assessments, the European Parliament’s Environment Committee endorsed a proposal to include under mandatory EIA all shale gas operations. The adopted text includes provisions for strengthening of the quality of consultation with the public and accounting for the cumulative effects with other projects (which would end the practice of ‘salami-slicing’ into a multitude of smaller...

The recent dismissal from Cabinet of Environment Minister Delphine Batho, following her clear opposition to proposed cuts by 7% in France’s environmental budget, raised concerns about the future of environmental policies in France....

The Government of Romania announced in June the National Investment and Job Creation Plan. According to Prime Minister Victor Ponta, the plan aims to attract foreign investments worth over €10 billion in the areas of energy, mining, agriculture, infrastructure and industry....

In a draft law submitted to the Hellenic Parliament end of June, Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni aims to promote massive construction in ecologically sensitive areas, primarily islets and the coatline, many of which are protected by national and EU legislation.  The law also provides for the legalisation of illegal constructions, which deprives the national coffers of valuable revenues from the collection of the relevant financial penalties....

International Monetary Fund: World Economic Outlook Update-Growing Pains (9 July 2013)....