The angry riots against austerity in Spain, the “Green 10” evaluation report of the Commission’s half-term and the British Government’s review of the EU’s balance of competences set the environment for this month’s issue....

As US coal producers increased exports to Europe, prices have dropped by 26% in a year and demand has risen by 3.3 %. Over the same period, demand for natural gas fell by 2.1%, the sharpest decrease since the beginning of the economic crisis in the Eurozone. ...

The decision of the Rajoy Government to reduce the subsidies to the energy sector (renewables included), in an effort to curb public spending, has caused a heated reaction by the approx. 4,000 miners (less than 1/10th of the 42,800 coal miners in the early 90’s) working in the coal mines of Northern Spain....

The EU is running a serious risk of deindustrialisation, if current clean energy policies do not also focus on strengthening industrial activity, stressed Guenther Oettinger, European Commissioner for energy in an article published at German daily Handelsblatt....

Despite the inclusion of the FTT in the conclusions of the Euro-area Summit of 29 June 2012 and the formation of a pro-FTT bloc within EU-27, hopes for allocation by key states of the collected revenues to social and environmental priorities, thus making it a Robin Hood Tax, seem to be fading.  As stated at the July report of the Court of Auditors on the country’s public finances,...

Forty environmental and green economy measures are proposed by a coalition of Spanish NGOs, including WWF Spain, as the only sustainable solution to the economic crisis. The announcement, which coincided with the celebration of June 5th World Environment Day, include...

The mid-term environmental assessment of the European Commission shows poor track record on important environmental fronts. The report, which was produced by the “Green 10” coalition of Europe’s largest environmental NGOs (including WWF EPO), reviews the progress of the Barrosso II Commission, which started its second term in 2010. ...

The British Government announced the launch of a consultation process aiming at the review of the competences of the European Union. According to Foreign Secretary William Hague, “The crisis in the eurozone has intensified the debate in every country on the future of Europe, and there is no exception to that here.”...

Specific recommendations for national reform programmes | Council of the European Union (10 July 2012) European Council “recommendations to all 27 member states on the economic policies set out in their national reform programmes, and opinions on the fiscal policies presented in their stability and convergence programmes (11296/3/12 REV 3)”....

Rajoy announces 65 bn of cuts to fight economic crisis | The Financial Express (15 July 2012) How hydrocarbons can steer Cyprus out of crisis | Cyprus Mail (15 July 2012) Brazil to shun EU's austerity path: Rousseff | Agence France – Presse (14 July 2012)...