Environment

Poland fires against climate goals

Already a few days after the election of the Polish Parliament (Sejm) the strong headwinds from Polish nationalists against international climate protection goals are noticeable. This could not only weaken European ambitions but also endanger the UN climate conference in Paris more generally.

Wednesday 4 November 2015

UN-climate conference: No perspective for a Plan b

To avoid severe, far-reaching and irreversible consequences for all humankind and the ecosystem, at the 21st Climate conference in Paris, binding goals for the 195 states must be determined. To stop a two percent warming of the Earth the industrial nations must act together especially. The EU has set for a while important measures however its influence still remains small.

Wednesday 16 September 2015

Naples, the Mafia and the garbage

For years the garbage problem of Naples has not been solved. Now the European Court has interfered and has convicted the region with a fine of 20 million Euro and 120 000 Euro per day in delay since the Verdict of 2010. However even here the Mafia has a finger in the pie.

Sunday 16 August 2015

The Power of Parliamentarians in Abolishing Nuclear Weapons

At first glance, the elimination of nuclear weapons appears to be a hopeless case. The Conference on Disarmament in Geneva has been paralyzed for many years. The Non-Proliferation Treaty is in crisis. The major nuclear weapons states refuse to enter into comprehensive negotiations for nuclear (…)

Wednesday 19 November 2014

Εnergy Europe, renovating the European project

Two months before the European elections the House of Europe organised on the 1st of April a debate between the representatives of political parties on environmental and energy policies. Pascal Durand, co-founder and candidate for the French Green Party and members of the European Parliament (…)

Sunday 13 July 2014

The EU & the green battle

Once upon a time the EU was a global leader in fighting climate change. In the last few years it has played a pivotal role in tackling CO2 emissions and boosting the green economy world wide. In international summits, EU representatives advocated radical change of industrial production and (…)

Friday 10 May 2013

An Assessment of Durban COP 17

Yet another Conference Of Parties (COP) finished in Durban in December 2011 with yet another decision to postpone action. Like in any European Council summit, after more than a fortnight of multilateral negotiations most national and regional delegations returned home and claimed victory in (…)

Saturday 28 January 2012

A Federalist solution to the Danube

That’s what we love to sing about in JEF. It’s a little cheesy, a little fun, but it also means something and sometimes we don’t always realise how true it is. Recently I had the privilege of being a guest of the think tank ELF (European Liberal Forum) for an event in Bulgaria to discuss the (…)

Sunday 6 November 2011

Nuclear energy in Europe: with or without you?

We should eventually phase out of nuclear energy. The real question however is about how to optimize the production and consumption of energy in Europe, in order to reach a low-carbon economy. The answer is the Single European Market for Energy. The consequences of the Fukushima trauma The (…)

Friday 7 October 2011

Europe : adjusting its nuclear strategies

The Fukushima disaster following the tsunami that hit Japan has revived nuclear fear in Europe. The EU heads of State have since then voiced different opinions concerning the issue, which can be explained by past national choices. These divergences therefore call for a reinforced collaboration (…)

Friday 29 April 2011

Nuclear risk management: is Europe ready?

After the events in Japan, the issue of preventing risks in nuclear safety is once again on the agenda. Debate resumed exacerbated fears: how do we cope with it in the West? Nuclear Safety: the French way EDF, the nuclear global leading operator being French, necessarily implies to get (…)

Tuesday 19 April 2011

Cities: Inescapable Actors for a Greener Europe!

“I think that a greener and more lasting Europe is essential for the improvement of public health and the quality of life of our citizens” Jüri Ratas, former mayor of Tallinn (Estonia), declared today - upon the competition of the city becoming green capital of Europe - a prestigious mark, (…)

Thursday 8 July 2010
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