The Environment Chronicle

The "Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a framework for the Community action in the field of water policy" or short the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) entered into force. All member states have approved the results of the mediation between the European Parliament and of the Council. Within the next 15 years rivers, lakes and costal waters shall gain a good quality. The protection of groundwater will be improved as well. Measures of protection of the groundwater quality shall be taken even before the boundary values have been reached. Further on, the prices for water shall gein® more transparency. The member states have to report their water pricing differentiated by the sectors industry, agriculture, and private households. The target is that the consumers have to bear the operational costs at least (as it is common practice in Germany) to ensure an efficient handling of this resource.

On 20 December 2000, the European Commission adopted this decision: Article 1: Lindane is not included as an active substance in Annex I to Directive 91/414/EEC. Article 2: The Member States shall ensure that: 1. authorisations for plant-protection products containing lindane are withdrawn within a period of six months from the date of adoption of the present Decision; 2. from the date of adoption of the present Decision no authorisation for plant-protection products containing lindane will be granted or renewed under the derogation provided for in Article 8(2) of Directive 91/414/EEC.

The purpose of this Act is to facilitate a sustainable development of energy supply in the interest of managing global warming and protecting the environment and to achieve a substantial increase in the percentage contribution made by renewable energy sources to power supply in order at least to double the share of renewable energy sources in total energy consumption by the year 2010, in keeping with the objectives defined by the European Union and by the Federal Republic of Germany.

The 1992 Helsinki Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area has been frequently discussed and debated. It deals with the environment and biodiversity in both the seas and coastlines, and is legally binding in civil law.