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Green Plans in Action: European Union: Beyond the Borders: Background
Global Climate Change
#1
In 1979 the European Community signed the Geneva Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution. In 1992 at the Rio Earth Summit the EU was one of 189 countries signing the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. In March 2004, the more powerful provisions of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol were made legally binding in the EU. Under the Kyoto Protocol, the EU has committed itself to reduce emissions by 8% between 2008-2012, compared to the 1990 baseline. UN discussions have begun for developing a framework for climate change policies after the Kyoto Protocol's cap on industrialized country emissions expire in 2012.
#2
For more information on the EU Emissions Trading Scheme
International Sustainable Development
International goals and targets include those contained in the Millennium Declaration and those deriving from The World Summit on Sustainable Development held in Johannesburg in 2002 and related processes such as the Monterrey Consensus on Financing for Development, the Doha Development Agenda and the Paris Declaration on Aid Harmonization.
For more information on halting biodiversity loss
EU's Neighbor Policies
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The first seven ENP Action Plans were agreed to in early 2005 with Israel, Jordan, Moldova, Morocco, the Palestinian Authority, Tunisia, and the Ukraine. Their implementation will be promoted and monitored through sub-Committees and the Commission will report on progress in early 2007. A further five ENP Action Plans are under negotiations with Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Egypt, and Lebanon. Since the ENP builds upon existing agreements, the ENP is not yet 'activated' for Belarus, Libya, or Syria since no such agreements are yet in force.
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For more information on EU relations with Russia
GMO Precautions
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There is a general consensus between scientists that GMOs are not inherently unsafe, but that their safety for the environment, human health, and animal health needs to be assessed on a case-by-case basis before marketing. This approach is supported by international organizations such as the World Health Organization, the Codex Alimentarius, the FAO or the OECD.
#2
EFSA operates under the principles of openness and transparency, encouraging scientific input from all interested parties. They have now launched an open consultation on the approach of its GMO Panel in assessing 'hybrid' GM plants. EFSA has recently published a document providing guidance for the risk assessment of a broad spectrum of GMOs and derived products. For more information on the EFSA and GMOs
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For more detailed information on the labeling and traceability of GMOs
#4
In May 2006, The World Trade Organization confirmed a decision in favor of the US, Canada, and Agentina, and against the EU that the EU ban on GMOs under a moratorium from June 1999 - August 2003 was illegal. The ban has ended and no action by the WTO is likely to occur; however, surveys show Europeans are disinclined to accept GMO products. In practice, GMOs are only used as animal feed and for industrial processes. Ten years after the first commercial release, 90% of GMOs remain cultivated in 4 countries - US (55%), Argentina (19%), Brazil (10%), and Canada (6%).
International Economic Cooperation
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For more information on UNECE
#2
For more information on the EU and WTO
External Assistance
For more on the EuropeAid Co-operation Office
For more information on safe water
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