European Union environment ministers officially gave up on a decade-old target to stop the depletion of the continent's animal and plant species on Monday. "We have missed our 2010 biodiversity target, obviously," European environment commissioner Janez Potocnik told reporters in Brussels following his first attendance at an EU environment council. "We must not repeat that mistake." "This is year we want to establish [new] baseline targets and develop a convincing strategy on how to ensure we won't fail again," he added.
"We have missed our 2010 biodiversity target, obviously," European environment commissioner Janez Potocnik told reporters in Brussels following his first attendance at an EU environment council. "We must not repeat that mistake."
"This is year we want to establish [new] baseline targets and develop a convincing strategy on how to ensure we won't fail again," he added.
Janez Potočnik, the European commissioner for the environment, said today that he was prepared to offer concessions to a group of six countries that are blocking a deal on the EU's first-ever law on soil protection. Speaking at a meeting of EU environment ministers in Brussels, Potočnik said he would make "further efforts to bring member states on board". Austria, Germany France, Malta, the Netherlands and the UK today re-stated their opposition to a draft directive on soil. The proposal, which would oblige countries to draw up plans to clean up contaminated soil and offset soil lost to urban expansion, has failed to make progress in the Council of Ministers for more than three years.
Speaking at a meeting of EU environment ministers in Brussels, Potočnik said he would make "further efforts to bring member states on board".
Austria, Germany France, Malta, the Netherlands and the UK today re-stated their opposition to a draft directive on soil. The proposal, which would oblige countries to draw up plans to clean up contaminated soil and offset soil lost to urban expansion, has failed to make progress in the Council of Ministers for more than three years.
