This briefing analyses proposals for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) chapter on food safety and animal welfare published by the European Union in January 2015 The draft proposal provides a clear indication of EU trade officials’ intentions for the final agreement. This briefing explains how the proposed text will undermine existing health and safety regulations …
Briefing: CEE countries’ draft spending plans reveal flaws in environmental mainstreaming in EU funds
Following the entry into force in December 2013 of the legislation on EU Cohesion Policy 2014-2020, Member States began elaborating their framework planning documents on EU regional development funding, namely Partnership Agreements and Operational Programmes, laying down investment strategies and plans for the next generation of European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF). While the EU …
From Farm to Folk: public support for local and sustainably produced food
This briefing explains the results of an opinion poll conducted by TNS Opinion in 8 countries on behalf of Friends of the Earth Europe. Europeans were asked about their habits and views in relation to locally produced food. The polling found that Europeans see a lot of benefits to buying locally produced food, but that …
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EU spending plans: New money, old ideas
This report presents an analysis of the planned spending of European Structural and Investment funds in the Czech Republic, Croatia, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Slovakia for 2014-2020. It assesses whether the spending plans, in their current form, are set to deliver on the EU’s promise of sustainable and resource-efficient development in central and eastern Europe. It focuses on allocations …
Protecting resources and using them respectfully
The total amount of natural resources is limited. Non-renewable raw materials such as metals and oil are being used up. Other resources such as soils, water, or the atmosphere are overused. The amount of resource consumption due to our consumption of goods and services is enormous, and even today, it is far greater than what …
The hidden cost of EU trade deals
This report compiles all publicly available data on investor-state dispute settlement cases taken against EU member states since 1994. It highlights the irrefutable attack on recent EU accession countries and the environment, as well as the cost this system has already had on EU taxpayers and European democracy. The ‘investor-state dispute settlement’ mechanism has been …
