The fight against climate change has been organised in such a way that it offers developing countries opportunities for economic and social development.
With their signature of the Kyoto Protocol, most industrialised countries have agreed to limit their CO2 emissions through a quota system.
If need be, however, they may make use of a mechanism that allows them to buy additional emission rights on international markets from developing or emerging economies, which have no limits on their emission levels.
If developing or emerging countries ... continua

The European Commission’s Directorate-General Environment presents a video report on the concrete measures proposed by the European Commission. It includes interviews with key voices.

With the active involvement of the EU, the Bali Conference, last December, demonstrated that a global agreement on climate change is feasible. Today, the European Commission's new energy and climate package aims to slash the EU's greenhouse gas emissions by at least 20% by 2020, and by 30% if other industrialised countries agree to do the same.
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Commonly referred to by its acronym of CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora is a long-standing international agreement adopted in Washington in 1973, under the aegis of the United Nations. It has been in force since 1975. The 171 States (including the Member States of the European Union) who subscribe to this convention are committed to regulating international trade in wild animals and plants so as to prevent the threat of trade to species in danger of extinction. The European Union is an active ... continua

Labour law is an important tool, not only in dealing with the management of the workforce, but also in providing a sense of security to workers and citizens in a world of rapid change and high mobility of capital and technology.
The Commission is not aiming for a "one-size-fits-all" approach as a miracle recipe across the EU. Taking as examples the Netherlands, Belgium and Spain, the video shows how three EU member states adapt their national employment models according to the changing needs of the labour market and how they apply the concept of flexicurity.
The ... continua

While more open trade leads to more overall benefit for growth and jobs, the EU recognises that, although European labour markets are usually capable of coping with globalisation, the consequences can also be negative e.g. job loss. In exceptional circumstances, specific support may be needed to deal with the situation.
The EGF is a new tool to help do this and is an expression of European solidarity with the people affected. What's been described as an economic shock absorber, the EGF will provide up to 500 million euros a year for those directly affected by job ... continua