Phthalates found in children at harmful levels in 13 out of 15 EU countries Brussels, 28 November 2019 – Government officials are facing a ‘flood’ of dangerously contaminated Chinese toys, figures crunched by the European Environmental Bureau (EEB) revealed today. National officials blocked 248 models of toy (likely tens of millions of units) from sale so far in 2019 after tests revealed illegal levels of toxic chemicals. Of these, 228 (92%) were categorised as “serious risk” ; 219 (88%) came  (...)

Unlike combustion engines that burn oil, batteries do not burn lithium or other minerals like cobalt and nickel, which can be fully recovered and used again. From a life cycle perspective battery-powered vehicles are already better than engined cars. However, they still have an environmental impact, notably in parts of their manufacturing and metals extraction. This paper, informed by the report available below, outlines T&E’s vision of how an upcoming EU regulation can minimise the  (...)

An open letter to the Croatian Government 12.12.2019 EU institutions On 1 January 2020, the Croatian Government will take over from Finland as the next President of the Council of the EU, the legislative body of EU member states. This is a key role which drives the agenda of the Council and steers member states through complex legislative negotiations.  Now civil society from Croatia and across the EU is demanding that the new Presidency takes  (...)

158 products tested in 12 countries : 60% contained too much mercury Some products had tens of thousands of times more mercury than legal limit International coalition of NGOs urge governments to end ‘toxic trade’ Skin lightening creams containing mercury – a heavy metal and dangerous neurotoxin – are still widely available to purchase in shops and online, despite being banned by governments. That’s the finding of new research by a global alliance of NGOs working to eliminate mercury pollution.  (...)

Taxonomy is the obscure name given to the list of economic activities that will be considered ‘green’ in the EU. The issue has been discussed in the rooms of policy wonks in Brussels but it will soon become a topic of conversation and controversy. Transport ModeAll modesRelated issuesAir PollutionClimate Change and EnergyNoisePolicy areaInvestment

09.12.2019 Investor privileges (ISDS) German coal giant Uniper is threatening to sue the Netherlands over a law to phase out coal. Under the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT), it could claim up to €1 billion in compensation. But opposition to this obscure agreement is growing. While the world is facing a climate emergency, German coal company Uniper is threatening to sue the Dutch government for phasing-out dirty energy. Watch our new video to learn about the community  (...)