Reacting to Bayer's decision to drop the Monsanto name as part of its near-complete takeover of the agribusiness giant, Adrian Bebb, food and farming campaigner at Friends of the Earth Europe said:
"Bayer will become Monsanto in all but name unless it takes drastic measures to distance itself from the US chemical giant's controversial past. If it continues to peddle dangerous pesticides and unwanted GMOs then it will quickly find itself dealing with the same global resistance that Monsanto did."
Today, Nigerian and international civil society organisations repeated their call for the immediate start of the long overdue clean-up of oil pollution in Ogoniland in Nigeria's Niger Delta. This should be undertaken in line with recommendations made by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in its landmark 2011 study of the region.
New podcast
In this latest episode of our 'Real World Radio Europe' podcast, we follow the remarkable progress of the fossil free campaign in Ireland.
The European Commission has taken a leap forward in tackling plastic pollution, with new laws to reduce throwaway single-use plastics.
The proposal, which is designed to prevent and reduce the impact of certain plastic products on the environment, and in particular the marine environment, sets a number of different policy measures to tackle these problematic single-use products, from bans and reduction efforts, to labelling and extended producer responsibility schemes.
The food and farming system in the EU is the result of different policies coming together over many decades. I now includes policies and laws connected to agriculture, food production, trade, food safety, seeds, environment, climate, nature protection, health, rural development, workers' rights and many more.
Nature protection efforts are being undermined by the European Commission’s failure to consistently challenge Member States on illegal nature destruction, warn four nature NGOs in a new publication today.
While the Balkans are increasingly popular as a holiday beach paradise, they hold a sparkling secret: The peninsula itself is home to the richest network of wild rivers on the continent. But the exclusive biodiversity, as well as the nature haven and water resources of many local communities are under a great threat. Over 3,000 hydropower dams and diversions are planned in the region, in addition to over 1,000 that already exist.
Commenting on the announcement today by the European Commission to provisionally approve the acquisition by German chemical company BASF of parts of Bayer's Crop Science business, clearing the way for the Bayer-Monsanto merger, Adrian Bebb, Senior Food Campaigner for Friends of the Earth Europe said:
EU governments today passed a total ban on bee-harming neonicotinoid pesticides on outdoor crops.
Commenting on the vote, Sandra Bell, bee campaigner for Friends of the Earth Europe said:
"This comprehensive neonicotinoid ban, covering all outdoor crops, is a tremendous victory for our bees and the wider environment.
Tomorrow, April 27, German Chancellor Merkel will visit Trump to discuss trade policies and next steps to avoid an escalating trade war with the US.
US President Trump has given the EU a one-month exemption from new measures to increase import tariffs on steel and aluminium entering the US market- until May 1st. The EU wants this exemption to be permanent and is already discussing a mini deal with the US.