These past weeks, the following interesting official documents and articles have been read in the press:

OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS

• Discours de M. le Président de la République sur la stratégie de la France dans la lutte contre le réchauffement climatique, Artemare (Ain) – Jeudi 10 septembre 2009 http://www.elysee.fr/documents/index.php?lang=fr&mode=view&cat_id=7&press_id=2898

• Speech of Andris Piebalgs, Energy Commissioner, Offshore wind energy – a climate-friendly power system , at the European Offshore Wind Conference 2009, Stockholm, 14 September 2009 http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/09/387&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

• Mariann Fischer Boel, Member of the European Commission responsible for Agriculture and Rural Development, A changed climate for making agricultural policy , Informal meeting of Agriculture and Fisheries Ministers, Sweden , Växjö, 15 September 2009 http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/09/389&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

• Speech of Dr. Joe Borg, Member of the European Commission , Responsible for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs, An integrated approach to science for an integrated maritime policy, "Oceans of Tomorrow" joint call, Brussels, 16 September 2009 http://ec.europa.eu/maritimeaffairs/speeches/speech160909_en.html

QUESTIONS TO THE COMMISSIONS

• Implementation of the First Railway Package Directives http:///www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//TEXT+OQ+O-2010-0030+0+DOC+XML+V0//EN

• EU representation on the Arctic Council
  http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?language=EN

• Agriculture and the future 'EU 2020' Strategy
  Http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//TEXT+OQ+O-2010-0023+0+DOC+XML+V0//EN

• Genetically modified organisms
  http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//TEXT+OQ+O-2010-0021+0+DOC+XML+V0//EN

• Inland shipping
  http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//NONSGML+WQ+E-2010-1029+0+DOC+WORD+V0//EN&language=EN

• Biodiversity and the subjugation of environmental priorities to commercial interests
  http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//TEXT+WQ+P-2010-1014+0+DOC+XML+V0//EN&language=EN

• Legislative Process
  The provisional version of the EP Resolution n the CFP Reform
  http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=FR&reference=P7-TA-2010-0039

PRESS

• Climate Change

 Green economy and climate: More specific objectives, Europolitics, Anne Eckstein, 02.03.10,http://www.europolitics.info

One last push for climate legislation in Senate, Europolitics, Brian Beary, 04.03.10 www.europolitics.info

EU needs a 'Plan B' on climate change, The Parliament.com, Martin Banks, 03.03.10, http://www.theparliament.com/no_cache/latestnews/news-article/newsarticle/eu-needs-a-plan-b-on-climate-change/

• Fisheries

Whaling Commission Proposes Return to Commercial Whaling, European Environment News, 01.03.10. http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/feb2010/2010-02-22-01.html

• Biodiversity

2020 strategy undermines economics of biodiversity, says WWF, Euractiv, 04.03.10, http://www.euractiv.com/en/sustainability/eu-2020-strategy-undermines-role-biodiversity-economic-recovery-say-wwf-news-301200

International Tropical Timber Organization and Convention on Biological Diversity Enter into Partnership, CBD, 02.03.10, http://www.cbd.org/

• Forestry

EU targets action on forests, Euractiv, 02.03.10, hhttp://www.euractiv.com/en/sustainability/forest-green-paper-news-299524

• Agriculture

MEP De Castro calls impasse on agriculture “absurd”, Europolitics, Luc Vernet, 01.03.10, www.europolitics.info/

• Energy

EWEA: Council ignoring wind power, Europolitics, Dafydd ab Iago, 01.03.10, www.europolitics.info/

Commission fishing for experts on alternative fuels, Europolitics, Dafydd ab Iago, 03.03.10, www.europolitics.info/

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• Announcement

« The Environment Committee decided that the following MEPs will be in Doha for the CITES COP15 in March:

Ms Pietikäinen (EPP, Finland), Mr Gerbrandy (ALDE, Netherlands), Mr Eickhout (Greens/EFA, Netherlands).

© EBCD, European Bureau for Conservation and Development