• The Region issued the authorisation decree to build up and operate the Porto Empedocle LNG terminal (planned investment: 650 million euros) which includes the agreement setting relevant measures beneficial to the territory.

• Enel and the Region will work together to increase power generation from renewable sources and the development of innovative projects, through more timely authorisation procedures. Plans call for 400 MW of new green capacity over the next 4 years (planned investment: one billion euros).

The National Standards Body of Morocco has become the newest CEN Affiliate.
Brussels (17 August 2009) – As of 1 July 2009 Service de Normalisation Industrielle Marocaine (SNIMA) has become the newest CEN Affiliate. This brings the total number of CEN Affiliates to seventeen. A complete list can be found here: www.cen.eu/go/affiliates.

Is a focus on basic energy efficiency like cogeneration the sign of leadership from the industrialised world that we all need to progress in climate change talks?

COGEN Europe today called on the industrialised countries in Bonn to roll up their sleeves and get down to basics to break the impasse created by their lack of progress.

Europe and the developed economies must now tackle the overdue issue of their energy wastage and poor energy efficiency to demonstrate sincerity to the global community and to buy time for other technologies to mature.

30 July 2009 - Brussels
BirdLife reaction regarding CAP subsidies being used to support EU dairy sector.

Background information:
A significant proportion of the CAP budget is being used to support the EU dairy sector. Many of these measures are trade distorting or based on derogations to state-aid rules.

Following the publication of the review of the general vertical restraints Block Exemption Regulation (VRBER) today, FIA calls on Commissioner Kroes not to apply the VRBER to cars but rather maintain a sector specific Regulation for the automotive sector.

The Review of the VRBER - EC 2790/1999 adopted today aims at introducing new rules when the current VRBER expires in May 2010. These rules will regulate sales and distribution competition in markets ranging from cosmetics to internet sales to consumer durables.