EU 2014-2020 budget proposals published

The EU has now published its proposals for its 2014-2020 budget. Relevant proposals include:

• Agriculture and rural development
• Climate Action
• Competitiveness and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises
• Economic, Social and Territorial Cohesion
• Education and Culture
• Environment

See the  EU 2014-2020 budget proposals (opens in a new window)

Report from International Programme on the State of the Ocean

An international workshop convened by International Programme on the State of the Ocean met at the University of Oxford earlier this year. The preliminary report arising from the workshop considers the cumulative impact of all stressors affecting the ocean (pollution, acidification, ocean warming, overfishing and hypoxia). The scientific panel concluded that:

• The combination of stressors on the ocean is creating the conditions associated with every previous major extinction of species in Earth's history
• The speed and rate of degeneration in the ocean is far faster than anyone has predicted
  Many of the negative impacts previously identified are greater than the worst predictions.

Although difficult to assess because of the unprecedented speed of change, the first steps to globally significant extinction may have begun with a rise in the extinction threat to marine species such as reef forming corals. Read the State of the Ocean Report Summary (opens in a new window)

EC Guidelines on the implementation of the birds and habitats directives in estuaries and coastal zones

• The European Commission has released guidelines on the implementation of the birds and habitats directives in estuaries and coastal zones with particular attention to port development and dredging. Recommendations from the guidelines include:
• The design of plans or projects should always be based on mutually beneficial strategies with a view to achieving dual goals of both Natura 2000 conservation objectives and socio-economic objectives.
• Damage prevention or avoidance measures should always be preferred to compensation measures.
• Pre-assessments to evaluate the potential for impact of a plan or project on Natura 2000 sites should always be foreseen.
• Thorough and timely stakeholder consultation is always recommended.
• Maintenance of ports and navigational access should be dealt with in the context of integrated management plans for the entire waterway or the affected Natura 2000 site.
• Capital dredging operations should be designed as a part of sustainable dredging and sediment management schemes.

The guidelines can seen in the European Commission Guidance Document (opens in a new window)