MAY NEWSLETTER EP INTERGROUP CCBSD

Editorial

Dear readers,

The month of May has flown by with the EP Intergroup on “Climate Change, Biodiversity and Sustainable Development" continuing to bring more events and fruitful debates to the European Parliament.

The month kicked off on 4 May with MEP Angélique Delahaye gathering stakeholders in the European Parliament to discuss "The Value of Biodiversity for Agriculture - How to both promote and support the agricultural sector?".

On the 26 May the Intergroup welcomed the Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, who provided the key note speech at the breakfast meeting "Managing Forest for Sustainable Wood" gathering 80 participants from the Parliament, Commission, Member States, forest owners and industry, and environmental organisations. The meeting was co-hosted by MEP Elisabeth Köstinger and MEP Miapetra Kumpula-Natri, bringing together the working groups on "sustainable forest management" and "bioeconomy"

Following this on the afternoon of the 26 a conference-debate was held on the newly updated Fertilisers Regulation, which is part of the Circular Economy Package. The meeting was hosted by MEP Jan Huitema and highlighted the need for new tools for farming in the circular economy.

To find out more about the meetings you will in this issue find the press releases and summary reports.

Don't miss our upcoming events for June, which include the European Week of Bees and Pollination taking place 13-16 June, with a whole day conference taking place on 14 June in the European Parliament!

Enjoy the reading!

The Secretariat

Past Events: April

The Value of Biodiversity for Agriculture

Policy-makers, Member States, the private sector, civil society, and other stakeholders were brought together by MEP Angélique Delahaye on the 4th of May in the European Parliament, Brussels to discuss the value of biodiversity for agriculture focusing on how to support biodiversity while supporting the agricultural sector. Angélique Delahaye MEP and Chair of the “Biodiversity & Ecosystem Services” working group …

Managing Forests for Sustainable Wood

Key policy-makers, forest owners, forest industry representatives, and experts from the environmental and nature conservation sector were gathered in the European Parliament by MEP Elisabeth Köstinger and MEP Miapetra Kumpula-Natri at the breakfast meeting entitled “Managing Forests for Sustainable Wood”to discuss the role of sustainable management of EU’s forests in providing renewable raw material for all outlets of the bioeconomy. …

New Tools for Farming in the Circular Economy

Policy-makers and stakeholders gathered in the European Parliament to discuss the recently updated Fertilisers Regulation underlining that the creation of a single market is crucial in order to provide businesses and farmers with the variety of tools needed to achieve a circular economy. Jan Huitema MEP chaired on the 26th of May the conference entitled “New Tools for Farming in …

Upcoming Events

Bees caring for Europeans. Europeans caring for Bees?

Since 2012, the European Week of Bees and Pollination takes place annually in the European Parliament offering the opportunity for representatives of the European institutions, national institutions, the beekeeping sector, farmers, animal health specialists, NGOs, scientists, and industry from fields related to bees and biodiversity to meet to exchange views, discuss the current challenges and formulate recommendations to be addressed …

MPAs: between the MSFD and the CFP - How to strike the right balance?

European marine areas and coastal zones require good governance to balance environmental protection with social and economic needs. Among the tools, policies and instruments the EU and its Member States can use to protect marine waters (e.g. Marine Protected Areas – MPAs) are two closely interlinked directives; On the one hand, the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), which aims at …

Small Scale Fisheries in European Coastal Communities and Regions

In collaboration with the Committee of the Regions this event to be held Monday 27 June aims to ensure debate to identify what steps might be needed to assist local fishing communities in their transition to the future. The development of the Blue economy in Europe on local and regional level is one of the priority areas for the CoR …

Water - Energy - Food Nexus: Can it help us deliver the Sustainable Development Goals?

The IUCN European Regional Office in collaboration with Oxfam is pleased to invite you to the following High-Level panel discussion as part of the European Development Days 2016. The water-energy-food nexus involves analysing the complex trade-offs involved in managing food, energy and water resources. Synergies between sectors that can enhance resource security and well-being are hard to mobilise...

For more information on the Intergroup visit the website or contact Paolo Mattana, Secretariat of the
Intergroup.

The Secretariat of the EP Intergroup on "Climate Change, Biodiversity and Sustainable Development" is managed by EBCD, the European Bureau for Conservation and Development.

The views expressed in the newsletter do not necessarily reflect those of EBCD. The EP Intergroup on "Climate Change, Biodiversity, and Sustainable Development" brings together Parliamentarians, EU and international policy-makers and stakeholders to debate and form ideas and policies in a cross-sectoral and cross-party manner by allowing exchanges of different and sometimes divergent opinions.