Rhein on Energy and Climate

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Towards a greener European road transport

October 25, 2010

After two years of debate the Council of Transport ministers has arrived at a political compromise concerning the Commission proposal for charging the external costs – air pollution, noise and congestion –caused by lorries. This will be the first time that heavy duty lorries will subject to the principle “polluter pays”. It is a big… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

Business & Climate Change, Climate change, Energy Supply, English, Uncategorized

EU starting to adapt to climate change

October 19, 2010

Quietly and without being noted by the wider public, EU institutions have started to address the consequences climate change may have in Europe. European climate policy will therefore in future follow a dual track: mitigation, which has so far been in the limelight, and adaptation. This approach signals the rising awareness of policy makers that… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

Business & Climate Change, Climate change, Energy Efficiency, Energy Supply, English, Uncategorized

Exaggerated EU Hopes for the Cancun Climate Conference

With one month to go before the opening of the 16th ministerial climate conference in Cancun, the EU Environment Council, meeting on October 24th, has defined its expectations and “negotiation directives”. The “Council Conclusions” adopted to that end contain a lot of exaggerated hopes, couched in an excessive technical jargon. Who would not agree that… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

Business & Climate Change, Climate change, Energy Efficiency, Energy Supply, English, Environment, EU Priorities and Opinion, EU Treaty & Institutions, Sustainable Dev., Uncategorized

Addressing C02 emissions from air traffic

October 15, 2010

On October 9th 2010, the 192 member governments of the ICAO have agreed on a resolution to address C02 emissions from air traffic, which has rightly been dubbed “historic”. It calls upon • a 2 percent annual improvement of fuel efficiency up to 2050; • the development of C02 standards of aircraft engines by 2013;… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

Climate change, Energy Supply, English, Environment, Security, Sustainable Dev., Transport & Services, Uncategorized

The imperceptible EU Advance to Power

October 12, 2010

On an ordinary October day 2010 the international media carried four reports concerning EU activities: EU moves to block a Polish deal with Russia; EU claims victory over aircraft C02 emissions; EU Parliament to extend motherhood vacation to 20 weeks; EU Presidency proposes compromise over environmental levies on trucks. Each of these apparently trivial and… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

Economy & Euro, Energy Efficiency, Energy Supply, English, EU Priorities and Opinion, EU Treaty & Institutions, Uncategorized

The US Army discovers Alternative Energies

October 8, 2010

US militaries have for a long time warned of the impact from climate change global security and, more directly, of the security risks resulting from excessive US dependence on imported oil from an unstable Middle East. But recently, as the New York Times reports, the Army has taken concrete steps towards weaning itself off fossil… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

Climate change, Energy Efficiency, Energy Supply, English, Sustainable Dev., Uncategorized

Making the Best of the Cancun Climate Conference

In two months another climate conference will take place. Formally it will be the 16th meeting of the “Contracting Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change” (COP 16). Nobody following climate issues has high expectations for its outcome. That makes it different from Copenhagen. After the failure of the climate legislation package in… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

Climate change, English, Environment, Sustainable Dev., Uncategorized

Re-assessing the future of EU enlargement

October 6, 2010

The EU has been in a process of permanent enlargements since its very beginning in 1958. In 2010 it is negotiating with two more candidate countries: Croatia and Turkey. It has given membership promises to six West Balkan countries (Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Bosnia, Albania and Kosovo). In the East, Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia also cherish… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

English, Enlargement & Neighbours, EU Priorities and Opinion, EU Treaty & Institutions, Uncategorized

The Catholic Church should preach the “two children family”

October 4, 2010

The Philippine President Aquino has angered the Catholic Church in his country by announcing his intention to make contraceptives freely available to couples who cannot afford them. This incident did not happen in the 20th century but at the end of September 2010! No other single institution in the world has been responsible for so… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

Business & Climate Change, Climate change, Education, English, Environment, EU Priorities and Opinion, Justice & Home Affairs, Languages & Culture, Public Affairs, Security, Uncategorized, Workers mobility

Rhein on Energy and Climate

Thoughts on energy and climate, the Mediterranean and whatever comes to mind.

Eberhard Rhein has devoted most of his life to European and global issues. During the 1980s and  1990s,  he served successively as chef de cabinet to the Commission VP in charge of external relations and director responsible for the Mediterrranean and Arab world.

For the past 10 years he has focused more on global environmental issues.

He also gives a course on economic  policy at the "Mediterranean Academy for Diplomatic Studies" in Malta. He is the author of many articles on EU, Mediterranean and international subjects


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