Published: 05 Nov 2010
Parties to the Convention on Biological
Diversity closed the Nagoya Biodiversity
Summit (COP10) by adopting decisions that
will permit the community of nations to
meet the unprecedented challenges of the
continued loss of biodiversity compounded
by climate change. The European Environment
Agency will continue to support Europe's
policymakers in implementing the ensuing
measures.
Themes
Biodiversity The meeting achieved its three
inter-linked goals: adoption of a new ten
year Strategic Plan to guide international
and national efforts to save biodiversity
through enhanced action to meet the objectives
of the Convention on Biological Diversity,
a resource mobilisation strategy that provides
the way forward to a substantial increase
to current levels of official development
assistance in support
of biodiversity; and a new international
protocol on access to and sharing of the
benefits from the use of the genetic resources
of the planet.
The European Union warmly
welcomed the agreement here in Nagoya on
a global strategy to combat biodiversity
loss, the mobilization of the necessary
resources to implement it and the creation
of a Protocol on Access to and Benefit Sharing
of genetic resources. In addition to continuing
to implement its own Biodiversity Strategy
of halting the rate of biodiversity loss
by 2020, the EU pledged to play its role
to the full in implementing the measures
agreed in Nagoya. The European Environment
Agency will continue shaping its supportive
role in line with European and global objectives.
+ More
Teaming up to cut noise
across Europe
Published: 10 Nov 2010
The impacts of unwanted noise can range
from mild disturbance to serious disease.
At a prestigious ceremony in London last
night, the European Environment Agency (EEA)
and the Noise Abatement Society (NAS) announced
a new European noise award, which will recognise
innovative solutions to noise problems.
Today, the EEA also publishes a set of guidelines
on the health impacts of noise.
Noise Noise pollution affects many Europeans.
Approximately 56 million people are exposed
to excessive noise from road traffic alone
in Europe’s largest cities. Exposure to
unwanted noise can cause stress and interfere
with basic activities such as sleep, rest
and study. But prolonged exposure can also
trigger illnesses as serious as hypertension
and cardiovascular disease.
NAS has for the last
10 years awarded ‘Noise Oscars’ to UK initiatives
that help reduce excessive noise. They are
now teaming up with the EEA to raise awareness
and reward initiatives all over Europe.
A new European noise award will be presented
for the first time in November 2011. Any
product, campaign, innovation or scheme
offering a creative solution to a noise
problem can be nominated for the award.
Guidance on health impacts
The Environmental Noise Directive (END)
requires EU Member States to produce noise
maps and action plans to reduce noise impacts.
The EEA Expert Panel on Noise has prepared
a Good Practice Guide on noise exposure
and potential health effects, which can
help national, regional and local authorities
to prepare action plans by concisely explaining
how to quantify health impacts.
New data on noise
The EEA has recently updated and improved
its Noise Observation and Information Service
for Europe (NOISE) database. It now contains
noise data for EEA member countries up to
30 June 2010. The data can be viewed in
a user-friendly interactive map tool or
can be downloaded in a variety of formats.
For the first time, the map viewer also
displays local noise contour maps for selected
areas.
Background information
The Agency established the Expert Panel
on Noise (EPoN) in January 2009 to facilitate
the implementation and development of Europe’s
noise policy. The panel consists of national
noise experts who advise the EEA and the
European Commission on assessing and managing
environmental noise.
