19/03/2012 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
“We need to think about the definition of environmental crime, since we are becoming increasingly aware that the health of our citizens is being endangered by the failure to comply with safety standards in the interests of profit”, said Bernard Marquet (Monaco, ALDE), speaking in Marseilles at the 6th World Water Forum.
26/01/2012 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
In their parliamentary contribution to the 6th World Water Forum, to be held in Marseille from 12 to 17 March 2012, PACE parliamentarians have called on public authorities across Europe and beyond to recognise the right of access to clean water and sanitation as a fundamental Human Right and to act with determination to translating this right into reality.
24/01/2012 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
“In the field of action to combat sexual violence against children, preventive measures and investment in training for educational staff, health professionals and social workers are essential, so that the signs of violence can de detected at the earliest possible stage,” said Thomas Hammarberg, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, speaking today at the 6th meeting of the network of contact parliamentarians for the Campaign to stop sexual violence against children.
12/12/2011 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
Lord Prescott (United Kingdom, SOC), former rapporteur on climate change for the PACE and Kyoto Treaty signatory, and Sir Alan Meale (United Kingdom, SOC), today welcomed the decision taken at the climate change summit in Durban to endorse the policy put forward by the PACE to "Stop the Clock" on the Kyoto Protocol.
09/12/2011 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
"As a result of the inherent lack of transparency, no-one really knows how much public money is siphoned out via tax havens; by various estimates the amounts add up to trillions", according to Dirk Van der Maelen (Belgium, SOC), rapporteur on policy on tax havens, speaking today when he opened a Paris hearing on the subject organised by the PACE Committee on Economic Affairs.
05/12/2011 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
“We in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe strongly believe that Kyoto should not be allowed to expire without a new regime to replace it. If a new regime cannot be agreed, then Kyoto must continue until this occurs,” Alan Meale (United Kingdom, SOC) warned at the Durban IPU panel on ‘creating a virtuous push and pull cycle for low carbon and renewable energy projects’.
01/12/2011 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
“The clock is ticking on the Kyoto Protocol. Unless agreement is reached at Durban, the global agreement on targets and actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions negotiated at Kyoto will almost certainly expire without any binding targets or actions agreed for the period 2012-20,” today warned Lord Prescott (United Kingdom, SOC), former rapporteur on climate change for the Parliamentary Assembly for the Council of Europe (PACE) and Kyoto Treaty signatory.
29/11/2011 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
In a draft resolution adopted at a meeting in Paris today, the PACE Committee on the Environment, Agriculture and Local and Regional Affairs underlines the urgent need for independent and credible expert assessments in fields such as the environment, health, energy, finance or civil protection. “Findings vary in accordance with the source of funding,” the PACE rapporteur on this subject, Cezar Florin Preda (Romania, EPP/CD) stressed.
28/11/2011 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
Biomass, solar energy, wind energy (including offshore facilities), marine energy, geothermal energy, biofuels, hydropower and nuclear power are all complementary sources which need to be developed in parallel. This was the conclusion of the 150 or so participants at a panel discussion on the choice of the energies of the future, organised by the PACE Sub-Committee on Energy, in Alfortville on 27 November.
28/11/2011 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
Famine kills one person in the world every second, in 2010 alone, 925 million were considered “hungry” by FAO. Increased productivity in the countries concerned is indispensable and could be achieved through more efficient production and through a focus on smallholder agriculture as a centerpiece to improve resilience, participants at a hearing organised in Paris by the PACE Environment Committee on food security said today.
23/11/2011 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
A round table on the table on the choice of future energy sources will gather experts and parliamentarians from PACE 47 member states on 27 November in Alfortville. In the present context of an energy turnaround, the experts will present the various foreseeable energy sources and their development prospects: nuclear, solar, thermal, photovoltaic, wind, geothermal, marine and biomass energy.
17/11/2011 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
PACE Social, Health and Family Affairs Committee, meeting today in Florence for the fifth meeting of the Network of Contact Parliamentarians to stop sexual violence against children, made the following statement: