25/02/2011 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
While underlining that climate change compounds the problem of malnutrition in the world’s most arid regions, the Environment Committee drew attention to the fact that water shortages also led to acts of violence and conflicts “which may threaten a state’s political and social stability”.
25/02/2011 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
Even if exposure to electromagnetic fields should not be harmful, vigilance must be maintained and scientific research on the subject must continue. In short, there is an essential need to respect the precautionary principle, to reinforce prevention measures, to hold a debate involving all those concerned and to provide serious information. This was the starting point proposed by Jean Huss (Luxembourg, SOC) at the opening of a hearing held this morning in Paris,with a view to preparing a report on the question.
18/02/2011 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
PACE Committee on the Environment, Agriculture and Local and Regional Affairs will hold hearings on the dangers of electromagnetic fields as well as on the need for independent and credible assessments, on 25 February in Paris. These hearings will be held as part of the preparations for reports on these two subjects by Jean Huss (Luxembourg, SOC) and Cezar Florin Preda (Romania, EPP/CD).
27/01/2011 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
"Worrying evidence of global climate change continues to mount. According to the World Meteorological Organisation, 2010 was the warmest year on record, and the nine other warmest years have all occurred since 1998, while winter Arctic sea-ice cover reached its lowest level ever", underlines a statement adopted by PACE's Environment Committee.
13/12/2010 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
Lord Prescott (United Kingdom, SOC), PACE’s rapporteur on climate change, has welcomed the package of decisions agreed at the UN global climate change talks in Cancún, describing them as “a small but important step for mankind”. Mr Prescott, who played a key role in negotiating the 1997 Kyoto Accord on behalf of the EU, attended the talks along with Alan Meale (United Kingdom, SOC).
26/11/2010 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
“One of the conclusions of our conference could be the assertion that nuclear energy is in a good position to meet the energy requirements of our societies, for it is plentiful and does not contribute to global warming. But the production and management of such an energy source, intrinsically dangerous, must be aimed above all at keeping risks to a minimum through optimum waste management.”
25/11/2010 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
“Investing in negawatts is the cheapest way to reduce our ecological footprint. The development of renewable energy and energy-saving are not only safer but also more cost-effective alternatives to fossil fuels than nuclear energy”, said Aleksei Lotman (Estonia, UEL), Chair of PACE Environment Committee, at the opening today of a two-day conference on nuclear energy organised by the committee in Strasbourg.
25/11/2010 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
Lord Prescott (United Kingdom, SOC), PACE rapporteur on climate change, has called on the nations of the world to agree on basic principles for fighting climate change voluntarily – as he believes no legally-binding agreement can emerge from next week’s UN talks in Cancun. “The legal framework is falling apart. Let us be practical, recognise that it has happened, and go for an alternative,” said Mr Prescott, who as British Deputy Prime Minister played a key role in negotiating the 1997 Kyoto Accord on behalf of the EU.
17/11/2010 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
Nuclear energy and its impact on climate change, the economy and society will be the focus of a conference organised by PACE Committee on the Environment, Agriculture and Local and Regional Affairs in Strasbourg (Palais de l’Europe, Avenue de l’Europe, Room 1) on 25 and 26 November 2010. Exchanges of views between the hundred or so parliamentarians, experts and non-governmental organisation representatives taking part in the conference will provide material for the preparation of a future report on the subject.
15/11/2010 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
There is a vicious circle in which extreme poverty equates with the denial of all human rights. Human rights are interdependent and interconnected. The loss of one leads to the loss of others. Conversely access to one human right offers access to others. Poverty leads to social exclusion and vice versa. These are some of the conclusions of a hearing on "combating poverty", organised by the Social Affairs Committee in Paris today. It should culminate in a report by Luca Volontè (Italy, EPP/CD) to the next session of the PACE.
15/11/2010 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
Heavy metals are a major risk factor for human health according to Peter Jennrich, a German toxicologist, and Jean Huss (Luxembourg, SOC), responsible for drawing up a report on health hazards of heavy metals. Many chronic diseases of civilisation are traceable to them – such as diabetes, allergies, cancers, autoimmune and cardiovascular diseases, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, and depression.
15/11/2010 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
The year 2011 will mark the 50th anniversary of the European Social Charter, and will be an occasion to assert the indivisibility of social rights and civil and political rights, the Charter’s importance for upholding this corpus of rights and, in particular, the enhanced role of the PACE in the Charter’s supervisory machinery. This was the view expressed today by the Social Affairs Committee in adopting a report on the subject at its meeting in Paris.