BRUSSELS, July 19 (Reuters) – Ancient, little-known species
of fish, living deep in Atlantic waters, could gain protection
from EU proposals published on Thursday to phase out certain
kinds of deep-water fishing.

The Commission, the European Union’s executive arm, proposes
phasing out licences for deep-sea fishing using methods known as
bottom trawls and bottom-sea gillnets.

BRUSSELS, July 17 (Reuters) – The European Commission will
on July 25 debate a legal framework to revise the timetable for
auctioning carbon allowances to bolster prices on the EU’s
weakened Emissions Trading Scheme, a document seen by Reuters
showed.

Detail on the number of allowances that could be withheld
and a carbon market review is now not expected until after the
Commission returns from its summer recess in September, three
separate EU sources said on Tuesday, speaking on condition of
anonymity.

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Union is “totally committed” to reaching a global deal on carbon emissions from airlines, the Commission said on Thursday as efforts resumed to defuse an international row over the issue.

Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, EU Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) President of the Council Roberto Kobeh held talks in Brussels on Thursday.

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Union is “totally committed” to reaching a global deal on carbon emissions from airlines, the Commission said on Thursday as efforts resumed to defuse an international row over the issue.

Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, EU Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard and International Civil Aviation Organization ICAO.L President of the Council Roberto Kobeh held talks in Brussels on Thursday.

BRUSSELS, July 11 (Reuters) – The European Commission
published plans on Wednesday to tighten limits on how much
carbon dioxide new cars can emit, drawing warnings that it could
inflict damage on an already fragile automobile industry.

The proposals, which the commission says can shave billions
of euros off the EU fuel bill and cut greenhouse gas emissions
by millions of tonnes, retain much of the detail of a draft seen
by Reuters last month.

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Commission is expected on Wednesday to publish plans to tighten limits on how much carbon dioxide cars and vans can emit, the latest step towards EU goals of cutting fuel bills and curbing greenhouse gas emissions.

The binding 2020 targets, limiting CO2 to an average of 95 grams per kilometer (g/km) for cars and 147 g/km for vans, have divided the auto industry over how they should be distributed across the European fleet.

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – EU Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard said her team was working “very, very hard” to publish a review on the emissions trading scheme before the Brussels August break, a step towards bolstering carbon prices impatiently awaited by the market.

Analysts have estimated carbon emission allowances need to be priced between 20 and 50 euros to support low-carbon investment. They were trading around 8 euros on Tuesday, after hitting a low of 5.99 euros in April, because of a surplus following a slump in demand, along with the economy of the euro zone.

NICOSIA/LONDON (Reuters) – A planned quick fix to the European Union’s Emissions Trading Scheme is expected to emerge over the coming weeks as a first step to the deeper reforms urgently sought by environmental and some business campaigners.

The European Commission has yet to confirm the date when it will publish details of a review of the EU ETS, including delaying the auction of some allowances to reduce a huge surplus that has kicked carbon prices down to record lows.

NICOSIA, July 9 (Reuters) – It took months of political
argument to secure a compromise EU deal on energy saving in June
and months more campaigning are likely to follow as campaigners
work to ensure consumers reap the benefits and energy suppliers
change their ways.

The aims included curbing dependence on costly imports of
oil and gas and creating jobs through energy efficiency
measures, such as building renovation.

NICOSIA (Reuters) – Cyprus will focus on shoring up European Union water supplies and on preparation for U.N. climate talks in Doha as the green priorities for its six months at the EU helm, its environment minister said on Friday.

Just before beginning its first stint as holder of the rotating EU presidency on July 1, Cyprus asked for 10 billion euros ($12.4 billion) in emergency funding for its financial sector.