EU News Radio

The EU’s nature restoration law should be seen as vital investment, not a cost to be burdened, the EU’s environment commissioner has insisted. Extreme heat this summer alone is estimated to have cost €180 billion to Europe’s economy. The WWF today published their landmark report on the state of biodiversity across the globe. It warns that nearly three-quarters of vertebrate wildlife populations have declined over the past fifty years. Under the Nature Restoration Regulation, Ireland and other member states must show how they will restore at least 20 percent of degraded land and sea by 2030. Speaking in the European Parliament, European Commissioner for the Environment, Jessika Roswall, said that we depend on the nature around us more than we realise.

 

Out words: Function anymore

Dur: 0’16”

Attempts to bring global temperatures under control will fail unless other countries also cut emissions, the EU’s Climate Commissioner has warned. He has been speaking at a leaders' meeting in Fiji ahead of the UN’s COP summit next month. Scientists now fear that global temperatures will breach the 1.5°C Paris Agreement threshold before the end of the decade. Wars in Ukraine and the Middle East are making it harder to maintain a focus on climate change, Wopke Hoekstra, warned.

 

Out words: Continue with this

Dur: 0’17”

Europe’s dependency on fossil fuels makes us vulnerable to international events, European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen has warned. In the budget today, the government is expected to make new pledges to help people and businesses with energy bills. But von der Leyen said in the longer term, a EU-wide solution on energy is needed.

 

Out words: It is needed

Dur: 0’57”

The EU is changing the law so that social media platforms will have to prove they are safe for young people and not the other way around. The European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, has been speaking at a high level dialogue on Protecting Children’s rights facing Artificial Intelligence at the United Nations in New York. Under the EU Kids Act, announced last week, von der Leyen said the burden of proof would fall to the tech giants.

 

Out words: Our children

Dur: 0’55”

The European Commission has reached ‘substantial agreement’ on a free trade deal with Philippines. Under the terms of the agreement, tariffs will be dropped on goods covering 97 percent of trade. The details still need to be finalised before the agreement can be signed. The European Commissioner for Trade, Maroš Šefčovič, said it would be a "major" new opening for European exporters.

 

Out words: Safe passage

Dur: 0’19”

Europe faces a renewed risk of jet fuel shortages, the European Transport Commissioner has warned. EU transport ministers met in Dublin this morning to discuss oil and gas supplies in light Houthis attacks on a key Saudi pipeline and tension again around the Strait of Hormuz. Speaking after the meeting, European Transport Commissioner, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, warned Europe’s energy supplies look vulnerable.

 

Out words: Safe passage

Dur: 0’19”

Europe should be ready for a new space age with all the advantages and dangers it brings, says Ursula von her Leyen. She has been speaking at the International Space Summit in Paris this morning. She has proposed spending €131 billion on security, defence and space projects in the next EU budget. That could be good news for the more than 100 space companies based in Ireland. President von der Leyen said Europe must continue to be at the forefront.

 

Out words: Decades to come

Dur: 0’18”

The European Commission has published its long-awaited EU Affordable Housing Act. Under the proposals governments and local authorities would be able to ban short term rentals like Airbnb in areas of so-called “housing stress”. Those are areas where there are not enough places for local people to live because of holiday lets, second homes or empty houses. Presenting the plans this lunchtime, the European Housing Commissioner, Dan Jørgensen, said the EU was determined to clear legal obstacles out the way so that councils and governments can take action.

 

Out words: Are totally unacceptable

Dur: 0’51”

The EU is considering reclassifying methane produced by cows, the European Commissioner for Agriculture has confirmed. Environmentalists fear that the EU will end up watering down climate commitments if cow emissions are rebranded as “biogenic methane”. Green groups say highly polluting methane has the same impact of the environment whatever its origins. Speaking in Dublin this afternoon after a meeting of EU farming ministers, European Agriculture Commissioner, Christophe Hansen, promised that any decision would be based on scientific advice.

 

Out words: On that point

Dur: 0’23”

The European Union has announced it is investing €200 million in Greenland. The money will be used to improve satellite links, boosting internet connections for people living in remote communities. The EU is also investing in mining projects and hydropower. Speaking from the capital, Nuuk - after signing the agreement with the prime ministers of Greenland and Denmark - European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, said EU funding would bring wide benefits.

 

Out words: In the country

Dur: 0’23”