1. Heavily Modfied Water Bodies in the Danube River Basin – Workshop summary
2. European Strategy for Soil Protection – Workshop announcement
3. Relationship between Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) and WTO Rules – Seminar announcement
4. Emission Trading in Germany – Publication by Simon Marr
5. The Central Asia and Mongolia Bioresources and Biosecurity Network – Publication by Kirsten Neumann

1. Heavily Modfied Water Bodies in the Danube River Basin – Workshop summary
On 9-10 February 2004 an international workshop took place in Bucharest, Romania. The workshop intended to assist the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) and its member countries in carrying out the identification and designation of heavily modified water bodies in the Danube River Basin according to the Water Framework Directive (WFD). The workshop summary is now available in the internet.
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2. European Strategy for Soil Protection – Workshop announcement
A workshop on European activities in the field of soil protection will be held in Brussels on 29 April 2004. Discussions will focus in particular on site management, site recycling, and soil information and monitoring systems. Best practice examples on sustainable land use will be presented, with a special emphasis on Bavarian projects and initiatives. The workshop's programme is now online.
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3. Relationship between Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) and WTO Rules – Seminar announcement
Ecologic organises a seminar on 10 May 2004 in Szentendre, Hungary. The aim of the seminar is to provide civil society groups in Central and Eastern Europe with a better understanding of the purpose, costs and benefits of trade measures on the one hand, while indicating the implications with respect to MEAs on the other. Yet another objective is to raise awareness of how to participate in and influence trade negotiations at the European level and to contribute to closer co-operation and networking among civil society groups in the new Member States.
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4. Emission Trading in Germany – Publication by Simon Marr
On 17 December 2003, the German Cabinet adopted the Emissions Trading Act and the Ordinance implementing Directive 2003/87/EC for Installations pursuant to Federal Emissions Protection, which represents a first comprehensive draft of the legal framework for an emissions trading system in Germany. They form the basis of the recent decision adopted by the Federal Bundestag on 12 March 2004 regarding the Emissions Trading Act. Contrary to the Cabinet decision, the Emissions Trading Act now provides for enforcement on the Federal level without involvement of the Federal States.
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5. The Central Asia and Mongolia Bioresources and Biosecurity Network – Publication by Kirsten Neumann
This policy report seeks to give an overview of the current state of biodiversity and relevant law, and policy in Central Asia and Mongolia. It elaborates the international and national legal basis for access to genetic resources and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits derived from their utilization, as well as for the protection of traditional knowledge. Kirsten Neumann, Policy Advisor at Ecologic is one of the authors of this policy report published by the United Nations University Institute of Advanced Studies.
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