Wildlife and habitats
Habitats, species, ecosystems: the state of nature in south-east Europe
The latest report from the European Environment Agency (EEA) paints a grave picture of the EU’s environmental situation, which requires urgent attention from member states if current trends are to be reversed. A look at south-east Europe.
There are more forests in barren Greece than in Hungary
Less than 4 per cent of the world's forests are in the European Union, shared by no fewer than 16 million owners. There is no common EU forestry policy, but the European Green Deal is set to put a new emphasis on reforestation.
Timber mafia and deforestation in Romania
Virgin forests in Central-Eastern Europe are the last remaining ones on the continent, yet they are being mercilessly torn down. Part of this multi-billion euro industry is a mafia-like system that stretches all the way from Romania to Ukraine. Austrian timber companies are right at the heart of it.
Italy says no to the largest protected area in the Mediterranean
A ban on trawling in reproduction areas brings fish stocks back to healthy levels. However, the Italian government is holding back impact assessments, forcing the European Commission to remove restrictions in the Strait of Otranto from the current Mediterranean plan.
Europe is not doing enough to fight global deforestation
Companies that use commodities such as timber, palm oil and soybeans should shift to sustainable production, as the world's forest capacity declines, a report by IDH argues.
Białowieza: destructive logging in Polish Primeval Forest
In 2017, the Polish government authorized the cutting of between 160,000 and 180,000 trees in the Białowieza Primeval Forest. A measure which the European Court of Justice considers an infringement of the EU’s Habitat Directive, requiring member states to take appropriate conservation measures for special areas.
How Poland scarred the Białowieza Primeval forest
If all trees felled in the Białowieza Forest in 2017 were loaded onto lined up lorries, it would create a convoy of vehicles stretching from London to Cambridge. A video by BiQData.
Birds – collateral victims of intensive agriculture
The number and variety of bird species have dropped significantly over the last twenty years. The cause is a reduction of their food source due to the intensive use of pesticides in farming.
