EU Legislation, Initiatives, etc.
DECC: 9 countries, including the UK, have signed up to develop an integrated offshore grid in the North and IrishSeas. The idea of a grid spanning European waters should make supplies of electricity more secure for the participating countries by making it easier to optimise offshore wind electricity production . It will also help the EU as a whole to meet its renewable energy target for 2020.
Energy & Climate Change Minister, Lord Hunt, also announced the next round of Low Carbon Energy demonstration capital grants for Vestas, Clipper & Mitsubishi,and also the appointment of Professor Bernard Bulkin as the expert chair of DECC’s Office for Renewable Energy Deployment (ORED).
Press release ~ Renewables Grid Initiative ~ An offshore grid for wind power integration ~ European Commission's Second Strategic Energy Review ~ Pre-Scoping Study to Determine Grid Requirements to Connect Renewable Energy off the Coasts of Northern Europe ~ European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney ~ Scottish Renewables ~ Marine Energy Roadmap ~ Office for Renewable Energy Deployment (ORED)
ScotGov: 8 Scottish housing associations now have access to a new £70m lending facility offered by the European Investment Bank and the Housing Finance Corporation (a not-for-profit finance company that makes loans to over 120 regulated Housing Associations across the UK). This is an alternative private lending source helping to support new affordable home developments & jobs in the house building sector.
The EIB funds projects in tune with EU economic objectives, including infrastructure, improvement of international links, combating climate change, hospitals, schools and universities.
WAG: Working with fishermen, the Scottish Government has been fighting to have West Coast vessels (that catch very little or no cod) exempt from EU restrictions. If approved at December Council, this hoped for breakthrough means that 67 Scottish fishing boats that fish for prawns in the Minch and the Clyde will no longer be subjected to days at sea limits.
The ‘days at sea’ regime exists as part of the EU's cod recovery plan, which sets days at sea for fishing vessels that are involved in catching cod in the waters around Scotland. There is also a provision in the EU Regulation that allows for vessels or groups of vessels, which do not impact on cod recovery and catch less than 1.5% cod, to be exempted completely from effort management (i.e. days at sea limits).
Press release ~ Related previous press release ~ ScotGov: Fisheries ~ Have your say on Common Fisheries Policy ~ Impact of the Cod Recovery Plan ~ Profitable Futures for Fishing ~ Scottish Fisheries Council (SFC) ~ Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) ~ EU cod recovery plan ~ Fisheries Research Services ~ EC - Fisheries ~ BBC: Wasted catches hit Europe's cod
FSA: The Food Standards Agency is informing slaughterhouse operators & livestock keepers that they will soon have to ensure that Food Chain Information (FCI) is provided for all cattle, sheep & goats sent for slaughter. This new requirement under EU legislation comes into force from 1 January 2010 and will apply to all slaughter animals, whether sent directly to a slaughterhouse or sold through a livestock market.
FCI is information about the health of the animals being sent for slaughter and other information relevant to the safety of meat derived from them, including medicines the animals have been given. The rules already apply to pigs & calves.
The new rules are an important part of 'farm-to-fork' food safety controls and highlight the food safety responsibilities of livestock keepers in the meat production chain. The information about slaughter animals that is passed from the farm to the slaughterhouse can be used by operators and Official Veterinarians to make decisions about processing & inspection procedures.
