17 April 2011: The Open-ended Working Group on Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP-OEWG) of the World Health Organization (WHO) has agreed on a framework to ensure sharing of viruses and access to essential vaccines and medicines in case of pandemic.
13 April 2011: The ministers of the 27 EU Member States have endorsed the EU Strategy for the Danube Region, which was proposed by the European Commission in December 2010. Preparations for implementation of the Strategy are already underway.
13 April 2011: The EU has published the text of its trade agreement with Colombia and Peru, which includes commitments to effectively implement international conventions on environmental protection.
13 April 2011: The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Asia-Pacific Regional Consultation and Capacity-Building Workshop on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries, Including on Relevant Biodiversity Safeguards, convened from 15-18 March 2011, in Singapore City, Singapore.
31 March 2011: The first meeting of forest authorities of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO), held in Bogotá, Colombia, from 29-30 March 2011, agreed on a set of common activities during the International Year of Forests (IYF) and on guidelines for medium- and long-term cooperation under ACTO's Strategic Agenda for Amazonian Cooperation.
12 April 2011: The Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety of the European Parliament amended a proposal by the EU Commission that will allow EU member States to restrict or ban the cultivation of genetically modified (GM) crop varieties, on environmental grounds.
4 April 2011: The Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has circulated the draft report of the Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group (AHTEG) on addressing the risks associated with introduction of alien species as pets, aquarium and terrarium species, and as live bait and live food. The AHTEG met from 16-18 February 2011, in Geneva, Switzerland.
31 March 2011: The World Trade Organization (WTO) Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Committee) has agreed to focus future discussions on five actions to develop private standards in food safety and plant and animal health, and to improve collaboration and information exchange between the SPS Committee and other SPS standard-setting bodies. The agreement was reached in the SPS Committee's meeting on 30-31 March 2011.
4 April 2011: The UN General Assembly (UNGA) met on 4 April 2011 to adopt a draft resolution on oceans and the law of the sea.
29 March 2011: The final round of conciliation talks on the revision of the EU Novel Foods Regulation took place in Brussels, Belgium, ending without agreement on 29 March 2011. According to statements, officials could not agree on labeling requirements for meat from offspring of cloned animals for food production. As a result, the current Novel Foods Regulation, adopted in 1997, will remain in force.
| Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) |
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| Conference Reporting Services (CRS) |
