Eucalyptus, a tree species that thrives on fire, now accounts for 28% of the forests in the Spanish region of Galicia. The situation has come about through the policies of the local Popular Party.
To eventually access the European Union, the Western Balkans have to align their legislation with EU law. This includes the Green Deal, which commits countries to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. However, there’s still quite a long way to go for the Western Balkans in their progress towards the green transition.
Europe's biggest polluter is ditching targets in its climate law to cut emissions – after mixed progress toward reaching those goals. The transport sector is struggling the most, while waste has already passed its target.
Romania has a temperate continental climate, which does not make it prone to forest fires. So why do so many of them happen? Fire risk is going to increase even further due to climate change – but the country seems not to be fully prepared for it yet.
Only a few days remain for the European Commission to address the tobacco lobby-related concerns recently raised by the EU Ombudsman in her recent preliminary findings. The industry is heavily represented in Brussels, but there is not sufficient transparency on its interactions with policy-makers.
Last year Croatia’s coastal region was hit by an intense wave of forest fires, one of the worst in recent years. But the country has been gearing up to cope – partly thanks to EU funding.
In practice, compliance with transparency laws in Europe is insufficient due to lack of resources, arbitrary application of limits or lack of enforceability by administrations.
Vegetation fires not only destroy the environment - they kill animals and people, too. Last year alone, 15 people died in Romania due to out-of-control fires - which are almost always man-made.
To regenerate and use the land, people in Romania's Danube Delta burn the vegetation. This practice becomes problematic when it occurs outside the regular season. Right now, Romania is responsible for almost half of all fires in protected areas in Europe.
Over the past ten years, more than 300 femicides have occurred in Serbia. Many of those who kill women also commit suicide. The remaining families of the murdered persons look for justice in court, but CINS’s investigation reveals that they often do not find it there.
