The "Biodiversity and Agriculture" conference, which is being held in Montpellier on 4 and 5 November 2008, highlights the strategic importance of research on interaction between agriculture and biodiversity.

Energy and the environment being a priority of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union, this seminar aimed to encourage European companies to implement Kyoto projects in Russia by informing participants of the implementation arrangements of these projects.

Since the attacks of 11 September 2001, unconventional, CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear) terrorist threats have become an important cause for concern for states. Preventing and countering this form of terrorist threat is a priority for the European Union and its Member States.

This conference should clarify the concept of territorial cohesion and move forward the debate on the future of the cohesion policy. It is being organised in partnership with the Committee of the Regions and the Commission, with the support of the Association of Regions of France.

The European Rail Forum "Freight without Borders" is being held on 29 October 2008 in Paris. Shippers, railway companies, infrastructure operators, regulatory authorities and public authorities will examine the new horizons for rail freight and debate the priorities for future European action.

Within the framework of the "Energy-Climate" dossier, a priority of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the regions intend to demonstrate their central role in fighting global warming.

This conference aims to prepare the implementation of this package of innovative, low-carbon energy technologies for more effective research and innovation in Europe.

The conference, organised by the EUROCITIES network, will focus on the adoption of the 'Declaration of EUROCITIES mayors on climate change'.

The second European Interregional Cooperation Forum, organised in the framework of the INTERREG IVC programme with the support of the French Nord-Pas-de-Calais region, is being held under the French Presidency in Lille on 27 and 28 October 2008. Over 800 national, regional and local authorities from the EU member countries are expected to attend, alongside EU institutions.

Can the ocean provide humanity with responses to the most pressing issues of tomorrow, such as famine or energy?

The French Presidency wishes to underline the importance for the European Union to take action to preserve European and world heritage from the consequences of climate change.

Jean-Louis Borloo, the French Minister for Ecology, Energy, Sustainable Development and Regional Development, and Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet, the French Minister of State for Ecology, presided over the Council in Luxembourg of the EU environment ministers on 20 October 2008.
 

The first Environment Council of the French Presidency will be held on 20 and 21 October in Luxembourg.

The aim of this conference is to examine the progress made midway through the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union with regard to energy and climate change challenges.

Jean-Louis Borloo, the French Minister of State for Ecology, Energy, Sustainable Development and Regional Development, presided over today's EU Energy Council in Luxembourg.

The French National Council for Sustainable Development is hosting the 16th annual conference of the European Environment and Sustainable Development Advisory Councils (EEAC). The internal meetings of the EEAC, from 8 to 11 October, will revolve around the plenary conference which will be held on Friday 10 October on the topic of "Sustaining Europe for a long way ahead."

From 8 to 10 October 2008, the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union is holding in Bordeaux a meeting of the committee for the implementation of the so-called 'Seveso' Directive.

European police forces will meet to discuss the question of international trafficking in toxic waste.

A leading European Life Sciences conference, bringing together the health and eco-industry sectors, EuroBiO 2008 aims to become the European equivalent of the American BIO which for 10 years has played a unifying role and at the core of the strong development of these sectors in the USA.

The European 'Green Spider Network' annual seminar, from 1 to 4 October in Annecy, aims to exchange best pratices with regard to environmental communication.

This seminar is taking place several days prior to the European Council of the environment ministers which will examine the 'Energy-Climate' Package.

From 22 to 24 September 2008, the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union is holding a conference entitled "Humanity and society faced with climate change: an agenda for Europe".

The first conference of European surveyors, organised in partnership with the two European professional bodies for surveyors, the Council of European Geodetic Surveyors and Geometer Europas, will be held from 17 to 19 September 2008 at the Palais des Congrès in Strasbourg.

The Bureau of the Committee of the Regions (CoR) is meeting in Dunkirk on 15 and 16 September, at the initiative of the French delegation to the CoR.

"Environment is Our Concern, Let's Act!"

To mark European Mobility Week, the 'Transports Passion' association is organising a 'Transport and Sustainable Mobility Festival' in Paris and Lyon.

To involve secondary school students in European policies during the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the French League for Bird Protection (LPO) has set them a project on a key environmental issue for Europe: the protection of migratory birds.

The French Ministry of Higher Education and Research is to hold a session of CREST, the Scientific and Technical Research Committee, on 4 and 5 September 2008.

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) France is organising a lunch-debate on the theme of the climate-energy package to discuss France’s capacity to achieve a 30% reduction in its CO₂ emissions by 2020 and to present its analysis of the amendments currently being discussed at the European Parliament.

The EU transport ministers joined their Norwegian, Swiss, Moroccan and Tunisian counterparts on 1 and 2 September at La Rochelle in the Charente-Maritime for an informal meeting around an ambitious work programme.