Poor air and water quality, and environmental changes blamed on global warming, have cut Europeans' life expectancy by nearly a year, Europe's environmental agency warned. The agency's director, Jacqueline McGlade, said "We need to further strengthen the will to act on environmental issues across the pan-European region."
The call for action came as the Agency released a new report, "Europe's Enviroment: The Fourth Assessment," at the Sixth "Environment for Europe" Ministerial Conference, in Belgrade, on Wednesday.
Pollution is "similarly bleak" across eastern Europe, mostly from vehicle gas emissions and the expansion of industry in ex-Soviet nations, the report said.
Jeremy Wates, Secretary to the UNECE Aarhus Convention, addressed a side event to the Conference on the need to speedily ratify the Protocol on Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers (PRTRs). "Countries can use national pollutant registers to exert downward pressure on their greenhouse gas emissions and other harmful pollutants," he said.
The Protocol on PRTRs has been ratified by four countries and the European Community.
The UNECE has prepared guidance for Governments, enterprises and the public to assist in launching national pollutant registers.
The Belgrade Conference is being attended by environment officials from 53 countries.
[Source: Associated Press and UNECE]
