May

"While options range from incremental changes to fundamental reform, science provides a clear warning about continuing on our current path." in Beyond growth: pathways towards sustainable prosperity in the EU, document for the European 'Beyond Growth' conference taking place next week (15 to 17 May, 2023), prepared by the Parliament, Directorate-General for Parliamentary Research Services, presenting "the economic and socio-ecological challenges facing today's society and offers a reflection on possible transition pathways and associated tools to move beyond growth in EU policies. The focus is the European Union and its Member States, with the global context integrated where relevant for understanding the status quo and discussing options." See also the brief «'beyond growth': concepts and challenges» (May 2023).

Photo by Monica Pinheiro, free to use if you respect the license CC BY-NC-SA ( CC ).

plantorium

Surveillance: "Technological progress in the last few decades have made monitoring, tracking and profiling techniques easier, cheaper and more accurate. As a result, surveillance has increased in both the public sector (...) and in the private sector (...). These practices can profoundly affect how individuals think and act, as well as other personal rights (such as freedom of expression or association). Any form of surveillance is an intrusion on the fundamental rights to the protection of personal data and to the right to privacy. It must be provided for by law and be necessary and proportionate." More about European Data Protection Supervisor in EU. Image by Monica Pinheiro, license CC BY-NC-SA ( CC ).

 

2021 11 14 note: See comments on rights conceded by Portuguese law in  https://www.panelfit.eu/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Portugal.pdf

This is not the Wild West

 

“[I]n Europe the internet has long since ceased to be the wild west. Articles 7 and 8 of the European Charter of Fundamental Rights [legal text] safeguard the right to respect for private and family life and the right to protection of personal data. These basic rights do not just exist on paper. As you have seen, they also guide us when legislating. And they have teeth, also in the courts. For example, you need only recall the two Schrems judgments, in which European Court of Justice declared instruments for transferring personal data to third countries to be unlawful. The result is that digital companies must guarantee EU standards are applied when they transfer personal data outside the EU. Failing this, forwarding of the data is prohibited.” Open letter from the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.

We have the right to privacy and protection of personal information, among other legal rights. Using, selling, trading and all other forms of exploitation of personal data and information is illegal and a crime against our lifes.

Image by Monica Pinheiro, license CC BY-NC-SA (CC). 

2021 11 14 note: See comments on rights conceded by Portuguese law in  https://www.panelfit.eu/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Portugal.pdf

September

"(...) selective tree breeding to enhance genetic diversity in forests and protect endangered genetic resources increases disease resistance, drought tolerance, and the ability to cope with more frequent and more destructive storms and fires; management practices that focus on mixtures instead of monocultures make forests more resilient, enhance energy and resource efficiency, protect forestry related jobs, increase competitiveness and expand business opportunities within the bio-based industries;" in European Union LIFE Programm Publications (2019). Ready, steady, green! LIFE helps farming and forestry adapt to climate change. Image by Monica Pinheiro, license CC BY-NC-SA (CC).

Forest

‘forest’ means an area of land defined by the minimum values for area size, tree crown cover or an equivalent stocking level, and potential tree height at maturity at the place of growth of the trees as specified for each Member State in Annex II. It includes areas with trees, including groups of growing, young, natural trees, or plantations that have yet to reach the minimum values for tree crown cover or an equivalent stocking level or minimum tree height as specified in Annex II, including any area that normally forms part of the forest area but on which there are temporarily no trees as a result of human intervention, such as harvesting, or as a result of natural causes, but which area can be expected to revert to forest;" 

in Regulation (EU) 2018/841 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018 on the inclusion of greenhouse gas emissions and removals from land use, land use change and forestry in the 2030 climate and energy framework, and amending Regulation (EU) No 525/2013 and Decision No 529/2013/EU (Text with EEA relevance). Image by Monica Pinheiro, license CC BY-NC-SA (CC)