Companies resumed drilling in the Norwegian sector of the Barents Sea in early 2005 for the first time since 2001, after the previous government ended a moratorium on petroleum activity in the Arctic against protests by environmental groups.

A left-of-centre coalition took power in October after ousting a centre-right government in September elections.

"I am very pleased with the interest the companies are demonstrating for new exploration opportunities in the Barents Sea and the Norwegian Sea," Oil and Energy Minister Odd Roger Enoksen said in a statement.

"With this amount of applications, it is clear that the competition for acreage is increasing also in frontier parts of the shelf," Enoksen said.

The applications laid a good foundation for comprehensive exploration of frontier parts of the Norwegian continental shelf, he added.

The round also showed that the Norwegian Sea continued to attract many applicants even though that part of the shelf had been included in several comprehensive rounds lately.

The number of applicants in the 19th round was up from 18 in the previous round in 2004 and from 13 in the 17th round, the oil and energy ministry said after the noon (1100 GMT) deadline for filing.

The applicants included Norway’s Statoil and Norsk Hydro, international majors such as ConocoPhillips, ChevronTexaco, France’s Total and Royal Dutch/Shell, independents like US Marathon and minnows like Sweden’s Lundin.

The other applicants were: Amerada Hess, Britain’s BG, Norwegian DNO, Discover Petroleum AS, Denmark’s DONG, Italy’s ENI, Faroe Petroleum plc, Gaz de France, Japan’s Idemitsu, Norwegian Energy Company?AS (NORECO), Premier Oil, Norwegian Revus Energy, Germany’s RWE Dea, Svenska Petroleum Exploration, Canadian Talisman and German Wintershall.

The companies bid individually and in groups.

Norway had offered 30 blocks in the Barents Sea and 34 in the Norwegian Sea. Licences will be awarded towards the end of the first quarter of 2006.

Statoil and Norsk Hydro said they filed extensive applications for acreage, but did not disclose how many licences they sought or in which parts of the shelf — in line with standard practice.

"It is positive that the new government has decided to stick to the original schedule for the 19th round," Norsk Hydro said in a statement.

[img]"%%dir[1]%%viitorul_verde_salvaeco.gif" border="0" alt="Viitorul Verde & SalvaEco" name="image" align="center" width="642" height="100" /[/img]

<div align="center">ASOCIAŢIA OBŞTEASCĂ ?VIITORUL VERDE?
Organizatia Ecologica de Tineret ?SalvaEco?

Comunicat de presa

18 noiembrie 2004 or. Chisinau</div>

[b]?inchiderea sezonului sportiv al skaitbordistilor, rolerilor si ciclistilor?[/b]

Asociatia obsteasca ?Viitorul Verde? desfasoara actiunea cultural sportiva ?inchiderea sezonului sportiv al skaitbordistilor, rolerilor si ciclistilor? care va avea loc in clubul ?Yellow Submarine? pe data de 21 noiembrie 2004 cu incepere la ora 19.00.

Aceasta actiune are drept scop de promovare a sportului ecologic in randul tinerilor in special a skaitbordistilor, rolerilor si ciclistilor trial, crearea conditiilor pentru dezvoltarea acestor directii de sport, promovarea unui mod sanatos de viata.

in cadrul programului va fi prezentata formatia ?Morozov i Bulocinichi?, prezentarea skaitbordistilor, rolerilor si ciclistilor, precum si vizionarea materialului video a campionilor mondiali.

Participantii la actiunile desfasurate de Asociatie cum ar fi: Festivalul Ecologic ?Ziua Pamantului 2004?, ?in oras fara automobilul meu? vor fi premiati de sponsorii: ?X-STYLE? si ?AUTHOR?.

Va asteptam, duminica 21 noiembrie 2004 in clubul[b] ?Yellow Submarine?, la ora 19.00, intrarea gratis.[/b]

Precum informeaza agentia INFOTAG, CNFA va acorda intreprinderilor din Republica Moldova, timp de cinci ani, granturi orientate spre dezvoltarea relatiilor de export, consolidarea si sporirea potentialului de export, implementarea unor noi tehnologii si produse performante, precum si pentru sporirea volumului de productie si imbunatatirea calitatii produselor.

Proiectul de dezvoltare a agrobusinessului este o noua initiativa a CNFA, orientata spre ridicarea competitivitatii agriculturii din Moldova, care aduce venituri mari, si spre sporirea potentialului ei comercial si de export.

Granturile, care prevad o contributie egala a partenerilor autohtoni, constituie o componenta-cheie a sprijinului acordat de Proiectul de dezvoltare a agrobusinessului. Asistenta in cadrul Programului va fi acordata in conditii de transparenta, precum si in baza unor criterii stricte de selectie.

Pot miza pe granturi gospodariile mici, orientate spre comercializarea propriilor produse cu un inalt potential de valoare adaugata (fructe, legume, struguri de masa); intreprinderile agricole cu un potential considerabil de export de legume, fructe si struguri de masa; exportatorii/angrosistii – achizitorii/comerciantii de fructe, legume, struguri de masa; asociatiile de producatori, intreprinderile agricole si exportatorii agricoli.

Partenerii TNFA sint Agentia de consultanta si instruire in agricultura (ACSA) si Uniunea republicana a producatorilor agricoli (UniAgroProtect), care vor acorda asistenta intreprinderilor in procesul de depunere a cererilor de participare la Programul de acordare a granturilor.

INFOTAG precizeaza: CNFA este o organizatie americana non-profit, care sustine cresterea economica si dezvoltarea sectorului privat in tarile cu economia in tranzitie. Din anul 1996, CNFA realizeaza in Republica Moldova programe de atragere a investitiilor straine, de implementare a noilor tehnologii, dezvoltare a antreprenoriatului si a pietelor de desfacere. Puteti obtine relatii despre proiect pe site-ul [url=http://www.cnfa.md]www.cnfa.md[/url] si la telefoanele 577-930, 577-933.

The referendum, if approved, would impose a five-year moratorium on the cultivation of any plant or import of any animal whose genes have been altered in the laboratory.

The measure would tighten controls already put in place in 2004 and give independent Switzerland one of the most rigid regimes governing the use of GMOs in Europe, including the 25-nation European Union that surrounds it.

Within the bloc, restrictions are specific to types of crops and temporary in nature, in contrast to Switzerland’s proposal for a five-year blanket ban.

The moratorium specifically bans Swiss agricultural production using GMOs. The use of imported livestock feed containing GMO material would still be permi?ted and research on GMOs, including for the pharmaceutical branch, would be allowed to continue under the measure.

The debate pits those who say that GMOs offer more productive, disease-resistant crops and livestock against those who fear possible environmental fallout or unintended consequences of manipulating genetic codes.

GMO DIFFERENCES

Switzerland’s legislative system allows for regular referendums giving voters a direct say in lawmaking.

Although not a part of the EU, Switzerland has not escaped Europe’s deep-seated and often bitter divisions over GMOs.

The bloc started an effective moratorium on authorising new gene crops and products in 1998. This ended in May 2004, when the European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, issued an approval for imports of a GMO maize type.

A move by a province of Austria to apply a similar moratorium by becoming a GMO-free zone was rebuffed by the EU’s highest court, the European Court of Justice, in October. The court ruled that a regional GMO ban ran counter to EU law.

The EU has several laws to govern the import, use and cultivation of GMOs. If a particular GMO product is approved under one of those laws, that approval applies across the EU.

Swiss-based agro-technology firm Syngenta, the world’s third-largest producer of GMO seeds, said the measure – if approved – would have little economic effect on the company but would send the wrong signals about Switzerland.

"This has no impact on us today because we do all of our research in the United States," said spokesman Guy Wolff. "But it is damaging for research in Switzerland and especially in gene technology."

Switzerland accounts for roughly 1 percent of the firm’s trade in GMO seeds, which in turn comprises only a fraction of the group’s $7 billion annual turnover, Wolff said.

mare parte a tarii, ingreuneaza accesul in parchete, la nivelul tuturor directiilor silvice, pentru exploatarea eficienta a masei lemnoase, informeaza un comunicat al Regiei Nationale a Padurilor (RNP).

Potrivit RNP, au fost luate masuri suplimentare de urmarire si monitorizare permanenta a derularii contractelor incheiate cu agentii economici beneficiari ai masei lemnoase, pentru utilizarea la maximum a intervalelor de timp favorabil si respectarea esalonarii la exploatare a lemnului.

Totodata, directiile silvice sunt pregatite ca, in cazul incapacitatii agentilor economici de a exploata la timp masa lemnoasa, sa faca uz de toate mijloacele legale si sa intervina cu fortele proprii de exploatare sau cu prestatori, astfel incat sa nu se puna in pericol obiectivul urmarit, respectiv recoltarea integrala a masei lemnoase in acest an.

De asemenea, s-au intensificat actiunile de supraveghere teritoriala pentru identificarea imediata a unor eventuale doboraturi sau rupturi de arbori, care necesita a fi exploatate cu prioritate.

Conform Hotararii Guvernului nr. 1063/2003, cantitatea de masa lemnoasa aprobata pentru recoltare in 2004 se ridica la 8,6 milioane mc de masa lemnoasa.

In perioada sezonului de vegetatie exploatarile forestiere sunt restrictionate, aceasta activitate desfasurandu-se doar in intervalul 15 septembrie – 15 aprilie

Raportul constata ca procesul de luare a deciziei si de aplicare a proiectului de catre autoritatile ucrainene prezinta numeroase deficiente, mai ales in ceea ce priveste consultarea publicului, procesul de luare a deciziei, zonarea rezervatiei Biosferei, realizarea unui studiu de impact complet si identificarea masurilor de compensare si reducere a eventualelor consecinte asupra ecosistemului Deltei Dunarii. Toate aceste aspecte tin de obligatiile internationale ale Ucrainei, asumate in momentul in care a devenit parte la conventiile internationale de protectie a mediului inconjurator.
Raportul constata ca autoritatile ucrainene nu au informat prompt si adecvat nici publicul intern si nici organizatiile internationale relevante si ca autoritatile ucrainene nu s-au implicat intr-un proces de consultare a tuturor partilor interesate sau potential afectate de catre proiect.

Raportul precizeaza ca, desi autoritatile ucrainene au recunoscut faptul ca lucrarile desfasurate pentru construirea canalului au un impact ecologic negativ, este contestat, in mod neintemeiat, caracterul transfrontalier al acestui impact. Expertii care au participat la Misiunea Comuna considera ca datele de care dispun creeaza premisele pentru a lua in considerare eventualitatea unui impact transfrontalier semnificativ, neexistand nici un element care sa justifice desconsiderarea acestor riscuri de catre autoritatile ucrainene.

+n acelasi timp, Raportul considera ca motivatiile economice invocate de partea ucraineana nu sint convingatoare, confirmand concluziile Raportul Ramsar si UNESCO conform carora varianta aleasa de catre autoritatile ucrainene nu este cea mai viabila din punct de vedere economic prin raportare la celelalte variante existente.
Raportul Misiunii comune apreciaza ca solutionarea acestei problematici depinde de respectarea de catre Ucraina a angajamentelor luate fata de reprezentantii Comisiei Europene si ai celorlalte organizatii internationale care au participat la Misiunea comuna.

MAE roman saluta adoptarea raportului Misiunii comune de documentare a Comisiei Europene si a organizatiilor internationale in partea ucraineana a Deltei Dunarii, care confirma justetea abordarii problematicii Bastroe de catre autoritatile romane. Partea romana isi exprima speranta ca autoritatile ucrainene vor respecta concluziile raportului, astfel incat in problematica Bastroe sa poata fi identificata o solutie in deplina conformitate cu dreptul international.

Data: 17-11-2004

BWE said that the unhindered expansion of wind power which accounts for the bulk of alternative energy also derived from solar, biomass, hydro and geothermical sources may attract investments of 110 billion euros by 2020-2030.

"The ongoing expansion of renewable energy has been secured," a spokesman for the Berlin-based group told Reuters.

"The big energy utilities’ hopes of a return to a conservative policy have been shattered. Now they have to adjust and start investing more into modern, decentralized energy sources."

The coalition agreement unveiled on Saturday reaffirmed earlier statements that existing renewable legislation will be left unchanged up until a mandatory review in 2008.

The huge overall package paves the way for a grand coalition of Christian (CDU) and Social Democrats (SPD).

The SPD enforced pledges to expand renewables to a share of at least 20 percent of the overall energy requirement by 2020 although the CDU had only wanted to commit itself to an already realistic rate of 12.5 percent by 2010.

The SPD also secured control of the environment ministry which will be headed by Sigmar Gabriel, former premier of Lower Saxony state, a leading wind power producer.

A spokeswoman for the VDEW power industry association whose members predominantly represent conventional thermal power stations said: "Unfortunately, there has not been a change to the present (SPD/Green Party-led) policy. We’ll see if the coalition has the power to implement changes later on."

VDEW had lobbied strongly to change the renewable energy funding law (EEG) in favor of an efficiency-based quota system.

But the coalition deal means blanket support for the new techologies will continue to be borne by consumers who pay three times the market price of thermal power for green energy. Thanks to the push, wind power capacity has grown to 17,000 megawatt onshore (MW), making Germany the world leader. BWE said the 110 billion euros envisaged investments in new and old onshore turbines of 60,000 MW and 25,000 MW of offshore capacity in the North and Baltic Seas, which prior to the deal had been less likely to be made.

Chisinau, 17 noiembrie, INTERLIC. Astazi in Moldova la ora 13:31 a fost inregistrat un cutremur de pamint avind o magnitudine de de 4,5 grade. Dupa cum a transmis pentru agentia INTERLIC directorul general al Institutului de Geofizica si Geologie Vasile Alcaz , epicentrul s-a aflat la 220 km de Chisinau la adincimea de 100 km in muntii Carpati de pe teritoriul Romaniei, regiunea Vrancea.

La Chisinau a fost inregistrat un seism cu magnitudinea de 3 grade pe scara Richter, iar in diverse regiuni ale republicii intensitatea lui a oscilat intre 3 si 4 grade pe scara Richter. Conform datelor furnizate de Departamentul Starilor Exceptionale din Moldova, date despre victime si daune nu au fost inregistrate deocamdata. Acesta este al patrulea cutremul cu o magnitudine care depaseste 4 grade, inregistrat in republica in toamna aceasta.

Specialistii au prognozat probabilitatea repetarii cutremurilor, dat fiind faptul ca Moldova se afla intro regiune cu activitate seismica intensa.

Un cutremur de pamant cu magnitudinea de 3 grade pe scara Richter a fost resimtit ieri la Chisinau. Potrivit directorului centrului de seismologie, Ion Ilies, acesta s-a produs la ora 13.31 in muntii Vrancea. Epicentrul cutremului s-a aflat la o adancime de 100 de kilometri. Potrivit lui Ilies, in acest an se inregistreaza o intensificare a activitatii seismice in zona Vrancea. Directorul centrului de cercetare de la Chisinau afirma ca procesul va continua in urmatorii ani, si va culmina cu un cutremur de inalta magnitudine. La 27 octombrie, in Moldova a fost inregistrat cel mai puternic cutremur din ultimii 17 ani, cu o magnitudine de 5,8 grade pe scara Richter.