"We cannot be satisfied with the primarily raw material orientation of Russian exports (over 80%) [to Finland]," Yakovenko said.

Underlining a positive practical character of our bilateral economic relations, Yakovenko said that, according to the results of the first six months of this year, Russia is Finland’s third largest trading partner, while Finland is Russia’s sixth largest partner in trade with western countries.

According to his data, in 2003 the two countries’ trade amounted to 7.63 billion euros, given a stable tendency towards growth and Russia’s export surplus of 890 million euros.

Yakovenko outlined prospects for intensifying relations in the investment sphere and stressed the importance of creating imports-replacing production in Russia with the Finnish capital’s participation.

It is worth noting that as regards the volume of accumulated investments – over $1 billion – Finland is among major investors in the Russian economy. "This level, however, does not fully conform to the potential of Russian-Finnish relations," Yakovenko said.

Moscow expects practical results from the S?andinavian business forum held in Rostov-on-Don (southern Russia) on October 12-13, 2004, and the forthcoming Russian-Finnish conference on cooperation in the lumber industry complex due to be held in Helsinki on October 26.

Valery Roshchupkin, chief of the Federal Forest Husbandry Agency, deems it necessary to involve Finnish lumberers in high-level timber processing in Russia. He made a statement to this effect at a press-conference at RIA Novosti held Friday and devoted to the forthcoming conference in Helsinki.

"We believe a shift should be made towards Finnish lumberers’ more intensive transfer to the Russian territory with their production," Roshchupkin said.

In his words, Finland meets 20% of its timber requirements by Russian raw timber. Roshchupkin believes that it is necessary to create new conditions for attracting Finnish companies to start high-level timber processing in Russia, not just buy Russian raw materials at low prices.

"Some preferences should be provided for companies engaged in high-level timber processing in Russia," Roshchupkin stressed.

He also pointed out that the new Forest Code of Russia which takes due account of this issue would be adopted in March-April 2005.

In Roshchupkin’s words, the Helsinki conference will also examine the problem of illegal wood- felling.

According to the data of the Federal Forest Husbandry Agency, illegal wood-felling accounts for 5% of the 130 million cubic metres of annually harvested wood (according to the data of Russian public organisations, illegal timber turnover accounts for 20% of the total).

"We have information that some Russian organisations supply illegally felled wood to Finnish official organisations," Roshchupkin said. He stressed that "both sides must always be held responsible; not only the side which illegally felled wood, but also that one which purchased it."

Roshchupkin underlined that uniform criteria were necessary for assessing illegal wood-felling. "What is regarded as illegal wood-felling in Russia, may not be considered as such in some other countries. Therefore, uniform assessment criteria are needed," Roshchupkin added. In his words, in September 2005, Russia will host an international conference for fighting illegal wood-felling. "We intend to raise the issue of the two sides’ responsibility – of the sellers and buyers," Roshchupkin stressed in conclusion.

Ca sa nu se plictiseasca in timp ce stapanii lor isi sorb ceaiul si rontaie prajiturelele, cainii si pisicile sunt serviti cu boluri cu apa si oase de ros. Ideea a fost preluata de la o organizatie engleza de protectia animalelor. Fundatia Daisy Hope doreste extinderea unor astfel de localuri. "Cautam restaurante si chiar hoteluri care sa accepte prezenta animalelor de companie. in ceainaria deschisa ieri tratatia animalelor este gratuita", ne-a spus Aura Maratas, presedinta Fundatiei-Adapost "Daisy Hope".

Un camion incarcat cu cateva mii de litri de acid sulfuric a explodat in urma ciocnirii cu o dubita care intrase pe contrasens. Doua persoane si-au pierdut viata, iar o alta a fost grav ranita.

Accidentul s-a produs in comuna Izvoru Crisului, situata la 35 de kilometri departare de Cluj-Napoca. Autoritatile spun ca masina incarcata cu acid sulfuric apartinea societatii Sadakit din Turda si ar fi trebuit sa ajunga la compania Fibrocim din Alesd.

Camionul transporta cateva mii de litri de acid sulfuric intr-un container nesecurizat.

in jurul orei 7.00 dimineata, camionul a fost lovit de o dubita Peugeot care circula cu viteza mare dinspre Huedin.

Camionul s-a rasturnat intr-un sant, iar containerul cu acid a explodat. Apoi camionul a luat foc.

Şoferii au murit pe loc, iar un pasager din dubita se zbate intre viata si moarte la Clinica de Chirurgie I din Cluj. Autoritatile au evitat in ultima clipa producerea unei catastrofe ecologice.

Angajatii Inspectoratului pentru Situatii de Urgenta au ridicat diguri, cu ajutorul carora au scurs acidul intr-un canal, iar apoi l-au neutralizat cu substante bazice.

in urma cu un an, unul dintre laboratoarele companiei Sadakit Turda a fost afectat de o explozie puternica, provocata tot de un acid.

Putin, speaking to armed forces chiefs, said although international terrorism was one of Russia’s main security threats the country had also to keep its nuclear defenses in sound condition.

"We know that we have only to weaken our attention to such components of our defenses as the nuclear-missile shield, and new threats to us could appear," Itar-Tass news agency quoted him as saying. He said research and successful testing of new nuclear-missile systems technology was being conducted, informs Reuters.

Mr. Putin said it was necessary to create a legal basis for cooperation between the government and businesses in priority areas. He noted that the state should ensure stable conditions for the work of private investors. At the same time, Mr. Putin added that the private sector should not be forced to incur unreasonable expenses and costs.

In particular, the President said the government and business should cooperate in implementing large transport projects, providing electrical power and improving border infrastructure. Another priority is knowlegde-intensive industries. "Today, Russian business, with its advanced management, logistics and communication technologies, is already ahead of the state," Mr. Putin stressed. At the same time, he noted that the government should retain the right to research projects regarding new materials and products, reports Gateway 2 Russia.

Apoi investitorii au aparut si in acest peisaj greu accesibil pentru noi constructii. Hoteluri de 3 si 4 stele au aparut intre bratele Dunarii si tot mai multe barci cu turisti tulbura acum linistea coloniilor de pelicani si lebede. Tarifele sunt pe masura greutatii cu care se fac modernizarile in aceasta zona. Preturile destul de piperate nu-i impiedica totusi pe hotelieri sa declare ca au capacitatile rezervate deja pentru primele luni ale verii. "O caramida adusa aici pentru a construi ceva costa dublu, din cauza transportului. De asemenea, serviciile isi dubleaza tarifele din aceeasi cauza", ne-a declarat Mihai Costea, director la complexul "Egreta". in plus, infrastructura in Delta Dunarii este ca si inexistenta. "Cine construieste aici e nevoit sa inceapa de la amenajarea terenului si pana la electrificare, apa curenta etc. Toate astea inseamna investitii de miliarde si statul nu ne ajuta deloc", afirma Cornel Gaina, patronul Complexului "Cormoran". Din cauza preturilor multi turisti vin pe cont propriu. Cu cortul. "Numarul mare de turisti individuali are consecinte in primul rand asupra mediului", ne-a declarat Marilena Apolon, director de turism la societatea Atbad SA, din Tulcea. Desi s-a construit mult in ultimii ani, capacitatea de cazare a Deltei Dunarii este destul de redusa, 70% dintre locuri fiind in reteaua ANTREC. Pensiunile sunt clasificate la 1, 2 sau 3 margarete si se afla in sase localitati din Delta. Cazarea la pensiune costa in jur de 10 euro de persoana pe zi.

Hotel Egreta (3 stele) – Dunavatu de Jos:
2.000.000 lei/camera (in timpul saptamanii, cu mic dejun); 2.400.000 lei/camera (in weekend, cu mic dejun)
inchiriere barci (fara combustibil)
2-3 persoane: 8 euro/h/pers.
4-8 persoane: 6 euro/h/pers

Hotel Cormoran
(3 stele) – Uzlina: 2.100.000 lei/camera (in timpul saptamanii, cu mic dejun)
2.500.000 lei/camera (in weekend, cu mic dejun)

Pensiunea Cormoran (3 stele) – Uzlina
1.700.000 lei/camera (in timpul saptamanii, cu mic dejun)
1.900.000 lei/camera (in weekend, cu mic dejun)

Satul de vacanta Rosu:

– bungalow Dora (3 stele) – 1.000.000 lei/pers. (in timpul saptamanii, cu mic dejun); 1.100.000 lei/pers. (in weekend, cu mic dejun)
– Vila Sandra (3 stele) – 1.100.000 lei/pers. (in timpul saptamanii, cu mic dejun); 1.250.000 lei/pers. (in weekend, cu mic dejun)
– Popas Holbina (4 stele) – 1.100.000 lei/pers. (in timpul saptamanii, cu mic dejun); 1.300.000 lei/pers. (in weekend, cu mic dejun)

Pe agenda de lucru a conferintei sunt inscrise urmatoarele activitati:
– Mersul implementarii Conventiei si a Protocolului privind Registrele Emisiilor si Transferul Poluantilor (PRTR);
– Rezultatele activitatii secretariatului Conventiei in anii 2003-2005;
– Organismele modificate genetic si Conventia Aarhus;
– Accesul la justitie;
– Mijloacele electronice de informare;
– Participarea publicului in procesul de adoptare a deciziilor strategice.
La conferinta va fi adoptat Programul de activitate al Secretariatului Conventiei pentru anii 2006-2008 si Declaratia Conferintei de la Almaty.

Holland America agreed to pay a $200,000 fine, to donate $500,000 to a nonprofit environmental foundation and to spend $1.3 million to establish a new environmental compliance plan, said US Attorney Tim Burgess and Rear Admiral James Olson of the US Coast Guard’s Alaska district.

The company did not offer comment. The fine is the first since stricter ship sewage water treatment rules were adopted four years ago.

An investigation into the discharge began in August of 2002 when a Juneau resident noticed a suspicious discharge coming from a docked Holland America cruise ship, the Ryndam.

Officials notified the ship of the discha?ge, but crew members failed to properly respond, according to a plea agreement signed by the company.

Holland America admitted it lacked adequate controls and failed to properly detect and report the discharge, which was untreated sewage, according to the plea agreement.

The $500,000 donation will go to the National Forest Foundation for use in reducing sewage and other water pollution in southeast Alaska, federal officials said.

Proiectul in cauza este sustinut tehnic si financiar de catre Fondul Multilateral pentru implementarea Protocolului de la Montreal privind substantele ce distrug stratul de ozon (SDO), care acorda asistenta tarilor in curs de dezvoltare pentru suprimarea esalonata si scoaterea din uz a SDO.

Obiectivele Proiectului sunt:
* Asistenta financiara stimulatoare pentru retrofitul sau reutilarea instalatiilor frigorifice cu R12 si R502 ale utilizatorilor finali din sectorul industrial si comercial;
* Dotarea tehnica a centrelor de deservire auto cu echipament si scule pentru recuperarea si reciclarea R12 din climatizoarele auto si substituirea acestuia cu agenti non-CFC (HCFC, HFC-134A);
* Instruirea personalului tehnic de specialitate privind recuperarea, reciclarea si retrofitul in sectorul de deservire a climatizoarelor auto.

Conferinta de presa va fi deschisa de catre Ministrul ecologiei si resurselor naturale C. Mihailescu, UNDP Resident Representative Bruno Pouesat, Asistent Programe PNUD, Moldova dna M. Petrusevschi si expertul international UNDP Robert Berkeley.

Se invita reprezentantii mass-media.

So far, however, the results have fallen far short of expectations.

Ra?l Estrada, director of environmental affairs in Argentina’s Foreign Ministry and the head of the Argentine delegation at the 10th Conference of the Parties to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP-10), currently underway in Buenos Aires, admitted on Wednesday that the projects being submitted to the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) do little to pro?ote renewable sources of energy and involve minimal technology transfer.

"This was not what we had in mind," said Estrada, who presided over the committee that drafted the Kyoto Protocol in 1997. He was addressing the COP-10 plenary session devoted to discussion of the 2003-2004 report from the CDM Executive Board, made up of 10 representatives from different member countries. The results of the report are nothing less than disappointing.

The protocol signed in Kyoto, Japan, and scheduled to enter into force on Feb. 16 with 129 member countries, was designed to establish quantitative and measurable commitments on the part of the industrialized nations to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, methane and other gases that trap heat in the earth’s atmosphere and lead to global warming.

The CDM is one of the "flexible mechanisms" of the Kyoto Protocol, which make it easier and less costly for industrialized nations to meet the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction targets that they have agreed to under the protocol.

The CDM is also meant to "assist developing countries in achieving sustainable development."

Through this mechanism, an industrialized country with a GHG reduction target can invest in a project in a developing country without a target, and claim credit for the emission reduction that the project achieves.

The 30 industrialized countries that have ratified the Kyoto Protocol have accepted the commitment to reduce GHG emissions to levels 5.2 percent lower than in 1990, by a deadline that ranges from 2008 to 2012.

To take advantage of the mechanism, a large number of private companies in industrialized nations have submitted projects to the CDM Executive Board, but few have been deemed satisfactory by the proposed receptor countries.

Australia, a major GHG producer, has still not ratified the Kyoto Protocol. As for the United States – which is responsible for 25 percent of global GHG emissions – President George W. Bush actually withdrew completely from the treaty in 2001, after it had been signed by his predecessor, Bill Clinton (1993-2001).

"We thought that the methodologies proposed would measure up to the commitments made, but the board’s work has been complicated by the shortcomings of the projects submitted, and this is absolutely unacceptable," Estrada told the plenary.

His stance was backed up by numerous delegations from countries of the South, with India stressing the fact that the mechanism expressly states the intent of promoting development in receptor countries.

Estrada also noted that the CDM Executive Board has to negotiate with teams from the applicant companies that work on these projects full time, which means that the board members are at a distinct disadvantage.

"We need to do more to protect the members of the board, and even establish immunity to prevent them from being subject to lawsuits," he added.

For its part, the Chilean delegation recommended making more resources available to the Executive Board, to allow its members to concentrate on their task, and not find themselves rushed into approving projects of doubtful environmental integrity.

As of now, the only project to be approved by the CDM board is a Brazilian plan to capture methane gas from landfills and use it to fuel a thermoelectric plant that will supply power to a poor suburb of Rio de Janeiro. The initiative is expected to reduce emissions by 12 million tons over the next 21 years.

But some environmentalists do not think the project is a model to be emulated.

Juan Carlos Villalonga, an energy specialist from the Argentine chapter of the environmental watchdog Greenpeace, told IPS that the Brazilian project, and others being submitted for implementation in developing countries, make an extremely limited contribution in terms of new technology.

He explained the challenges facing the CDM using the same "market logic" principles that served as its foundation.

"There is a large supply ?f countries in the South that want to be the recipients of these projects, but not a very high demand for emission reductions," Villalonga explained. One of the main reasons for this is that the United States, which should represent the highest demand for emission reduction, has pulled out of the treaty.

Complicating matters further is the fact that Russia, which ratified the Kyoto Protocol in November and suffered the collapse of its industrial sector in the late 1990s, has a large supply of emission-reduction credits that it could place on the "emissions trading" market, another mechanism of the treaty.

Because of the decline of industry in Russia, its carbon dioxide emissions are already far lower than they were in 1990, and thus lower than the target it is committed to meet through the protocol. As a result, other countries can purchase this "surplus reduction" to help meet their own targets.

This large supply of emission reduction credits, combined with a low demand, has led to a drop in the "price" of carbon emissions, so to speak. And if the price of carbon emissions is low, the projects proposed will be less ambitious, Villalonga said.

"The value of carbon emissions will determine the quality of projects," he noted. "A higher price is better for the developing countries, because it can attract investment in more sophisticated technology, like wind power."

For the time being, however, even with the potential for emission reduction credits, there is no way that investments in projects like these can be profitable.

Villalonga pointed out that the original spirit behind the Kyoto Protocol was to create a fund for the transfer of technology to the South, as a means of compensating for increased GHG emissions in the North. But then market incentives were introduced as a result of pressure from the United States, he said.

"These mechanisms have basically become loopholes that need to be plugged, because if they start approving projects with emission reduction objectives that are doubtful or difficult to verify, as in the case of carbon sinks, then the system will be debased, and emission reduction certificates will start circulating like counterfeit money."

These certificates are obtained by private companies that execute CDM projects and can then be purchased by industrialized countries to make up for any shortfall in their own emission reduction targets.

The CDM was established to create a form of profit incentive for projects that would not be profitable in their own right. But unfortunately, until now, that incentive has not been powerful enough to spur investment in renewable energy sources, Villalonga concluded.

Flora Republicii Moldova include cca. 5513 de specii de plante, inclusiv plante superioare ? 1989 de specii, plante inferioare ? 3524 de specii. Dupa compozitia floristica cele mai bogate sint ecosistemele forestiere (peste 850 de specii), apoi cele de stepa (peste 600 de specii), lunca (cca. 650 de specii), petrofite (cca. 250 de specii), acvatice si palustre (cca. 160 de specii) etc. Diversitatea vasta a speciilor si grupelor ecologice este determinata atit de variabilitatea biotopica, ce include conditii ecologice cu diversi indici de temperatura, umiditate, reactie a solului.
Lumea animala constituie cca. 14800 de specii de animale (461 de specii de animale vertebrate si 14339 de specii de animale nevertebrate).
Fauna vertebratelor include 70 de specii de mamifere, 281 de specii de pasari, 14 specii de reptile, 14 specii de amfibieni si 82 de specii de pesti.
Din nefericire, o mare parte din speciile de plante si animale deja a nimerit in categoria celor rare si pe cale de disparitie.
In prezent sant evidentiate speciile rare, luate sub ocrotirea statului, in numar de 484 de taxoni, dintre care 242 au fost incluse in cartea Rosie a Republicii Moldova, inclusiv: 117 specii de plante, 9 specii de ciuperci si 116 specii de animale.
Unele specii care vietuiesc pe teritoriul Republicii Moldova sant incluse in Cartea Rosie Europeana: plante ? papucul?Venerei, ciulinul de balta; mamifere ? nurca europeana, popandaul comun, popandaul-cu-pete; pasari ? rata rosie, acvila tipatoare mare, vinturelul mic, cristelul; reptile ? vipera de stepa; pesti ? fusarul, lostrita, nisetrul; insecte ? calosoma mirositoare, croitorul stejarului.
Cele mai importante arii de concentrare a speciilor de plante si animale periclitate si vulnerabile sant padurile de fag, gorun si stejar pedunculat, unde s-au pastrat mai multe suprafete cu vegetatie spontana (rezervatiile ?Codru?, ?Plaiul Fagului?, ?Padurea Domneasca?, ?Iagorlac?, masivul de padure ?Orhei?), unde vietuiesc specii periclitate ca jderul de padure, pisica salbatica, acvila tipatoare mare, acvila tipatoare mica, acvila mica, broasca testoasa de balta, vipera comuna, sarpele de alun etc.
Semnificativ e si faptul ca suprafata ocupata de ecosistemele naturale, inclusiv si cele acvatice (lacustre, palustre, fluviale), nu depaseste limita de 15 % din tot teritoriul republicii.
Astfel actualmente problema conservarii diversitatii biologice depaseste limitele problemelor stiintifice si se amplaseaza la nivelul problemelor stringente ale statelor si institutiilor internationale, obiective care sant menite sa asigure conditii favorabile populatiei. Unul din documentele importante ce reglementeaza aceasta activitate este Conventia cu privire la diversitatea biologica (Rio de Janeiro, 1992).
Conventia solicita statelor sa acorde o atentie sporita activitatilor de conservare a biodiversitatii in habitatele naturale, utilizarii rationale a resurselor biologice, restaurarii ecosistemelor degradate si speciilor periclitate, controlului strict asupra procedeelor biotehnologice si de introducere a speciilor alohtone, elaborarii retelei ecologice nationale si cadrului legislativ-institutional adecvat etc.
Republica Moldova a ratificat Conventia in cauza in anul 1995
Suprafata ariilor naturale protejate de stat constituie in prezent 66467ha sau 1,96 % din teritoriul national.
Dezechilibrul ecologic, situatia socioeconomica actuala, exploatarea intensiva si extensiva a resurselor naturale si a intregului spatiu vital al republicii impun urgentarea identificarii, recunoasterii si dezvoltarii Retelei ecologice nationale, care ar cuprinde reteaua tuturor ariilor protejate, geosistemele si ecosistemele reprezentative naturale, care s-au pastrat in diferite regiuni landsaftice ale tarii. Crearea retelei ecologice nationale va contribui evident la restabilirea si conservarea biodiversitatii. Conform calculelor efectuate reteaua ecologica nationala va ocupa o suprafata de 11113 km2 din teritoriul tarii sau 33 % din teritoriul ei.
Pentru a putea conserva si pastra diversitatea biologica, a fost creata in republica o baza legislativa adecvata.
Legea privind protectia mediului inconjurator (1993) declara resursele naturale, inclusiv pamantul, flora si fauna patrimoniu national.
Legea privind regnul animal (1995) califica regnul animal drept proprietate publica.
Legea cu privire la zonele si fisiile de protectie a apelor raurilor si bazinelor de apa (1995) interzice pasunatul si agricultura in fisiile riverane de protectie.
Regimul de protectie in ariile (obiectele si complexele) naturale protejate, stipulate prin Legea privind fondul ariilor naturale protejate de stat (1998), creeaza cele mai favorabile conditii de conservare si restabilire a biodiversitatii.
Masurile intreprinse si realizarea celor preconizate creeaza premise necesare in vederea salvarii geosistemelor, ecosistemelor si speciilor de importanta majora pentru generatiile viitoare, stabilirii fundamentului necesar pentru managementul adecvat al resurselor naturale, conservarea biodiversitatii si dezvoltarea durabila a sistemelor socioeconomice ale tarii.