Une nouvelle étude vient d'être publiée sur l'effet potentiel d'une substance insecticide, le thiamétoxam, sur la santé des colonies d'abeilles via son action sur le comportement des butineuses. Dans le cadre de la veille permanente qu'elle exerce, et à la demande du ministère chargé de l'agriculture, l'Anses va examiner sans délai cette nouvelle étude, ainsi que l'ensemble des autres études nouvelles potentiellement disponibles en vue d'éventuelles recommandations aux autorités françaises. Elle se rapprochera, si nécessaire, de ses homologues européens, afin d'intégrer les enseignements de ce travail au processus d'évaluation de ce type de substances.

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Agricultural crop yields are used to establish how to best manage water, but ecosystem services should be considered by planners and policymakers as well. This is the message from the latest United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report, prepared by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) at the University of York in the United Kingdom and presented at the recent World Water Forum in Marseille, France. Titled 'Releasing the Pressure: Water Resource Efficiencies and Gains for Ecosystem Services', the report underlines how it is only when we acknowledge the connection between the benefits of water and ecosystem services that water productivity can be increased. The upshot is more sustainable and efficient water resources, which in turn lead to improved livelihoods, agriculture and environment.

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An international team of researchers has discovered that a wide range of coastal bird species is negatively affected when the supply of fish shrinks to below 33% of maximum capacity. Presented in the journal Science, the study's findings shed light on the association between predators and prey the world over. Led by Philiippe Cury of the Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD) in France, researchers in Canada, France, Namibia, Norway, South Africa, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States assessed data based on almost 450 cumulative years of observation. They compared the growth in the supplies of fish with the reproductive patterns of 14 species of coastal birds. Puffins, penguins, seagulls and gannets, to name just a few, feed mostly on sardines, anchovies, herring and prawns. All of these marine creatures, meanwhile, are feeling the crunch of overfishing.

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An international team of scientists has discovered that the effect of fishing for tuna and similar species since the early 1960s has led to a decline in these populations by around 60%. The study, presented in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, was funded in part by the METAOCEANS ('Elucidating the structure and functioning of marine ecosystems through synthesis and comparative results') project, which clinched a Marie Curie Early Stage Research Training (EST) grant worth EUR 2.23 million under the EU's Sixth Framework Programme (FP6). The results have raised red flags, highlighting how several fish species have been overexploited, and particularly how the majority of tuna fish have been exploited to the limits of sustainability.

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Researchers in the United Kingdom have discovered that agriculture practices developed in the last century that gave food security a boost also contributed to increasing nitrate pollution in both surface water and groundwater. The study, presented in the journal Water Resources Research, evaluated water quality measurement over the last 140 years to track this problem in the Thames River basin. Led by the University of Bristol, researchers used a simple model that combined two key elements: an estimate of nitrate available for leaching triggered by land use and land management, and an algorithm to determine this leachable nitrate through to surface water or groundwater.

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Europe's natural heritage is showing an alarming decline, according to new research published today. The European Red List, a part of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™, assessed a considerable portion of Europe’s native fauna and flora, finding that a large proportion of molluscs, freshwater fish and vascular plants now fall into the threatened category. The assessment of some 6000 species reveals that 44% of all freshwater molluscs, 37% of freshwater fish, 23% of amphibians, 20% of a selection of terrestrial molluscs, 19% of reptiles, 15% of mammals and of dragonflies, 13% of birds, 11% of a selection of saproxylic beetles, 9% of butterflies, and 467 species of vascular plant species are now under threat.

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In a new EU-funded study, a pan-European team of scientists has flagged up a number of nasty pesticides that pose a threat to river ecosystems and which they believe should be added to the list of chemicals classified as risky in the EU Water Framework Directive. Writing in the journal Science of the Total Environment, the team from Belgium, Germany, Spain, France and Slovakia present their findings based on an analysis of 500 organic substances in the basins of four major European rivers. They found that contamination by organic chemicals is a problem throughout Europe. They discovered that 38% of these chemicals are present in concentrations that could prove to be devastating for the organisms that call the river basins home.

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Past achievements and lessons learnt for the future of the REACH registration process will be debated at a conference organised by the European Commission and the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), in Brussels today.Halfway between the two first registration deadlines for REACH – the EU's comprehensive chemicals policy – the conference will discuss what concrete results can be observed at this early stage. Registration is a key element of REACH as it requires companies to demonstrate how to use chemicals safely; this is a prerequisite to placing them on the market. The “REACH Registration Conference” will gather participants representing all REACH stakeholders, including industry, public authorities, workers' associations, and NGOs.

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The movement of water from soil into roots controls the relationship between plants and water as well as how nutrients are absorbed. And while scientists have long recognised that roots trigger changes in the chemical, biological and physical properties of the rhizosphere (soil in the roots' immediate vicinity), new research shows that the soil in this vicinity actually contains 30 % more water than initially thought. Presented in the journal New Phytologist, the study was funded in part by the WATER WATCH ('Non-invasive imagining of the water dynamics in a soil plant groundwater system') project, which received a Marie Curie Actions - Transfer of Knowledge grant worth EUR 302,000 under the EU's Sixth Framework Programme (FP6).

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Several species of tuna and billfish are in jeopardy, new international research shows. Presented in Policy Forum of the journal Science, this is the first research study to assess the global populations of tuna and billfish, based on the methods outlined by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It is also part of the Global Marine Species Assessment, a broader study that tackles the concerns that existing methods used to assess the status of these creatures are not enough; many worry that the methods are failing to sustainably manage the multi-national fisheries for these highly valued fish, which are very expensive.

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In response to a solicited request received in February 2010 as part of the national plan to combat the spread of green algae, ANSES today published an Opinion and an Expert Assessment Report which complements the initial recommendations published by the Agency in July 2010. The key recommendation is that green algae should be collected and processed as rapidly as possible to mitigate potential risk.

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The miniscule copepod Calanus glacialis, a cousin of crayfish and water fleas, influences the diet of many creatures in the Arctic region, particularly during the extreme winter season. A herbivorous Arctic zooplankton species, Calanus successfully adapts to melting sea ice and the blooming of tiny algal species. In a new study, led by the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) in Norway, researchers shed new light on the relationship between sunlight, phytoplankton and zooplankton, and how plankton depends on sea ice. The research is part of the CLEOPATRA ('Climate effects on planktonic food quality and trophic transfer in Arctic Marginal Ice Zones') project, an initiative conducted under International Polar Year (IPY), a worldwide research campaign in support of polar science. CLEOPATRA is partially backed by a number of EU projects funded under the EU's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7).

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If you need to look up a fact about a plant's functional properties, then a new plant database developed by an international team of biologists should be your first port of call. The TRY database is the fruit of collaboration between 106 research institutions from all over the world, and this veritable 'plant dictionary' brings together 3 million traits for 69,000 of the world's 300,000 plant species. The aim of the new tool, published in its first version in the journal Global Change Biology, is to provide an indispensible data source for biodiversity research and earth sciences.

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EU-funded researchers are on a quest to fight desertification in dry forests and agricultural lands that dot the Mediterranean region and China, an effort that fuels the initiative of the International Year of Forests, a global platform that targets the sustainable management of the world's forests. The LEDDRA ('Land and ecosystem degradation and desertification: assessing the fit of responses') project is backed with almost EUR 3.1 million under the Environment Theme of the EU's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7). Efforts to suppress the process by which land becomes increasingly arid until no vegetation grows will effectively bolster economic development and create jobs in rural areas, experts say.

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Being able to distinguish sardines from horse mackerel has just got a little easier. Researchers in Spain used forensic mitochondrial DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) species identification techniques to genetically differentiate between the fish, regardless if they are processed or canned. This latest technique will help experts to better monitor the exploitation of fish resources. This study was supported in part by a European Fisheries Fund (EFF) grant. The EFF contributes to the realisation of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) objectives, which seek the conservation and sustainable use of marine resources.

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Cadmium in jewellery, plastics and brazing sticks will be banned in the EU from December 2011. High levels of the harmful substance cadmium have been found in some jewellery articles, especially in imported imitation jewellery. Consumers including children risked being exposed to cadmium through skin contact or through licking. The new legislation prohibits the use of cadmium in all types of jewellery products, except for antiques. The ban also covers cadmium in all plastics and brazing sticks, which are used to join dissimilar materials as fumes that are released during this process are highly dangerous if inhaled.

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To date, plant species are considered to be at risk of extinction if they inhabit a limited geographical area and have a small population size. But thanks to a new study of a range of plant specimens from South Africa and the United Kingdom, an international consortium of biologists have shown that these criteria wrongly categorise species as at risk when they are newly arrived in an area. Published in the journal PLoS Biology on 4 May, the study has been partially funded by the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Commission's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) and co-led by Professor Vincent Savolainen, who holds a joint post in the Department of Life Sciences at Imperial College London and Kew Gardens in the United Kingdom.

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European researchers have found that the choice of coffee itself is the main factor determining how environmentally friendly your morning cup is. While some might spend time ensuring the machine or the capsules they use are up to their green standards, in reality the real key to an ecological cup is in the beans. The team, from the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research (EMPA) in Switzerland, investigated various capsule systems and fully automatic machines as well as filter and soluble coffee-making techniques; pulling all this information together into a life-cycle analysis, they concluded that regardless of how it is prepared, the coffee itself is what makes the difference.

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Greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions have swelled due to reactive nitrogen compounds from transport, industry and agriculture, new research shows. Presented in the journal Nature, the European Nitrogen Assessment (ENA) study reveals that forest soil-generated N2O emission is at least twice as high as the figure projected by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The findings, presented at the 'Nitrogen and global change 2011' international conference in Edinburgh, UK from 11 to 15 April, are not promising.

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Plants release less water into the atmosphere than they did 150 years ago, according to a Dutch-American team of researchers who found that the density of stomata on plants has dropped approximately by a third over the past century and a half. Based on an analysis of common species from Florida, the scientists conclude that many plants have scaled back in response to soaring levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). Reducing the amount of water vegetation is able to release into the air could have potentially lasting implications for the freshwater cycle and the climate.

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An increasing number of developing countries are outsourcing deforestation to help protect and restore their local forests, according to a new study. The research was funded in part by the REDD-ALERT ('Reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation through alternative land uses in rainforests of the Tropics') project, which clinched EUR 3.49 million under the Environment Theme of the EU's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7). The results, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), could affect measures currently being taken to ensure the sustainability of the world's remaining forests.

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The Amazon rainforest is without a doubt one of our planet's most dramatic and species-rich ecosystems. But what do we know about the origins of its diversity? In a new study, an international team of scientists sheds light on its history, highlighting how a slow uplift of the Andes mountain range was responsible for the region's spectacular diversity. The findings, published in the journal Science, show that this diversity is more than 20 million years older than originally thought.

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Ecological restoration can curb environmental degradation but little is known about how cost effective the approaches are. Enter an EU-funded team of scientists from the UK and Latin America that investigated the cost-effectiveness of renewing a degraded, or even destroyed, ecosystem through human intervention. The study's findings are published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The results are an outcome of the REFORLAN ('Restoration of forest landscapes for biodiversity conservation and rural development in the drylands of Latin America') project, which clinched more than EUR 1.7 million through the 'International cooperation activities' budget line of the EU's Sixth Framework Programme (FP6). REFORLAN identified and promoted approaches for the sustainable management of dryland forest ecosystems.

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Scientists have identified five 'Grand Challenges' that the research community must address if it is to help the world move along the path towards sustainability. The challenges address the tricky question of how to tackle global environmental problems while meeting people's needs for food, water, energy and security. Details of the Grand Challenges, which are the outcome of a consultation run by the International Council for Science (ICSU) and International Social Science Council (ISSC), are published in the journal Science.

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The workings of the part of the brain that helps zebrafish track prey are uncovered in a new study published in the journal Science. The research was partly funded by a Marie Curie Outgoing International Fellowship from the EU.

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European Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki has today unveiled the Commission's Marine Knowledge 2020 proposal to unlock the potential of Europe's marine knowledge. This three-pronged approach seeks primarily to enhance our understanding of Europe's seas and oceans, make using marine data easier and less costly and foster competitiveness among marine data users.

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Cooperation in science and technology is high on the European agenda, and this is particularly obvious under the COST programme, an intergovernmental framework that fosters networking in European research investments and strengthens the European Research Area's (ERA) foothold on the global market. COST's recent 'Foresight on Future Demand for Forest-based Products and Services' strategic workshop series in Vienna, Austria, highlighted the importance of involving key stakeholders in the foresight process of the forestry sector. In a statement, COST members said industry and business stakeholders should become involved in testing the ideas presented at the workshop. Their input on trends, drivers, change factors and emerging issues is also vital.

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Environmentalists say cows' methane-filled flatulence and burps are partly responsible for the changes in the earth's climate. But a new study from the Kenya-based International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) suggests that we can curb cattle-generated greenhouse gas emissions by improving degraded lands, making breeds stronger and changing the animals' diets. The study's findings are published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) journal.

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Hurricanes, landslides, droughts and earthquakes are just some of the latest climatic and weather events impacting our planet. Now comes a new report warning that the swelling number of erratic rainfall events related to climate change is on course to adversely impact food security and economic growth, with Africa and Asia feeling the biggest crunch of all. The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) in Sri Lanka identifies a key action that could help stop the problem in its tracks, and fuel rainfed farming output: boost investment in diverse forms of water storage.

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Today the 2009 Environment Policy Review was published. It reports on EU policy developments from last year and looks in detail at EU and Member States' environmental trends and policy performance.

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European Climate Action Commissioner Connie Hedegaard and European Investment Bank (EIB) President Philippe Maystadt agreed on Monday to explore a joint climate finance initiative for developing countries as part of the European Union commitment made at the UN climate conference in Copenhagen last December. During talks at EIB headquarters in Luxembourg, they also welcomed a political agreement reached in mobilising finance for carbon capture and storage (CCS) and innovative renewable energy technologies in the EU through the NER (New Entrants Reserve) 300 initiative.

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Climate change will wreak havoc on Asia's food security in the years to come, new research from the Netherlands shows. The study, presented in the journal Science, was funded in part by the CEOP-AEGIS ('Coordinated Asia-European long-term observing system of Qinghai Tibet plateau hydro-meteorological processes and the Asian monsoon system with ground satellite image data and numerical simulations') project, which clinched EUR 3.4 million under the Environment Theme of the EU's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7).

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