Author Archives: Michele Luppi

Nigerian community sues Italian oil giant Eni

Leave a Reply

The Ikebiri community, from Bayelsa state, Nigeria, have launched an unprecedented legal case against the Italian oil giant Eni today seeking clean-up of, and compensation for damages from, an oil spill which has affected their community in the Niger Delta [1].

Supported by Friends of the Earth Europe and Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria, the Ikebiri community are calling for adequate compensation and clean-up of an oil spill dating back to 2010, which has yet to be addressed. The Italian oil giant Eni, which operates in Nigeria through its subsidiary Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC), is responsible for the spill, caused by equipment failure [2]. Continue reading →

West African countries ban Europe’s dirty fuel imports

Leave a Reply

20100825-mazaresharif-0073

Five West African countries have agreed to ban importing Europe’s dirty fuels, a move that will dramatically reduce vehicle emissions and help more than 250 million people breath safer, cleaner air.

Together, the countries of Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, and Cote d’Ivoire agreed on 1 December in Abuja, to introduce strict standards to ensure cleaner, low sulfur diesel fuels and vehicles emissions standards, effectively cutting off Europe’s West Africa market to export its dirty fuels. Continue reading →

EU: Conflict Minerals agreement reached
as exemptions added

Leave a Reply

conflict_minerals_news

The European Union (EU) has today taken a positive, but half-hearted, step towards cleaning up Europe’s trade in minerals. EU legislators concluded their negotiations on a new law on so-called ‘conflict minerals’—a Regulation which is meant to ensure that minerals entering the EU do not finance conflict or human rights violations.

Continue reading →

Merkel’s mission in Africa:
in the Sahel to save the UE (and herself). Irritating Paris.

Leave a Reply

merkelafrica008-1

To understand how the migration issue and, in particular, the flow of migrants from Africa matter on the political future of the European Union and its member states, faced with important electoral eves (France and Germany in the lead), simply take the unexpected diplomatic dynamism of German Chancellor Angela Merkel in the Sahel region of Africa.   

Although it is true that from May 2014 with the approval of a new strategy for Africa, Berlin has relaunched its political and economic role in the continent, there is no doubt that what happened from October 10 to 16 is quite exceptional.

Continue reading →