Europe's MEPs voted to ban the discarding of healthy fish and to implement measures to protect endangered stocks in a series of sweeping reforms to the controversial EU Commons Fisheries Policy. A spokeswoman for the Greens said that the reforms would "finally put the EU's fisheries policy on a sustainable footing," as waste discards are estimated to account for a quarter of total catches under the current quota system.

Coal will catch up to oil as the world's leading energy source by 2022, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). Economic and population growth in developing countries is largely fueling the push, which will significantly increase carbon emissions. The report came as the European Union acknowledged that it had not been able to fund a single project to capture and store CO2, and earlier this year the IEA announced that, without a major move away from coal as an energy source, average global temperatures could rise by as much as 6C above pre-industrial levels by 2100.

The European Commission announced last week that it would investigate the possibility that Germany's new renewable energy law is leading to misuse of incentives and exemptions. The Commission is responding to business complaints that the nation's shift from nuclear to subsidized renewables is leading to higher costs and jeopardizing growth.

The European Union postponed a planned extension of rules requiring airlines to pay for carbon emissions to and from non-EU destinations. Climate commissioner Connie Hedegard proposed "stopping the clock for one year" due to progress made in negotiations on a global carbon emissions deal, but she added that the tax would be reintroduced if the International Civil Aviation Organization did not make progress by this time next year.

China will launch an anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigation into European Union solar manufacturing products, the Commerce Ministry said last week. The investigation will determine whether manufacturers are selling materials such as polysilicon, used to make panels, below cost. The investigation will also probe whether manufacturers received illegal subsidies. In September, the EU threatened to impose tariffs on Chinese solar panels after investigating claims by Germany, Italy, and other EU member states that dumping by China had caused prices to fall by as much as 75 percent.

China agreed to strike a deal with the European Union to cut greenhouse gas emissions through projects that include the development of Chinese emissions trading schemes, an EU official said last week.

The European Union threatened to impose tariffs on Chinese solar panels after launching an investigation into alleged dumping into the European market. The EU probe, which follows accusations by Germany, Italy, and other EU member states, will cover $26 billion worth of photovoltaic cells and panels to determine whether Chinese manufacturers sold units below cost in Europe, which accounts for three quarters of the global market.

Germany's economy minister called on the European Union to avoid intervening in carbon prices, highlighting controversy over EU regulators' plans to strengthen the market. The minister's comments follow a proposal last month to clarify the right of the bloc’s regulator to delay some auctions of carbon permits as of 2013 to curb oversupply. In addition, earlier this year EU politicians supported a proposal to withhold permits from the market after an overestimation of need led to a price-depressing surplus of 500 million to 1.4 billion permits.

The European Union said that it is "totally committed" to reaching a deal on carbon emissions from airlines, but the fight is escalating as opposing nations prepare for a July 31 meeting to discuss how to fight against the new rule.

The European Commission refused the United Kingdom's plans to delay air quality improvements in 12 major cities last week, and the government may be forced to ban or fine heavily polluting traffic. The cities will likely have to introduce low-emission zones to curb nitrogen dioxide emissions, which, in addition to particulate matter, are recognized by the government as the second biggest public health threat after smoking. Air pollution reduces U.K. life expectancy by up to eight months, according to government statistics, and costs the country over $30 billion a year.