[JURIST] In Wednesday's environmental law news, the Swiss delegation at the Conference of the Parties of the Rotterdam Convention, currently meeting in Rome, has called for the Secretariats of three international environmental conventions to be combined into one headquarters. The Rotterdam Convention [official website] is aimed at regulating the international trade of certain hazardous chemicals, the Stockholm Convention [official website] is focused on limiting the production and use of certain chemicals, and the Basel Convention [official website] is a comprehensive agreement on the movement and disposal of hazardous and other wastes. The proposal hopes to consolidate some of the administrative tasks of the Conventions to avoid duplication and improve efficiency. All three Conventions will need to approve the proposal. Swissinfo has more.

In other environmental law news...

• Greece's national railroad, the Hellenic Railways Organization [official website], has settled a case brought by its employees over the presence of asbestos found in some railcars used by the company on its Balkan routes. The workers have agreed to drop their injunction claim in exchange for a 7 percent pay hike. Kathimerini has more.
  
  
• The Philippines government has decided the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) [official website] will take over automobile emissions testing, according to DENR Secretary Mike Defensor [official profile]. The move will include the revocation of licenses of current privately owned emissions testing centers, with the goal of improving compliance under the Philippine Clean Air Act [text]. The Bohol Chronicle has more.