Activites

• 2001/04/27 Final act published in Official Journal
• 2001/04/04 Final act signed
• 2001/04/04 End of procedure in Parliament
• 2001/03/14 Decision by Parliament, 3rd reading
  • T5-0132/2001 summary

    The European Parliament voted by 435 to 42 with 4 abstentions to endorse the compromise reached in conciliation on minimum criteria for environmental inspections in Member States based on the report drafted by Mrs Caroline JACKSON (EPP/ED, UK). (Please refer to the previous texts).�

• 2001/03/13 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament
• #2332
• 2001/02/26 Council Meeting
• 2001/02/01 Report tabled for plenary, 3rd reading
  • A5-0041/2001
• 2001/01/26 Joint text approved by Conciliation Committee co-chairs
  • 3603/2001
• 2001/01/08 Final decision by Conciliation Committee
• 2000/11/22 Formal meeting of Conciliation Committee
• #2287
• 2000/09/26 Council Meeting
• 2000/07/06 Decision by Parliament, 2nd reading
  • T5-0321/2000 summary

    The European Parliament in its second reading recommended by Caroline JACKSON (EPP/ED, United Kingdom) made several amendments to the Council's common position, the main ones being: -the recommendation containing best practices has been made into a directive establishing minimum criteria for inspections, with the effect that the provisions of this measure are legally binding on Member States. -a precise timetable should be drawn up for the Member States to develop a format for authorisation systems, jointly and with support from the Commission, so that a distinction can be made between Community provisions and national provisions with which the Controlled Installations must comply. -Inspection reports shall be publicly available within two months of the inspection taking place. �

• 2000/07/05 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament
• 2000/06/19 Vote in committee, 2nd reading
  • A5-0164/2000
• 2000/04/13 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 2nd reading
• #2253
• 2000/03/30 Council Meeting
  • 05684/1/2000 summary

    The Commission accepted in substance, provided the form of the proposal remained that of a recommendation, five of the fifteen amendments adopted by the European Parliament. The common position adopted by the Council, which endorses the Commission approach for a recommendation on minimum criteria concerning environmental inspections in the Member States at this stage, incorporates in principle, fully or in part, a good number of the European Parliament's amendments accepted by the Commission in its amended proposal. The main changes introduced to the text and agreed by the Council are as follows: - the Council modified the Preamble to bring it in line with the content of the common position; - the addition of new recitals concerning the acknowledgement of the existence of different systems and practices of inspections in the Member States; the division of responsibilites between authorisation and inspection services to be taken into account when inspections take place; the requirement for Member States to report to the Commission and Council on the experience in operating the Recommendation and subsequent request to the Commission to inform regularly the Parliament; further work to be done by IMPEL and the Member States on training and qualifications of environmental inspectors. In addition, a few modifications aiming at clarifying and improving the text have been introduced by the Council, mainly concerning: - the consideration of data on and from previous inspection activities; - the consideration of statements produced by the "controlled installations" according to the EMAS regulation; - the consideration of environmental risks in the programmes for routine environmental inspections; - the provision of co-ordination between different inspections authorities. Furthermore, the main change introduced by the Council with regard to the reporting requirements concerns paragraph 2, where the common position states that full reports will be communicated to the operator of the "controlled installation" in question and be available to the public . The Council has followed a pragmatic approach with the intention of avoiding a cumbersome procedure by which in any case the full report be communicated to the operator concerned. With regard to Point VII on investigations of serious accidents, incidents and occurances of non compliance, this text has been streamlined by the Council by incorporating the concept of the appropriate follow-up actions to be taken by the operator.�

• #2235
• 1999/12/13 Council Meeting
• 1999/12/03 Modified legislative proposal published
  • COM(1999)0652 summary

    The Commission can accept in full amendments numbers 1 and 10, provided that the form of a recommendation is retained. It can also accept in principle amendments number 16 (without the reference to the European Environment Agency (EEA)), 17 and 24, provided that the form of a recommendation is retained. The amendments which the Commission accepts in full concern: - the involvement of the EEA in advising the Member States on their systems for monitoring environmental provisions and giving support in respect of the coordination of reporting ; - the exhortation of the Member States, in cooperation with IMPEL and the Commission, to encourage the coordination of inspections and inspection services in order to prevent illegal cross-border environmental practices. - The Commission accepts in principle the amendments relating to : - the involvement of the EEA and the IMPEL. This amendment introduces and new Point VIIIa. The first paragraph seeks to encourage the Commission in cooperation with the IMPEL, the EEA and other interested parties to draw up minimum criteria in relation to the qualification and accreditation of inspectors. The Commission can accept this in principle provided the reference to the EEA is removed, as this sort of activity does not form part of its functions ; - training programmes for inspectors can also be accepted in principle ; - reports being made publicly available within 2 months of the inspection taking place, can be accepted in principle provided it is understood that such reports must be finalised within 2 months of the site visit and any request by the public for such reports. In addition, once finalised, they must comply with Directive 90/313/EEC which provides that such information shall be available as soon as possible after a request, in the first instance, and at the latest within 2 months. The Commission rejected the European Parliament's amendments relating to : changing the form of the proposal from a recommendation to a directive ; - matters of transposition for which Member States, not the Commission, are responsible ; - the processing and storing of data following site visits instead of 'reports' as such and detracts from the accuracy and strength of the Commission's proposal; - brief data rather than detailed reporting on compliance with particular legal requirements which cannot be accepted as the inspection should reveal which particular legal requirements have not been met.�

  • DG [{'url': 'http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/environment/', 'title': 'Environment'}],
• 1999/09/16 Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
  • T5-0018/1999 summary

    In adopting its report, drafted by Ms. Caroline JACKSON (EPP, UK), the European Parliament called for the proposed Council Recommendation (non-binding) to be changed into a proposal for a Directive (binding) given the importance of ensuring that Community environment legislation is applied uniformly. The Parliament stresses the importance of encouraging the coordination of inspections and inspection services between the Member States. It demands that Member States ensure that the inspecting authorities after every site visit process or store, in identifiable form, and in data files, the inspection data and their findings. Reports shall be publicly available within 2 months of the inspection taking place. The Commission is invited, in cooperation with IMPEL and the European Environment Agency and other interested parties, to draw up minimum criteria for the qualifications and accreditation of environmental inspectors who are authorised to carry out environmental inspections on behalf of competent bodies or on an individual basis. Member States are invited, in cooperation with IMPEL and other interested parties, and with the support of the Commission, to develop training programmes so as to meet the demand for qualified environmental inspectors. Member States are invited to develop the necessary training programmes so as to meet the demand for qualified environmental inspectors.�

• 1999/09/13 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament
• 1999/07/26 Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
  • A5-0002/1999
• 1999/07/19 Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
  • A4-0251/1999
• 1999/02/24 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
• 1998/12/16 Legislative proposal published
  • COM(1998)0772 summary

    PURPOSE : Proposal for a Council Recommendation providing for minimum criteria for environmental inspections in the Member States. CONTENT : Following on from the Commission's 1996 Communication concerning the implementation of Community Environmental Law (see COS0485), this proposal for a Recommendation would apply to environmental inspections of all industrial installations and other enterprises and facilities whose emissions and/or discharges to the environment, or activities which may lead thereto, are subject to authorisation, permit or licence requirement under EC law. It also would also apply to inspections of nuclear installations in the research and medical sectors. In recognition of the fact that there is a wide disparity in the inspections systems and mechanisms among Member States, the proposal is in the form of a non-binding instrument and leaves to Member States the choice of the inspections, administrative structure and systems, and the level at which such structures and systems are established, whether national, regional or local level. The following aspects are covered by the proposed Recommendation: - the organisation and carrying out of environmental inspections; - plans for environmental inspections, which have to be accessible to the public; - criteria to be respected for site visits; - reports and conclusions following site visits; - investigations of serious accidents, incidents and occurrences of non-compliance.�

  • DG [{'url': 'http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/environment/', 'title': 'Environment'}],

Documents

• Legislative proposal published: COM(1998)0772
• Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading: A4-0251/1999
• Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading: A5-0002/1999
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T5-0018/1999
• Modified legislative proposal published: COM(1999)0652
• Council position published: 05684/1/2000
• Committee recommendation tabled for plenary, 2nd reading: A5-0164/2000
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 2nd reading: T5-0321/2000
• Joint text approved by Conciliation Committee co-chairs: 3603/2001
• Report tabled for plenary, 3rd reading: A5-0041/2001
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 3rd reading: T5-0132/2001

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)