Activites

• 2000/11/15 Final act published in Official Journal
  • Regulation 2000/2493
  • OJ L 288 15.11.2000, p. 0001
• 2000/11/07 Final act signed
• 2000/11/07 End of procedure in Parliament
• 2000/09/21 Decision by Parliament, 3rd reading
  • T5-0395/2000 summary

    The Parliament approved the joint text.�

• 2000/09/20 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament
• 2000/09/07 Decision by Council, 3rd reading
• 2000/09/04 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
• 2000/08/21 Report tabled for plenary, 3rd reading
  • A5-0215/2000
• 2000/07/05 Joint text approved by Conciliation Committee co-chairs
  • 3631/2000
• 2000/06/28 Formal meeting of Conciliation Committee
• #2263
• 2000/05/18 Council Meeting
• 2000/03/15 Decision by Parliament, 2nd reading
  • T5-0097/2000 summary

    The European Parliament has adopted the report drafted by Mr. Anders WIJKMAN (EPP/ED, Sw) for a resolution on the common position adopted by the Council with a view to adopting a European Parliament and Council Regulation on measures to promote the full integration of the environmental dimension in the development process of developing countries. The report was adopted subject to amendments which relate to: - the inclusion in development cooperation projects of environmental considerations enabling the sustainable dimension of these projects to be distinguished, identified and addressed; - the encouragement of the use of renewable energy sources, increased energy efficiency, energy saving and the replacement of especially damaging energy sources by others which are less so; - the need to protect ecosystems and habitats and the conservation of special diversity; - the environmental problems related to industrial activities; - the promotion of trade in products that have been produced in a sustainable manner; - the need to use databases and databanks for example on the Internet (open to public) when formulating guidelines and manuals and instruments aimed at promoting sustainable development and environmental integration; - the need for information campaigns on hazardous substances and toxic waste and pesticides in particular; - the increased need to coordinate activities by means of exchanges between local partners, NGOs and grassroots communities and associations, as well as representatives of the Commission and of the Member States; - the financial framework has been changed from EUR 50,4 million to EUR 93 million, and the Commission shall submit a proposal for a new framework to the European Parliament and the Council before the end of 2005.�

• 2000/03/13 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament
• 2000/02/22 Vote in committee, 2nd reading
  • A5-0051/2000
• 2000/02/02 Modified legislative proposal published
  • COM(2000)0055 summary

    The Commission was able to accept 28 EP amendments in full or in part, in some cases subject to some rewording or insertion in a different part of the regulation text than initially proposed. Some amendments became redundant after other clarifications to the text were made. The amendments or important parts of the amendments that the Commission was unable to accept can be grouped under one or several of the following categories: - the provision of details, concerning themes and activities, which were already addressed in other parts of the regulation and/or which were considered to burden the structure and equilibrium of the regulation without adding to its completeness; - other amendments that were considered already to be covered in the original version of the proposed regulation; - quotes or provision details relating to various applicable policy documents and legal acts which were considered redundant for the purpose of the regulation; - amendments relating to the interpretation of the scope of the regulation which were considered either too broad or too limiting; - management issues which are of the competence of the Commission; - amendments that were not in accordance with standard formulation or similar regulations; - amendments that were insufficiently clear, redundant, unworkable or too limiting.�

  • DG ['Development'],
• 2000/01/20 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 2nd reading
• #2237
• 1999/12/16 Council Meeting
  • 12485/1/1999 summary

    The Council has been able to accept a substantial number of the amendments proposed by the European Parliament. Where the Commission and the Council were unable to accept Parliament's amendments or parts of them, it was usually because of one or several of the following reasons: - the provision of details concerning themes and activities, which were already addressed in other parts of the regulation and/or which were considered to burden the structure and equilibrium of the regulation without adding to its completeness; - other amendments were no longer relevant given the evolution of the text or were considered redundant for the purpose of the regulation; - amendments that were insufficiently clear, unworkable or too limiting, etc. In its common position, the Council has approved the essence and wording of the Commission's proposal with the exceptions relating to the legal basis, duration of the programme, funding and comitology. In addition, the Council thought desirable to integrate a new task for the joint Committees' meeting which aims at the approval of annual strategic guidelines and priorities to underline the focus on a strategic approach. Furthermore, the legal basis put forward by the Commission in its proposal is considered by the Council in its common position as being the most appropriate in view of the aim and content of the proposal. As far as the duration of the Regulation is concerned, the Council has opted for a seven year period (2000-2006) which corresponds to the period for which financial perspectives have been fixed. The Commission's evaluation report will be due four years after the entering into force of the Regulation and shall contain suggestions concerning the future of the Regulation. As a consequence of the seven year programme, the financial reference amount has been fixed at EUR 50,4 million, which results from the 2000 draft budget appropriations of annual EUR 8 million. This amount has further been reduced by 10% to take account of the July Decision of the Budget Control on Category 4 expenditures. By the introduction of this indicative amount the Council has partially taken into consideration the European Parliament's amendment No 52. The Council has also changed the committee procedure whereby the powers of the committee would be exercised under the management committee procedure, as set out in the Council decision of 28 June 1999 laying down on the Commission. The Council considers that such a committee procedure will ensure maximum coordination with Member States activities and thus contributing to necessary complementarity. In addition, an annual Commission document on strategic guidelines and priorities will be submitted to the appropriate geographical Committee which will approve the document in accordance with the management committee procedure. In conclusion, the Council considers that its common position constitutes a balanced text to ensure the continuation of activities implemented under Council Regulation 722/97/EC of 22 April 1997 after its expiry on 31 December 1999. It reflects the need to mainstream environmental issues in thedevelopment cooperation policy and to assist the Community in meetings its legal and political commitments to the protection of the environment in the context of sustainable development.�

• #2215
• 1999/11/11 Council Meeting
• 1999/05/05 Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
  • T4-0398/1999 summary

    Without debate, the Parliament adopted the report drafted by Ms. Maartje VAN PUTTEN (PES, NL) on measures to promote full integration of the environmental dimension in the development process of developing countries. The Parliament considers that the basic strategy of the programme is to achieve full integration of environmental policy in other policies, including development policy and that there is a need for further and still more progressive objectives and measures beyond the year 2000 to maintain the momentum of Community action. It calls on the Commission to come forward with appropriate proposals to give effect to the programme's objectives and recalls that the need to integrate environmental considerations into Community policy and action should be translated into more operational terms. It also gives a new title to the proposal that gives greater emphasis to the 'integration of the environmental dimension' in the external policies of the Community and in the development process in developing countries. For the Parliament, this policy should be implemented in accordance with the European Parliament and Council Decision no. 2179/98/EC establishing a revised European Community programme of policy and action in relation to the environment and sustainable development 'Towards Sustainability' and should comprise two components : 1) a strategy of integrating environment policy in the Community's development policy and in other policies which have an impact on development and environment policies, and 2) measures to promote the full integration of environmental policy in the development process of developing countries. These components shall be complementary and shall be pursued by the Commission in parallel, with the aim of ensuring that the Community as far as possible sets an example of best practice to developing countries. Bearing in mind these priorities and the importance of the environment for the development of the countries concerned, the Parliament considers that the financial amount indicated in the proposal should be considered as an absolute minimum to meet the objectives of the Regulation (given that this amount covers technical and administrative assistance required for the implementation of the project). It also stresses the importance that all the financial and political measures be co-ordinated. In parallel, the Parliament clarifies the meaning of 'sustainable development' and strengthens the scope of actions to be undertaken. It proposes that the programme should cover, among other things : - transboundary environmental issues, in particular air, soil and water pollution, - the inclusion in development co-operation projects of an environmental component which distinguishes, identifies and assesses the sustainable dimension of these projects, - sustainable management and use of natural and environmental resources in all sectors and in particular the productive sectors of the economy, - environmental problems caused by the non-sustainable use of resources due to poverty, - conservation of biological diversity (especially by protecting ecosystems and habitats and the conservation of species diversity, the sustainable use of its components, the involvement of holders of traditional knowledge on the use of biologicaldiversity, and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilisation of genetic resources), - the management of wetlands, - environmental impacts of non-sustainable forms of agriculture and the promotion of sustainable forms of agriculture, - town and country planning (especially with respect to the urban environment), - environmental problems related to industrial activities, - encouragement of the use of renewables, of increasing energy efficiency, of energy saving and the replacement of especially damaging energy sources by others which are less so, - information campaigns on hazardous substances and toxic waste and pesticides in particular, - the promotion of trade in products that have been produced in a sustainable manner, - the elaboration of programmes and projects for sustainable development, - support for the elaboration of development priorities and self-development capacities of indigenous and local communities, - the formulation of instruments aimed at promoting sustainable development and environmental integration (e.g. public databases on the Web), - observance of special environmental standards (in particular, labels and certification), - regional projects or projects that help to strengthen regional co-operation in the area of sustainable development, - the dynamics of the links between international environmental instruments and human rights. In order to ensure increased effectiveness of the Regulation, the Parliament asks that priority should be given to projects based on the requests of the beneficiaries themselves or on criteria drawn up by the developing countries. With respect to comitology, the Parliament supports the idea of an advisory committee procedure. It modifies the funding thresholds proposed by the Commission which sought another type of procedure (5 million euros instead of the 2 million proposed by the Commission). It also calls for the establishment of an environmental monitoring unit which would be responsible for the co-ordination, linking and integration of the various aspects of development co-operation projects in order to maximise investigation and follow-up. Lastly, it strengthened the scope of the evaluation reports to be transmitted to the Parliament and the Council and calls on the Commission to submit to it no later than 31/12/2000 a report on the legislative and other initiatives that it intends proposing with a indicative calendar for adoption. �

• 1999/04/21 Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
  • A4-0254/1999
• 1999/01/28 Legislative proposal published
  • COM(1999)0036 summary

    PURPOSE: to introduce measures to promote the full integration of the environmental dimension in the development process of developing countries. CONTENT: this proposal for a Council Regulation aims to ensure the continuation of activities implemented under Council regulation 722/97/EC after the expiry of this regulation on 31/12/99. The proposed regulation sets the framework for the management of budgetline B7-6200, the most specific financial instrument available to the EC in the context of helping to implement environmental mainstreaming in the context of the activities funded by other (namely geographical) Community instruments in development cooperation. This instrument has evolved to finance essentially two types of activities: - pilot schemes in developing countries; - the development of guidelines and operational instruments; The financial aid and technical assistance provided will elaborate and promote policies, strategies, tools and technologies for the pursuit of sustainable development. These actions will include pilot projects in the field, schemes to build up the institutional and operational capacities of actors in the development process, the elaboration of policies, plans and strategies for sustainable development, inventory, accounting and statistical work, environmental assessments, raising awareness of local populations and support to multilateral processes. Financed actions will address a large range of issues related to the environment, such as: - global environmental issues; - transboundary environmental issues (in particular, air and water pollution); - environmental impacts of integrating developing countries into the world economy; - environmental impacts of macro-economic and sectoral policies in developing countries; - sustainable management and use of natural and environmental resources in all productive sectors of the economy; - conservation of biological diversity; - water-related issues; - coastal zone management; - desertification; - urban environment problems; - sustainable production and use of energy; - sutainable patterns of production and consumption. Within the framework of this programme, the Commission considers lesson-learning and dissemination of the results of activities carried out to be essential elements of implementing this regulation. Particular attention will be given to such factors as linkage with the overall objective of poverty alleviation and innovative local initiatives. Finally, measures will be taken to ensure the visibility of Community actions. Since environmental mainstreaming is a long-term commitment, it is suggested that the regulation be given an unlimited duration. The Commission will be responsible for management of the programme. It will be assisted in this task by thegeographically-determined Committee competent for development. Decisions relating to grants of more then EURO 2 million for individual operations shall be adopted under a committee procedure described in the regulation. 4 years after the regulation's entry into force, the Commission shall submit to the European Parliament and the Council an overall assessment of the operations financed by the Community under this regulation, together with suggestions concerning its future. The Commission shall also regularly assess operations with a view to providing guidelines for improving the effectiveness of future operations. The new regulation should be adopted as soon as possible in order to be applicable from 01/01/2000. It should finally be noted that the proposal's financial statement sets the budget of this initiative at EURO 16 million for 1999.�

  • DG ['Development'],

Documents

• Legislative proposal published: COM(1999)0036
• Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading: A4-0254/1999
• Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T4-0398/1999
• Council position published: 12485/1/1999
• Modified legislative proposal published: COM(2000)0055
• Committee recommendation tabled for plenary, 2nd reading: A5-0051/2000
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 2nd reading: T5-0097/2000
• Joint text approved by Conciliation Committee co-chairs: 3631/2000
• Report tabled for plenary, 3rd reading: A5-0215/2000
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 3rd reading: T5-0395/2000
• : Regulation 2000/2493
• : OJ L 288 15.11.2000, p. 0001

History

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