Activites

• 2001/11/27 Final act published in Official Journal
  • Directive 2001/81
  • OJ L 309 27.11.2001, p. 0022
• 2001/10/23 Final act signed
• 2001/10/23 End of procedure in Parliament
• #2371
• 2001/09/27 Council Meeting
• 2001/09/20 Decision by Parliament, 3rd reading
  • T5-0470/2001 summary

    The European Parliament adopted the resolution on the joint text. This resolution sets tight national ceilings to be met by Member States for four key atmospheric pollutants. In a victory for Parliament, 2020 is set as the benchmark date for achieving the long-term goal of keeping within critical limits and protecting people against the health risks caused by air pollution. 2010 is the interim target date for achieving the binding limits set out for each Member State. Lastly, the Commission shall report in 2004 and 2008 on the progress being made in meeting the targets. It must also examine the pollution caused by aviation and shipping.�

• 2001/09/19 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament
• 2001/08/02 Joint text approved by Conciliation Committee co-chairs
  • 3641/2001
• 2001/07/04 Final decision by Conciliation Committee
• 2001/07/03 Report tabled for plenary, 3rd reading
  • A5-0292/2001
• 2001/06/25 Formal meeting of Conciliation Committee
• #2361
• 2001/06/21 Council Meeting
• 2001/03/14 Decision by Parliament, 2nd reading
  • T5-0134/2001 summary

    The European Parliament adopted the report by Mrs Riitta MYLLER (PES, FIN) subject to amendments. (Please refer to the previous text).�

• 2001/03/13 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament
• #2334
• 2001/03/08 Council Meeting
• 2001/02/27 Vote in committee, 2nd reading
  • A5-0067/2001
• 2000/11/16 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 2nd reading
• #2302
• 2000/11/07 Council Meeting
  • 10674/1/2000 summary

    The Council's common position, whilst maintaining the approach proposed by the Commission moves, in line with one of the European Parliament's amendments, the proposed interim environmental objectives from an Annex into Article 5 of the proposal. In total, the Council has adopted the 8 European Parliament amendments accepted, fully or in part, by the Commission. The major difference between the Commission's proposal and the common position of the Council is in the numerical values of the national emissions ceilings. Council has accepted the interim environmental objectives for 2010 which the emission ceilings proposed by the Commission were designed to meet. However, as far as emission ceilings were concerned Council felt it was necessary to take a stepwise approach; committing now only to emission reductions which they felt certain of achieving, and making clear that the aim of review in 2004 would be to try and bridge the gap in the light of further information available by then. In line with Parliament's opinion, the common position incorporates an amendment which refers to the need to take account of the effects of any new Community legislation relating to relevant sources of emissions when implementation of the Directive is reviewed. Furthermore, it is indicated that the Commission will examine further the need for harmonised Community measures for the most relevant economic sectors and products contributing to acidification, eutrophication and ground level ozone. Furthermore, the common position incorporates an amendment proposed by the Parliament which relates to the need to take into account the progress in the accession candidate countries. On the other hand, the common position did not accept amendments relating in particular to the dates for meeting the long term objectives for no exceedance of critical loads for acidification and of critical levels for ozone; including emissions from international maritime traffic and from aircraft beyond the landing and take-off cycle in national emission ceilings; the revision of the definition of "volatile organic compound" to be in line with that in the Solvents Directive and bring forward the dates of interim reviews and the final report. �

• #2278
• 2000/06/22 Council Meeting
• #2253
• 2000/03/30 Council Meeting
  • 2253 summary

    The Council held a further policy debate on two proposals for Directives, one on national emission ceilings for certain atmospheric pollutants (sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxides, volatile organic compounds and ammonia) and the other on ozone in ambient air. During the debate, Ministers replied to three questions asked by the Presidency: - whether Member States were willing to go further than the reductions in emissions accepted in the framework of the Gothenburg Protocol; - whether the possible willingness of countries applying for memberships of the EU go beyond the reductions set in the Protocol should be taken into account when calculating emission ceilings; - whether Member States were committed to the interim targets for ozone reduction. In their contributions, a large majority of delegations supported the Presidency in its intention to push work forward in this area, particularly on emission ceilings, and to reach political agreement at the Council meeting in June. Several Ministers observed that the ceilings set by the Gothenburg Protocol seemed to be insufficient and said that they would be prepared to go further. Other stressed that the need to keep ceilings agreed in the Protocol for the time being, and then to adopt more ambitious ceilings when it was revised in 2004. In this context they commented on the considerable effort, particularly in financial terms, which was already necessary to achieve the ceilings set by the Gothenburg Protocol, and also on the need for a balance between environmental benefits and the financial costs entailed by the measures to be adopted. However, some Ministers said that they were prepared to accept more ambitious ceilings, while pointing out the need for progress in discussions on the Directive on large combustion plants and the need to develop Community legislation in certain areas which might affect the emission levels of pollutants covered by the proposal. Several delegations believe that additional effort would be needed from the countries applying for membership, over and above what they had accepted in the Gothenburg Protocol, while recognising the difficulties which they might have in this respect. Some Member States suggested that this question should be handled when the Directive was reviewed in 2004.�

• 2000/03/15 Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
  • T5-0102/2000 summary

    The European Parliament has adopted the report by Mrs. P. Myller (PES, Fin) concerning a proposal for the European Parliament and Council Directive on national emission ceilings for certain atmospheric pollutants. This report was subject to amendments which concern: - the need to establish rules for the most important sources of emissions of ozone precursors which are the subject of internal market rules and for products which are freely traded on the internal market and which, when used, produce significant emissions of ozone precursors; - the submission, from the Commission, without delay of the overdue proposals amending emission rules for two- and three- wheeled vehicles and emission rules for mobile machinery and appliances to take account of the latest technology. Provision should also be made for emission rules for new appliances with small motors (e.g. power saws and lawnmowers). The Commission should also propose as soon as possible Community rules laying down conditions for the placing on the market of products containing VOC for the commercial and private sectors in order to reduce non-industrial emissions of VOC; - the inclusion of the progress made by inter alia by the accession candidate countries; - with regard to the limit emissions of acidifying and eutrophication pollutants an ozone precursors: there is a long-term objective set for 2015 whereby in principle the critical loads must not be exceeded in any part of the Community witht he final target of no exceedance of critical levels and loads in the year 2020; - the Commission shall report to the European parliament and Council on progress in the implementation of the national emission ceilings in 2003 and 2007. In 2011, the Commission shall report to the EP and the Council on compliance with the ceilings and on progress in relation to the interim environmental objectives. In addition, the European Parliament stated that, in light of the progress towards attaining the emission ceilings by the year 2010, scientific and technical progress, the situation regarding the overstepping of the critical load limits and the WHO's guidelines values for air pollution, and having regard to other factors referred to in Article 9(1), the Commission shall carry out a review of this Directive, including further investigation of the estimated costs and benefit of emission ceilings, and, at the latest before the end of the year 2004, shall propose amendments to this Directive, including proposals for amendments to the emission ceilings, environmental objectives, proposals for measures to ensure compliance with the emission ceilings, and proposals for further reductions in emissions.�

• 2000/03/14 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament
• 2000/02/23 Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
  • A5-0063/2000
• #2235
• 1999/12/13 Council Meeting
  • 2235
• #2207
• 1999/10/12 Council Meeting
  • 2207
• 1999/07/23 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
• 1999/06/09 Legislative proposal published
  • COM(1999)0125 summary

    PURPOSE: the setting of national ceilings for emissions of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds and ammonia with a view to remedying the problems of acidification, trophospheric ozone and soil eutrophication. CONTENT: The central feature is the ceilings set for emissions of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds and ammonia in each Member State. These ceilings are to be complied with by 2010 at the latest. Member States are required to draw up programmes for the progressive reduction of their annual national emissions and report them to the Commission before the end of 2002. the programmes are to be updated and revised by 2006. Member States are required to prepare and regularly update national emission inventories and emission projections for 2010 for SO2, NOx, VOC and NH3. These inventories and projections must be reported to the Commission each year. In combination with the national programmes, the inventories will provide essential input on progress towards the ceilings, and will show whether Member States are complying with their ceilings. The Commission must report at regular intervals (2004, 2008 and 2012) to Parliament and the Council on progress in the implementation of the ceilings and towards attaining the interim environmental objectives. These reports must include an economic assessment, including cost-effectiveness, benefits, an assessment of marginal costs and benefits, impact on competitiveness, and the expected socio-economic impact in the different Member States of the implementation of the national emission ceilings. They will also consider the limitations applied to the scope of the Directive. In addition to Member States' reports, as described above, the Commission will take account of and explore other aspects relevant to these reports, such as: - emission reductions and reduction commitments by non-Community countries; - the enlargement process; - new Community legislation and any international regulations concerning ship emissions; - new technical and scientific data; - assessment of current and projected exceedance of critical loads and of the World Health Organisation's guideline values for tropospheric ozone; - new livestock projections reflecting developments in the Common Agricultural Policy; - new energy forecasts reflecting the actions taken by the Member States to comply with the Kyoto Agreement; - the identification of an interim objective for reducing soil eutrophication. The Commission's reports will, if appropriate, be accompanied by proposals for modifications of the national emission ceilings of the proposed directive, for measures to ensure compliance with the ceilings, and for possible further emission reductions.�

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

Documents

• Legislative proposal published: COM(1999)0125
• Debate in Council: 2207
• Debate in Council: 2235
• Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading: A5-0063/2000
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T5-0102/2000
• Debate in Council: 2253
• Council position published: 10674/1/2000
• Committee recommendation tabled for plenary, 2nd reading: A5-0067/2001
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 2nd reading: T5-0134/2001
• Report tabled for plenary, 3rd reading: A5-0292/2001
• Joint text approved by Conciliation Committee co-chairs: 3641/2001
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 3rd reading: T5-0470/2001
• : Directive 2001/81
• : OJ L 309 27.11.2001, p. 0022

History

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