Progress: Procedure completed
Role | Committee | Rapporteur | Shadows |
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Lead | ENVI | KUŠĶIS Aldis ( PPE-DE) | |
Committee Opinion | PECH | ||
Committee Opinion | TRAN |
Lead committee dossier:
Legal Basis:
RoP 54
Legal Basis:
RoP 54Subjects
Events
The European Parliament adopted by 573 votes in favour to 8 against with 13 abstentions, a resolution based on the own-initiative report drafted by Aldis Kušķis (EPP-ED, LV) and welcomed the Commission's Thematic Strategy. It felt, however, that the proposal for a Marine Strategy Directive in its present form would not succeed in mobilising the regional and local authorities to take the appropriate measures. It called for the inclusion of a common EU-wide definition of good environmental status (GES) in the Marine Strategy Directive. This should be understood as the environmental status when all the marine ecosystems within a given Marine Region are managed in ways which allow them to function in a balanced, self-sustaining way in the face of environmental change, supporting both biodiversity and human activities. The Marine Strategy Directive must include a legal obligation for Member States to achieve GES, and must also result in binding supranational obligations which might involve common commitments in third countries. In addition, it was important that the objectives, measures, language and concepts used in the Marine Strategy Directive and other directives concerning the marine environment, such as the Water Framework Directive and the Habitats Directive, be harmonised to facilitate coordination between those directives. Parliament emphasised the need to bring the timetable into line with the timetable for the Water Framework Directive. Parliament went on to welcome the Green Paper "Towards a future Maritime Policy for the Union" (COM (2006)0275) but warned against too great an emphasis on an economic approach, instead urging a balance between the economic and ecological angles.
Turning to budgetary matters, Parliament expressed concern over the lack of financial commitment for the implementation of the Marine Strategies, and asked the Commission and Member States to identify the measures that could be co-financed through Life+ due to their particular importance for the achievement of GES in the European marine waters. It also advocated coordinating the timetable for the marine strategy with the next programming period for the EU's agricultural fund (from 2014). This would be of particular importance for those regions in which agriculture accounted for a substantial proportion of the discharges into the marine area.
On data sharing, a new approach to marine assessment was recommended, based upon existing programmes including the Data Collection Regulation under the CFP, and tailored to ensure full consistency with new Commission initiatives on spatial data infrastructure and GMES (Global Monitoring for Environment and Security), in particular the marine services.
Parliament welcomed the excellent contributions to marine protection of a number of regional marine conventions and expected them to become a key partner in delivering the Marine Strategy Directive. In order to avoid a double bureaucratic burden on the effective delivery of the Marine Strategy Directive, the Commission and Member States were asked to ensure that the regional marine conventions had the relevant administrative capacities or that mechanisms for joint implementation of the Strategy were developed. In either case, this must include the widest possible cross-sectoral and stakeholder involvement. Parliament asked the Commission to study the possibility of making the Baltic Sea into a pilot area, in view of the fact that it was an especially sensitive sea area. The Member States surrounding it were likely to agree on faster implementation of the plans through the work within the Helsinki Commission.
Parliament moved on to point out the fragility of other marine waters:
- the protection of the Mediterranean sea lacked either the necessary environmental legislation or, where such legislation does exist, the political willingness to enforce it;
- the Commission must propose relevant measures for the protection of the Arctic waters, and support programmes on the rights and needs of indigenous peoples in tackling sustainable use of the Arctic's natural resources;
- the Black Sea was recommended for inclusion as one of the Marine Regions to be covered by the Marine Strategy Directive;
- there was no environmental guarantee in connection with the construction of the North European gas pipeline to prevent a potential environmental disaster in the Baltic Sea region.
In all cases, there should be prior consultation of adjoining countries and other countries concerned where projects may have an impact on the common environment, even when the project is carried out in international waters. Experience showed that environmental impact assessments often had shortcomings and that they were not carried out in consultation with other States. Parliament urged the Council to act at international level to develop mandatory environmental impact assessments in relations between the EU and third countries.
It should be noted that this report is relevant to the amendments adopted in the Marine Strategy Directive (please refer to COD/2005/0211.)
The Council held a policy debate on the thematic strategy and proposal for a Framework Directive for the protection and conservation of the marine environment.
The debate focused essentially on the following issues:
- in general, the Council considered that the marine strategy, together with the proposal for a Directive, provides adequate tools to meet the marine environment related objectives set out in the 6th Environmental Action Programme while setting up the environmental pillar of a future EU Maritime Policy;
- in their majority, delegations agreed that the Directive should include an explicit definition of the concept of "good environmental status" (GES) and indicated some of the main elements they considered should be included in such a definition to make it operational. Delegations were of the view that some flexibility with regard to the timetable might be required, depending on how GES would be defined as well as on specific regional and sub-regional circumstances;
- the need to ensure coherence between the different levels of regulation was stressed. The work done and obligations under international agreements, such as the Regional Seas Conventions, must be taken into account to avoid overlaps and duplication of work. The strategy and proposed Directive must be coherent with other EC legislation and policies, such as the Water Framework Directive, the Habitats and Birds Directives and the Common Fisheries Policy;
- lastly, it was recognised that the specific situation of landlocked countries will have to be addressed when implementing the Directive, although these countries do have a contribution to make to its objectives.
The committee adopted the own-initiative report drawn up by Aldis KUSKIS (EPP-ED, LV) in response to the Commission communication on a thematic strategy on the protection and conservation of the marine environment. The report welcomed the "overarching objective of promoting sustainable use of the seas and conservation of marine ecosystems", but expressed disappointment at the proposed Marine Strategy Directive (see COD/2005/0211) which, it felt, "will not succeed in mobilising the regional and local authorities to take the appropriate measures".
The committee called for the inclusion in the Directive of a common EU-wide definition of 'good environmental status' (GES), understood as "the environmental status when all the marine ecosystems within a given Marine Region are managed in ways which allow them to function in a balanced, self-sustaining way in the face of environmental change, supporting both biodiversity and human activities".
Referring to the Green Paper "Towards a future Maritime Policy for the Union", the report warned against too great an emphasis on an economic approach and urged that "a balance be struck between the economic and ecological angles". The Marine Strategy Directive should provide the legal framework for the preservation and integrity of the marine environment and hence for the appropriate management units - the Marine Regions and Strategies - for marine planning and decisions.
On budgetary matters, the committee expressed concern at the lack of financial commitment for the implementation of the Marine Strategies and asked the Commission and the Member States to identify the measures that could be co-financed through LIFE+.
To ensure that the Directive did not create extra layers of bureaucracy, the Commission and Member States were urged to ensure "either that the regional marine conventions have the relevant legal and administrative capacities or that mechanisms for joint implementation of the Strategy are developed between the different regional bodies operating within the same marine region". The Commission was also asked to study the possibility of making the Baltic Sea into a pilot area, with the forthcoming Baltic Sea Action Plan from the Helsinki Convention (HELCOM) acting as a pilot programme to implement the Strategy objectives in the Baltic Sea Marine Region. In addition, the report highlighted the importance of protecting the "extremely fragile ecosystem" of the Arctic waters and called on the Commission to report to Parliament and the Council by 2008 on the possibility of establishing the Arctic as a protected area, similar to the Antarctic, and designated as a "natural reserve devoted to peace and science".
Lastly, the committee recommended that the Black Sea be included in the Marine Regions to be covered by the Marine Strategy Directive, in view of the forthcoming accession of Romania and Bulgaria and the accession negotiations under way with Turkey.
PURPOSE : presentation of a thematic strategy on the protection and conservation of the marine environment.
CONTEXT : Oceans and seas provide 99% of the available living space on the planet, cover 71% of the Earth’s surface and contain 90% of the biosphere and consequently contain more biological diversity than terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems. Marine ecosystems play a key role in climate and weather patterns. Indispensable to life itself, the marine environment is also a great contributor to economic prosperity, social well-being and quality of life.
However, the marine environment is under significant pressure. The pace of degradation of its biodiversity, the level of contamination by dangerous substances and the emerging consequences of climate change are some of the most visible warning signals. The current deterioration of the marine environment and the associated erosion of its ecological capital jeopardises the generation of wealth and employment opportunities derived from Europe’s oceans and seas. If not addressed, this will undermine the capacity of the EU maritime cluster to make a strong contribution to the Lisbon agenda.
Economic activities that directly depend on the quality of the marine environment would be particularly affected. The key sector of tourism would be severely hit. As regards fisheries, the loss of income from over-fishing of cod alone in the North Sea and Baltic Sea was estimated to reach EUR 400 million in 2002.
The development of a Thematic Strategy for the protection and conservation of the marine environment is a result of the commitment EU’s 6th Environment Action Programme. While the Strategy is primarily focused on the protection of the regional seas bordered by EU countries, it also takes into account the international dimension in recognition of the importance of reducing the EU’s footprint in marine areas in other parts of the world, including the High Seas.
CONTENT : the objective of the Strategy is to protect and restore Europe’s oceans and seas and ensure
that human activities are carried out in a sustainable manner so that current and futuregenerations enjoy and benefit from biologically diverse and dynamic oceans and seas that are safe, clean, healthy and productive.
If the EU is to achieve this ambitious objective, a new approach and principles to inform the design and implementation of a future EU strategy will be required, encompassing:
- a dual EU/regional approach setting at EU level common co-operation and approaches among Member States and third countries bordering EU oceans and seas, but leaving the planning and execution of measures to the regional level to take into account the diversity of conditions, problems and needs of marine regions requiring tailor-made solutions.
- a knowledge-based approach, in order to achieve informed policy-making.
- an ecosystem-based approach , whereby human activities affecting the marine environment will be managed in an integrated manner promoting conservation and sustainable use in an equitable way of oceans and seas.
- a co-operative approach, providing for broad engagement with all relevant stakeholders and enhancing co-operation with existing regional seas conventions.
The Commission considers that in order to achieve the objective of the Strategy a binding legal commitment is required. It proposes a Marine Strategy Directive, ambitious in its scope but not overly prescriptive in its tools.
In developing improved co-ordination in relation to environmental issues, the Strategy will deliver the environmental pillar of the future Maritime Policy. It will be reviewed in 2010 and feed into the final evaluation of the 6th Environmental Action Programme.
Documents
- Commission response to text adopted in plenary: SP(2007)0054
- Results of vote in Parliament: Results of vote in Parliament
- Decision by Parliament: T6-0486/2006
- Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
- Debate in Council: 2757
- Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading: A6-0364/2006
- Committee report tabled for plenary: A6-0364/2006
- Amendments tabled in committee: PE378.596
- Committee draft report: PE374.344
- Non-legislative basic document published: COM(2005)0504
- Non-legislative basic document published: EUR-Lex
- Committee draft report: PE374.344
- Amendments tabled in committee: PE378.596
- Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading: A6-0364/2006
- Commission response to text adopted in plenary: SP(2007)0054
Activities
- Adamos ADAMOU
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Dorette CORBEY
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Ioannis GKLAVAKIS
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Hélène GOUDIN
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Cristina GUTIÉRREZ-CORTINES
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Ian HUDGHTON
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Ville ITÄLÄ
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Urszula KRUPA
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Aldis KUŠĶIS
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Henrik LAX
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Marie-Noëlle LIENEMANN
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Marios MATSAKIS
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Francesco MUSOTTO
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Sebastiano (Nello) MUSUMECI
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Riitta MYLLER
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Janusz ONYSZKIEWICZ
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- John PURVIS
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- Manuel dos SANTOS
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- Carl SCHLYTER
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- Olle SCHMIDT
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- Georgios TOUSSAS
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Evangelia TZAMPAZI
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Åsa WESTLUND
Plenary Speeches (1)
Votes
Rapport Kuskis A6-0364/2006 - résolution #
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