SP(2008)3164

SP(2008)3169

Results of vote in Parliament

The European Parliament adopted, by 599 votes to 19 with 19 abstentions, a resolution on the mid-term review of the Sixth Community Environment Action Programme. The own-initiative report had been tabled for consideration in plenary by Riitta MYLLER (PSE, FI) on behalf of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety.

Parliament considers it regrettable that the mid-term review of the Sixth Community Environment Action Programme (Sixth EAP) has been delayed by almost a year. It deplores the fact that, on the whole, the EU is not on schedule with the implementation of the measures planned in the Action Programme, contrary to what the Commission claims in its own mid-term review. The EU must do everything in its power to attain the objectives agreed in the Sixth EAP, as failure to attain them would damage the EU's credibility. Parliament notes that, whilst the use of thematic strategies has created additional opportunities for stakeholder involvement, they have also lengthened the duration of the environmental policy-making process by delaying the formulation of concrete policy proposals.

Members believe that, within the EU, competences must be clearly allocated and defined. They point out that the Commission's mid-term review shows confusion and internal ambiguity with regard to the competences of the Commission and of the Member States. Both the limits of respective competences and specific responsibilities must be clearly established and set down in order to ensure that those responsibilities continue to be met. It is essential to strengthen the position of the Sixth Environment Action Programme as the environmental dimension of the EU's sustainable development strategy.

Parliament recalls that the full and correct implementation of the existing legislation is a priority and stresses that binding legislation remains central to meeting environmental challenges. MEPs call on the Commission to strengthen its activities as guardian of the Treaty, and call on the EU budgetary authority to provide the Commission with all the necessary financial and human resources to ensure that the most efficient monitoring of the implementation and enforcement of existing legislation is carried out in all Member States.

In addition, Parliament calls for EU environmental policies to be designed, and reviewed, so as to focus more on goal prescriptions rather than means descriptions, leaving Member States and farmers free to find the most effective and efficient means for reaching the desired goals. The Commission and the Member States are urged to promote stronger and more coherent environmental policy integration in all EU policy-making. Parliament calls for integration of environmental protection and health protection aspects into all policies, regretting both the lack of integration of these aspects in various environmental legal frameworks and the preparations for new legislation and the lack of their integration into legislation which has primary objectives other than environmental protection. Parliament highlights the following:

-the need to elaborate binding sectoral targets and timetables in order to achieve concrete results towards the integration of environmental considerations in other economic sectors;

-the responsibility of economic stakeholders of certain sectors of activity in order to obtain results in the long term, in the area of energy and climate;

-the need to take the Natura 2000 programme in regional development programmes into account, so as to reconcile the principle of protection of European biodiversity with the development and improved quality of life of the population.

Parliament is concerned by the findings of various independent studies that the Commission guidelines on impact assessments are not fully respected by Commission DGs, that the assessment and quantification of economic impacts has been emphasised at the expense of environmental, social and international impacts, that the costs of legislation are assessed far more than the benefits, and that short-term considerations overshadow the long-term. It calls on the Commission to take action to rectify these persistent deficiencies.

The Commission and Member States are called upon to:

-devote more effort to ecological tax reform , including a gradual shift of the tax burden from welfare-negative taxes (e.g. on labour) towards welfare-positive taxes, (e.g. on environmentally damaging activities, such as resource use or pollution);

-benefit from bilateral and regional trade negotiations to move towards trade commitments which have direct environmental benefits;

- assist developing countries in the deployment of sustainable and efficient technologies through all mechanisms available;

-adopt genuinely green public procurement rules to promote innovation and sustainable consumption and production patterns;

-intensify efforts to achieve the 20% target for renewables and the 10% target for biofuel consumption keeping in mind that energy crops must not jeopardise food supplies. The sustainability mechanism, which is at the development stage, should apply the most stringent sustainability criteria to biofuels.

MEPs call on the EU to promote climate diplomacy in its trade relations with countries which are not linked by multilateral agreements on environmental protection, like the USA, China and India, who for various reasons are not implementing the Kyoto Protocol.

Lastly, Parliament highlights the importance of raising consumer awareness and supports the development of a clear and comprehensive labelling system.

T6-0122/2008

Debate in Parliament

A6-0074/2008

A6-0074/2008

The Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety adopted the own-initiative report by Riitta MYLLER (PSE, FI) on the mid-term review of the Sixth Community Environment Action Programme.

The parliamentary committee considers it regrettable that the mid-term review of the Sixth Environment Action Programme has been delayed by almost one year and regrets the fact that, on the whole, the European Union is not on schedule with the implementation of the measures planned in the Action Programme. It also notes that Thematic Strategies – whilst they have created additional opportunities for stakeholder involvement and a more strategic approach to EU legislative policy – have also lengthened the duration of the environmental policy-making process by delaying the formulation of concrete policy proposals and adoption of resulting measures.

MEPs believe that it is essential to strengthen the position of the Sixth Environment Action Programme as the environmental dimension of the EU's sustainable development strategy. They also call upon the Commission to treat the protection of human health as an issue of leading importance amongst the other environmental protection priorities.

The report recalls that the full and correct implementation of the existing legislation is a priority and stresses that binding legislation remains central to meeting environmental challenges. MEPs call on the Commission to strengthen its activities as guardian of the Treaty, and recommend the adoption of specific support measures in favour of regions confronted with difficulties linked to the implementation of this aspect of the acquis communautaire.

PE398.438

PE398.477

PE400.291

PE394.036

PE398.365

SEC(2007)0546
EUR-Lex

SEC(2007)0547
EUR-Lex

PURPOSE: to present a communication on the Mid-term review of the Sixth Community Environment Action Programme.

CONTENT: for the past thirty years the EU’s environmental programme has been guided by strategic Environmental Action Programmes. The Sixth Community Action Programme (6th EAP) establishes the Community framework for environment policy and covers the period July 2002 to 2012 (see COD/2001/0029 ). It represents the environmental dimension of the EU’s Sustainable Development Strategy and sets out the EU’s environmental priorities. It focuses on four issues: climate change, nature and biodiversity, health and the quality of life, and natural resources and waste. The purpose of this report is to offer a mid-term review of the 6th EAP.

It addresses three distinct questions. Firstly, the extent to which the Union is meeting commitments made; secondly, to consider the most recent scientific evidence as a means of assessing whether the original goals set out in the 6th EAP are capable of being met; and thirdly to consider whether the EU’s approach to environmental policy needs to be reassessed in light of the changed political context – in other words taking account of the recently revised EU Sustainable Development Strategy, the Lisbon Strategy for growth and jobs and the Commission’s Better Regulation agenda.

The Commission concludes the mid-term review of the 6th EAP by stating that the EU’s environmental policy is one of its major achievements. Despite the progress that has been made the EU’s level of ambition needs to be increased. The EU is not yet on the path of sustainable environmental development. There has only been limited progress with the fundamental issues of integrating environmental concerns into other policy areas and improving the enforcement of EU legislation. Many environmental pressures are actually increasing: global emissions of greenhouse gasses are rising, the loss of biodiversity is accelerating, pollution still has a major effect on public health, the amount of waste produced inside the EU continues to increase, and our ecological footprint is steadily growing.

Climate change, biodiversity, health and resource use remain the most pressing environmental challenges and the 6th EAP is still the correct framework for future action at Community level. The EU is generally on-track with adopting the measures outlined in the Action Programme. However, five years into a ten-year Programme it is too early to see the results of most of the measures proposed under the 6th EAP. Many have only recently been adopted and ensuring implementation will therefore be the immediate priority of the Commission.

A review of the most recent scientific situation does reveal several gaps between the objectives set in the 6th EAP and the measures set out for achieving these objectives. In these areas existing measures will have to be strengthened or new measures adopted.

The perspectives for better policy-making are the following :

Enhanced international co-operation : in the coming years the Commission will concentrate on: a) promoting sustainable development worldwide and further mainstreaming environmental considerations into all EU external policies; b) putting in place an effective "environmental diplomacy" will mean linking environmental objectives with other international negotiations. The EU will continue to promote sustainable development issues in the context of WTO negotiations; c) using the negotiations for Free Trade Agreements with partners in Asia and Latin America. These will be an opportunity to boost trade in sustainable goods and services; d) promoting our environmental policies and requirements; e) promoting the transfer of technology and/or resources with developing countries as an incentive for them to address global problems such as climate change; f) working with Member Sates in order to develop regional/country support strategies that adequately address environment and natural resource management issues; g) intensifying, together with Member States, the dialogue with key emerging economies such as China, India, Brazil, Ukraine and South Africa; h) improving international environmental governance; i) setting up an International Panel on the Sustainable Use of Natural Resources and supporting a global system to monitor the levels of biodiversity (in particular as regards forests); j) making sure that European environmental policy concerns are also taken forward in coordination with Member States in specialised organisations such as the International Maritime Organisation and the International Civil Aviation Organisation.

"Better Regulation" principles in environmental policy-making : in the coming years, the Commission will focus on strengthening the Better Regulation agenda in environment policy-making by using the market to deliver environmental results; simplifying the existing regulatory environment and reducing administrative costs; cooperating fully with civil society when developing environmental policies and developing a close working relationship with industry in order to promote sustainable development agenda; promoting the dissemination of good regulatory practices; and streamlining reporting requirements while improving the quality of environmental information.

Using the market to deliver environmental results : the Commission has recently adopted a Green Paper on market-based instruments for environment and related policy purposes. The 2007 revision of the IPPC Directive will also consider if market-based mechanisms can be used to strengthen implementation and to promote innovation. An important instrument which can influence consumer behaviour is the optimal use of environment related taxation. However, these taxes need to be applied such a way as to avoid distorting the functioning of the internal market and to maximise the environmental benefit. The EU is also committed to removing environmentally damaging subsidies and by 2008 the Commission will put forward a roadmap for the reform, sector by sector, of these subsidies with a view to eliminating them.

The Commission will propose an extension of performance labelling schemes from electrical appliances and cars to other groups of products.

Simplification, codification and reduction of administrative burden : the Commission envisages revising a number of important legal instruments, with a view to further simplification, codification and reduction of administrative burden.

Working Closely with Stakeholders : the Commission will continue to work closely with civil society when formulating environmental policies. A better approach to regulation also requires a good working relationship with industry – who are ultimately responsible for implementing the majority of environmental laws. The Commission will also build on its dialogue with business, trade unions and NGOs in order to develop ambitious business responses - such as corporate reporting - which go beyond existing minimum legal requirements. The Commission and Member States will need to continue efforts to promote eco-innovations and environmental technologies as industry can make important contributions on environmental protection. There is also a need to improve the functioning of the voluntary instruments that have been designed for industry: EMAS and Eco-label.

Promoting good regulatory practices : the Commission will improve the monitoring of policy effectiveness and promote a more structured dissemination of good practices and turn best practices into standard practices.

Simplified and improved environmental information : ongoing efforts to modernise the way information is created and exchanged will be stepped up, in particular by the development of a Shared Environmental Information System (SEIS) to ensure wide availability of the information needed to develop and implement environment policy, while cutting unnecessary administrative burdens on Member State authorities.

Promotion of Policy Integration : in the agricultural sector there have been fundamental reforms over the last 15 years that have moved towards seeing farmers as stewards of nature. However, the integration of environmental concerns into other areas has been less successful. To improve the assessment of environmental impacts at national level the Commission will review the effectiveness of Directives on Environmental Impact Assessments and Strategic Environmental Assessments. The Commission will seek to speed up these procedures while ensuring that the protection of the environment is not compromised. The Commission will produce a strategic framework in order to address the issue of policy integration. It will pay particular attention to the sectors where there is the greatest potential for policy synergies in order to improve the quality of the environment (agriculture, fisheries, transport, energy, regional and industrial policy and EU external relations). To improve the assessment of environmental impacts at national level the Commission will review the effectiveness of Directives on Environmental Impact Assessments and Strategic Environmental Assessments. The Commission will seek to speed up these procedures while ensuring that the protection of the environment is not compromised.

Improved implementation and enforcement : if a common environment policy framework is now in place, the high number of complaints and infringement procedures are a sign that the implementation of environmental legislation remains far from satisfactory. In 2007, the Commission will draw up a revised strategy on implementation and enforcement of EC environment law. This strategy will focus particularly on the systematic implementation failures that have been identified and will encourage the use of a mix of legal and non-legal instruments.

COM(2007)0225
EUR-Lex

For the past thirty years the EU’s environmental programme has been guided by strategic Environmental Action Programmes. The Sixth Community Action Programme (6 th EAP) establishes the Community framework for environment policy and covers the period July 2002 to 2012. It represents the environmental dimension of the EU’s Sustainable Development Strategy and sets out the EU’s environmental priorities. It focuses on four issues: climate change, nature and biodiversity, health and the quality of life, and natural resources. The purpose of this report is to offer a mid-term review of the 6 th EAP.

It addresses three distinct questions. Firstly, the extent to which the Union is meeting commitments made; secondly, to consider the most recent scientific evidence as a means of assessing whether the original goals set out in the 6 th EAP are capable of being met; and thirdly to consider whether the EU’s approach to environmental policy needs to be reassessed in light of the changed political context – in other words taking account of the recently revised EU Sustainable Development Strategy, the Lisbon Strategy for growth and jobs and the Commission’s Better Regulation agenda.

State of the Environment : One of the main findings of this heading is that the EU’s environmental policy has improved the quality of life for its citizens. Considerable progress has been made in areas such a reducing greenhouse gas emissions, wetland conservation, sustainable forest practices and waste management. The overall conclusion, however, is that in spite of progress made Europe is not yet on a path of genuine sustainable development.

Growth, Jobs and the Environment: Sustainable Development is the overarching objective of the EU. It governs all of the Union’s policies and activities. The concept of sustainable development is underpinned by the synergies that exist between the economic, social and environmental elements. Well designed environmental policies can also contribute to other objectives such as increasing competitiveness, stimulating economic growth and enhancing job creation. Indeed, inaction, as the Stern Report highlights, can have very high economic costs. The Stern Report concluded that limiting temperature rises to safe levels would cost approximately 1% of global GDP while the cost to the global economy of a, business as usual, approach would be up to five times as much. The paper also highlights that environmental performance can trigger innovation, which in turn contributes to the EU’s competitiveness. Environmental policy has helped the development of the booming sector of environmental technologies. The annual turnover of European eco-industries is EUR 227 billion, which represent approximately 2.2% of the EU’s GDP. The sector alone accounts for 3.4 million full time jobs or 1.7% of total EU employment.

Assessing the 6 th EAP Priorities:

Climate Change: The Commission suggests that there are three main issues confronting the EU with respect to climate change. Firstly, the EU must cut emissions of greenhouse gases and make the shift towards a low carbon economy. This is partially being achieved through the EU-wide Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) as well as the proposed energy climate package to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases by at least 20% by 2020. The key challenge for the EU, in future, will be to deliver on these political commitments.

The second challenge is “climate diplomacy”. Climate diplomacy commits the EU to engaging with third countries in order to build support for a global agreement on greenhouse gas emission limitations. This means convincing the United States, and other countries, that it is in their own interests to be at the forefront of the fight against climate change. Climate diplomacy will be accompanied with an increase in technical assistance as well as technology transfer.

The third challenge is “adaptation” to climate change. Although the EU is only now beginning to see the actual impact of climate change the need for adaptation must begin now and be built into all relevant European and national policies. In 2007, the Commission will present a Green Paper on adapting to climate change.

Nature and Bio-diversity: In 2006, the Commission published a strategy on reducing, significantly, the loss of global biodiversity. The main conclusion of the strategy is that the EU policy framework is largely in place – most notably with the NATURA 2000 network of protected areas. The priority for the EU, in future, will be the full and effective implementation of existing legislation. In other areas, the EU is committed to stepping up efforts to stop deforestation and to establish legal requirements on the prevention of bottom-trawling (a practice which is highly destructive to the ocean floor).

Health and the quality of life: Four pieces of legislation from the foundation of the EU’s approach to limiting environmental threats to human health: the Water Framework Directive, REACH, the proposed Directive on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe and the proposed framework Directive on pesticides. To shape the next generation of environment policies, the Commission will assess whether there are gaps in existing measures that need to be addressed – such as the cocktail effect of chemicals. While respecting the principle of subsidiarity, the Commission will continue to look at ways to improve the urban environment. The Commission will also step up efforts to improve public information on environmental pollution and adverse health impacts.

Natural Resources and Wastes: The 6 th EAP aims to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation. The Thematic Strategy on the sustainable use of natural resources provides a long-term framework for achieving this objective and takes the first steps towards making the EU the most resource-efficient economy in the world. In 2007 the Commission will also propose an EU Sustainable Consumption and Production Green Paper, the purpose of which is to reverse unsustainable patterns of consumption and production.

Better regulation principles in environmental policy-making: The Commission is committed to focusing on the Better Regulation agenda in environmental policy by: using the market to deliver environmental results; simplifying the regulatory environment and reducing administrative costs; co-operating fully with civil society when developing environmental policies; developing closer working relationships with industry in order to promote sustainable development; promoting the dissemination of good regulatory practices; and streamlining reporting requirement while improving the quality of environmental information.

Conclusions: The Commission concludes the mid-term review of the 6 th EAP by stating that the EU’s environmental policy is one of its major achievements. There have been substantive reductions of harmful emissions into air and water, waste is better managed and there are fewer harmful chemical substances in the environment. The EU’s environmental policy has helped European industry to become a world leader in a number of high growth sectors and it has created millions of jobs.

Yet, in spite of progress achieved thus far, the EU’s level of ambition needs to be increased. For example, there has been limited progress in integrating environmental concerns into other policy areas and improving the enforcement of EU legislation. Further, global emissions of greenhouse gasses are rising, the loss of biodiversity is accelerating, pollution still has a major effect on public health, the amount of waste produced inside the EU countries continues to increase and the EU’s ecological footprint is steadily growing.

As the EU celebrates its first 50 years, it is clear that developing and implementing policies that can effectively protect Europe’s environment will be at the heart of the European “project”. Implementing and building upon the 6 th EAP will be at the centre of the EU’s work.

COM(2007)0225
EUR-Lex