Brussels, 29/11/2012 (Agence Europe) - To point the direction of travel of European Union environmental policy until 2020, the European Commission brought forward on Thursday 29 November, its 7th Environment Action Programme (EAP) proposal which will step up the environmental policy's contribution to the EU's shift to a low-carbon economy (see EUROPE 10631). The new framework programme “Living well, within the limits of our planet” will replace the 6th EAP which expired on 15 July.
It sets nine priority thematic goals: (1) protecting nature and strengthening ecological resilience; (2) making the EU a resource-efficient, green, competitive and low-carbon economy; (3) protecting EU citizens against health- and well-being-threatening pressures on the environment; (4) enforcing EU environmental law; (5) improving the scientific knowledge base underpinning environmental policy; (6) ensuring investment in support of policies in the areas of the environment and climate change and ensuring fair prices; (7) improving integration of the environmental dimension and policy coherence; (8) improving the sustainability of EU cities; (9) increasing the effectiveness of the EU in tackling the environmental problems that are felt at regional and global levels.
Achieving these goals will come through concrete measures, such as the phasing out of subsidies that result in harm being done to the environment, shifting the tax burden from work to pollution, preparing partnership agreements between the member states and the Commission on implementing EU environmental law and developing a system to monitor environmental spending in the EU budget. The Commission is even now drawing up proposals that will seek to protect nature, foster sustainable growth, create new jobs and put Europe on the path to prosperity and good health, within the limits of the planet.
The new EAP will be built on the EUROPE 2020 strategy, the strategy for biodiversity 2020 and the vision until 2050, as set out in the roadmap on resource efficiency and the transition to a low-carbon economy. Once approved, the new EAP will form part of EU law and could come into force as early as 2013. (AN/transl.fl)