Brussels, 30/11/2012 (Agence Europe) - The long-awaited 7th European Action Programme presented on Wednesday 29 November by the European Commission (see EUROPE 10741) received a mixed response from environmental NGOs gathering at the European Environment Bureau (EEB).
The EEB welcomed the fact that a successor had finally been found to the 6th EAP, which expired in July. The EEB welcomes the Commission's ambition to develop the EU's policies in recognition of planetary boundaries and considers that the Commission proposal contains many of the key principles that should inform the EU's future environmental policy. However, the EEB is concerned about the lack of specific targets and clear commitments to further binding measures to address the problems. It is particularly concerned because the Environment Council and European Parliament had explicitly requested detailed targets and details about the work, which would have given them greater punching power in the negotiations on the 2014-2020 budget.
The EEB, however, considers it encouraging that the Commission had identified non-sustainable production and consumption as the key challenge because this goes together with tackling a plethora of environmental problems including toxic pollution, decreased biodiversity and climate change.
Jeremy Wates, EEB Secretary General, said, “The costs of maintaining Europe's excessive consumption through our use and abuse of nature's resources have become prohibitively high - both for the economy and for the environment. The 7th EAP can and must provide a way forward out of the economic crisis which is environmentally sustainable. The Commission's proposal takes us part of the way there but leaves many elements to be decided later.” (AN/trans/fl)