Brussels, 10/02/2015 (Agence Europe) - EU ministers meeting in General Affairs Council “want to continue discussion on the waste and air quality packages” and “we really do not expect the Commission to withdraw them”, said Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics (our translation), summarising the debate on the European Commission's 2015 work programme.
This programme is controversial and was discussed by the ministers over a working lunch. On 17 December of last year, European Commission First Vice-President Frans Timmermans announced that the proposals on the air quality and waste packages were to be withdrawn. At the time, he stated that this was not a step back by the Commission on the environment but a desire to be able to return with more ambitious proposals in 2016.
The move was not well received and EU environment ministers made clear that they did not want the two packages to be withdrawn.
The very clear call by the Latvian Presidency is not fully reflected, however, in the General Affairs Council conclusions on the Commission's work programme. Differences of points of view are apparent in the text, for example, when the Council, after welcoming the 2015 programme, comes out in favour of a different way of doing things for the 2016 work programme, while fully respecting the Commission's right of initiative. Ministers feel that, in future, the Commission should set out its intentions in a letter to ministers giving them sufficient time to familiarise themselves with the Commission's plans. The Council remains of the opinion, nevertheless, that the Commission's approach of seeking to rigorously re-evaluate legislative instruments is the right one and must be continued in the forthcoming annual work programmes. (Solenn Paulic)