Brussels, 14/01/2016 (Agence Europe) - Whether it is to do with following up on COP 21, the health check on the habitats and birds directives, the circular economy or improving air quality in Europe, values and pragmatism will guide the Dutch Presidency of the Council of the EU in environmental matters.
Dutch Infrastructure and Environment Minister Sharon Dijksma made this abundantly clear to the members of the European Parliament environment committee in Brussels on Thursday 14 January, when she presented the priorities for the coming six months, fully set out in the Presidency work programme (see EUROPE 11462).
While the MEPs welcomed the desire shown for progress to be made and results to be achieved on all these issues, many, concerned that pragmatism might lead to the lowest common denominator, were disappointed by the lack of ambition on tackling air pollution and in concrete measures to reduce pollution from transport, and by the impression they formed that the Presidency, under the guise of pragmatism, favoured revision of the habitats and birds directives, despite the opposition of the Environment Council to any change to these pieces of legislation (see EUROPE 11456).
“The parliamentary environment committee is the most important because the issues it deals with have a very significant impact on health, security and the future for European citizens. … The European project has no future without European citizens. We have to work for a Europe that brings Europeans together and protects them”, said Dijksma, confirming that climate, the circular economy, “better regulation” and sustainable mobility will be the four priorities in her area of responsibility.
The Dutch Presidency, in pursuing these priorities, will capitalise on the considerable progress made in the attention given to sustainability over the last 11 years. “Eleven years have passed since the previous Dutch Presidency. Things have changed. Citizens have become involved and are driving policy. Green initiatives are on the increase. A sustainable lifestyle and sustainable entrepreneurship are crucial. A strong European economy is a green economy”, she stated in her opening remarks.
Climate. The Presidency will follow up on the “historic Paris (climate) agreement”, “an important starting point, an excellent result”, which has to be put into effect (see EUROPE 11452). A debate will be opened in the Environment Council on 4 March informing the March European Council, Dijksma said. To the MEPs who asked her to state the next concrete steps after COP 21, she replied simply: “Paris was a real turning point. The talking has to stop and work start. This we are keen to do, on the basis of the Commission assessment. It is up to the European Council to decide on the next steps. The Environment Council will make its contribution.”
Anne-Marie Mineur (GUE, Netherlands) observed that the Netherlands had been ordered by law to increase its level of ambition on reducing greenhouse gas emissions but the minister kicked these comments into touch, responding that she was speaking “for the Presidency of the Council, not as the Dutch minister”. Peter Liese (EPP, Germany) stressed that the Presidency had to do all it could so that the EU, in translating the Paris agreement into reality, “shows that it is ready to turn words into action on effort sharing and highlighting energy efficiency”, and so that the conference of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), in Montreal at the end of this year, talks about emission reduction and not just stabilisation. The Dutch Presidency will not be able to beef up the proposal on the non-ETS sectors but it will nonetheless ask the Commission to present its proposal at the June Environment Council if it is ready, Dijksma told Miriam Dalli (S&D, Malta).
Circular economy. This is one of the most important issues, Dijksma stated. She said she had been “impressed by the exhaustiveness of the measures” proposed by the European Commission for the smart use of both raw materials and energy sources and to encourage job creation and sustainable development. Gerben Jan Gerbrandy (ALDE, Netherlands) was concerned because, in his view, the action plan is “no more than a simple copy and paste of the 2010-2011 roadmap”. The action plan will be discussed at the Environment Council (4 March) and the Competitiveness Council, so that the Environment Council of June can “draft its response”. “We will open the debate” on revision of the Waste Directive, added Dijksma.
Better regulation. The Presidency supports the “Make it work” initiative and will hold a debate at June's Environment Council meeting “because we want to examine how to make improvements for the environment and to keep red tape to a minimum”. She said that she was keenly awaiting the health check on the habitats and birds directives, which forms part of “better regulation”.
“I don't know anyone who supports poor legislation and red tape. Natura 2000 is labelled as being too bureaucratic but it has been proved that this is not the case”, argued an ironic Bas Eickhout (Greens/EFA, Netherlands). When asked to provide a specific example of the alleged bureaucracy, Dijksma stated that, in the west of the Netherlands, “the Habitats Directive is preventing implementation of a large-scale project to turn salt water into brackish water in order to protect biodiversity”.
Air quality/Volkswagen, NEC Directive. Dijksma said that the Volkswagen scandal had shown that EURO V and EURO VI standards and compliance with these standards could be improved and that the Presidency was “ready to negotiate on the second RDE package” (new emissions testing procedures under real driving conditions) once Parliament adopts its position in February.
She announced that she wanted to open negotiations with Parliament “as quickly as possible” on an ambitious and viable first reading agreement on revision of the directive on national ceilings for polluting emissions (NEC Directive). Piernicola Pedicini (EFDD, Italy), however, was concerned that the Council, in its general approach agreed in December, had “accepted 116,000 more premature deaths per year due to smog” than the Commission had anticipated by 2030 (see EUROPE 11455).]
Dijksma expressed her agreement with Julie Girling (ECR, UK) who stressed how important it was for a link to be made between adaptation to climate change, the results of COP 21 which contain provisions on the role of forests and the nature directives. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)