Luxembourg, 20/06/2016 (Agence Europe) - The outgoing Dutch Presidency of the Council is continuing to do all it can to reach a political agreement on revising the Pure Air in Europe directive before the end of June but it has no assurances that it is going to succeed with this aim. Sharon Dijksma, made this known to European Environment Ministers on Monday 20 June in Luxembourg, during an assessment of the progress made in the difficult inter-institutional negotiations on this dossier. On 8 June last, the European Parliament brought the fourth trilogue meeting on the subject to a temporary halt (see EUROPE 11570).
Progress, however, was made in the negotiations on this directive with regard to the national ceilings on emissions for certain atmospheric pollutants (the so-called 2003/35/EC NEC directive). This progress particularly affects the definitions added to the Council's general approach, financial support, inventory and projections on emissions, the European Clean Air Forum, cooperation with third countries and international organisations, as well as the delegated acts.
Apart from the blockage between the EP and the Council on the status of the 2025 objectives and the trajectory to follow to attain those for 2030, the pending questions involve the inclusion of methane in the scope of the directive (supported by the Commission and EP), the binding nature of the measures involving the agricultural sector that should be included in the national atmospheric pollution control programmes, further flexibility and the new deadlines added by the Council in its general approach, the substance of the enabling and delegated acts, legal access, environmental inspections, market monitoring and emission references in real driving conditions and, finally, the commitment to reducing emissions as from 2030. New trilogue meeting is to be held on Tuesday 21 June.
Karima Delli MEP (French Greens), the Vice President of the Diesel Gate commission of enquiry was getting impatient and in a press release sent to ministers on Monday, she stated "French and German ministers must revise their position to that of the European Parliament, as called for by civil society and several delegates, including the Mayors of London and Paris. Six months after the COP21, the time is no longer appropriate for big declarations but rather, concrete action". (original version in French by Aminata Niang)