The last environment ministers’ meeting of 2016, on Monday 19 December, will not deliver a general approach on the reform of the EU’s emissions trading scheme (ETS), dashing the hopes expressed by the outgoing Slovak Presidency in October (see EUROPE 11647). “That’s just the fact of the matter”, said a European source on Friday 16 December: on the agenda is simply a progress report on the issue and discussion, in the hope of identifying how to move forward.
The Council is also expected to adopt conclusions on protecting human health and the environment through the sound management of chemicals and to take stock of progress on waste in the circular economy package and various other issues. This last Council meeting under the chairmanship of Laszlo Solymos will, then, be one of transition.
Long-term ETS reform. In the wake of the vote by the European Parliament environment committee which beefed up the proposal for reform of the carbon market for the period from 2021 to 2030 (see EUROPE 11690), the Council will be briefed on progress made by the Council working party and will exchange views on the political and technical issues that remain to be settled. These relate to measures to strengthen the ETS, the market stability reserve, carbon leakage (Germany and other delegations would like to the percentage of free allowances increased, thus reducing the Commission proposal that 57% be put up for auction – Parliament, meanwhile, is proposing 48%), measures to reduce the need for a linear reduction factor and management of the modernisation fund.
Health and chemicals. The Council will adopt conclusions on the protection of human health and the environment through good management of chemicals. It will make recommendations to form part of the Refit evaluation taking place on the REACH legislation and will call on the European Commission swiftly to put in place the measures that it ought to have taken in 2015 as part of the 7th environmental action programme. Still awaited are: a strategic approach on water pollution by pharmaceutical substances, publication of a report on the assessment of chemical mixtures and a review of the regulation on cosmetic products – all decisive measures for the strategy expected in 2018 for a non-toxic environment in the EU. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)