Speeding up the EU’s transition to a circular economy and boosting eco-innovation will be the main environmental priorities of the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU, which has just taken up office. It says it will work to safeguard the high standards of environmental protection and EU citizens’ quality of life and will encourage both sustainable development and the green economy.
Improving air quality, better regulation, implementation of the Paris climate agreement and preparing for COP 24 will also be among the focus areas in its six-month work programme ahead of the next global climate meeting (Katowice, Poland, in December 2018).
Circular economy. During the period of the Bulgarian Presidency, the revised EU waste directives, on which an inter-institutional agreement has just been struck as part of the circular economy package (see EUROPE 11928), will be adopted. Beyond this formality, the Presidency will start discussions on the additional circular economy mini-package presented by the Commission a year ago – a communication on transforming waste into energy, a proposal on revising the directive on the recycling of electric and electronic equipment, creation of a new platform for financing innovative projects and a progress report on the implementation of the circular economy action plan (see EUROPE 11712 and 11711). A policy debate on the EU strategy on plastics, expected from the Commission, is scheduled for the Environment Council of 5 March.
Also during the Bulgarian Presidency, discussions will take place on the findings of two analyses currently taking place that have a direct link to plastics: evaluation of the implementation of the REACH regulation on registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals and the regulatory fitness test of chemical legislation (excluding REACH).
Eco-innovation. Keen to encourage innovative solutions for improving air quality and protecting the health of European citizens and the environment, the Presidency will, jointly with the European Commission, organise the 21st European Forum on Eco-Innovation in Sofia on 5 and 6 February (see EUROPE 11930) and will initiate an exchange of views on this issue at the informal meeting of environment ministers on 10 and 11 April.
Better regulation. Simplifying regulatory regimes in order to cut red tape and coordination between sectoral legislation – an issue that the Bulgarian Presidency views as crucial to a more effective, more efficient implementation of environmental legislation – will also be on the agenda of the informal ministerial meeting in April.
Climate. The Presidency has declared its determination to encourage implementation of the Paris Agreement and will work on preparation of COP 24 seeking an ambitious outcome, with the facilitative dialogue, known as the Talanoa dialogue, among the parties to the agreement taking place throughout the year (see EUROPE 11908).
In terms of legislation, the Presidency will work to reach agreement with Parliament on the draft regulation on the monitoring and reporting of CO² emissions from and fuel consumption of new heavy-duty vehicles.
With the member states, it will examine the proposal for a regulation setting new CO² emission standards for new passenger cars and vans in the EU until 2030 – a key issue in the second clean mobility package presented by the Commission in November of last year (see EUROPE 11900). (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)