As part of the continuity with the Bulgarian Presidency and under the slogan of “a Europe that protects”, the Austrian Presidency of the Council of the EU intends to make progress on a large number of dossiers in the environment and climate domain and, indeed, conclude these dossiers to help benefit the health and quality of life of citizens, environmental protection and sustainable growth.
Beate Hartinger-Klein, the minister for Employment, Social Affairs, Health and Consumer Protection informed MEPs at the European Parliament's environment committee on Tuesday 10 July that climate protection and the circular economy would be priorities and part of the process for implementing the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development. With regard to these dossiers, she was intervening on behalf of her colleague, Elisabeth Köstinger, the Environment Minister, who is on maternity leave.
The strategy for tackling plastics in a circular economy, clean transport and the preparations for the COP 24 in Katowice (3-14 December), as well as the effective implementation of the Paris Agreement on the Climate will therefore be ranked highly in the work programme for the next six months.
Climate protection. The Minister stated that “In the climate protection domain, the Presidency wants genuine participation from the EU and all its member states during the climate negotiations”. In October the Presidency will be presenting the Council conclusions for the December COP 24 in Katowice where the Paris Agreement Rulebook will be finalised. The Minister explained that “Our common objective is that at the COP 24 we will have a solid regulatory framework for the future climate governance system. In Katowice, we have to obtain a good result that reflects a high level of ambition and which is applicable to all stakeholders and that takes into account the different framework conditions of the different parties”.
She provided assurances that the Austrian Presidency would maintain a “close dialogue” with the European Parliament as part of the preparations for this COP.
The Austrian Presidency is particularly keen on promoting clean mobility based on healthy transport systems with fewer CO2 emissions. “Our objective must be to encourage investment and innovation and the domain of cleaner technologies and, above all, more efficiency when using fuel”. An informal Environment and Transport Council ministerial meeting (29 and 30 October in Graz) will tackle this subject.
On the proposal establishing CO2 standards for cars and new vans after 2021, the Presidency has high hopes that the EU 28 will obtain a general approach at the Environment Council on 9 October so that it can swiftly begin trialogue negotiations (see EUROPE 12048). The objective is to reach an agreement by the end of the year
The Presidency is also hoping for progress on the proposal for heavy duty vehicle standards.
Circular economy and plastics. Ms Hartinger-Klein said that “We are putting forward a very ambitious European ‘plastics’ strategy. We want to commit ourselves to tackling pollution caused by plastics in our rivers and seas”.
The draft directive seeks to limit the consumption of certain single use plastic products in an effort to reduce the environmental impact - this is a priority. The Presidency said that it is ready to launch the dialogue with the rapporteur at the Parliament, Frédérique Ries (ALDE, Belgium) and that the objective is to “make some substantial progress by the end of the year”.
Biodiversity. The Austrian Presidency is hoping to make progress on the post-2020 LIFE programme but progress will depend on the negotiations on the next EU multiannual budget.
It is also hoping to adopt conclusions at the Environment Council in October for international biodiversity policy as from 2020, in view of the COP 14 at the International Biodiversity Convention.
Other legislation. Negotiations on the proposal to revise the clean water directive will continue at the Environment Council working party (see EUROPE 12048). The Austrian Minister explained that “The high quality of drinking water and consumer trust must be guaranteed, whilst take into account the different structures that help to obtain drinking water”. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)