For the European Environment Ministers, there is no doubt that an 8th Environmental Action Programme (EAP) is needed, given the added value of such a programme in achieving the EU's environmental and climate objectives. They made this clear in conclusions on Friday 4 October in Luxembourg.
According to them, this 8th EAP will require a high level of ambition and tangible results through a monitoring mechanism.
The EU Council welcomes the fact that the evaluation of the 7th EAP (2014-2020) shows that it has led to better coordination of actions at European and national level.
It asks the Commission to present, from the beginning of 2020, a new proposal for an action plan to avoid any interruption at the end of the 7th EAP. The 8th EAP would enter into force at the beginning of 2021. The EU Council is committed to working intensively on this programme once the proposal has been tabled.
The 8th EAP should contribute to the achievement of the universal sustainable development agenda by 2030.
The conclusions, which have the value of political guidance, stress the cooperative nature of the programme and in particular the role of cities. The EU Council wants the 8th EAP to be consistent with the Paris Agreement's 1.5 °C average global warming target and the EU's future long-term climate strategy. The EU Council requests the Commission to respond to the challenges identified by the IPBES report on the unprecedented decline in biodiversity.
Commissioner Cañete (representing an ill Mr Vella) recalled that the President-elect, Ursula von der Leyen, had announced a new ‘European Green Deal’ that would be ambitious. He was pleased that it “corresponds to the challenges identified” by the ministers. “We must avoid duplicating them”, he warned. He expressed confidence that the 8th EAP will allow the new Commission to take over in a flexible way. “We will ask the next Commission to take note of the conclusions and consult all stakeholders on the evaluation of the 7th EAP”, he said. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)