Conservation of biodiversity, transition to climate neutrality of the EU by 2050 and protection of the marine environment against pollution are the three priorities of the Croatian EU Council Presidency in the field of the environment.
This Presidency, which is beginning its first term at the head of the Council, will continue by making the protection of the environment and the fight against climate change two axes of the transition towards a sustainable Europe. Its work programme will focus on the European Green Deal (see EUROPE 12388/1).
"Improving the quality of life of EU citizens requires the further development of policies that will create better working and living conditions and contribute to the protection of the environment and the fight against climate change", it stressed.
It states that it will "support a balanced, sustainable and inclusive development of the EU, taking into account the specificities and needs of all Member States, their regions and their citizens".
The Croatian Presidency will launch in-depth discussions on the main initiatives of the European Green Deal.
Air, water, oceans, zero pollution. Particular emphasis will be placed on air quality, sustainable water management through discussions on the evaluation of EU legislation and the desirability of a cross-sectoral approach to achieve zero pollution, in the interests of human health and ecosystems.
The protection of the oceans will also play a key role. The Croatian Presidency intends to continue the debate on measures to strengthen the protection of the marine environment and coastal areas against pollution (in accordance with UN sustainable development objective 14), within the framework of the European "Packaging" and "Packaging Waste" Directives and through the implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (Directive 2008/56/EC) after 2020 (see EUROPE 12075/3).
The Presidency will organise a conference on the marine environment together with the European Commission and Finland (previous Council Presidency) in March in Brussels.
Biodiversity. The focus will be on biodiversity conservation in the EU, with a discussion on the 2030 strategy due in March, which should encourage the full integration of biodiversity concerns into EU sectoral policies.
At the global level, in view of the post-2020 strategic framework to be agreed at the COP15 of the Convention on Biological Diversity (Kunming, China, in October), the Presidency will work on the preparations for this conference, for which it expects ambitious results.
Circular economy. It will launch discussions on the new EU Action Plan on the circular economy expected in the spring.
Transition to Climate Neutrality/Adaptation. The Croatian Presidency intends to strengthen the EU's leading role on the international stage and to work on the proposal for a 'climate law' expected in the spring to enshrine the EU's climate neutrality in European law by 2050 - a goal agreed by the European Council in December, without Poland being able to commit to its implementation (see EUROPE 12389/1).
The Presidency will work on preparing the EU's long-term climate strategy to be submitted as soon as possible in 2020 to the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) under the Paris Agreement.
It will seek to ensure that climate financing is properly integrated into the future EU multiannual financial framework 2021-2027. The Presidency also intends to stimulate an in-depth debate within the EU on how to finance the transition to climate neutrality by 2050 and to develop innovative instruments for financing adaptation to climate change.
A meeting of the Environment Council is scheduled for 5 March. The informal meeting of EU Environment Ministers will be hosted by Croatia on 21-22 April, prior to the formal Environment Council meeting in Luxembourg in June.
See Croatian priorities: http://bit.ly/2toY1xK (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)