The European Commission is launching a call for evidence until 9 December on the application of the ‘polluter pays’ principle (PPP) in the European Union - the principle that underpins EU environmental policy (Article 191(2) of the TFEU) and requires polluters to pay for measures to prevent, control and remedy pollution, as well as for the cost of pollution to society.
The Commission intends to assess how this principle is implemented by EU Member States, including in EU policies that may have an impact on the environment, and is seeking maximum input from interested parties. A further public consultation is planned for the third quarter of 2023.
As a reminder, an audit by the European Court of Auditors published in July 2021 denounced the fact that, all too often, it is the European taxpayer, and not the polluter, who bears the cost of pollution (see EUROPE 12755/3).
The contributions requested by the Commission will feed into the recommendations it will make in 2024 to improve the implementation of the polluter pays principle.
To access the online consultation: https://aeur.eu/f/42f (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)