Brussels, 13/03/2000 (Agence Europe) - The EP Committee on the Environment gave its approval, in first reading, to the two complementary proposals on ambient air quality: - the directive establishing national emissions ceilings for four atmospheric pollutants (sodium oxides, sulphur dioxide, ammoniac and volatile organic compounds) and that establishing target values for tropospheric ozone. The parliamentary committee hopes, nonetheless, to strengthen certain provisions. The Parliament, which is discussing the matter on Tuesday 14 March, in Strasbourg plenary, is invited to follow the following guidelines:
National emission ceilings: On the basis of the report by Finnish Social Democrat Riita Myller, adopted by a large majority, the parliamentary committee invites the plenary to support the reduction targets proposed for 2010, which are more ambitious than those of the protocol of the United Nations Commission for Europe (UN/ECE). The parliamentary committee calls for: a) derogations to be abolished for maritime transport and air transport, the two major sectors for contributing to pollution; b) a revision of ceilings and of intermediary environmental objectives and measures required or proposed by 2004 to adjust the directive to technical and scientific progress; c) sanctions to be applied in the event of non-compliance of the directive as of 1 January 2003 (the Commission did not foresee any date).
The rapporteur vigorously rejects the criticism of the European indstry regarding the costs of implementing the directive proposed and stresses that: a) one must not lose sight of the benefits in terms of qualify of life and public health (saving 4000 lives per year, most of which are in the countries of Central Europe): b) half of these costs are at any rate demanded of the Union if it adopts the measures needed for respecting the commitments under the Kyoto Protocol on climate change.
Target values for ozone. On the basis of the report by Mr Chris Davies (ELDR, UK) the parliamentary committee welcomes the long-term goal of the directive (concentration of 120 microgrammes/m3) but mainly calls for the fixing of a buffer date (2020) for achieving this aim, that the European Commission proposes to achieve "in a foreseeable time".