Brussels, 11/10/2000 (Agence Europe) - The political agreement reached on the "ozone in the ambient air" directive, the conclusions adopted on climate change and the go-ahead given by ministers to a Community policy for fighting noise, strictly in respect of the principle of subsidiarity, were welcomed as the most significant results of the Environment Council which came to an end on Tuesday evening in Luxembourg. Commenting on the results of the first public debate on the management of ambient noise, Dominique Voynet, French Environment Minister, who chaired the session, and Margot Wallström, European Commissioner, thanked delegations for their abundant contributions resumed in three points by the Council President: - favourable welcome to the Commission's initiative and agreement of principle on the establishment of methods for assessment and common noise indicators, but a majority determination by delegations to have sufficient time to adjust to these harmonised tools; - common determination to act against urban noise pollution, but with a balance between targeted intervention by the Union and the respect of flexibility required by local initiatives; - unanimous agreement on the utility of a progress report that will allow the timetable proposed by the Commission to be readjusted, a majority of delegations finding it difficult to accept, at the present time, a second stage that goes beyond the establishment of a cartography of noise in the Union and national action plans. "The interest of having a Community policy was largely shared, but a majority of delegations insisted on flexibility in the choice of means of action and strategies making it possible to reduce noise in time", declared Dominique Voynet.
Speaking of the work accomplished since July on the two draft directives relating to electronic and electrical waste "which aim to counter the growing flow of waste, which is a high ecological burden", Ms Voynet said the Presidency's determination to "work on the fast track for reaching a Council common position on 17 and 18 December if the European Parliament voted in the meantime". Satisfied with the political debate on climate change, "which made it possible to elucidate the Presidency and the Commission on the work that will have to be done over coming weeks to allow the extraordinary Council of 7 November exclusively devoted to climate to work in good conditions", Ms Voynet stressed that the ministers had insisted on maintaining the environmental integrity of the Kyoto Protocol, on the hinging between national measures and complementarity, resorting to flexible Protocol mechanisms, and on the response to be brought to the concerns expressed by developing countries. The President announced that the first part of the session on 7 November would be devoted to a meeting with the representatives of the European civil society.
Regarding global environmental governance, "a subject whose complexity is obvious, which means that some have given up taking this to a successful conclusion", Ms Voynet expressed the hope of presenting conclusions to the Council on 17 and 18 December, as a contribution to the European Summit of Nice, and to pass the relay on to the Swedish Presidency so that the matter is brought into the debate during the anniversary conference of the "Rio + 10" Earth Summit in 2002. "Our aim is not to create something more but to strengthen existing structures, mainly the United Nations Environment Programme, to move forward step by step to better respect of the multilateral environmental agreements and to facilitate, where necessary, the emergence of a world environment agency", she specified.
Concerning the labelling and the traceability of genetically modified organisms, Ms Voynet stressed that "Ms Walstrom is doing her utmost to present Commission proposals during the autumn". The marked interest of the delegations for this issue should, she says, facilitate the work on texts that should be ready in December.
In answer to questions on the work of the Commission on a Community system for environmental accountability, Margot Wallström stressed that several projects, including strict responsibility for GMOs, had been examined, and that the drafting phase had begun in order to allow the Commission to submit a legislative proposal before end 2001. "The ministers wish to know what can be done in the short term. I told them we could apply the directive on responsibility for damage to products and sites, but I reminded them I preferred a horizontal responsibility regime", declared the Commissioner. Ms Voynet added: "the general debate has gone on long enough. We have let ourselves be convinced that the general regime was more propitious, but now requests for specific provisions in specific fields are being made. The Presidency hopes to accelerate reflection with a policy debate on this subject during the Council in December".
We give below an overview of the results of the session:
Ozone in the ambient air. The Council reached a political agreement on the directive
../..which establishes the target values for 2010 and beyond (see EUROPE of 11 October, p.12). Once the finishing touches have been put to the text, the Council's "common position" will be forwarded to the European Parliament for second reading.
Electric and electronic waste: the Council was briefed by the Presidency on the stake of progress of the work on the two draft directives of June. Some delegations pleaded in favour of a reshaping of the text based on a single legal basis (Article 175, Environment). Margot Wallstrom justified the relevance of Article 95 (Internal Market" on which the proposal is based aimed at limiting the use of certain hazardous substances in the manufacture of these types of equipment. Ms. Voynet considered the urgency, at this stage, was rather to move forward on the issue.
Climate change: the Council analysed and debated the results of the International Conference of Lyon (11-15 September) and the informal consultations of Muiden (the Netherlands, 4 and 5 October) to prepare the negotiating conference of The Hague (COP 6, 13-24 November). The conclusions adopted on coordinated policies and measures ask the European Commission to: - prepare measures to further reduce emissions coming from transport; - promote the use and competitiveness of renewable sources of energy, as well as co-generation and energy efficiency in building, equipment and industrial processes; - encourage the use of best available technologies, as well as research and development; - pay special attention to emissions from farming and waste; - provide, in the guidelines on State aid, for flexibility at national level to guarantee the effectiveness of policies and measures aimed at tackling climate change (this reference to flexibility was added at the request of several delegations - Germany, Sweden, Luxembourg, Austria, Finland and Greece - despite opposition from Spain, Denmark and the commission); - submit proposals for joint action to gradually reduce, or abolish even, subsidies to combustible fossils, tax schemes and regulations that oppose the efficient use of energy; - include in the European Programme on climate change an analysis of economic measures such as tax incentives that allow to encourage good practice among consumers; - review and rationalise the rules of exemption applicable to the definition of reduced VAT rates.
Genetically modified organisms: Ms. Wallstrom briefed the Council on ongoing work on proposals relating to the labeling and traceability of GMOs. Several delegations stressed the importance and urgency of Union action in the matter.
World environmental governance. The Presidency presented an interim report on reflection being undertaken on this issue since the informal Council of July.
The Council, moreover, debated informally a large number of "miscellaneous issues". Under this, it notably: - a) took note of Finland's concerns faced with the refusal of the Russian authorities to discuss the environmental impact, in the Gulf of Finland already very polluted, of the oil port of Primorsk, currently under construction; b) heard a Statement by Austria, concerned at the dangers of the nuclear power plant of Temlin in the Czech Republic (the Commission and Presidency recalled the importance the Union attached to nuclear safety in the countries candidates for accession and pressures it was exercising to secure guarantees, despite its limited powers in the matter); c) heard an address by the Italian delegation, concerned at pollution in the Mediterranean caused by the movement of oil tankers; - took note of an address by Germany in favour a ban on "Navy Blue" colouring and a general ban on zinc organic compounds, especially TBT; - took note of an address by the Presidency on the precautionary principle in view of the European Summit of Nice, and on the first meeting of the signatories to the Protocol on bio-security; - was briefed by Ms. Wallstrom on the latest Commission initiatives (Green Paper on PVC, communication on the integrated management of coastal areas), as well as ongoing work (new proposal relating to public procurement, drawing up of the 6th action programme for the environment, new framework for State aid).