Brussels, 19/12/2000 (Agence Europe) - Drawing an assessment of the Environment Council, the French Minister Dominique Voynet welcomed the progress achieved on numerous dossiers that the French Presidency had included among its priorities. Referring to the conclusions on climate change (see following article) Mr Voynet refused to be knocked down: "We want to continue, with an obsession: the environmental integrity of the Kyoto Protocol. I am certain that the work provided, the firmness and the openness of the Union will end up paying" she said. Adding: "the Union will respect its undertakings without waiting for the entry into force of the Kyoto Protocol".
The conclusions adopted on improvements to world governance are, for their part, a stage to be welcomed in an important work of reflection, and she stressed the difficulties resulting from the "lack of recognition by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) of multilateral environmental agreements". "We must continue with this reflection", Ms. Voynet stressed, stating that the French Presidency had proposed "a way of creating an environmental organisation, first in Europe, then worldwide", that will require great effort still, notably with developing countries.
The political agreement "reached drums beating" on the "assessment and management of ambient noise" directive that will allow for the forthcoming adoption of a Council "common position" was welcomed as a success that, to a great extent, is due to the speed of the Parliamentary rapporteur which, according to Voynet, will "initiate a new Community programme, essential for citizens' health and their environment".
For lack of Parliament's opinion, the debate in Council on the two directives relating to electric and electronic waste, on the other hand, only allowed them to "clear the ground" on the elements of a common policy, "which will facilitate the work of the Swedish Presidency".
Referring to the policy debate on the "very sensitive subject of genetically modified organisms", Ms. Voynet said that a crushing majority of delegations want a horizontal, effective and complete system for GMOs or products of GMOs", stipulating that several delegations were still demanding this system's being put in place before the lifting of the de facto moratorium on the placing on the market of these products.