Brussels, 23/01/2001 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission will define, this Wednesday 24 January, the priorities it will propose to steer the Community action in the field of the environment over the next ten years. It proposal for the "sixth Community action programme in favour of the environment", that the College will approve in the initiative of Margot Wallström, European Commissioner for the Environment, will be the object of a Communication to the Parliament and Council. The future action programme is in fact submitted to the codecision procedure, and this for the first time. it will act as the environmental chapter of the global sustainable development policy followed by the Union by identifying four areas for priority action - climate change, environment and health, natural resources and waste, nature and biodiversity - attached to clearly defined qualitative and quantitative objectives, and environmental indicators enabling to measure the progress achieved in the carrying out of the aims.
Once adopted, this framework programme should also enable to improve the implementation of the Community legislation in the Member States and reinforce the integration of the environmental concerns in other Community policies.