Brussels, 24/01/2001 (Agence Europe) - The general aims and priorities proposed by the Commission for the Community environmental action in the next ten years are now known. The Commission adopted, on Wednesday, it proposal for the sixth action programme for the environment entitled: "Environment 2000: our future, our choice". Climate change, the health of the environment, nature and biological diversity, the management of natural resources are the four fields for priority intervention identified in a Commission Communication, accompanied by a draft decision by the Council and Parliament. Below are the main elements of the programme:
Climate change - in the light of the last alarmist report by the intergovernmental panel on the climate, the Commission is proposing, beyond the aim assigned to the Union (a reduction of 8% in greenhouse gas emission between 2008 and 2012), to reach a more radical fall of global emission of around 20 to 40% by 2020. At the EU level, structural changes will have to be made in the transport and energy sector. the programme recommends to redouble to efforts to use energy more efficiently, institute a Community system for the trading of emission rights, intensify the technological research and development activities and raise citizen awareness to the problem.
Nature and biological diversity - to put an end to the threats that loom over the survival of numerous species, the Commission favours the completion of the Natura 2000 network, the implementation of a series of sector based action plans, but also new initiatives for the protection of the marine environment, proposals in view of preventing industrial and mining accidents, as well as a theme based strategy for soils conservation such as the new scope of intervention of the Community policy.
Environment and health - the programme favours: a) a global approach to take into consideration the risks for health linked to the environment, by paying special attention to the most vulnerable groups of the population (children, elderly people); b) a complete re-thinking of the Community system for the management of risks presented by chemical substances; c) a significant space for a theme based strategy for the reduction of risks linked to pesticides; d) the implementation of the Framework Directive on water and of the Directive on ambient noise when it has been adopted ; e) a theme bases strategy on air quality to monitor the effectiveness of existing standards and to determine to future priorities to remedy to failings noted.
Sustainable use of natural resources and waste management: the programme favours the disassociation of waste production and economic growth to put an end to the wastage of natural resources and the constant rise in the volume of waste. It would notably be suitable to develop recycling, to put in place an integrated product policy to submit new legislative proposals for sludge and biodegradable wastes and to set up a theme based strategy in favour of the sustainable use of resources.
"This programme is important. It concerns all of us as citizens. It is an action programme, which implies that we want good results", underlined Margot Wallström, European Commissioner for the Environment, when presenting to the press the scope of the framework text that set the aims to be expected and outlines 100 priority actions to do this, though without citing figures.
The programme places emphasis on the need for full implementation of Community legislation in Member States, on the integration of environmental concerns in all Community policies - especially in the agricultural, transport, energy and country planning sectors - and citizen information and involvement. Collaboration with business and consumers in view of finding environmentally-friendly modes of production and consumption, is thus one of the main priorities. The introduction of innovative instruments, among which an integrated product policy, a system of liability for harm caused to the environment and measures based on the market to encourage sound environmental practices (eco-label for public procurement, granting of State aid, or subsidies, in relation to environmental goals, for example), here play a major role, Margot Wallstrom stresses. "In the programme as a whole, the need for increased use of fiscal instruments such as taxes and levies is clearly highlighted", she says, stating that "initiatives along these lines will be taken with Commissioner Frits Bolkestein". Rendering the environmental objective compatible with the goal of growth is both the challenge to take up in the perspective of sustainable development, and a winning bet, Margot Wallstrom explained, declaring: "If we reduce waste and if we save on energy, we can only be winners". The monitoring of the thematic strategies, that will combine the different measures to reach the environmental goals under the best conditions of effectiveness and economy will be assured by proposals that will contain all the necessary details linked to implementation of the priority guidelines of the framework-programme. Asked about how the problem of Spain's veto to the proposal of a tax on energy may be dealt with, Margot Wallstrom replied that "enhanced cooperation between Member States will help resolve the problem", and that they should wait to see what could be done with "post-Nice". As to whether the expected White Paper on chemical products would contain a ban on hazardous chemical products, Margot Wallstrom acknowledged that industry was "stepping up the pressure, especially the chemicals industry, scared by the cost and the reversal of the burden of proof". She then added: "We shall propose a new system of authorisation for chemical products, especially those for which scientific knowledge is inadequate. For hazardous products, different solutions are possible, but there will be no automatic ban". Concerning transport policy in the fight against climate change, Ms. Walltrom considered that they had to act on two fronts: greater use of public transport and improving the quality of fuels, while assuring that Commissioner de Palacio and herself were cooperating on the issue. To a journalist who asked her if this action programme was not too favourable to industry, Ms. Wallstrom said that criticisms along these lines were mere "speculations". She then added: "I'm not carrying the banner for industry. We have galvanized all the forces of reflection, including NGOs. We must convince business circles that they have a great deal to gain by the changes in production and consumption. The proposal is balanced. It is there to protect the environment on all fronts. What is important, are the results."
The sixth action programme for the environment urges States candidate for accession to the Union to fully implement existing Community legislation, and strengthen the dialogue with all interested parties (administrations, industry, NGOs).