Brussels, 06/06/2001 (Agence Europe) - An overabundant agenda awaits the Environment Council, Thursday and Friday (7 and 8 June) in Luxembourg, the last before the Gothenburg European Council on sustainable development. The political agreements are outlined on five dossiers. One month before the continuation of international negotiations on global warming, which will be the object of a simple discussion, nevertheless constituting the most heated dossier of the session.
Sixth action programme (2001-2010): the Council will try to reach a common position. On the basis of the priorities identified during the first debate in March and a compromise proposal from the Presidency, the discussion will mainly cover the opportunity to include in the programme quantified targets and a precise timetable for the implementation of actions to make them more ambitious. The multiple amendments voted in first reading by the Parliament, on 31 May, have the same objective.
Public access to information: the Council should adopt a common position on the draft Directive aiming to favour the participation of citizens and NGOs in the decision-making process in the field of the environment, and this to adapt Community legislation (Directive 90/313/EEC) to the first pillar of the Aarhus International Convention.
Electric and electronic waste: the Council could reach a political agreement in view of a common position over the two draft Directives concerning, on the one hand, the management of waste from this equipment and on the other hand, the elimination of dangerous substances used in their manufacturing. The issue to be resolved mainly concern: a) the possibility of moulding a single text from the two Directives based on different legal principals (environment for waste, internal market for dangerous substances) and to foresee, is this options succeeds, a regular updating of the list of dangerous substances so as not to punish the countries (such as Denmark and Sweden) that have more rigorous legislation; b) the timetable for the application of the new requirements in terms of infrastructure for selective collection, targets for collections per inhabitant and recuperation/ recycling, as well as the establishment of financing systems. The compromise put forward by the Presidency follows more closely the amendments adopted by the Parliament in first reading (see EUROPE of 21 May, p.16), by taking into account difficulties in the countries confronted with problems of infrastructure; c) the target date for the replacement of dangerous substances with substitutes (the Commission proposes 2008 and the Parliament 2006).
Priority substances in the field of water: the Council will seek a political agreement of the draft modified decision establishing a lost of 31 dangerous substances to be annexed to the framework Directive on water, to be banned from being released into water due to their danger and to be the object of checks. The vote in Parliament in first reading (last 15 May) being close to the proposals from the Commission, the Presidency feeds the hope of reaching an agreement in first reading if the Council accepts the parliament's amendments.
Air pollution from motor vehicles: The Council is expected to reach a political agreement on the proposal of directive aimed at introducing (via an amendment to Directive 70/220/EEC) standards for emissions from certain motor vehicles when they are initially started, as of 1 January 2003. Adoption of the text is foreseeable at first reading.
Strategy for chemical products: The Council will adopt conclusions on February's White Paper. Outstanding issues cover the procedure for authorising certain chemical products and the sanctions to be applied to industrialists that do not provide the required information on their products.
Integrated product policy: The Council will adopt the conclusions on the Green Paper, which will invite the Commission to elaborate a more concrete approach in a White Paper expected this year.
Climate change: the Council should adopt conclusions in view of resuming negotiations (COP6, Bonn July) which will recall the Union's position, discuss internal preparations to ratify the protocol in 2002 and implement the European programme against climate change. These conclusions should put an end to the polemic born from the Italian reservation on the date of ratification in the hope of encouraging an agreement with the United States (see yesterday's EUROPE, p.5 and 6 June, p.9).
World Summit on sustainable Development: the Council will adopt conclusions in view of the World Summit of Johannesburg (September 2002).
Integrating the environment in EU sectoral policies: the Presidency will present the Council will an assessment report on this exercise at integration began in nine Council formations.
The Commission will brief the Council on new initiatives being prepared: a communication on the pure air programme for Europe; a regulation on the traceability and labeling of GMOs expected for a long time now to complement directive 90/2020/EEC; a directive on batteries and accumulators; the amendment to the decision on backing for environmental NGOs: the amendment to Directive 98/70 on the quality of fuel.