Luxembourg, 07/06/2001 (Agence Europe) - The Environment Council, meeting in Luxembourg on Thursday, chaired by Kjell Larsson, made rapid progress on the first issues it deal with. Half-way through the session, Mr. Larsson welcomed the fact, notably citing the adoption, "according to the rapid procedure", of the directive that will reduce emissions from motor vehicles during cold ignition and which will "thus allow for an improvement of the air in high-density agglomerations, and limit the frequency of ozone pollution", for the benefit of human health.
The unanimous political agreement on the two directives relating to electric and electronic equipment was welcomed by the Council Presidency as a breakthrough that would slow down the massing of waste from this type of equipment, thanks to binding objectives of selective collection and recycling ("ranging from 50% to 80%, according to the type of equipment"), and strive towards the protection of soil and water by imposing the replacement, in 2007, of hazardous substances such as lead, chromium and cadmium. "We did not manage to blend the two texts into one. Sweden and Denmark are allowed to maintain their national measures going beyond Community provisions on the elimination hazardous substances", said Larsson.
The lengthy discussion, not yet over, devoted to the 6th action programme for the environment was also well received. "We strengthened the scope of the programme and hope for a decision tomorrow", declared Mr. Larsson, stipulating that some ministers were in favour of more objectives and precise deadlines for implementing the programme - "let's be clear, Friday we still have to tackle the substance to reach conclusions" (See yesterday's EUROPE, p.14 for the EP's vote on the action programme). The President also welcomed the conclusions adopted, on the one hand, on the plan for an integrated product policy which "comes within the perspective of the life cycle of products to reduce pollution spilt into the environment", and, on the other, on the World Summit on Sustainable Development scheduled for 2002, conclusions that review progress made since 1992 and expressing the Council's will to place eradication at the centre of the agenda on work on water, energy, soil erosion, desertification and the urban environment. Kjell Larsson also expressed pleasure at the Commission's welcoming the Council's conclusions, inviting it to study the legal impact of alternative measures to the use of mercury in industry.
Here is an overview o the results of the Council:
Sixth action programme: the Council debated the programme establishing priority actions for the period 2001-2010 (climate change, biodiversity, link between the environment and health, use of natural resources). The agreement that the Presidency hopes to secure on Friday should relate to a much more detailed text than was provided by the Commission's initial proposal, together with certain goals to meet and precise implementing deadlines. However, some delegations (Spain, United Kingdom, and to a lesser extent France) were still opposed to setting precise quantified objectives and timetables, considering that it is up to the Heads of Government to decide at the Gothenburg Summit (15-16 June).
Emissions from motor vehicles: the Council adopted, on first reading (with the United Kingdom abstaining) the proposal aimed at amending Directive 70/220/EC (air pollution from emissions by motor vehicles) so as to introduce low temperature emission values which would apply, from 2003, to the cold ignition of vehicles with positive-ignition engines. The United Kingdom reasoned its abstention by invoking the marginal benefit to be expected from a directive that would substantially increase the cost of vehicles (from £50 to £100 a car for a saving of 30 tonnes of emissions a year).
Integrated Product Policy (IPP): the Council adopted conclusions that welcome the Commission's Green Paper and urge the latter to: a) define clear objectives, together with timetables, as well as methods and indicators to monitor this policy of improving the environmental performances of products and services throughout their life cycle; b) devise a panoply of instruments to take account of the different stages of a product's life cycle; c) set out how IPP may contribute to achieving the objectives of sustainable development, environmental integration in the sectoral policies of the 6th action programme and the future strategy for chemical substances; d) clarify the role of all parties (producers, public authorities, retailers, …/..
wholesalers, banks, NGOs, etc.), at Community, national and local level throughout the product chain; e) present a strategy guaranteeing diffusion of reliable environmental information on products at every stage in their life cycle; f) study the role of tax incentives to support the aim of PIP and the implementation of the polluter-pays principle; and g) launch pilot projects as soon as possible.
World Summit on Sustainable Development. The Council adopted conclusions on subjects that it would like to include on the timetable of the Johannesburg Summit, ten years after the Rio Summit.
Mercury in the environment. At the initiative of the Netherlands, concerned by the harmful effect of mercury dumped in the environment, the Council adopted conclusions inviting the Commission to examine the potential consequences of reconverting the alkaline chloride industry and to report back to it, if possible by the end of the year, on how appropriate coordinated action within the Union and the candidate states would be.
Electrical and electronic waste. The Council reached unanimous political agreement on both directives. The text of the agreement provides for 4 kg to be collected each year per capital (and not 6 kg as the Parliament recommends), and fixes at 2007 the deadline for finding alternative solutions to the use of dangerous substances (the Parliament had recommended 2006). The text of the common position will be formally adopted after finalisation before being forwarded to the European Parliament at second reading.