Brussels, 19/12/2003 (Agence Europe) - Environmental ministers from the enlarged Europe will be meeting on 22 December in Brussels under the presidency of Altero Matteoli, Italian minister of the environment and territorial protection and Margot Wallström European Commission representative. The only point on the agenda where a decision was taken was the revision of the directive on bathing water, on which a political agreement is expected ion the basis of a presidency compromise. On the rest, ministers will hold political debates on several recent Commission proposals, including those on chemical products (REACH) and that on revision of the environmental policy adopted on 4 December 2003.
Quality of bathing waters (public deliberation): the Commission had adopted its proposals on a new directive on bathing waters in October 2002. This updates the 1976 directive ad aims to guarantee bathers better protection of their health when swimming in the sea or in EU internal waters. It includes levels of water quality standards based on recent scientific date and that provided by the WHO. This includes a maximum risk of 5% of contracting, while bathing, of a gastro-enteritis related illness. The two discussion points are: 1) the level of protection, maximum risk of contracting a disease; 2) clause in case of short term pollution incidents. An agreement may be reached on this second point. On the level of protection, the Commission does not agree with the presidency compromise which, 1) establishes a 10% health risjkn which is insufficient compared to the level included in the 1976 directive of 12%. The commission is proposing a 5% threshold . Only Germany and Greece agree with the 5% threshold; 2) no deadline has been set (binding) to attain this 5% objective. The Commission also believes that an agreement on this compromise would limit the health and environmental benefits and therefore prefers to continue on this case rather than reach an agreement that would weaken citizens' health.
Kyoto protocol mechanisms (modification and extension of directive establishing European system for trading greenhouse gas emissions). No conclusion is expected on this issue on Monday. The European Parliament will not give its stance at first reading before March 2004. Ministers will hold a political debate on the timetable (Commission proposes 2008) and on the quantitative limits for credit conversion. (For the latest developments in this dossier, see EUROPE of 16 and 17 December, 2002).
The Council is also expected to adopt conclusions on: 1) the European Union's strategy aimed at reducing atmospheric emissions from vessels at sea; 2) the Convention on biological diversity; 3) reform of environmental policy adopted by the Commission on 3 December this year on strengthening the "environment" dimension of the Lisbon strategy.
Furthermore, the Commission is to present a report on progress accomplished on the REACH proposal (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) adopted on 29 October, and will report on the activities of the European Environment Agency. Ministers will hold an exchange of views on the possible extension of the current LIFE regulation (financial instrument for the environment) and on the future of this instrument.
Finally, the Council should formally adopt, during public deliberation, the agreement signed in conciliation procedure on 25 November on the ecopoint system applicable to heavy vehicles travelling through Austria (see EUROPE of 27 November, p;11). The European Parliament approved the results of conciliation on 18 December (see EUROPE of 19 December, p.12).