Brussels, 10/02/2005 (Agence Europe) - A delegation from the European Environment Bureau (EEB) presented its proposals and requests on the Lisbon Strategy to Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Council, in Luxembourg on Thursday. The EEB's objective is to “ensure that the short-term agenda the EU wants to follow will be profitable from the economic and the environmental and social side”, said Mr Mauro Albrizio, EEB vice-president. The EEB feels that this challenge can be met, because “environmental policies have proven to be positive for economic development, [as a source of] innovation, increased efficiency and protection of natural resources, which is crucial for a smooth functioning of the economy”. The EEB's ten proposals call on the Spring Summit to:
Reconfirm that the Lisbon process is an integral part of the EU's sustainable development strategy and has repercussions on immediate and long-term political choices. The environmental dimension cannot wait and its demands will feed into a dynamic, efficient, future-oriented economy with strong export potential;
Stress that the Lisbon process recognises the EU's commitments under the Kyoto Protocol on climate change and its decisions on the development of transport (decoupled from economic growth) as positive challenges which will encourage innovative forms of economic activity and reinforce the competitiveness of European industry and business;
Stress that economic growth which neglects “resources and environmental challenges” saps its own growth potential. This means that environmental policies must not be slowed down and that the EU's objective “of halting the decline of biodiversity by the year 2010” must be seen as an investment in the future and play a part in all relevant decisions with regard to economic activity, especially the development of infrastructure;
Do not call for an unqualified implementation of the “quick start” projects, but instead bear in mind the conclusions of the Gothenburg European Summit which, in 2001, underlined the need to reduce the role of road transport and limit the environmental impact of transport;
Follow the advice of the Kok group, which recommends promotion of investment in innovative eco-technology and to boost demand for green products and services. The EEB particularly hopes that the spring summit will: commit to launch major green public procurement campaigns in each country; - remind the Ecofin Council that in March 2003, the Heads of State and Government of the EU had asked it “to encourage the reform of subsidies that have considerable negative effects on the environment and that are incompatible with sustainable development” (on this point, the EEB stresses that a strategy to phase out such subsidies by 2010 should be adopted); -launch an initiative to promote the reform of environmental taxes throughout the EU;
Insist that an ambitious thematic strategy for the sustainable use of resources be published by next June;
Promote public investment in sustainable housing and transport, in line with proposals by the EEB, ETUC and the social platform;
Avoid any statements which may encourage people to weaken the proposed REACH legislation on chemicals. The EEB feels that the Commission has already given in to pressure from industry and modified the proposed regulation in a way that is less favourable to health and the environment. REACH should, on the contrary, be strengthened, and competitiveness should not be used as an alibi to a conservative agenda which goes against the interests of the environment, states the EEB;
Avoid any statements which may encourage the Commission to curtail, rather than develop, the environmental policy of the EU. According to the EEB, the Commission's proposals for the Spring Summit seem to envisage status quo for years to come, but “some key environmental problems are persistent and need responses now”;
Resist the pressure to focus on a short-term vision of competitiveness and meet the expectations of the citizens of the EU, the vast majority of whom (63%) stated in a recent Eurobarometer survey that environmental protection should be given the priority over economic competitiveness.
On 25 February, Jean-Claude Juncker will sponsor a meeting to be organised by the EEB in Luxembourg, to debate the environmental dimension of the Lisbon process. The meeting will be attended by ministers Lucien Lux (Environment) and Nicolas Schmit (European Affairs), and the Commissioner for the Environment Stavros Dimas.