Brussels, 01/12/2005 (Agence Europe) - Genetically modified organisms, the future strategy to reduce atmospheric pollution, the future of the programme for funding environmental projects, the contribution of aviation to the fight against climate change, the state of the environment in Europe... The multitude of dossiers included on the agenda of the Environment Council of 2 December in Brussels- the last under the UK Presidency- is inversely proportionate to the number of decisions anticipated. This session, which will be chaired by Margaret Beckett, British Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Development, will be dominated by exploratory debates, in which Stavros Dimas, the Commissioner for the Environment, will take part. A political agreement is, however, anticipated on the objectives of the financial instrument for the environment Life Plus, but in the absence of a decision of the 25 on the financial perspectives of the EU for 2007-2013, this will only be a partial agreement. The political debate on the future orientations of the EU policy to authorise the selling and growing of GMO, although introductory only, will doubtless be an interesting one, given the increasing criticisms levelled at the comitology procedure in force, which gives the Commission alone the power to decide to authorise a GMO, even if this runs counter to the majority opinion of the Member States, if they fail to get together the qualified majority required to oppose the sales of a GMO. On Friday, furthermore, the Council is once again likely to fail to approve or reject the Commission's proposal to authorise a genetically modified hybrid maize in the EU, which is produced by Monsanto (MON 863 x MON 810). Here follows the agenda:
Life Plus: the Council will hold a discussion on the proposed regulation establishing the financial instrument of the EU for the environment (Life + 2007-2013), and is likely to reach a limited political agreement on the objectives of this programme, pending the outcome of the general debate on the budget in the EU. The Council would like Life + to accord more of a priority to the protection of nature and biodiversity than the Commission has proposed, as it would rather use the structural funds to pay for certain pro-environment measures.
Aviation and climate change: in response to the communication of the Commission entitled "Reducing the impact of aviation on climate change" (EUROPE 9036), the Council will adopt conclusions to subscribe to the idea of including the sector of aviation in the Community system of trading in emissions quotas and calls upon the Commission to continue its work to make this option, which is felt to be the most appropriate, a reality as soon as possible.
GMO- the Council will hold an introductory exploratory debate on the future EU policy in terms of GMO for the purposes of food or crops, and on authorisation proceedings for GMO in the EU. Denmark and Luxembourg, which are the most vigorously opposed to GMO, are behind the request for this debate on the comitology procedure, which they feel is non-democratic, as do environmental NGOs. Commissioner Dimas will take this opportunity to announce the presentation, in 2006, of revision reports on the regulatory framework in place (Novel Food/Novel Feed regulation, directive 2001/18/EC on the deliberate dissemination of GMO into the environment, regulations on the traceability and labelling of GMO). The Council will also be called upon to take position on the authorisation of genetically modified hybrid maize MON 863x810 produced by the American group Monsanto, which received a favourable opinion from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), whilst failing to convince sufficient Member States to enable a decision to be taken within the competent regulatory committee. It is doubtful that the situation can be turned round sufficiently to allow a qualified majority of Member States to approve or reject the proposal. This means that the decision will revert to the Commission.
Thematic strategy on air pollution: the Council will hold a public debate on the thematic strategy presented by the Commission, to bring down the number of premature deaths by 40% by 2020, and on the proposed directive accompanying it with a view to regulating emissions of the finest particles, for the first time, by 2010 (EUROPE 9032).
International conference on chemical products: the Council will adopt conclusions ahead of the International conference on the management of chemical products, due to be held in Dubai in February 2006 under the aegis of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
State of the environment in Europe 2005: over lunch, Jacqueline Mc Glade of the European Environment Agency (EEA) will present the Council with the latest report of the EEA, which takes stock of various worrying tendencies: the unprecedented increase in temperature in the 20th century, the destruction of biodiversity, of marine ecosystems, the over-exploitation of aquatic resources, the impact of atmospheric pollution on health.