Eisenstadt, 19/05/2006 (Agence Europe) - At the Environment Council in Eisenstadt (Austria) which opened on 19 May, the EU's environment ministers, chaired by Austrian environment minister Josef Proll, discussed ecotech and how to improve the quality of the EU's urban habitat. The ministers invited a platform of other players, NGOs, parliamentarians, mayors and ordinary people, to voice their concerns about the EU's environment policy.
Josef Proll set the tone at the opening of the meeting by telling reporters that the new slogan was 'the EU is listening to you'. A debate will be held on Saturday on how innovative environmental technology (ecotech) can help improve the well-being of people living in cities in the EU. Proll said the ministers would be addressing a huge range of issues, ranging from controlling air pollution to sustainable energy via waste management, cutting dependence on fossil fuels and noise pollution. Some people believe, he said, that if jobs are to be created and economic growth is to be stimulated, then the environment should take second place, but we want to explain that ecotech provide huge potential for improving quality of life and can create jobs. Some three and a half million people are already employed in ecotech around the EU, generating a turnover of more than EUR 6 billion each year. Water treatment technology and air pollution controls are the areas with the highest growth. The President of the Council, Josef Proll, added that Austria had made a lot of progress in this field and the Austrian Presidency would be briefing ministers on examples of good practice. He said that combatting noise pollution and ensuring sustainable forms of mobility were the main challenges. The launch of the first bus meeting the EURO V objectives on Saturday will provide an illustration of this.
EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas welcomed the Austrian Presidency's focus on the urban environment strategy launched in January, which has also been discussed by three European Parliament committees. The Commissioner said he would be briefing ministers on progress with the action plan for ecotech, which aims to promote eco-innovation and the use of environmental technology. He said the important thing was to create demand on the market by encouraging local authorities to back green public procurement. Dimas said he was certain that ecotech and innovative new technology would provide a win-win solution to the problems of rising pollution levels in EU cities because 'they offer business opportunities while bringing environmental gains.'
Member States have drawn up roadmaps for implementing the action plan, and on 1 June this year the European Commission will be unveiling its new programme on competitiveness and innovation, with a budget of EUR 433 mil for 2007-2013. This will be of particular interest to small and medium-sized enterprises, expounded Dimas. He added that it was up to Member States to make the programme a success.
The problem of fine particulate pollution
The environment minister of the region of Burgenland in Austria, Mr Berlakowitch, expressed concern at the problem of fine particulate pollution, a cross-border problem par excellence, since 90% of the particulates in his region come from other countries. He urged the EU environment ministers to tackle the issue. Commissioner Dimas added that he too was extremely concerned at the trend observed in some Member States and even in the European Parliament of wanting to water down the draft directive unveiled by the European Commission to set upper limits for PM 10 and PM 2.5 particulates by 2010.
Dimas said he would be taking advantage of the Council to remind the Member States facing problems in this area not to try and weaken the European Commission's proposal, He said most of the cost of the measures, EUR 7.1 bn a year from 2020 onwards, would be covered from the resulting savings in healthcare costs and increased worker productivity - because particulates lead to lung cancer, respiratory diseases, and cardiovascular disease, which in turn lead to workers having to take time off work.