Brussels, 03/07/2009 (Agence Europe) - A memorandum forwarded to the Swedish EU Presidency on 1 July by the European Environment Bureau (EEB) sets out ten tests for Sweden's six-month Presidency of the European Union in order to assess the progress that it will have made in the field of the environment upon completion of its term at the head of the Council. The exercise, inaugurated in 1998, is now up and running. It aims to encourage the successive presidencies to pay attention to environmental issues considered of priority importance by over 150 environmental NGOs federated within the EEB.
Six months from the UN conference in Copenhagen, it is not surprising that climate change and eco-efficiency are at the top of the EEB's priorities, and also at the top of the Swedish Presidency's priorities (EUROPE 9933). “Sweden has shown its 'leadership' on its own soil when it comes to renewable energy and the link between growth and CO2 emissions, and now all eyes are turned towards Sweden in the hope that it will play a key role in leading the world to an international agreement on climate change in Copenhagen in December”, said John Hontelez, EEB Director.
Mikael Karlsson, EEB President, adds: “Sweden takes charge of the EU at a time when several environmental issues are at a crucial stage. The Swedish Government needs to conduct strong environmental policy work, much stronger than what has been promised so far by Prime Minister Reinfeldt”.
The EEB expects the Swedish presidency to work towards a sound and just international climate agreement in Copenhagen. For this to be the case, all industrialised countries should collectively undertake to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2020 compared to 1990 and obtain these reductions on their own soil, the EEB states. Credible EU leadership should include ambitious energy efficiency policies and policies for the protection of ecosystems allowing a move towards an effective economy as well as substantial financial support for developing countries in their efforts to attenuate and adjust. The EEB expects the EU to allocate at least €35 billion annually that is predictable and additional to existing ODA commitments to co-fund mitigation and adaptation activities in developing countries and encourage other rich nations to do the same.
Towards an eco-efficient economy. The EEB calls on the President to: - promote concrete policy conclusions of the eco-efficient economy initiative for the EU to the service of the environment, on environmental tax, dynamic standard setting, phasing out environmentally harmful subsidies, targets support to new technologies; - make the European Council decide to start work on an EU strategy for environmental fiscal reform; - ensure that the mandatory EU energy label remains an effective instrument to drive the EU market towards more energy efficient appliances; and reject any pressure from business organisations, member states or from within the Commission to delay environmental policy and lawmaking with the economic crisis as argument.
The EEB will also consider the work of the Swedish EU Presidency in the light of its ability to: - promote the Spring Alliance Manifesto in all Council and European Council formations, begin implementation and make its representatives take part in the debate on reformulating the Lisbon Strategy and in the conclusions on implementation of sustainable development strategy; - work towards strengthening sustainable development strategy, in particular by a long term vision that allows the EU to reduce its ecological footprint by 50% in 20 years or less, and by the establishment of a roadmap to guide the 2014-2020 financial perspectives; - increase energy efficiency of buildings through adoption of the revised directive on this subject; - improve regional strategy for the Baltic Sea, with a healthy environment being the watchword for prosperous and sustainable development in the region, including concrete measures in the strategy for agricultural and fisheries policy and earmarking additional funding for implementation of the strategy; - strengthen the prevention and re-use of waste; - play a leading role in the agenda on biodiversity beginning by preparing a plan to rescue ecosystems for post 2010, by pushing new concrete and measurable objectives within the EU and at global level for the next 10 years and by pushing for a rise in budgetary resources in order to implement measures to prevent the decline in biodiversity; - adopt new legislation on the protection of soil and to combat invasive alien species; - reduce the use of mercury worldwide; - and push for the adoption of a consistent framework for the prevention and control of industrial pollution. (A.N./transl.jl)