The Global Assessment of the Fifth Environmental
Action Programme
56. A "Global Assessment" of the Commission's
Fifth Environmental Action Programme will be evaluated at Helsinki.
The Commission's Environmental Action Programme (EAP) series started
in 1973. The first programme ran from 1973-1976 and was wide ranging
including a large number of measures designed to deal with already
urgent pollution problems. The first EAP defined principles such
as the Polluter Pays Principle and recognised that prevention
was better than cure. The following three programmes continued
these themes over periods of four years (second and third) and
five years (fourth).
57. The fifth and present EAP "Towards Sustainability"
was adopted in 1992 and runs until 2000. It was prepared in parallel
to the UN Rio Conference and Agenda 21 and constituted the Commission's
contribution to the debate on sustainable development. Consequently,
the 5th EAP set longer term objectives and focussed on a more
global approach than the first four programmes which had concentrated
on pollution prevention and nuisance issues.
58. The initial programme was evaluated in 1995 and
the resulting progress report approved by the Commission in 1996.
This report[64]
concluded that "The Fifth Programme identified most of the
elements to make the process work. What is lacking is the political
will to make them work. Equally lacking are a pragmatic, operational
set of tools and the appropriate institutional arrangements at
all levels of government to nurture the process and ensure its
success... In the end, the most important task is to find the
means to exert the pressures which will result in real progress
and to develop a sense of urgency to move forward."
59. In November 1995 the European Environment Agency
published an updated State of the Environment Report as its contribution
to the review process.[65]
This made it clear that, although the EU was making progress in
reducing certain pressures on the environment, this was not enough
to improve the general quality of the environment and even less
to progress towards sustainability. The EEA advised that an accelerated
EU environmental policy was required if the EU wanted to achieve
its environmental objectives and targets for the year 2000.[66]
60. In the light of these reports, the Commission
adopted a draft Decision on the review of the programme.[67]
This was aimed at intensifying efforts in certain priority areas
in order to give new impetus to moves towards sustainable economic
and social development in the EU. Integration of the environment
into other policy areas was identified as a priority especially
in the: agriculture, energy, industry, tourism and transport sectors.
61. A Co-Decision text was finally agreed in conciliation
on 29 June 1998.[68]
The Co-Decision required the Commission to submit "a global
assessment of the implementation of the Programme" to the
European Parliament and the Council at the end of the 5th EAP.
This assessment was required to give special attention to the
need to update and revise objectives and priorities as well as
considering those that will be necessary beyond the year 2000.
The "Global Assessment" (as it is now known) was started
in 1998 and the Commission aims to adopt it in time for the Helsinki
Summit.
62. The Commission communication on the Global Assessment
was planned for July 1999 but was delayed by the embargo on new
initiatives following the Commission's resignation in May. An
inter-service draft is available from the Commission. This concludes
that "Practical progress towards sustainable development
has been rather limited, mainly because there was no clear recognition
of commitment from Member States and stakeholders and little ownership
by other sectors of the Programme".[69]
63. The assessment acknowledges that the EU has
made progress in environmental legislation but only modest successes
in integration of the environment into other policy areas and
is far from achieving its broader objective of sustainable development
as reflected in the Amsterdam Treaty.[70]
The assessment goes on to acknowledge that traditional environmental
policy, which promotes better technology and stricter environmental
controls, is insufficient in itself to reverse the negative effects
of social and economic development and the resulting structural
changes in society.[71]
It concludes that the main challenges are linked to unsustainable
patterns of consumption and production[72]
and that there is a need to change the way in which we define
economic, social and environmental objectives so that they become
complementary and jointly contribute to sustainability.[73]
This assessment, taken together with the State and Outlook report
from the EEA,[74]
reveals that the picture is not a happy one for the sustainable
development of the EU.
64. Mr Meacher thought that the 5th EAP had been
a "considerable achievement and had tried to embrace the
concept of sustainable development."[75]
Most witnesses agreed that the plan had been a positive step but
had a number of deficiencies. English Nature told the Committee
that they thought that "life would have been worse without
it" but did not think that it had achieved enough because
the "political will, the clout, the money and the legislation
had not been behind it".[76]
Other witnesses pointed out that the 5th EAP had been too ambitious
in scope, covering all Community activities, and that the targets
and timetables which it included had quickly dated, despite the
1995 review.[77]
65. The Committee looks forward to the publication
of the Global Assessment of the 5th EAP which will contribute
to our audit of developments at the EU level. The Government should
seek to ensure that any learning points which emerge from this
exercise are addressed.
64 COM (95) 624, Progress report from the Commission
on the implementation of the European Community programme of policy
and action in relation to the environment and sustainable development:
Towards Sustainability (5th EAP), 10 January 1996. Back
65 Environment
in the European Union (1995)-Report for the review of the Fifth
Action Programme, EEA, 10 November 1995 Back
66 Second
anniversary of EEA, EEA, Newsletter 6 December 1995 Back
67 24
January 1996 Back
68
OJ L 275 10 October 1998 Back
69 Assuring
our future: What directions for future environment and sustainable
development policy? The Global Assessment of the Fifth Environmental
Action Programme, Inter-service draft, European Commission, 24
September 1999, p. 1, paragraph 1.1 Back
70 Ibid
p. 21 paragraph 10.1 Back
71 Ev
p 45 paragraph 22 Back
72 Assuring
our future: What directions for future environment and sustainable
development policy? The Global Assessment of the Fifth Environmental
Action Programme, Inter-service draft, European Commission, 24
September 1999, p. 8, paragraph 5 Back
73 Ibid
p 21 paragraph 10.1 Back
74 Environment
in the European Union at the turn of the century, European Environment
Agency, 24 June 1999 Back
75 Q154 Back
76 Q16 Back
77 Q72 Back
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