6 Integration of environmental considerations
into other Community policy areas
| (25731)
10251/04
COM(04) 394
| Commission Working Document: Integrating environmental considerations into other policy areas — a stocktaking of the Cardiff process
|
| Legal base | — |
| Document originated | 1 June 2004
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| Deposited in Parliament | 9 June 2004
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| Department | Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
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| Basis of consideration | EM of 22 June 2004
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| Previous Committee Report | None
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| To be discussed in Council | October or December 2004
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| Committee's assessment | Politically important
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| Committee's decision | Cleared
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Background
6.1 Article 6 of the Amsterdam Treaty requires environmental protection
requirements to be integrated into other Community policies.
This aim was given further formal expression at the European Council
held in Cardiff in 1998, when the various sectoral Councils were
asked to develop appropriate strategies, and by the adoption in
2001 of the Sustainable Development Strategy, requiring the pursuit
of environmental goals alongside economic and social objectives.
The European Council subsequently asked the Commission in 2003
to carry out an annual stocktaking of the Cardiff process, so
as to enable it to assess progress each spring. The current document
is the first such report.
The current document
6.2 The document recalls that the principle of environmental integration
recognises that environmental policy alone cannot achieve the
improvements needed as part of sustainable development, and says
that, whilst improvements have been made, maintaining progress
will be difficult as many of the more readily achievable steps
have already been taken, requiring future efforts to focus increasingly
on structural reforms.
6.3 The document then looks in turn at each of the
nine sectors now covered by the process, noting the action which
has been taken to date, and, more particularly, the opportunities
for further environmental integration in the year to come. In
each of the areas in question, the latter include the following:
AGRICULTURE
- Improving environmental performance
through cross-compliance; carrying out a mid-term evaluation of
rural development policy; producing thematic strategies on the
sustainable use of pesticides and soils; and an Action Plan to
stimulate organic farming.
TRANSPORT
- Proper implementation of the
measures proposed in the Commission's White Paper on Transport
Policy, including a continuation of efforts to shift the balance
between different modes; specific actions to reduce greenhouse
gas emissions from aviation and shipping, as envisaged in the
Sixth Environmental Action Programme; setting standards for emissions
of particulate matter and nitrogen oxide from diesel cars and
trucks; implementation of the Trans-European Networks (TENs),
with preference being given to projects shifting traffic from
road to rail or sea; reviewing the voluntary commitments by passenger
car manufacturers to reduce carbon dioxide emissions; measures
to encourage the purchase of vehicles which use less energy and
produce less pollution; and further measures to reduce risks of
maritime accidents and their associated environmental impacts.
ENERGY
- Timely implementation of the
Directive on the promotion of electricity from renewable energy
sources; the completion by Member States of national allocation
plans under the Emissions Trading Directive; and the adoption
of the national climate change strategies needed if Member States
are to meet their burden-sharing targets under the Kyoto Protocol.
INDUSTRY
- Adoption of the Commission's
proposal for a new chemicals policy; the presentation of a Communication
on sustainable production; the introduction of a Thematic Strategy
on waste prevention and recycling, coupled with a strategy on
the sustainable use of natural resources; an Action Plan on Innovation,
aimed at further promoting clean technologies; and a new Programme
on the Competitiveness of Enterprises, intended to foster progress
towards the objectives of the Lisbon Strategy, including environmental
integration.
INTERNAL MARKET
- Adoption of a framework Directive
on the eco-design of energy using products; a review of Community
Guidelines on State Aid for Environmental Protection; and the
submission of a proposal to make passenger car taxation more carbon
dioxide efficient and more consistent with the internal market.
DEVELOPMENT CO-OPERATION
- Reviewing the Community's Sustainable
Development Strategy, so as to integrate better its internal and
external pillars; carrying out a mid-term review of the country
strategy papers funded under the Cotonou Agreement, in order to
strengthen environment and development synergies; pursuing the
Commission's initiatives on water and energy; taking forward the
Action Plan for Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade,
in particular by implementing a voluntary licensing scheme for
timber exports and by carrying out a sustainability impact assessment;
drawing up a mandate for the renegotiation of the International
Tropical Timber Agreement; reviewing the Biodiversity Action Plan;
and addressing the need for new financial means to help implement
the Multilateral Environmental Agreements.
FISHERIES
- Taking all the steps necessary
to implement the agreed reforms of the Common Fisheries Policy;
addressing the need to reduce further fishing effort on stocks
under pressure; and bearing in mind the longer-term impact of
climate change of the size and distribution of stocks.
ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL AFFAIRS
- Fostering the use of flexible,
market-based instruments to promote environmental protection;
considering country-specific environmental recommendations for
the Broad Economic Policy Guidelines; taking further action, using
frameworks laid down by OECD, to highlight economically harmful
subsidies, and to consider their removal; and consideration of
more ambitious environmental targets for energy taxation.
TRADE AND FOREIGN POLICY
- Taking on board the challenge
presented by climate change; pursuing the European Neighbourhood
Policy (Wider Europe) Initiative; building upon the European Green
Diplomacy Initiative; and promoting a trade and environment agenda
in the World Trade Organisation under the Doha Development Agenda.
6.4 The document also considers the need to improve
delivery of environmental integration, in the light of the various
shortcomings it suggests have arisen in the Cardiff process.
The latter include a general lack of consistency in the commitment
shown by different sectors, coupled with the need for a greater
degree of political commitment and ownership by a number of Councils;
improvement of delivery, implementation and review mechanisms;
the need for a greater focus and clearer priorities in areas where
action could be helpful; and the adoption of a strategic forward-looking
approach, rather than simply seeking to respond to crises.
6.5 It then suggests that these aims could be better
achieved by the European Council giving a clear policy signal;
by sectoral Councils ensuring that emphasis is put on strategy
implementation, on translating strategic aims into clear operational
targets, on putting into practice strategy monitoring, and on
updating and review mechanisms; and by extending environmental
integration efforts into other sectors, notably tourism, research,
cohesion policy and education. It believes that these aims should
be underpinned by:
- putting more emphasis on setting
out how environmental integration can help to achieve other sectoral
objectives;
- developing innovative instruments to foster environmental
integration, while minimising economic and social costs;
- promoting thematic strategies as a tool for environmental
integration;
- implementing fully the Commission's new system
of extended impact assessments;
- raising awareness of environmental problems and
the solutions available;
- gathering and publishing information and data
on the state of the environment;
- implementing at national level the Directives
on Environmental Impact Assessment and Strategic Environmental
Assessment; and
- promoting a regular exchange of good integration
practice at national, regional and local level.
The Government's view
6.6 In his Explanatory Memorandum of 22 June 2004,
the Minister of State (Environment and Agri-Environment) at the
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Mr Elliot
Morley) simply noted that the document has no direct impact, being
essentially a retrospective summary of progress, and not a proposal
for legislation. He also says that, because of this, no consultation
is necessary.
Conclusion
6.7 As the Minister points out, much of this
document simply summarises progress to date in the nine sectors
currently covered by the Cardiff process. We are therefore clearing
it, but, as it also provides an indication of the ways in which
further integration might be achieved, we think it right to draw
it to the attention of the House.
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