Summary: Achievements in Environment Policy in 2005 and the Challenges for 2006-Speech by EU Commissioner Dimas (Brussels: 22 February 2006)
Speech for the Environment Committee of the European Parliament, 22nd February 2006, Brussels.
Mr Florenz, Members of the Environment Committee,
Let me start by saying that the beginning of a year is always a good time to look back at what has been done and, over the last 12 months we have achieved a great deal in terms of taking forward the EU environmental policy.
Many did not expect this. At the beginning of 2005 we were told by sceptics that the environment would be put on the Lisbon back burner and that the EU would not push any new environmental initiatives. We were told that the Emissions Trading System would never work and that Kyoto was going to unravel.
Even environmental activists were publishing essays on "the Death of Environmentalism".
If we look at what we actually achieved last year - and I say WE because the Parliament played a central role in supporting an ambitious environmental agenda - then the reality is very different.
REACH was not withdrawn - despite the pressure that was put on the Commission - and a good compromise was eventually found. I would like to thank again the Rapporteur of this Committee, Mr. Sacconi, for his efforts to find compromises while refusing to give in on the basic principles that underpin REACH.
We have also helped to challenge the myth that a strong environmental policy is at odds with the objectives of jobs and growth that we all share … and we are beginning to win the argument that a high level of environmental protection is a necessary cornerstone of a sustainable economy.
And there were many other success stories: such as the deal on bathing water, on F-gases and mining waste where members of Parliament such as Mr. Maaten, Mrs Doyle and Mr, Sjöstedt played a key role.
But perhaps most importantly, the EU has continued to take the global lead in the fight against climate change:
Emission trading started at the beginning of last year and the first experiences are very encouraging. By the end of the year, some 260 million allocations - worth more than €5 billion - had been traded. In short - the system works.
This was only possible because of strict Commission decisions which reduced the number of allowances and prevented an over-supply of emission quotas. In total, the national plans were cut down by some 290 million tonnes.
To prepare for the next stage of ETS, the Commission adopted guidelines in December for the next national allocation plans. These guidelines emphasise that emission trading should be a key instrument for each Member State and that for countries not on track with emission targets, the national allocation plans will be reduced accordingly.
Working hand-in-hand with the Parliament, the Commission's Communication "Winning the Battle against Climate Change" and the Wijkman Report have set the international agenda on climate change. The arguments set out there were the basis for the Spring European Council's decision to step up climate change efforts and provided the blueprint for all international meetings leading up to the Montreal agreement.
In terms of policy development, the big achievement over the last year was the progress made with the Thematic Strategies. Technically, the preparation of seven individual strategies was no easy task. And at the political level, a lot of work was needed to convince a new Commission that this was the right approach.
But it is an argument that we fought and eventually won, and the Commission's orientation debate in July confirmed our commitment to a high level of environmental protection and to adopting and then implementing the strategies. We now have a solid foundation for our work during the rest of this Commission's mandate.
The current state of play is that air, marine, waste, urban and the resources strategies have passed the Commission and are now with the Council and Parliament. The last two - the soil and pesticides strategies - will be adopted shortly.
I do not want to go into the details of each strategy - but it is worth stressing three common aspects that lie behind the overall approach.
First, the Strategies are an important tool of integration. In all policy areas - transport, agriculture, energy - we need to work to reduce negative impacts on the environment. There is nothing new as far as the principle is concerned, but for years environmental regulators have struggled to put this principle into practice. Taking a strategic approach can help but putting things in the right context. Let me take just one example: fine particles in the air cause respiratory diseases. Starting
from the health angle, the thematic strategy on air quality proposes action for instance in the field of transport and agriculture, with measures over the next years to cut fine particulate emissions from both sectors.
The Thematic Strategies also confirm that environmental protection and resource management make economic sense. The assessments, on which the strategies are based, demonstrate the costs of inaction and identify economic, social and environmental benefits. Not only does this fit in with our drive for better regulation but by having the facts on our side we are able to win the political arguments.
Finally, the Thematic Strategies cover a 20 year period which provides us with a long-term vision in terms of policy objectives and environmental quality. This vision allows us to develop a clear agenda for actions involving all relevant stakeholders and policy areas. Having clear objectives is also essential in order to mobilise political support for new environmental measures.
The work of last year needs to be seen in the broader context - and the Environment Agency's State of the Environment Report, which was presented here in the Parliament, spelled out in very clear terms that despite the progress made the scale of the remaining environmental challenges are daunting.
We have only taken the first hesitant steps to stop Climate Change and much deeper emission cuts are needed.
Biodiversity loss continues. This generation runs the risk of seeing - of being responsible for - the seventh mass extinction of species in the planet's history.
Pollution in air, water and from chemicals continues to damage our nature and ruin human health.
And we are increasingly aware that the EU's environmental "footprint" is causing major damage to other, less developed, parts of the planet.
When we add the administrative challenges of:
Enforcing the law to protect the integrity of the environmental acquis
Helping the new Member States translate their negotiation commitments into on-the-ground realities; and communicating a positive environmental message to Europe's citizens
I think it is fair to conclude that the coming year will be even more challenging than 2005. I would therefore like to conclude by outlining some of my priorities for the coming 12 months.
Firstly, we will need to take the Thematic Strategies through the institutions and begin the work of actually implementing the measures they propose. For example, following on from the Air Strategy we will fully revise the Directive on National Emissions Ceilings. There will be a heavy legislative workload and I count on the support of the European Parliament - and in particular the Environment Committee - to ensure that the level of ambition is not diluted.
A second key issue will be stepping up the fight against climate change. We will publish a Communication on CO2 emissions from cars and we will propose the extension of emission trading to the aviation sector. And in the international arena I can assure you that "Climate Diplomacy" will remain on the very top of my personal agenda and will be a point for discussion at every bilateral meeting we organise with third countries, in particular the US, China and India.
The review of emission trading will also be high on the agenda and, in parallel, the Commission will adopt the decisions on the second period national allocation plans, which should put the Member States on track for Kyoto. The Second Phase of the European Climate Change Programme should start producing its first results during the year, such as a Green Paper on carbon capture and storage.
In June, the Commission will launch an EU-wide awareness-raising campaign focussing on how individuals can contribute to fighting climate change through their daily actions. In order to make this campaign a success, we would like to cooperate with everybody who is already engaged in similar campaigns or would like to be involved in this particular campaign, be it NGO's, Parliaments, Ministries, business or others. In the coming weeks, I will write to the members of this Committee asking for
your support and providing you with a more comprehensive programme of the campaign.
I will also propose a new financial mechanism to support renewable energy and energy efficiency investments, particularly in developing countries.
Protecting Biodiversity will be a major theme of this year. Not only will it be the focus of Green Week but in May we will present a Communication on how the EU can work towards the Gothenburg target of halting biodiversity loss by 2010.
And looking further ahead, we will deliver a progress report on the 6th Environment Action Programme. This will review the progress made so far - and I am very pleased to see that good progress has been made in meeting the targets in the 6th Environment Action Programme.
To conclude, we achieved a lot in 2005 against the context of a challenging political environment. And with the framework of the thematic strategies now in place we have the basis for achieving even more in the coming years.
I remain committed to building upon the ambitious environmental agenda set in the 6th environmental Action Plan and taking it even further. The environmental challenges we face have not stood still and neither should we. It will not be an easy task, but I am convinced that by working together the Commission and the Parliament will be able to deliver the high standards of environmental protection that our citizens demand.
| Top |
European Union Member States
Alerts by email
Email this page
Print this page