Busy year ahead for EU environmental policies
2011, 06/01/06
Notwithstanding continuing pressure for greater European competitiveness, 2006 will be a busy year in EU environmental policy-making. We are pleased to offer the following summary of some of the highlights.
Politically, the outstanding theme will be CLIMATE CHANGE. A host of policy and legislative initiative will be proposed or finalised. At international level, talks will begin in earnest on a post-2012 global climate change framework.
2006 will also be a vital year for the EU's sixth environmental action programme 2002-12. All seven THEMATIC STRATEGIES promisedunder the programme will finally be issued, and digested by governments and the European parliament, by the end of the year.
Overlaying environmental policy discussions will be a continued focus on the EU's BETTER REGULATION and LISBON COMPETITIVENES strategies. Heads of government will in June formally adopt a revised SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT strategy, the overarching framework for all EU environmental, social and economic policies.
Under the climate change umbrella, the European commission will propose changes to the EU EMISSION TRADING SCHEME. Meanwhile, EU states must by June submit draft NATIONAL ALLOCATION PLANS for the scheme's second phase.
The commission is to issue an ENERGY EFFICIENCY ACTION PLAN and a LONG-TERM RENEWABLE ENERGY strategy. In the background, the second EUROPEAN CLIMATE CHANGE PROGRAMME will develop further climate change policies.
Draft legislation on FLUORINATED GREENHOUSE GASES should be finalised by the end of this month. A directive on END-USE ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND ENERGY SERVICES will be completed later this year.
Of the seven thematic strategies pledged under the 6EAP four have been issued by the commission and three more are due. Austria, which took over the EU presidency from Britain on 1 January, hopes to craft council conclusions on AIR QUALITY in March, and on WASTE in June. It will also prioritise talks on the URBAN ENVIRONMENT strategy, due from the commission next week.
The other four strategies will make more progress under the Finnish presidency in the second half of the year, an Austrian official told Environment Daily. These comprise the NATURAL RESOURCES and the MARINE strategies, and the other two yet to be issued by the commission, on SOIL PROTECTION and PESTICIDES.With the Cafe strategy to the fore, debate on AIR QUALITY will be lively. Austria will try to broker a ministerial agreement on EURO 5 VEHICLE EMISSION NORMS in June. Also due is a review of current EU rules on VEHICLE FUEL QUALITY.
After creating fireworks in 2005, debate on the REACH chemicals policy has gone quiet for now but will bubble up again soon. The European parliament must now deliver its second reading. Final legislative agreement is hoped for under the Finnish presidency late this year.
Meanwhile, the European commission is to propose three new laws restricting MARKETING OF SPECIFIC CHEMICALS, plus a regulation on CLASSIFICATION AND LABELLING of hazardous substances. The international SAICM process on chemicals management will move forward.
Using its discretion as EU presidency, Austria will seek to re-energise discussions on ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGIES. Environment ministers will debate the issue, alongside the urban environment thematic strategy, at an informal meeting in May.
Meanwhile, the EU legislative conveyor belt will continue to churn out new laws. Before the summer, for example, conciliation talks between governments and the European parliament should finalise two pieces of legislation on FLUORINATED GREENHOUSE GASES, a directive on BATTERIES, and a regulation applying the ÅRHUS CONVENTION on environmental democracy to the EU institutions.
Other laws could be finalised at second reading on GROUNDWATER PROTECTION, and the INSPIRE geographic information system. Further back in the pipeline, governments should complete first readings on a measure to improve FLOOD PROTECTION, and on the EU's LIFE+ environmental project funding scheme.
Follow-up: Austrian EU presidency http://www.eu2006.at/en/index.html,
Austrian/Finnish 2006 operational programme
http://www.eu2006.at/includes/Download_Dokumente/0512draft_operationalprogrammeEN.pdf,
plus Austrian council work programme http://ue.eu.int/ueDocs/cms_Data/docs/pressData/en/fc/87869.pdf (Coreper 1).
See also European commission 2006 work programme http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/lex/LexUriServ/site/en/com/2005/com2005_0531en01.pdf,
and EEB verdict on UK presidency http://www.eeb.org/publication/EEB-Assessment-of-UK-Presidency-201205.pdf
and tests for Austrian presidency http://www.eeb.org/press/pr_ten_tests_Austrian_Presidency_040106.html.
Environment Daily is Europe's leading environmental news service. A free trial is available by clicking on the following link: http://www.environmentdaily.com/web/helcom