

The European Environmental Policy

THE
COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENT POLICY
2 The Community spheres of intervention and
corresponding financing programmes
2.1.1 Pollution caused by transport
2.1.2 Fighting against
greenhouse gas emissions
Pursuing the objectives of the Kyoto Protocol
Projects of programmes and financing opportunities/policies
2.2 Water protection and treatment
2.2.1 Drinking water treatment
Financing opportunities and concrete actions
2.2.2 Protecting lakes, rivers and
seas
Financing opportunities and
Community actions
2.2.3 Promoting a better quality of bathing water
2.3 Protection of threatened
fauna and flora
Financing opportunities and Community actions
2.4 Fighting for the protection of biodiversity
Biological diversity : Communication of the Commission
of 27 March 2001
3 Integrating the
environmental dimension into other European policies
3.1 Integrating the environment into Community energy policy
3.2 Integrating the environment into Community employment policy
3.3 Integrating the environment into sustainable agriculture
3.3.2 Getting European funds to
contribute to a sustainable agriculture
3.4 Integrating the environment into developing countries
and third countries
3.4.1 Description of the
Community actions
3.5 Integrating the environmental dimension into industry
policy
3.5.1 Guidelines of the
Community industrial policy in the environmental dimension
3.6 Integrating the environment into sustainable development of
the urban environment
3.6.1 Guidelines and
Community objectives
4 The main Community
technical instruments
4.1 Programme LIFE : the direct environmental financial
tool
4.1.3 LIFE III – Third
countries
4.2 The European Environment Agency
4.3 Environmental liability: taxes, principle of "polluter
pays"
4.3.1 Appeal to financial tools
4.3.2 Environmental
liability: the polluter pays
4.3.3 Technical tools for fighting
against pollution
Environmental management and audit scheme
Eco-label : promoting environment-friendly products
5 The challenges of enlargement
5.1 Transfer of Community patrimony
(acquis communautaire)
5.2 Financing opportunities for the CEEC
6 6th Environment Action Programme
During the past few years, the European Union has become aware of the
importance of the environmental factor for the elaboration of its policies.
This month, in a special file, we have chosen to explain the Community Environment policy to you and all the programmes linked to
environment protection susceptible to finance your projects per topic.
For more than 3O years, the European Union has developed a significant
policy covering the field of environment. Currently, there are more than 250 legislative texts dealing with
various fields such as water, air, chemical products, industrial activity, agriculture…
The policy
pursues the following objectives
- Care, protection and improvement of environmental quality
- Health protection for citizens
- Careful and rational use of natural resources
- Promotion of measures dedicated to face regional or global problems
of environment at an international level
However, the environmental policy must aim at a high level of protection, foster preventive injunction and apply the principle of “the polluter pays” and the precautional
principal.
Finally, the principal
of subsidiarity is being applied to environment: the Community takes action if the
objectives it pursues can be implemented efficiently enough at its level.
Consult the site of
Commission’s DG Environment :
http://europa.eu.int/comm/dgs/environment/index_en.htm
Contact list of DG Environment per sector, for further information
http://europa.eu.int/comm/dgs/environment/directory.htm
The
Development Bank of the Council of Europe also participates to the
environmental policy through
a financing programme called
Environment protection, that allocates loans and guarantees for projects dealing
with environmental topics. Find the programme Environment protection in the Eurofunding database
http://www.welcomeurope.com/prog.asp?search=yes&Pgm=11227
A
subsidy serving the environmental policy: Programme Civil Protection
In September 2000, the Commission published a Communication that aims
at fostering coordination
of emergency interventions in the event
of natural, ecological or environmental catastrophes as well as serious marine
pollution happening within our outside the Community.
Find all details of the Programme in the Eurofunding data base
http://www.welcomeurope.com/prog.asp?search=yes&Pgm=11058
Another
financing opportunity in the associative field : Promotion
of European NGOs protecting environment
For further information on the Programme, consult the Eurofunding
database
http://www.welcomeurope.com/prog.asp?search=yes&PGM=11052
Find all the new guidelines of the Programme in the Eurofunding-zine
http://www.welcomeurope.com/news_info.asp?idnews=91
2 The Community spheres of intervention and
corresponding financing programmes
Three spheres of intervention can be identified, for which the European
Union has established programmes financing projects.
2.1.1 Pollution caused by
transport
The gas emissions are mentioned in Programme AUTO-OIL II. The Programme pursues all measures
launched by the Commission to improve
air quality.
For further information, consult
http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/autooil/auto-oil_en.pdf
2.1.2 Fighting against
greenhouse gas emissions
·
Pursuing the objectives of the Kyoto Protocol
Under the expression of greenhouse
effect,
we gather the notion of progressive warming of the earth’s atmosphere, essentially due to
CO2 emissions and chlorofluorocarbons.
The current policy about climate change is led in the framework of the Kyoto Protocol.
Facing the environmental preoccupations, the European Union has played
an essential role in the negotiations launched for the elaboration of the Kyoto
Protocol.
Generally, the European Union had agreed for compulsory objectives and
elements that were not pursued in the Convention because other countries were
opposed to them.
The European
Union hopes to ratify the protocol before the end of 2001 and invites all
parties to follow the same example, especially the United States that,
considered as one of the most polluting country in the world, deny to sign it.
The next Summit on
climate change and air
pollution will take place in September
2002.
So we can easily understand that air pollution has become an international stake.
For further information on the Bonn Summit
http://www.welcomeurope.com/news_info.asp?idnews=114
Caution! It is
essential to pay attention to the actions of the Commission that could initiate
new financing programmes to help the Community actors to reduce gas
emissions.
· Financing opportunities
On 4 May 2001, the European Union has issued a new financing Programme CAFE
- Clean Air for Europe
General
objective: establishing an integrated strategy to fight against air pollution
and improve human health and environmental protection.
The
Programme Clean Air for Europe constitutes the first of the thematic strategies announced
in the 6th Action Programme for Environment.
Find all details of the Programme and the financing opportunities in
the data base Eurofunding http://www.welcomeurope.com/prog.asp?search=yes&Pgm=11311
In the framework of the European Research Policy, the Commission has
launched a study campaign on
the ozone depletion, THESEO, which finances
research projects associating more than 500 scientists.
For further information on THESEO
http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/envsc/theseo.html
Financing
Programme EESD – Key Action 2 – Global change, climate and biodiversity
Find Programme EESD in the Eurofunding
Database
http://www.welcomeurope.com/prog.asp?search=yes&Pgm=10918
· Projects
of programmes and financing opportunities/policies
The Commission decided to quickly launch a new policy on gas emission exchange before the application of the Protocol.
It wishes that the European Union can get more experience before the launching of an international
exchange system of gas emissions in 2008.
The system allocates quotas to companies for their greenhouse gas
emissions regarding the government objectives in the field of environment.
The Commission is drawing up concrete proposals so that the European Climate Change Programme (ECCP) can be led at middle and long term.
For further information on EPCC
http://www.welcomeurope.com/news_info.asp?idnews=81
http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/en/com/cnc/2000/com2000_0088en01.pdf
http://www.welcomeurope.comm/news_info.asp?idnews=122
So pay
attention to the European Community decisions that could be passed before the
end of the year and would allow you to get subsidies or part-financing for your
projects with an environmental dimension!
2.2 Water protection and treatment
The European Union seeks for sustainable
management of water quality and quantity. It ensures the population with provision of drinking water and satisfaction of the economic needs, protects the
aquatic fauna and tries to limit natural, intentional or accidental catastrophes in the seas.
2.2.1 Drinking water
treatment
· The Community Policy
Concerning the drinking
water quality, numerous European regions register strong nitrate concentrations in
ground waters, essentially coming from the use of chemical fertilisers or
slurry disposal produced by intensive animal breeding.
Up to now, the Member States must build a treatment plant for cities with more than 2000 inhabitants by 2005. Financial
aids can be allocated to them.
· Financial opportunities and
concrete actions
Financing
Programme EESD – Key Action 1 – Sustainable management and quality of water
Find all details of Programme EESD on our Eurofunding database
http://www.welcomeurope.com/prog.asp?search=yes&Pgm=10917
2.2.2 Protecting lakes,
rivers and seas
·
The Community Policy
After several accidents that triggered serious marine pollutions, the
European Union has established an Action
Programme aiming at controlling and monitoring pollution caused by the
accidental discharge of oil into the sea.
·
Financing opportunities and Community actions
Financing
programme MARIS
The Programme aims at promoting
marine information society.
To acknowledge the amounts you can get in the framework of Programme
MARIS
http://www.welcomeurope.com/prog.asp?search=yes&Pgm=11318
Financing
Programme EESD – Key Action 3 – Sustainable Marine Ecosystems
To access the financing opportunities of Programme EESD
http://www.welcomeurope.com/prog.asp?search=yes&Pgm=10921
A Community framework of cooperation in the field of
accidental marine pollution was passed in December 2000. The financial allocation amounts to 7 million Euros for
2000-2006.
Finally, in order to ensure a better
transparency on the vessel statement, the European Commission collaborates with the
French marine authorities to finance a database EQUASIS (European Quality Shipping Information System).
Find EQUASIS http://www.equasis.org/
2.2.3 Promoting a better quality of bathing waters
A European directive establishes the minimum criteria to which bathing
waters have to refer and the control conditions of these norms.
Consult the report of the Commission on bathing waters and beach cards
http://europa.eu.int/water/water-bathing/tourist.html
http://europa.eu.int/water/cgi-bin/bw.pl
In the frame of the action Blue Flag coordinated by the Foundation
for Environmental Education in Europe (FEE), a label for bathing waters and sanitary
and safety facilities can be granted.
Consult the website “Blue Flag”
2.3 Protection of threatened fauna and flora
The reduction and
destruction of natural habitat continues.
The objectives of the European Union in this field are the ones
following
- protecting
the wild fauna and flora species that are threatened
- ensuring
their conservation
- monitoring
the trade exchanges
·
The Community guidelines
The fate of
the forests is continuously
investigated: in its latest report, the European Commission observed that a quarter
of the trees are being damaged by air pollution.
A
Programme for sustainable forest management is being studied.
For further information on the sustainable management of forest resources in third
countries
http://europa.eu.int/comm/development/forests/en/en3_t03.htm
Communication of the Commission « towards a forestry strategy for the European Union »
http://europa.eu.int/comm/agriculture/fore/comm/649_en.pdf
Finally, as the problems are treated at a global scale, the European
Union has signed international
conventions protecting the fauna and flora.
For further
information on the Rio Convention (June 1992) :
http://www.un.org/ecosocdev/geninfo/sustdev/climate.htm
· Financial opportunities and Community actions
Network
Natura 2000
This is a European
network for the protection of natural sites.
For further information on Natura 2000 :
http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/nature/natura.htm
The
financing Programme LIFE
takes
part to the establishment of Natura 2000 by financing actions for the future
sites of the network.
Find Programme LIFE in our database Eurofunding :
http://www.welcomeurope.com/prog.asp?search=yes&Pgm=10933
The
Structural Funds, the Cohesion Fund and Community initiatives support the economic
valorisation of natural sites too.
Find the Structural Funds in Eurofunding
http://www.welcomeurope.com/prog.asp?search=yes&Pgm=11239
http://www.welcomeurope.com/prog.asp?search=yes&Pgm=11243
http://www.welcomeurope.com/prog.asp?search=yes&Pgm=11244
Financing
Programme Tropical Forests
For further information on the Programme, consult our Eurofunding
database
http://www.welcomeurope.com/prog.asp?search=yes&Pgm=11112
2.4 Fighting for the protection of biodiversity
· The biological diversity: Commission Communication of 27 March
2001
This Communication is divided into five volumes.
The Volume I presents the policy
for biodiversity
protection in Europe. The following volumes give details on integrated policies and offer a series
of actions that could trigger the creation of financing programmes.
Biodiversity
Action Plan for the conservation of natural resources - Volume II
Consult volume 2 in the Communication of the Commission
http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/en/com/pdf/2001/act0162en01/com2001_0162en01_2.pdf
Biodiversity
Action Plan for Agriculture - Volume III
Consult volume 3 of the Commission Communication
http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/en/com/pdf/2001/act0162en01/com2001_0162en01_3.pdf
Find Programme SAPARD in the Eurofunding database
http://www.welcomeurope.com/prog.asp?search=yes&Pgm=11073
Biodiversity
Action Plan for fisheries - Volume
IV
Consult the Volume IV of the Communication
http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/en/com/pdf/2001/act0162en01/com2001_0162en01_4.pdf
Find
Programme Quality of Life – Key Action 5 – sustainable agriculture, fisheries
and forestry in the Eurofunding database
http://www.welcomeurope.com/prog.asp?search=yes&Pgm=10964
Biodiversity
Action Plan for Economic and Development Co-operation - Volume V
Find the Commission Communication
http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/en/com/pdf/2001/act0162en01/com2001_0162en01_5.pdf
·
Financing opportunities
Financing
Programme EESD – Key Action 2 – Global Change, Climate and Biodiversity
Find Programme EESD in our Eurofunding
database
http://www.welcomeurope.com/prog.asp?search=yes&Pgm=10918
Financing
Programme Quality of life and management of living resources
Find Programme Quality of life in the Eurofunding database
http://www.welcomeurope.com/prog.asp?search=yes&Pgm=10959
Recently, a website on the Programme Quality of life was established to
display the latest news about the Programme as well as different calls for
proposal published during the year, advice of methodology…
For further information http://www.cordis.lu/life/home.html
The Member States develop a common regulation to control waste treatment, encourage
recycling and limit toxic substances.
Each country must build the necessary facilities for recycling. A
financial support can be granted by the European Investment Fund: Programme Waste and Environment
Find all details of Programme Waste and Environment in the Eurofunding
databases Eurofunding
http://www.welcomeurope.com/prog.asp?search=yes&Pgm=11204
For the reduction and recycling of waste, the European Union grants an
economic label, the eco-label, to some industrial
products that do not deteriorate the environment during their life cycle.
For further information http://www.afnor.fr/
Since 1993, the fight against noise has been controlled in the
framework of the 5th Action Programme for Environment protection
(the 6th is being elaborated).
There are some Community
directives that rule noise emissions, apart from trains. Each Member State hopes
to limit the level of noise pollution for train facilities.
Finally, the Commission offers to establish “noise cards”
A synopsis of the cards will allow the creation of a database in order to publish panoramas of the EU
situation every five years.
3 Integrating the
environmental dimension into the other Community policies
Concerning the local policy, the grants allocated by the Structural Funds must take the protection and improvement of the
environment into account.
Find the Structural Funds in our Eurofunding database
The
European Social Fund - ESF http://www.welcomeurope.com/prog.asp?search=yes&Pgm=11244
Find the Welcomeurope special
file on the ESF
http://www.welcomeurope.com/thema.asp?id=7
The EAGGF
http://www.welcomeurope.com/prog.asp?search=yes&Pgm=11239
The
ERDF
http://www.welcomeurope.com/prog.asp?search=yes&Pgm=11243
3.1 Integrating the environment into Community energy policy
The Commission
identifies three main objectives :
- Promoting the energy efficiency and energy conservation
- Increasing production and use of energy sources less polluting
- Reducing the environmental impacts on production and use of energy
sources
In order to ensure the implementation of these actions, the European
Commission and other Community organs have established a great number of Programmes susceptible
to finance your projects.
Financing
Programme ETAP
ETAP is a specific Programme of study, analysis and expectations
concerning the development of an energetic policy.
Find all details about Programme ETAP on the Eurofunding database
http://www.welcomeurope.com/prog.asp?search=yes&Pgm=11127
Financing
Programme Synergy
The Programme aims at helping to strengthen the international energetic cooperation.
For further information on Synergy, consult our Eurofunding
database http://www.welcomeurope.com/prog.asp?search=yes&Pgm=11048
In May 2001, the Council has passed a decision relative to the new guidelines of Programme Synergy, following some
malfunction especially in the efficiency of the Programme implementation.
Find the latest news on
Programme Synergy in the Eurofunding-zine
http://www.welcomeurope.com/news_info.asp?idnews=103
Financing
opportunity Alternative Energy Programme
This programme is offered by the UE-Japan Centre for industrial cooperation.
Find all details about the Programme on our Eurofunding database
http://www.welcomeurope.com/prog.asp?search=yes&Pgm=10988
Financing
Programme Alterner II
The Programme aims at promoting
renewable energy sources.
For further information on Programme Altener II, consult the
Eurofunding database http://www.welcomeurope.com/prog.asp?search=yes&Pgm=10929
Financing
Programme SAVE II
The Programme aims at promoting
the energetic capacity.
Find Programme SAVE II on the Eurofunding database
http://www.welcomeurope.com/prog.asp?search=yes&Pgm=10929
Financing
Programme EESD Energy, Environment and sustainable development
For further information on Programme
EESD
http://www.welcomeurope.com/prog.asp?search=yes&Pgm=10916
More details about the 5th
Framework Programme in the Eurofunding database
http://www.welcomeurope.com/prog.asp?search=yes&Pgm=11181
Financing
Programme EESD – Key Action 5 – Cleaner Energy Systems
For further information on EESD Key action 5, consult Eurofunding
http://www.welcomeurope.com/prog.asp?search=yes&Pgm=10923
Financing
Programme EESD – Energy Generic RTD activities
For further information, consult the Eurofunding database
http://www.welcomeurope.com/prog.asp?search=yes&Pgm=10925
Financing
Programme EESD – Key Action 6 – Economic and efficient energy
For further details on the Programme in the Eurofunding database
http://www.welcomeurope.com/prog.asp?search=yes&Pgm=10924
Financing
Programme CARNOT
The Programme finances technological actions promoting the clean and efficient use of solid fuel.
For further information on CARNOT, consult the Eurofunding
database
http://www.welcomeurope.com/prog.asp?search=yes&Pgm=11050
Financing
Programme ALURE
Alure finances
the cooperation in the field of energy between the European Union and South
America.
For further information on Programme ALURE
http://www.welcomeurope.com/prog.asp?search=yes&Pgm=10935
Financing
Programme Energy Efficiency
The Programme is proposed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and grants a bank
support for a better use of energy in the CEEC and in the Commonwealth of
Independent States (CIS)
For further information, consult the Eurofunding database
http://www.welcomeurope.com/prog.asp?search=yes&Pgm=11234
Financing
Programme Greenlight
This is a Programme to take
full advantage of the existing light systems and to design new facilities.
For further information on Programme Greenlight, consult
3.2 Integrating the environment into employment policy
Currently, the
European Social Fund (ESF) finances the Community Social
Policy. It develops Initiative Programmes such as EQUAL
in
the field of employment.
For further information on the ESF, consult the Eurofunding database
http://www.welcomeurope.com/prog.asp?search=yes&Pgm=11244
For more details on EQUAL, consult the Eurofunding database
http://www.welcomeurope.com/prog.asp?search=yes&Pgm=11147
3.3 Integrating the environment into agriculture policy: towards a
sustainable agriculture
The
environmental strategy of the European Union in the framework of the CAP can be characterised
throughout targeted
agro-environmental measures, especially the rural
areas.
The
environmental standards are part of support systems. However, the Member States can link
direct payments to the respect of environmental requirements. The new rules are
to trigger a reduction of payments to farmers that do not make the necessary
efforts to satisfy the requirements of the European environmental law.
3.3.2 Getting European
Funds to contribute to a sustainable agriculture
The CAP is an
area within the field of the Member States competence.
For other
Community actors, there are several Programmes susceptible to finance your
actions and projects contributing to the environment protection in the field of
agriculture.
Financing
Programme Quality of Life – Key Action 5 – sustainable agriculture, fisheries
and forestry
For further information on Programme Quality of Life, consult our
Eurofunding database http://www.welcomeurope.com/prog.asp?search=yes&Pgm=10964
The
Structural Fund – EAGGF
The European
Agriculture Guidance and Guarantee Fund
For further information on the EAGGF, consult Eurofunding
http://www.welcomeurope.com/prog.asp?search=yes&Pgm=11239
Financing
Programme LEADER+
The Programme finances the support
of sustainable and rural development, through original and integrated strategies.
Find LEADER+ in the Eurofunding database
http://www.welcomeurope.com/prog.asp?search=yes&Pgm=11042
Financing
Programme INTERREG
The Financing Programme looks for the promotion of cross-border cooperation to strengthen the
social and economic cohesion and the homogeneous development of the EU
territories through cooperation actions.
Find the latest news about INTERREG III in the Eurofunding-zine
http://www.welcomeurope.com/news_info.asp?idnews=80
For further information on the Programme, consult the Eurofunding
database
http://www.welcomeurope.com/prog.asp?search=yes&Pgm=11037
3.4 Integrating the environment into developing countries and
third countries
3.4.1 Description of the
Community actions
The objectives were defined in a Communication of the Commission in
2000 to respond to several challenges. This is about defining a strategy so that the environment
gets a determining role in the economic aid and development from the EU to
partner countries, in order to allow them to assume their environmental
liabilities in the future.
Financing
Programme Environment in developing countries
For further information on the Programme, consult the Eurofunding
database
http://www.welcomeurope.com/prog.asp?search=yes&Pgm=11075
Financing
Programme EU - China Environmental Management Cooperation
Find the Programme in the Eurofunding database
http://www.welcomeurope.com/prog.asp?search=yes&Pgm=10930
Financing
Programme LIFE III – third countries
The objective of this part of
Programme LIFE is the creation of the administrative
structures necessary in the environmental sector, as well as the development of policies and
Environmental Action Programmes in third countries frontage of the Mediterranean and
Baltic Seas different than the CEEC (5 candidate countries up to now: Rumania,
Slovenia, Latvia, Hungary and Estonia)
Find Programme LIFE III Third countries in the Eurofunding database
http://www.welcomeurope.com/prog.asp?search=yes&Pgm=10934
Financing
Programme SAPARD
The Programme finances the projects that support the candidates
countries to solve their problems of rural
and local agricultural and sustainable development.
For further information on SAPARD, consult the Eurofunding
database
http://www.welcomeurope.com/prog.asp?search=yes&Pgm=11073
Financing
Programme SMAP
It is a Programme for environmental action at middle and long term in
the Mediterranean area.
Find all details on the Programme in the Eurofunding database
http://www.welcomeurope.com/prog.asp?search=yes&Pgm=11051
3.5 Integrating the environmental dimension into industrial policy
3.5.1 Guidelines of the
Community industrial policy in an environmental strategy
The
conclusions of the European Council of 29 April 1999 have shown the importance to extend the
strategy of the environmental policy integration into the European policies of
the industrial sector.
Financing
Programme ECSC – Steel research
For further information, consult the
Eurofunding database
http://www.welcomeurope.com/prog.asp?search=yes&Pgm=11102
Financing
Programme Growth – Competitive and sustainable growth
For further information, consult Eurofunding
http://www.welcomeurope.com/prog.asp?search=yes&Pgm=10919
Financing
Programme Growth – Key Action 4 – new perspectives in aeronautics
Find the Programme Growth in the Eurofunding database
http://www.welcomeurope.com/prog.asp?search=yes&Pgm=10900
Financing
Programme EU – China LIEP
The Programme
finances the cooperation and assistance in the fight against urban industrial
pollution in the province of Liaoning in China.
For further information on the Programme, consult the Eurofunding
database
http://www.welcomeurope.com/prog.asp?search=yes&Pgm=10943
Financing
Programme EURATOM controlled thermonuclear fusion
To acknowledge all the funding opportunities proposed by Euratom,
consult the Eurofunding database http://www.welcomeurope.com/prog.asp?search=yes&Pgm10940
3.6 Integrating the environmental dimension into sustainable
development of the urban environment
3.6.1 Guidelines and
Community objectives
Find all details of the decision in the Eurofunding – zine
http://www.welcomeurope.com/news_info.asp?idnews=124
Financing
Programme URBAN II
The objective of the Programme is the economic and social revitalisation of urban areas in
crisis
in order to promote urban sustainable development.
For further information on Programme URBAN, consult the Eurofunding
database http://www.welcomeurope.com/prog.asp?search=yes&Pgm=11041
Financing
Programme EESD – Key Action 4 – The city of tomorrow and cultural heritage
For further information on Programme EESD, consult the Eurofunding
database
http://www.welcomeurope.com/prog.asp?search=yes&Pgm=10922
Caution!! A
website was inaugurated on Cordis :
Consult
The site of the city of tomorrow and cultural heritage http://www.cordis.lu/eesd/ka4/home.html
and the timeliness of the Programme http://www.welcomeurope.com/news_info.asp?idnews=94
Financing
Programme CIVITAS
The Programme proposed by the European Commission finances the urban
policy for clean urban transport:
city – vitality – durability.
For further information on Programme CIVITAS, please refer to the
Eurofunding database http://www.welcomeurope.com/prog.asp?search=yes&Pgm=11177
In July 2001,
the Commission published the list of the 14 pilot cities that will fight
against pollution thanks to clean urban transport.
Follow the timeliness of Programme CIVITAS in the Eurofunding –
zine
http://www.welcomeurope.com/news_info.asp?idnews=66
4 The main Community
technical tools
4.1 Programme LIFE : the direct environmental financial tool
LIFE is the
main financial tool of the Community environment policy. The Programme
supports innovative
actions
showing that it is possible to develop territories or plants by protecting the
environment. It aims at contributing to the development, the implementation and the updating of the Community
policy and legislation in the field of environment, especially the integration of the
environment into other policies as well as a sustainable development in the
Community.
The Programme co-finances actions in the Community and some third
countries (The CEEC are submitted to some peculiar conditions for LIFE nature
and environment).
Currently,
only five CEEC can be eligible: Rumania, Slovenia, Latvia, Hungary and Estonia.
LIFE III has started on 1st
January 2000 and will end on 31 December 2004.
The Programme
is made of three thematic parts for a total amount of 640 million Euros.
The first part
owns 47%
of the total budget.
The objective
is to contribute to the implementation of the Community directive relative to
the conservation of wild birds and the one relative to the conservation on
natural habitats .
It also supports the implementation of a natural site network under the
name of Natura 2000.
Find all details on
Programme LIFE III nature
in
the Eurofunding database
http://www.welcomeurope.com/prog.asp?search=yes&Pgm=10933
Follow the timeliness of Programme LIFE Nature in the Eurofunding-zine
http://www.welcomeurope.com/news_info.asp?idnews=115
The second part of LIFE also owns 47% of the total budget.
The specific
objective is to contribute to the development of techniques and innovative
methods, as well as the development of the Community policy in the field of
environment.
For further information on LIFE III – Environment, consult the Eurofunding database http://www.welcomeurope.com/prog.asp?search=yes&Pgm=10932
Find the timeliness of Programme LIFE - Environment in the
Eurofunding-zine
http://www.welcomeurope.com/news_info.asp?idnews=135
4.1.3 LIFE III – Third
countries
The third and
last part of Programme LIFE owns only
6%
of the total budget.
The objective
is to contribute to the creation of administrative structures useful in the
field of environment, as well as the development of environmental policies and
action programmes in the third countries frontage of the Mediterranean and
Baltic Seas, different than the CEEC.
Find the third part of Programme LIFE third countries in the
Eurofunding database
http://www.welcomeurope.com/prog.asp?search=yes&Pgm=10934
4.2 The European Environment Agency
The Agency
fulfils following functions
- Registering, collecting, analysing and disseminating data on the
environment statement
- Providing the Community and the Member States with objective
information necessary to the formulation and implementation of efficient
environmental policies
- Contributing to the monitoring of environmental measures
- Working for the data comparing at a European level
- Fostering the development and integration of environmental forecast
techniques
- Ensuring a large dissemination of transparent environmental
information
Consult the site of the European Environment Agency http://www.eea.eu.int
The networks
of the EEA
Network
EIONET
This network is composed of experts and contains a database and diverse
information systems in each Member State.
For further information on the network, consult http://www.eionet.eu.int/
Report
DOBRIS
The Agency is in charge of the redaction of reports on the
environmental statement and perspectives every five years. The Agency publishes
an annual report entitled “environmental signals” that present environmental
indicators.
4.3 Environmental liability: taxes and principle of “polluter
pays”
4.3.1 Appeal to financial
tools
The taxes and
environmental royalties can allow the implementation of the principle “polluter
pays”, by prompting the consumers and producers to adopt a behaviour more
compatible to ecological requirements.
Caution! Up to
now, the principle of eco-taxes has not been implemented!
4.3.2 Environmental
liability: polluter pays
The environmental liability aims at solving the problem when a person
damages the environment, he would have to pay an amount of money to remedy the
troubles it caused.
Objectives :
- Polluters must be identified
- The damages must be quantified
- A link must be established between the polluters and the damages
The polluters
must then pay for the damages they cause.
4.3.3 Technical instruments
for fighting against pollution
· Environmental management and audit scheme
A regulation of 19 March 2001 allows the voluntary involvement of
organisations to a Community system of environmental management and audit
scheme (EMAS).
For further information on EMAS :
http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/emas/faqs_en.htm
You can also read page 15 of the periodical “the environment for European”
http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/news/efe/news7_fr.pdf
·
Eco-label: promoting environment-friendly products
The system
aims at
- Promoting the products having a reduced impact on the environment
rather than the other products of the same category
- Providing the consumers with exact information and advice
scientifically proven concerning the products
The
6th Community Action Programme for the Environment invites all the
sectors of the society to participate to the search for sustainable solutions
to ecological problems. That is why the eco-label plays a very significant
role.
For further information, read page 13 et 14 of the periodical “the
environment for European » http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/news/efe/news7_fr.pdf
5 The challenges of
Enlargement
5.1 Transfer of Community patrimony (acquis communautaire)
On a sector
level, the actions to be implemented can be divided into 5 parts
- Air pollution : survey the areas and agglomerations where
the European limits of emission are exceeded, modernise the refinery for the
observance of the European standards
- Waste management: approximation of laws since 1997
- Water pollution: sensible amelioration of water quality and
treatment of waste water, but few progresses were made in the application of
the directive “nitrates”
- Industrial pollution and risk management : the CEEC own
several industrial plants and factories that produce high polluting energies,
so it is a very sensible field
- nuclear safety and radiation protection: recently, all
candidate countries have passed an orientation law
The
application of the environmental Community patrimony supposes the creation of
expensive facilities for
- Drinking-water supply
- Management of waste water
- big facilities of combustion
- Waste management
5.2 Financing opportunities for the CEEC
Financing
Programme PHARE multi-beneficiary for Environment
For further information on Programme PHARE, consult the Eurofunding
database http://www.welcomeurope.com/prog.asp?search=yes&Pgm=11161
The
Structural Fund – ISPA
The Structural Pre-Accession Instrument ISPA supports the candidate countries for the accession
to the Union in the fields of Environment and transport.
Find Programme ISPA in the Eurofunding database
http://www.welcomeurope.com/prog.asp?search=yes&Pgm=11055
Financing
Programme LIFE
The Commission fosters the involvement of candidate countries that wish
to participate to the Community financial tool in favour of the Environment.
Find Programme LIFE in the Eurofunding database
http://www.welcomeurope.com/prog.asp?search=yes&10932
Currently, only 5 CEEC are able to participate to Programme LIFE :
Rumania, Slovenia,
Latvia, Hungary and Estonia.
6 The 6th Environment Action Programme
The 6th Action Programme
pursues the objectives elaborated in the 5th that was signed for the
period 1992-2000 and was called
« towards a sustainable development”.
The Communication of the Commission of
January 2001 “Environment
2010 : our future, our choice” defines the priorities and objectives of the Community
Environmental policy until 2010 and beyond, providing the details and measures
to take to contribute to the implementation of the European Union’s strategy
concerning sustainable development.
The Communication offers five priority domains of political
actions and strategies
- Foster the observance of the
legislation in force
- integrate the environment into other
policies
- collaborate with the market
- involve and alter the citizens’
behaviour
- take the environment into account in
the decisions relative to the spatial management and planning
Specific actions
- Support the IMPEL network and its
extension to the candidate countries (IMPEL means Implementation and
Enforcement of Environmental Law and constitutes an informal network of
environmental authorities coming from the Member States. The European
Commission also belong to it.) For further information, consult http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/impel
- Prepare reviews of the environmental law
implementation
- Promote the results of the
implementation of the environmental legislation the most interesting or the
bottom ones
- Foster the environmental standard
inspection
- Fight against environmental criminality
- Ensure the implementation by requesting
for actions at the European Court of Justice
Priority spheres of intervention
- Climate Change
- Biodiversity
- Environment and Health
- Sustainable Development of resources
and waste
Finally, it is important to highlight the
priorities of the Community environmental policy in the international context, especially facing
the enlargement as well as the importance that the Union wishes to settle to scientific and economic analysis, like the
environmental indicators (the work is led in collaboration with the European
Environmental Agency)
A special file realised by Christelle Mazza © Welcomeurope
2001
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