sou · GLB3149 · 1998-01-01 00:00:00 — Far- reaching efforts, including considerable financial and technical assi- stance from the EU, are, according to the Commission, required for the candidate countries to approximate the EUs environmental legi- slation, especially in the fields of water and air pollution and energy. The Commission also emphasizes that environmental improvements in Central and Eastern Europe will benefit not only these countries, but also the environment in the current EU member states. The Commission also points out that investments aimed at sol- ving the environmental problems in Central and Eastern Europe can create important markets for those EU industries within the en- vironmental sector or other related sectors. This can in turn strengthen the competitiveness of these industries in fast-growing high-tech markets. In parallel with the assistance given by the EU in various forms to the approximation process, other multilateral organizations have increasingly begun to focus their assistance on this process, including the , lopment () and the . The state of the environment in Europe A comprehensive, general description of the state of the environment in Europe as a whole was given in the DOBRIS report that was pre- sented by in 1995. A number of important environmental problems are identified in the report, such as climate change, stratospheric ozone depletion, tropospheric ozone and other photochemical oxidants, acidification, management and pollu- tion of fresh water, degradation, loss of biodiversity, zone threats and management, chemical risks, waste reduction and management, and urban stress. The environmental situation in the Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs) is often described as very poor with widespread health problems in industrial regions, dying , soil degradation due to monoculture agriculture, eutrophication, degradation of gro- undwater, etc. Much in these accounts is well-founded, but in some cases the claims have turned out to be exaggerated, especially as re- gards the geographic extent of the problems. The actual environmen- tal situation in the individual countries is characterized for the most part by large local environmental problems, while parts of the co- untries have been less intensively developed and have to a large ex- tent been spared contamination with toxic substances. Development has been proceeding rapidly in the candidate co- untries since 1989-90. They aspire to reach the same standard of liv- ing as in Western Europe. Considerable efforts have thereby already been made to address the worst environmental problems. Air pollution and the effects it has on human health and the environ- ment is considered to be one of the most serious environmental pro- blems in large parts of Europe. The most important air pollutants in Europe today are sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, ammonia, volatile organic compounds (VOC), ozone, metals and particulates. In major conurbations and industrial areas, air pollution can cau- se serious environmental and health problems. On the regional level, air pollutants, mainly sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and ozone, contribute to vegetation damages including damages to economically important crops, damages to , acidification of soil and water, and to eutrophication of water and seas and nutrient saturation of soil. European emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, ozone and nitrous oxide contribute on the global level to climate change, inclu- ding global , and to depletion of the stratospheric ozone lay- er. Most emissions of air pollutants in different European countries come from the same sources. The most important sources/sectors are energy generation, residential heating, transport (particularly road traffic), various industrial processes, and agriculture. Even though some improvements have been made in recent years as a result of the emissions control measures that have been adopted, 37 million Europeans are still exposed to sulphur dioxide concentra- tions in excess of the EUs target values. At the same time, 20 percent of Europes ecosystems receive acid deposition in excess of the criti- cal load limit for acidification. The corresponding figure for eutrophi- cation is 33 percent. In many countries, particularly the CEECs, water pollution is a grea- ter problem than air pollution. Extensive water pollution occurs mainly in densely populated areas where large quantities of untreated or inadequately treated wastewater is discharged into lakes, water- courses and waters. Discharges directly to water combine with deposition of air pollutants to affect water quality. Polluted rivers car- ry the nutrients (mainly phosphorus and nitrogen) to the sea and con- tribute to excessive nutrient input to the areas (eutrophication). The assessment of conditions in Europe that was presented in the Dobris report showed that the quality of the water in many of the ri- vers on continent that run into the North Sea and the Baltic Sea is poor. There are, however, no general differences betwe- en Eastern European and Western European rivers. Excessive inputs of nutrients to fresh waters and waters give rise to eutrophication, and unless remedial measures are taken serious eutrophication effects (e.g. algal blooms) can occur. Generally declining trends for phosphorus have been noted in the majority of Western European rivers and in many lakes since the 1980s, while an increase has been measured in most Eastern European rivers. The decline in Western Europe is considered to be due to improvements in sewage treatment. In contrast to this decline in phosphorus, nitrogen concentrations in rivers and lakes have increased over the past 20–40 years. Serious acidification of surface waters is particularly prevalent in the Nordic countries, parts of Central Europe and in northwestern . Groundwater quality in certain agricultural areas is threatened by nitrate leaching, main due to extensive spreading of fertilizer and ma- nure. Particularly threatened or polluted areas in this respect are found in , the , and . In some areas in , the , , and the drinking water is threatened by pesticides, and unless measures are taken it will be necessary to purify the drinking water before it is used. Municipal as well as hazardous waste is a growing environmental problem in Europe. A calculation of the waste quantities from diffe- rent social sectors shows that by mining waste dominates followed by industrial waste and municipal waste. During the period 1975–1990, production of municipal waste in- creased generally. The quantity of waste that is produced per capita varies between different countries in Europe. Production of municipal waste per capita is slightly lower in Central and Eastern Europe com- pared with the EU countries. The composition of the waste has also changed. A larger fraction of industrial waste is now considered hazardous. The quantity of plastics and packaging has increased in Western Europe. A similar increase can be expected in the CEECs in the years to come. In Europe, most waste is still deposited on landfills. This often leads to the contamination of soil and groundwater and to the forma- tion of methane, carbon dioxide and toxic gases. A considerable por- tion of the waste is incinerated nowadays, however, and even though emissions are being controlled to an increasing extent, emissions of dioxins, hydrochloric acid and mercury are still considerable in com- parison with other sources. incineration is almost non-existent in the candidate countries. Despite rules and international conventions, hazardous waste is transported across national boundaries in Europe and from Europe to developing countries. This is also an issue considered to be a great problem by many countries in Central and Eastern Europe. Great concern has been expressed during the past ten years re- garding the contamination of soil and groundwater by leachate from old refuse dumps. This concern has particularly come to the fore when the candidate countries have described the environmental pro- blems in their own countries. There is no reliable European estimate of the scope of these problems. The CEECs also have special waste and pollution problems associated with the former Soviet military ba- ses located on their territories. The state of the environment in For a more thorough account of the state of the environment in Swe- den the Committee refers to publications of the Swedish Environ- mental , for example of the Environ- ment in (NV 4509, in Swedish only) and Who Pollutes ? (NV 4788, soon available in English). The pollution situation in is improving in many re- spects. In the case of certain pollutants (sulphur dioxide, particulates and lead), the measures that have been adopted nationally and inter- nationally have been effective. However, the emission reductions ha- ve generally been less in other countries, entailing continued stress on the Swedish environment from sources outside the country. As far as other air pollutants are concerned, especially from the transport sector (NOx and CO2), the measures adopted in and in other countri- es have been less effective. The commitments within the framework of the second sulphur protocol to the LRTAP convention are expected to lead to conside- rable reductions of atmospheric deposition in . For as a whole, the greatest gains will be won via the projected emission re- ductions during the period 1995–2010 in , the UK, , and the . The state of the environment in the areas surrounding All the areas surrounding – the Baltic Sea, the Katte- gat and the – are affected by human activities. The sea, and particularly the areas near the coasts, are affected by discharges of pollutants to water in lakes, watercourses or directly at the coast, by deposition of pollutants from the atmosphere, and by discharges from ships. Among the most serious pollution problems and threats to biodi- versity in the areas surrounding are the following: ·Plant nutrients, mainly phosphorus and nitrogen, and other orga- nic matter, which cause eutrophication ·Persistent organic pollutants, POPs The state of the environment in the CEECs Before the fall of communism, sulphur dioxide and particulates (soot and industrial dust) were perhaps the foremost environmental pro- blem in a number of industrial regions, above all in southern East , northwestern and southern . Prior to 1990, it is estimated that the levels in approximately half of the major cities in Eastern Europe exceeded WHOs limit values. Substantial improvements have been made since then, however. Even though the levels of sulphur dioxide, lead and particulates in the cities have declined all over Europe, the major urban areas in the CEECs generally still have poorer air quality than equivalent are- as in the EU, particularly as regards these pollutants. With regard to other pollutants of importance for human health and for which data are available, the situation is not worse in the CEECs than in the EU. In fact, nitrogen dioxide levels are slightly higher in the EU as a re- sult of heavier car traffic there. Acidification problems in the CEECs are primarily restricted to soil acidification and damages to (the most extensive in all of Eu- rope) in regions with heavy coal burning and large associated sulphur emissions, above all in the black triangle comprising the southern part of former East , the northern and sout- hern . The critical load limits are being exceeded and acid de- position is considered to be one of the most important causes of damage. Persistent organic pollutants and metals A single body of statistics is lacking to enable assessments to be ma- de of the overall situation as regards metals and POPs in the CEECs, as well as in the EU countries. There are so-called hot spots where the problems are very serious, but the general extent of the problems is not known. Approximation of EU legislation in the candidate countries Most of the candidate countries already had an extensive body of en- vironmental legislation under their former central planning regimes. The legislation was often based on environmental quality standards, while direct emission requirements on individual plants or types of plants were rare. were there any administrative structures to en- force compliance with limit values and emission requirements in an effective . An exception, and the one area where the candidate countries were already ahead of or at least on a parity with the Wes- tern European countries, is the field of nature conservation. New environmental legislation in all countries In conjunction with the political transformation of the former com- munist countries and the independence of the three Baltic states, work began on writing new legislation in virtually all sectors of society, including the environment. Since the question of EU membership for these countries had not yet been raised at this time (early 1990s), ap- proximation of EU legislation was not a primary consideration when the first new environmental laws were written. These framework laws are now undergoing revision, or have in some cases already been revised, to meet the requirements in EU legi- slation and to incorporate accepted principles in the environmental fi- eld, for example the overall objective of sustainable development, the polluter pays principle, the precautionary principle, rules concerning the individuals and the publics right to information in environmen- tal matters, and sectoral integration of environmental considerations. In summary, it can be said that the approximation of legislation that has taken place so far has mainly concerned framework laws and other fundamental legislation within the environmental sector. much (in some cases everything) remains to be done, however, above all when it comes to different types of implementation legislation, environmental monitoring and, not least, in administrative capacity- , particularly locally and regionally, and in making sure that the new rules are enforced effectively. The opinions written by Commission on the candi- date countries state that in their approximation efforts, the countries have so far clearly prioritized the legislation that was mentioned in the Commissions regarding the internal market from 1995. This also applies to those parts of the EUs environmental legi- slation that fall under the Internal Market rules. In this context it is al- so worth noting that this part of the EUs environmental rules is only estimated to comprise about 20 percent of the entire body of EU envi- ronmental legislation. The Committees review of the legislation in the candidate co- untries has covered the following areas: climate change, protection of the ozone layer, tropospheric ozone, acidification and air quality, eutrophication and water quality, waste and waste management, che- micals, and nature conservation and biological diversity. It can be concluded that the candidate countries have come fart- hest with approximation in the areas of air and water pollution con- trol. This is probably because these are the areas where the candidate countries already had a relatively extensive body of legislation and where the work with new legislation got under way relatively quickly after the transformation of the social system. These are also areas where the countries have, owing to the transboundary nature of the problems, been able to obtain extensive international assistance. A great deal remains to be done, however, and it will take a long time before the countries are able to fully comply with the EUs require- ments. Large investments are required. It can also be concluded that waste and waste management, and chemicals and chemical management, are two sectors where, in com- parison with other sectors, a greater portion of the work of approxi- mating the EUs legislation in the candidate countries rules remains to be done. The area where the problems with EU approximation will pro- bably be least is within nature conservation and protection of biologi- cal diversity. Action is required here as well, however, mainly as re- gards rules for land use and integration of nature conservation consi- derations in legislation in other sectors, such as agriculture, forestry and transport. Costs of approximation of EU environmental legislation Attempts have been made in a number of reports and consultant stu- dies presented in recent years to estimate the costs to the candidate countries of meeting the requirements in the EUs environmental le- gislation. The cost calculations that have been presented vary within wide limits due in part to great uncertainty in the data used in the calcula- tions and in part to the fact that the calculations have been based on different assumptions. In summary, it can be said that even if there is a large span in estimates of the total costs of environmental approximation, all cal- culations show that the environmental field will be one of the most costly, perhaps even the most costly sector for approximation. Calculations carried out on behalf of EU-Phare indicate that the costs of environmental approximation could constitute as much as between 30 and 40 percent of the total costs. Calculations carried out on behalf of Commission and presented in a report in the summer of 1997 showed that the total costs of EU approximation within the investment-intensive sectors of water supply, sewerage, wastewater treatment, incineration plants and waste treatment amount to more than ECU 100 billion, equivalent to about ECU 1000 per capita. The annual costs according to the same calculations amount to between ECU 8 and 12 billion, or ECU 80–120 per capita. The report emphasizes that even though this amount only comprises about two- thirds of the average per-capita environmental expenses of the pre- sent-day EU states, it represents a much larger share of the GDP of the candidate countries. The Committees environmental impact assessment, conclusions and recommendations In its summary assessment, the Committee analyzes the environmen- tal consequences of economic integration and the trend within the transport, industrial, energy and agricultural sectors. The analysis of the energy sector also includes questions pertaining to nuclear safety and radiation protection. Other topics discussed are air and water pollution, waste management, nature conservation and biological di- versity. Finally, the effects of political prioritizations, better administ- ration and better enforcement and monitoring are dealt with. The Committees overall conclusion is that the forthcoming EU enlargement will entail considerable environmental benefits. These benefits will be achieved more rapidly, if the proposed increased fi- nancial recources to the accession process will be accepted by the Council. Furthermore, the environmental benefits, will be achieved due to the strict follow-up by the EU to ensure that the new member countries meet their environmental obligations. Other international treaties are not as effective in this respect. The EUs environmental policy is the most comprehensive body of international law, which forces the member states to review and revise their entire environ- mental policy. At the same time, the enlargement entails certain risks in the environmental field, mainly in the form of increased emissions from transport. It is therefore important that the enlargement process be accompanied by supplementary measures to support the candidate countries in achieving compliance with the EUs environmental di- rectives as soon as possible, and to tighten up the EUs current envi- ronmental legislation to counteract any negative effects of the enlar- gement, particularly within the transport sector. finds that the greatest environmental gains stand to be achieved in the ten candidate countries. At the same time, it is important to emphasize that it is in these countries that negative envi- ronmental effects of EU membership can occur, for example in the transport sector. Environmental gains will be achieved within virtually all areas that have been studied, i.e. improved air quality due to reduced local air pollution, reduced atmospheric deposition of acidifying substan- ces, heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants (POPs), as well as reduced water pollution and improved water quality, improved waste management and reduced risks to human health and the environment from the handling of hazardous chemicals. The environmental gains for will be relatively limited. It is mainly southeastern that stands to benefit from reduced deposition of acidifying substances as a consequence of reduced air pollution in and the . As far as the Baltic Sea is concerned, the positive effects stem from reduced discharges of plant nutrients (mainly phosphorus and nitrogen compounds) to water, reduced deposition of nitrogen com- pounds from the air, and reduced input of heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants via air and water. Reduced eutrophication effects can be expected mainly along the coasts in and the three Bal- tic states, while the effects in the open sea are likely to be small. would like to point out that it is difficult to dis- tinguish between environmental consequences resulting from the on- going changes in the candidate countries and the environmental ef- fects that are a direct consequence of the countries accession to the EU. Greater efficiency in the environmental work and an improve- ment in environmental conditions in the candidate countries has alre- ady been achieved as a part of the ongoing social transformation. At the same time, the Committee would like to point out that the pre- accession process has already led to higher priority being given to en- vironmental issues in the candidate countries. The Committee concludes/recommends: ·that it is an advantage from the environmental viewpoint if ac- cession negotiations can be initiated jointly for all candidate co- untries. From an environmental viewpoint it is important to be able to base judgements on the total environmental problems of the different sectors and decide what measures are needed for each sector in larger contiguous geographic regions, since the most serious environmental problems are transboundary in natu- re. The example closest at hand is the Baltic Sea area, whose en- vironment is affected by both the Baltic states and . ·that Commission should conduct a more detailed analysis of the environmental consequences of the planned en- largement, particularly as regards the environmental responsibi- lity of the sectors. Such an analysis is important as a basis for a more balanced appraisal and prioritization between different di- rectives and environmental areas. In principle, an environmental impact assessment should be made of every major approximation programme. In view of the great importance of the transport sector for the development of the overall environmental situa- tion, special attention should be given to this sector. ·that the EUs requirements should be applied to all new invest- ments and plants at the time of the opening of the accession ne- gotiations. Regarding products there is however ralistic to forsee certain transitional periods. ·that the candidate countries, as a part of the EUs joint responsi- bility and within the framework of the work to establish the Na- tura 2000 network of protected areas, be given aid for the con- servation of valuable habitats. ·that environmental approximation should be given high priority in the accession negotiations so that as large a portion as possible of the environmental legislation will have been adopted by the date of accession date. In the case of those directives which, for various reasons, cannot be fully adopted by this date, timetables must be established in the negotiations for each of the candidate countries.