No C 318/6 Official Journal of the European Communities 12. 12. 88 
5. Industrial waste 
The Committee notes that the present draft Directives 
deal only with domestic waste. The Committee points 
out that industrial and similar (e.g. medical) wastes 
Done at Brussels, 28 September 1988. 
1. General comments 
1.1. The Committee welcomes the present Com­
mission proposal which follows on from the Com­
munity's environmental action programme (1987-1992), 
in particular section 2.6 on information and education. 
The proposed measures represent a sensible and necess­
ary step in the implementation of the programme. In 
this connection the Committee would refer to its 
Opinion on the action programme (2) and the initiatives 
which it took as part of the European Year of the 
Environment on encouraging environmental awareness 
by means of education and vocational training. 
(') OJ No C 197, 22. 7. 1986, p. 13. 
(2) OJ No C 180, 8. 7. 1987. present particular problems, first of all because their 
composition is in some cases especially dangerous, but 
also because of the opportunities they offer for reclaim­
ing re-useable materials. These cannot be dealt with in 
the present context but should be tackled at Community 
level as soon as possible. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Alfons MARGOT 
1.2. The prevention of all forms of pollution can be 
improved by the development of a systematic pro­
gramme of environmental education and training which 
teaches and informs at an early stage and provides the 
wherewithal for practical action. The integration of 
environmental subjects into all appropriate areas of 
education and vocational training, including higher 
education and out-of-school further education, pro­
vides an opportunity to give people an early and com­
prehensive awareness of environmental problems. 
Inculcation of interdisciplinary knowledge and skills 
can lead to an improvement in behaviour and greater 
commitment. Environmental education shold be aimed 
at various target groups (e.g. teachers, scientists, 
trainees, producers and consumers, etc.) and should 
provide a broad, in-depth knowledge of the environ­
ment through the use of appropriate teaching aids and 
methods. 
1.3. The systematic encouragement of environmen­
tal awareness at the earliest appropriate stage in the 
education system through the dissemination of reliable Opinion on the proposal for a Council Decision on preventing environmental damage by the 
implementation of education and training measures^) 
(88/C 318/03) 
On 30 May 1988, the Council dediced to consult the Economic and Social Committee, 
under Article 130 S of the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, on the 
abovementioned proposal. 
The section for protection of the environment, public health and consumer affairs, which 
was responsible for preparing the Committee's work on the subject, adopted its Opinion on 
5 September 1988. The rapporteur was Mr Nierhaus. 
At its 258th plenary session (meeting of 28 September 1988) the Committee adopted the 
following Opinion unanimously. 
12. 12. 88 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 318/7 
information on environmental problems and their 
regional and global ramifications will not only make 
consumers more aware of the effects of their behaviour, 
but also enable employers and employees in public 
and private enterprises and national administrations to 
recognize environmentally harmful products and pro­
duction process and take appropriate measures to 
encourage their replacement by environmentally accept­
able alternatives. An information and education cam­
paign targetted on those responsible for environment­
ally harmful agricultural products could prevent pol­
lution. It could also lead to the replacement of such 
pollutants by non-harmful substances and/or a change 
in farming methods. 
1.4. The proposed interdisciplinary approach to 
environmental education can help to highlight the con­
nections between the various environmental media and 
thus to develop a new relationship between man and 
nature. At the same time such a comprehensive, inter­
disciplinary approach can provide the individual with 
a theoretical and a practical training involving an evalu­
ation of the relationship between the economy and the 
environment as well as the acquisition of specialized 
knowledge. 
1.5. The proposed environmental education 
measures can pave the way for a more farreaching 
exchange of information and opinions and for improved 
cooperation between various groups and between the 
Member States and the EC Commission. In this way 
they will help to make people much more aware of the 
different ethical attitudes to the relationship between 
man and nature, the different values and cultural diver­
sity which exist within the EC. 
The interdisciplinary exchange of experience in all areas 
of general education, vocational training, out-of-school 
further education and higher education promotes each 
individual's critical awareness of the need for a preven­
tive environmental policy. This is a sine qua non for a 
positive change in environmental behaviour and an 
improvement in the quality of the environment (1). 
1.6. Environmental education can help to foster a 
greater understanding on the part of the Community's 
citizens for specific regional problems and a greater 
readiness and ability to give special support to preven­
tive environmental measures. This also includes the 
readiness to bear physical and non-physical burdens. 
To do this, such education must take account of the 
particular characteristics of the Member States and the 
regional and global ramifications of pollution and must 
take as its subject the harm done to nature and man. 
1.7. Bearing in mind the diversity of national edu­
cation systems, the Committee welcomes the attempt to 
(') Cf. the resolution of 9 June 1986 on consumer education in 
primary and secondary schools (OJ No C 184, 23. 7. 1986). lay down a common set of principles for environmental 
education at Community level. It sees in this a first 
positive, albeit incomplete response to the recommen­
dation in its Opinion on the fourth environmental 
action programme. The Commission, in collaboration 
with the European Centre for the Development of 
Vocational Training (Cedefop) and the European Foun­
dation for the Improvement of living and working 
conditions, should undertake an immediate, systematic 
study of the content and suitability of general and 
vocational training courses in higher education and out-
of-school further education with a view to including 
environmental education and training in the curricula. 
Furthermore, a special effort should be made to develop 
and try out teaching and learning aids which cover 
more than just one Member State, including in particu­
lar those to be used for instructing teachers in environ­
mental matters. Information on pilot projects already 
carried out should be compiled and published. 
In the Committee's view the aims of the proposed 
Decision will not be attained unless there is carefully 
targetted assistance for environmental education, train­
ing and research in the Community. It therefore calls 
for the Commission proposal to provide expressly for 
financial assistance for pilot projects. 
Furthermore, undertakings or organizations which 
receive public funds in support of projects should be 
urged to develop in-house environmental education and 
training for staff. This would be consistent with the 
practice common in many Member States of not making 
public funds available for projects unless their environ­
mental acceptability has been verified. 
1.8. In view of the importance of environmental 
protection specialists in private and public enterprises 
and administrations (environmental officers), the Com­
mittee proposes a special Commission measure which 
goes beyond the vocational training of specialists; 
besides the rights and duties of such specialists, it should 
lay down the preconditions for freedom of movement 
in the Community and set standards for training and 
further training in the various disciplines. The powers 
of these environmental officers should be comparable 
with those of safety officers. Special attention should be 
paid to the positive repercussions which environmental 
protection has for small and medium-sized enterprises 
(SME). It should also be made easier for these enter­
prises to apply environmental provisions, and new 
activities for the preservation—and enhancement—of 
the environment should be promoted. 
Environmental specialists should be provided for agri­
culture too, so as to reduce or avoid pollution systemati­
cally. 
No C 318/8 Official Journal of the European Communities 12. 12. 88 
2. Specific comments 
2.1. Article 1 (2) 
The Committee proposes adding the following points: 
Insert the following after the third indent: 
'the responsibility of each generation for passing on 
to the next generation an undamaged environment 
and a natural habitat (contract between the gener­
ations)'. 
Insert the following after the last indent: 
'the responsibility which workers, specialists and 
employers in industry and administration have for 
supporting production processes and products 
which do not harm the environment'; 
'the responsibility of all sectors of the economy for 
reducing or avoiding pollution systematically'. 
2.2. Article 2 
2.2.1. Paragraph 1 to read as follows: 
'The competent authorities of the Member States 
shall introduce the points set out in paragraph-2 of 
Article 1 at all levels of teaching, general education 
and vocational training (including further training), 
in cooperation with local bodies, environmental and 
consumer groups, the two sides of industry and, 
where appropriate, family associations, parent 
organizations and guardians'. 
2.2.2. The first indent of paragraph 1 to read as 
follows: 
'take heed of these aspects, bearing in mind the 
various target groups, when drawing up curricula 
and the disciplines in questions and organizing inter­
disciplinary courses;'. 
Amend the second indent as follows: 
'make provision for and promote extra-curricular 
school activities by means of which theoretical 
knowledge of the environment acquired in school 
can be tried out in practice, making use of the 
experience of relevant voluntary organizations (e.g. 
environmental and consumer associations or agri­
cultural organizations);'. 
Done at Brussels, 28 September 1988. 2.2.3. In Article 2 (2) even greater emphasis should 
be placed on the need to train specialists. The paragraph 
should therefore read as follows: 
'The Member States shall promote the training and 
further training of specialists in the various disci­
plines relating to the environment by introducing 
ecological subjects into basic and further training 
programmes. The school and university education 
and vocational training programmes and the cur­
ricula for out-of-school further education are to be 
drawn up by the Commission in cooperation with 
Cedefop and the European Foundation for the 
improvement of living and working conditions. This 
approach shall also be encouraged in the field of 
vocational training, including university education, 
with a view to steering the behaviour of those with 
future responsibilities in a direction which is most 
favourable to the conservation of the environment 
and natural resources'. 
2.2.4. The national programmes in general education 
and vocational training provided for in Article 2 (3) 
should be evaluated by the Commission and submitted 
to the Economic and Social Committee as well as the 
European Parliament. 
2.2.5. In Article 2 (4) delete 'of relevance both (...) 
social sciences'. 
2.2.6. The Committee recommends a new paragraph 
5 providing for the promotion of pilot projects in the 
Member States. 
It proposes the following wording: 
'In order to speed up the national introduction of 
environmental education and enable an exchange 
of experience to take place, the Commission shall 
provide financial support for pilot environmental 
education projects which take into account all the 
points set out in Article 1 (2). The findings of these 
pilot projects shall be evaluated and made available 
to the Council of Education Ministers and the Mem­
ber States. In addition, information on pilot projects 
already carried out shall be compiled and published. 
Teaching aids and pedagogical concepts which take 
account of the differing environmental features of 
the Member States should also be developed and 
tested'. 
2.3. Article 4 
The Committee would expect the report on the 
implementation of the Decision to be forwarded to the 
ESC too. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Alfons MARGOT