ARCHIVES HISTORIQUES 
DE LA COMMISSION 
 
 
 
COLLECTION RELIEE DES 
DOCUMENTS "COM" 
 
 
 
 
COM (85) 086 
 
 
 
Vol. 1985/0 026 
  
 
Disclaimer  
Conformém ent au règlement (CEE, Euratom) n° 354/83 du Conseil du 1er février 1983 
concernant l'ouverture au public des archives historiques de la Communauté économique 
européenne et de la Communauté européenne de l'énergie atomique (JO L 43 du 15.2.1983, 
p. 1), tel que modifié par le règlement (CE, Euratom) n° 1700/2003 du 22 septembre 2003 
(JO L 243 du 27.9.2003, p. 1), ce dossier est ouvert au public. Le cas échéant, les documents 
classifiés présents dans ce dossier ont été déclassifiés conformément à l'article 5 dudit 
règlem ent. 
In accordance with Council Regulation (EEC, Euratom) No 354/83 of 1 February 1983 
concerning the open ing to the public of the historical archives of the European Econom ic 
Communit y and the European Atom ic Energy Communit y (OJ L 43, 15.2.1983, p. 1), as 
amended by Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1700/2003 of 22 September 2003 (OJ L 243, 
27.9.2003, p. 1), this file is open to the public. Where necessary, classified documents in this 
file have been declassified in conformity with Article 5 of the aforementioned regulation.  
In Übereinstimmung mit der Verordnung (EWG, Euratom) Nr. 354/83 des Rates vom  1. 
Februar 1983 über die Freigabe der historischen Archive der Europäischen  
Wirtschaftsgemeinschaft und der Europäischen Atomgem einschaft (ABI. L 43 vom  15.2.1983,  
S. 1), geändert durch die Verordnung (EG, Euratom) Nr. 1700/2003 vom 22. Septem ber 2003  
(ABI. L 243 vom  27.9.2003, S. 1), ist diese Datei der Öffentlichkeit zugänglich. Soweit  
erforderlich, wurden die Verschlusssachen in dieser Datei in Übereinstimmung mit Artikel 5  
der genannten Verordnung freigegeben.  
COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
C 0 M C 8 5 ) 86 final 
Brussels, 1 9  M arch  1985
A  E U R O P E - W I D E  E N V I R O N M E N T _ P O L I C Y
(Com m unication from  the C o m m issio n  to the European Council  
o n  29 a n d  30 M arch 1985)
C O M C 8 5 ) 86 final

A _iU B Q P irW ID E _E N V IR O N M E N T  P O L IC Y
1. T h e environment in w hich the citizens of the C om m unity, a n d  of  
m a n y  other parts of the world, live an d  w ork is deteriorating, in to w n  
an d  countryside alike. This is the m o re  regrettable since the natural  
resources a n d  facilities exist for m aking Life better an d  m o re  livable.  
Protection an d  im provem ent of the environment therefore m u s t b e a  top  
C o m m un ity priority.
2. T h e European Council acknowledged this n eed w h e n  it decided at  
its last meeting in Dublin to devote part of the next session to the  
subject of environmental protection.
3. Urgent action is imperative o n  several fronts.
(i) A i r_gol lut ion from  the burning of fossil fuels is causing the  
destruction of forests, the pollution of lakes, the erosion of  
buildings a n d  of our architectural heritage, and, som etim es,  
hazards to h u m a n  health.
(ii) Mari ne_ggllut ion is reaching alarming proportions in the Medi­
terranean a n d  s o m e  areas of the North Sea. T h e absorptive capa­
city of the sea, w here pollution discharged to water, air or land  
finally en d s up, could b e  s w a m p e d  if action is not taken soon.
(iii) T h e handling_of_dangerous_chemicals has given rise to serious and 
tragic accidents in Europe and elsewhere. T h o u g h  rare, these can 
be utterly devastating.

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(iv) M o dern  farming m ethods som etim es cause grave ecological dam age,  
even though agriculture, w hich h a s  m oulded the European land­
scape over centuries, s till offers the best assurance of pre­
serving landscape features.
(v) T h e scale of environment a  l_ deterioration in s o m e  parts of the  
Third W orld is su ch  that they m a y  well b e c o m e  permanently unable  
to support life: desertification, tropical deforestation a n d
the loss of wildlife, a n d  hence genetic diversity, are a m o n g  
the worst problems of all.
4. T h e  seriousness of these problem s is su ch  that the C o m m issio n  
h a s  given th em  prom inence in the action p ro g ram m e it recently sub­
mitted to the European Parliament, in w hich it states its intention  
of laying before the Council a  n u m b e r of proposals concerning legisla­
tion, scientific a n d  technical research, the orientation of c o m m o n  
and national policies an d  the u se of the financial arm oury at the C o m ­
munity's disposal.
5. T h e C o m m issio n  w ould like to see decision-making in this area  
of policy prom pted a n d  influenced b y  policy guidelines from  the Euro­
pean Council. Without going into detail, it asks the European Council  
to endorse three m ain  guidelines for C o m m u n ity environment policy:
(i) protection of the environment is to b e  treated a s  a n  integral  
part of econom ic a n d  social policies both overall (at macro-  
econom ic level) a n d  b y  individual sector (agricultural policy,
industrial policy, energy policy _ _), the point m u s t b e  m a d e
tha
t a n  active policy for the protection an d  im provem ent of the  
environment can  help econom ic growth a n d  job creation;

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(ii) M e m b e r States m u s t recognize the necessity of coherent actions  
within the C o m m u n ity framework, since piecemeal a n d  isolated  
action w ould risk to b e ineffective an d  even harmful to the co ­
hesion a n d  continuity of its policies;
(iii) signal the importance the European Council attaches to C o m m u n ity  
policy for the protection an d  im provem ent of the environment b y  
deciding that the year 1987 wilt b e the European Year of the  
Environment, an d  b y  inviting the C o m m issio n  a n d  Council to m a k e  
every effort to ensure that the year is m arked b y  m ajor progress  
in the C o m m u n ity drive for the protection of the environment in  
Europe a n d  the world.