B4-0981/98

Resolution on the Commission communication 'Partnership for Integration¨ (COM(98)0333 - C4-0410/98)

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the Commission communication (COM(98)0333 - C4-0410/98),

- having regard to the conclusions of the Presidency following the European Council in Cardiff on 15 and 16 June 1998 ((Bulletin of 17.6.1998.)),

- having regard to its resolution of 18 June 1998 on the outcome of the meeting of the European Council in Cardiff on 15-16 June 1998 ((OJ C 210, 6.7.1998, p. 192.)),

- having regard to European Parliament and Council Decision No 2179/98/EC on the review of the European Community programme of policy and action in relation to the environment and sustainable development 'towards sustainability¨ ((OJ L 275, 10.10.1998, p. 1.)),

- having regard to Articles 6, 2 and 3 of the Amsterdam Treaty,

- having regard to the Agenda 2000 package and the legislative proposals contained therein,

- having regard to the EU's Kyoto commitments and to Parliament's resolution of 17 September 1998 on climate change in the run-up to Buenos Aires ((Minutes of that sitting, Part II, Item 6.)),

- having regard to the European Community biodiversity strategy adopted by the Commission (COM(98)0042 - C4-0140/98) and the recommendations made by the European Parliament and Council on this subject,

- having regard to the future enlargement of the European Community and the negotiations in progress,

- having regard to the conclusions of the joint Environment/Transport Council of 17 June 1998,

- having regard to its resolution of 14 May 1997 on the Commission's communication on implementing Community environmental law (COM(96)0500 - C4-0591/96) ((OJ C 167, 2.6.1997, p. 92.)),

A. whereas the Commission's communication 'Partnership for Integration¨ clearly and concisely outlines the issues at stake and highlights the need for further integration, which, in its own terms, is no longer an option but an obligation,

B. whereas the recommendations contained in the communication are not sufficiently detailed and concrete to ensure rapid and steady progress towards integration,

C. whereas the Presidency conclusions of the Cardiff European Council in June 1998 (paras. 32 - 36) deliver a clear message to the Council of Ministers in all its relevant formations aimed at ensuring that integration of the environment into all other Community policies becomes a reality,

D. whereas the present internal organisation of work in the Council and the Commission does not provide an appropriate basis for implementing the integration principle as laid down in the Treaty,

E. whereas the Community lacks the guidelines and indicators needed to monitor the degree of integration achieved and also lacks mechanisms to correct a situation of insufficient integration,

F. whereas, recognising the prerogatives of the European Court of Justice to interpret the Treaty's integration requirements, the objective can in the end only be attained by a change in attitude by decision-makers away from traditional sectoral processes and thinking,

G. whereas no legislative proposals to implement the integration principle are planned,

H. whereas the review of the Fifth Environment Action Programme has strengthened the requirement of environmental integration and has listed detailed Community priority objectives in respect of other policy areas such as agriculture, transport, energy, industry and tourism,

I. whereas Article 3c of the Amsterdam Treaty (Article 6 of the consolidated Treaty) lays down the obligation to integrate environmental requirements into the definition and implementation of all Community policies and activities,

J. whereas the 'Agenda 2000' package, the Community strategy for implementing the Kyoto protocol and the Commission communication on a European Community biodiversity strategy are major challenges for the Community, not only in their own right, but also as regards application of the integration principle,

K. whereas the enlargement process could create the perfect opportunity to apply the integration principle at the beginning of a legislative process, ie. the applicant countries' fulfilment of the acquis communautaire,

L. whereas there have only rarely been joint meetings of the Environment Council with other Councils,

M. whereas there is a close link between integration of environmental requirements into other Community policies and the efficient implementation and enforcement of EU environment law,

1. Welcomes the Commission communication and believes it to be a realistic and solid launchpad for attaining the overall objective of sustainable development through integration of environmental requirements into other EU policies;

2. Regrets, however, that the recommendations it contains are not sufficiently ambitious and considers that a much more detailed action plan, including specific measures to be taken by individual institutions and timetables, is necessary to achieve the desired result;

3. Acknowledges the part it is called upon to play in the proposed 'partnership for integration' between the Council, Parliament and the Commission with the objective of including the environment in other areas of Community policy; is prepared to contribute to promoting that partnership, and calls for matching contributions also to be made by its partners;

4. Is prepared to share responsibility jointly with the Council and the Commission for the practical implementation of the provisions of Article 6 of the Treaty of Amsterdam;

5. Undertakes to review its organisational procedures to ensure that the need for environmental aspects to be included in decision-making is taken into account;

6. Calls on the Commission to arrange for all relevant proposals to be accompanied from now on by environmental impact statements, modelled for instance on those used to evaluate the impact of proposals on small and medium-sized enterprises;

7. Calls on the Council to consider as a matter of urgency the Commission proposal for a Council Directive on the assessment of the effects of certain plans and programmes on the environment (COM(96)0511 - C4-0191/97) ((OJ C 129, 25.4.1997, p. 14.)) and to reach a common position without delay;

8. Repeats its request for binding legislation on the integration of environment and sustainability and on consumer protection in the form of a framework Directive;

9. Calls on future Council Presidencies to plan at least one joint Council meeting every six months involving the environment ministers on the one hand and ministers responsible for the following areas on the other: agriculture, transport, energy, industry and tourism, identified by the 5th Environment Action Programme as most environmentally sensitive; these joint meetings should not replace ordinary environment Council meetings and the agendas should focus specifically on practical integration issues and legislation under consideration; all ECOFIN and other Council meetings dealing with Structural Funds issues should consult the Environment Council on the practical implementation of integration;

10. Calls on the Council to ensure that integration, implementation and enforcement are discussed by relevant sectoral councils at least once each half year, so that progress towards sustainable development can be monitored;

11. Calls on the Commission in its annual work programme to indicate clearly how it is going to proceed in implementing its communication;

12. Calls on the Commission to establish clear guidelines and indicators for monitoring and evaluation of the degree of integration attained; guidelines already established or under consideration for codes of good agricultural practice could serve as models in this process;

13. Calls for the importance of environmental questions to be recognised in connection with Agenda 2000, the Community strategy for implementing the Kyoto protocol and the European Community biodiversity strategy, and is receptive to the prospect of talks with the Council and the Commission on mechanisms that will guarantee that those initiatives can be implemented; considers that it will also be necessary for provisions to be laid down to enable joint monitoring of the progress achieved;

14. Takes the view that major challenges facing the Community, such as enlargement, the 'Agenda 2000' reforms, the post-Kyoto strategy and the European Community biodiversity strategy provide opportunities for Community institutions and Member States to demonstrate their commitment to realising the EU Treaty principle of integration;

15. Calls on the European Council in Vienna in December 1998 to take stock of progress and to respond to the requests contained in this resolution;16. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the European Council, the Council, the Commission and the parliaments of the Member States.