WRITTEN QUESTION P-4150/00

by Kathleen Van Brempt (PSE) to the Commission

(9 January 2001)

Subject: Restructuring of the Commission's Directorate-General for the Environment

A root-and-branch restructuring of the Commission's Directorate-General for the Environment is planned, with the unit concerned with waste and the unit concerned with nature conservation, the two units which are the most active in ensuring implementation of Community directives in the Member States, being threatened with abolition or splitting up. Such restructuring is being heavily criticised by non-governmental organisations and by officials concerned in the Directorate-General for the Environment itself. The new structure and the new appointees are being perceived as a shift in policy which cannot be justified by the general interest and which is seen solely as a pro-industry shift in emphasis.

How can a case be made for maximum implementation of current European environmental legislation when the most active units in this field are in the process of either being abolished (waste) or split up (nature conservation)?

What is the thinking behind the decision to split the financial mechanism (Life) from the other tools for administering the implementation of the Natura 2000 directives?

What reasons can be put forward for posting elsewhere two important, very competent and valued members of a unit against their will?

Does the Commission bear political responsibility for this current restructuring?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(27 February 2001)

The mission statement of the Commission in the field of environmental policy has five main objectives: a high level of environmental protection; continuous improvement in the quality of life; the preservation of the rights of future generations to a viable environment sustainable development; increased environmental efficiency and finally ensuring equitable use of our common environmental resources.

All actions and activities taken by the Commission in the field of environment serve to develop and further these objectives.

The working blueprint for the next decade will be the 6th Environmental Action Programme, which is transmitted to the Parliament on 29 January 2001(1). Other guidelines which steer Commission decisions, include the Strategic Objectives of the Commission 2001-2005 and the organisational consequences of the White Paper on Administrative Reform of the Commission(2).

The organisation of the services must always reflect and facilitate the achievement of the mission statement. The core activities of the services will focus on: sustainable development; environmental quality of natural resources; environment and health; implementation and Enforcement (which will regroup all three parts of the LIFE programme into one unit for coherence and economies of scale); global and international affairs.

The objective is to regroup tasks and functions to reflect core concerns and allow the services to implement legislation, develop policies and execute programmes in the most efficient and effective way possible, taking account of the evaluations carried out and using to the full the talents of the highly dedicated and flexible workforce.

(1) COM(2001) 31.

(2) COM(2000) 200 final.