WRITTEN QUESTION E-1190/02

by Caroline Lucas (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(26 April 2002)

Subject: Trade and environment

Mainstreaming environment in trade policy needs to be dealt with on a number of levels and also needs a continuous dialogue with the EU's trading partners. The Gothenburg Council has made a number of recommendations in this regard.

In what way has the Commission ensured that, since the Gothenburg Council, the environment is covered in the Commission Delegations in third countries, concerning staff, budget and activities? Which delegations in which countries are at the forefront of this process?

Following the decision that Sustainability Impact Assessments (SIA) will be undertaken for all trade negotiation proposals, will Environment DG officials take part in the trade negotiations with third countries on a regular and cross-disciplinary basis?

Answer given by Mr Lamy on behalf of the Commission

(17 June 2002)

As rightly stressed by the Honourable Member, integrating environment into trade policies has to be done at various levels if we are to ensure a mutually supportive relationship between trade and environment.

The External Service of the Commission has tried to cover as wide a range of areas and fields as possible within very tight financial constraints. Hard decisions have had to be taken recently concerning the closure of Offices, the streamlining of Delegations and the re-balancing of the ratio of officials to non-statutory staff in Delegations.

For specific policies, like the environment, no additional resources have recently been allocated to Delegations. However, the Commission expects its Delegations to improve their management of assistance, including environmental programmes and projects, thanks to de-concentration the guiding principle of which is that anything that can be better managed and decided on the spot, close to what is happening on the ground, should not be managed or decided in Brussels.

In addition, the Commission and the Council fully agree, as reflected in the Strategy on environmental integration in the external policies of the General Affairs Council, that focal points for environment issues in Embassies, Missions and Commission delegations, at least on a regional basis, should help ensure headquarters have accurate information on the environmental legislation, situation and needs of third countries. These officials should also play a role in promoting and explaining Union positions on international environmental questions.

As confirmed by the Commission's Communication Towards a global partnership for sustainable development of February 2002, Sustainability Impact Assessments, pioneered by Directorate General (DG) Trade as far as Union institutions are concerned, are carried out for all trade negotiations. Directorate General (DG) Environment is invited to participate in the SIA interservice steering group. Current trade negotiations are taking place under a Council mandate based on a Commission proposal. The negotiating process is run by the Commission in consultation with the 133 Committee. DG Environment, like other DGs, is involved in the preparation of the Community negotiating position through an inter-service process. The participation of DG Environment officials in the negotiating team is decided by DG Environment. One should, however, recall that the responsibility of integrating environmental considerations into Community policies, and in this case into trade policies, lies on the Commission as a whole.