WRITTEN QUESTION E-0649/97 by Carmen Díez de Rivera Icaza (PSE) to the Commission (6 March 1997)

Subject: Integrating the environmental dimension into the other European Union policies

Can the Commission provide information on the measures adopted to integrate Article 130r(2) of the EU Treaty into the other policies of the Union, and can it list the specific actions taken in this context?

Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission (11 April 1997)

The Commission's fifth environment action programme emphasised the need to integrate the environment into sectoral policies such as manufacturing industry, transport, energy, agriculture and tourism ((COM/92/23 - OJ C 138, 17.5.1993.)). The review of the fifth environment action programme and the action plan ((COM/96/648 final - OJ C 28, 29.1.1997.)) to implement it, both adopted by the Commission in January 1996, pointed to a need for improved integration of the environmental dimension in the other policies and made specific proposals, currently under consideration in the Council and Parliament. These policies and actions address both sectoral policies and environmental instruments.

In June 1993 the Commission introduced internal mechanisms addressing all its proposals and actions in order to integrate environmental requirements in other Community policies:

- all Commission proposals should be examined for environmental implications. Where a significant impact on the environment is foreseen an assessment of the environmental impact is undertaken. The Commission has developed training schemes for staff working with environmental impact assessment and cost-benefit analysis methods;

- in new legislative proposals, the explanatory memorandum should describe and justify the impact on the environment as well as the environmental costs and benefits involved;

- the Commission indicates in its work programme which of its proposals may have significant environmental consequences, so called green stars. Green stars were used for the first time in the Commission's 1994 legislative programme to indicate items of legislation which were likely to require an environmental assessment;

- integration correspondents have been named in all the relevant services and several have set up a special environment unit to manage integration of environment aspects in their own policy development;

- the directors general environment network has been set up, chaired by the director general for the environment and comprising the directors generals from key services. Its focus is mainly on overall policy coordination on environment issues and their impact on other policies and vice-versa;.

- a special unit has been set up reporting directly to the Director general for the environment which has the overall responsibility for the implementation of the fifth action programme and for the integration process;

- the Commission's annual report has been partly changed to indicate, for main policy areas, how environmental considerations have been taken into account;

- the Commission has undertaken a number of measures in the fields of recycling, waste handling and purchasing policy ('green housekeeping'). A strategy document was adopted in December 1995 which includes a framework for activities;

- a regular evaluation of progress made by the Commission towards environmental integration has taken place. The review of the fifth action programme includes detailed information on integration of environmental considerations in other Community policies.