WRITTEN QUESTION E-1433/00 by Caroline Jackson (PPE-DE) to the Commission. EC biodiversity strategy and action plans.
Date: 2000-05-05
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU environmental policy, biodiversity

C 89 E/40

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

20.3.2001

(2001/C 89 E/037)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1431/00

by Glenys Kinnock (PSE) to the Commission

(5 May 2000)

Subject: Genetically modified organisms

What plans does the Commission have to introduce measures to ensure that European citizens are
properly informed of those genetically modified varieties which are undergoing tests and trials in each
Member State, for the purpose of deciding whether to enter such varieties onto national catalogues
pursuant to Directive 70/457/EEC (1)?

(1) OJ L 225, 12.10.1970, p. 1.

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(24 July 2000)

The publication of information concerning genetically modified organisms undergoing trials in accordance
with Community seed legislation is a matter falling within the responsibility of the Member States, which
are also responsible for the official acceptance of plant varieties under Council Directive 70/457/EEC of
29 September 1970 on the common catalogue of varieties of agricultural plant species (1) and their listing
on the national catalogues of varieties.

As set out in point 75 of the annex to the white paper on food safety (2), the Commission will bring
forward a proposal concerning specific conditions for the environmental risk assessment in respect of
genetically modified plant varieties, which will be equivalent to those laid down in Council Directive 90/
220/EEC of 23 April 1990 on the deliberate release into the environment of genetically modified
organisms (3) as revised. In this context, it will be giving consideration to measures of public information
on tests and trials on plant material of genetically modified varieties.

(1) OJ L 225, 12.10.1970.
(2) COM(1999) 719 final.
(3) OJ L 117, 8.5.1990.

(2001/C 89 E/038)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1433/00

by Caroline Jackson (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: EC biodiversity strategy and action plans

(5 May 2000)

In 1998 the Commission published (cid:145)A European Community Biodiversity Strategy(cid:146)
(COM(98) 42).
The strategy defines a framework for actions necessary to fulfil the EC(cid:146)s commitments under Article 6 of
the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The stated aim of the strategy is to (cid:145)anticipate, prevent and
attack the causes of significant reduction of loss of biological diversity at source(cid:146). In particular, this is to be
achieved by developing and implementing a number of sectoral biodiversity Action Plans.

The Action Plans were to take the form of Commission Communications to the Council and the
instruments. They were to be
Parliament and, where appropriate, were to include proposals for legal
completed within two years after the adoption of the strategy, i.e. by February 2000.

1.
Could the Commission provide an update on progress towards developing the individual plans,
including those for agriculture, fisheries and economic development and cooperation, and indicate when
the final Action Plans can be expected?

20.3.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 89 E/41

Can the Commission outline the mechanisms in place to ensure work on the different Action Plans is
2.
adequately coordinated, and to allow sufficient technical input from DG Environment? Can it also state
how NGOs are being involved in the development of the individual Action Plans, as required by the
strategy?

3.
Can the Commission clarify how these Action Plans will relate to the sectoral Integration Strategies,
that are being elaborated in follow-up to the Cardiff European Council, and to the Sixth Environmental
Action Programme that is due to be proposed in December 2000?

Answer given by Mrs Wallstr(cid:246)m on behalf of the Commission

(4 July 2000)

The Commission intends to complete a communication to the Council and to the Parliament on sectoral
action plans under the Community biodiversity strategy immediately after the summer break. It should
comprise four documents: an action plan on conservation of natural resources (being developed by
Directorate general (DG) Environment), an action plan on agriculture (being developed by DG Agriculture,
in collaboration with DG Health and Consumer Protection and DG Environment), an action plan on
fisheries (being developed by DG Fisheries in collaboration with DG Environment), and an action plan on
economic and development co-operation (being developed by DG Development in collaboration with DG
External relations and DG Environment).

With regard to the internal Commission procedures, DG Environment co-ordinates, facilitates and provides
technical
input while the primary responsibility for drafting the individual action plans lies with the
services responsible for the policy area concerned. The relevant services work in close collaboration and in
addition more formal meetings of an ad hoc inter-service group are organised as needed. Finally, all action
plans will be the subject of a joint interservice consultation procedure.

The draft action plans are being developed in a participative manner. The Commission has provided both
financial and technical support for the organisation of workshops involving non-governmental organisa-
tions (NGOs) and other parties on agriculture, on fisheries and on economic and development co-
operation. Early drafts of the action plan on agriculture have been submitted for comments to the STAR
committee and the agriculture and environment consultative forum. The fisheries management committee
and the advisory committee for fisheries and aquaculture have considered drafts of the action plan for
fisheries. The action plan on economic and development co-operation has been discussed with an ad hoc
group of experts from Member States and also in several occasions with European and with developing
countries(cid:146) NGOs. Components of
the action plan for conservation of natural resources incorporate
comments received regarding specific initiatives. An additional consultation round is to take place when
all the components have been assembled into a consolidated draft action plan. Outputs from these
workshops and meetings are being considered together with other written contributions from those
interested in the drafting process of the different action plans. Naturally, this extensive consultation
process takes time and is a contributing factor to the delay in the transmission of the final document.

The draft action plans and the resulting final Commission communication will be a joint effort led by the
members of the Commission responsible for Environment, Agriculture, Fisheries, Health and Consumer
protection, Development and External relations

With regard to the relationship between this process and the sectoral integration strategies that are being
prepared as a follow-up to the Cardiff European Council, the Commission would expect the Council to
have in mind its own sectoral integration strategies when considering the action plans.

The Commission appreciates the continuing interest and support of the Parliament in the development and
follow-up to the Community biodiversity strategy. The strategy and the sectoral action plans emerging
from it will be an important building block for the sixth environmental action programme.