European Parliament resolution on the Commission communication on the Clean Air for Europe (CAFE) Programme: Towards a Thematic Strategy for Air Quality (COM(2001) 245 - C5-0598/2001 - 2001/2249 (COS))
Date: 2002-03-13
Institutions: Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety, European Parliament
Subjects: EU law, EU programme, air quality, environmental law, prevention of pollution

C 47 E/214

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

27.2.2003

Wednesday 13 March 2002

P5_TA(2002)0098

TEXTS ADOPTED

Common Procurement Vocabulary ***I (procedure without report)

Proposal for a European Parliament and Council regulation on the Common Procurement Vocabu-
lary (CPV) (COM(2001) 449 (cid:1) C5-0376/2001 (cid:1) 2001/0179(COD))

(Codecision procedure: first reading)

The proposal was approved.

P5_TA(2002)0099

CAFE Programme (procedure without debate)

European Parliament resolution on the Commission communication on the Clean Air for Europe
(CAFE) Programme: Towards a Thematic Strategy for Air Quality (COM(2001) 245 (cid:1) C5-0598/
2001 (cid:1) 2001/2249 (COS))

The European Parliament,

(cid:1) having regard to the Commission communication (COM(2001) 245 (cid:1) C5-0598/2001),

(cid:1) having regard to Article 175 of the Treaty,

(cid:1) having regard to the sixth environmental action programme,

(cid:1) having regard to Council Directive 96/62/EC of 27 September 1996 on ambient air quality assessment

and management (1),

(cid:1) having regard to Council Directive 94/66/EC of 15 December 1994 amending Directive 88/609/EEC
on the limitation of emissions of certain pollutants into the air from large combustion plants (2),

(cid:1) having regard to Directive 2001/81/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October

2001 on national emission ceilings for certain atmospheric pollutants (3),

(cid:1) having regard to Council Directive 96/61/EC of 24 September 1996 on integrated pollution preven-

tion and control (4),

(cid:1) having regard to Council Directive 1999/13/EC of 11 March 1999 on the limitation of emissions of
volatile organic compounds due to the use of organic solvents in certain activities and installations (5),

(cid:1) having regard to Council Directive 2002/3/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of

12 February 2002 relating to ozone in ambient air (6),

(cid:1) having regard to Rule 47(1) of its Rules of Procedure,

(cid:1) having regard to the report of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Policy
and the opinion of the Committee on Regional Policy, Transport and Tourism (A5-0055/2002),

(1) OJ L 296, 21.11.1996, p. 55.
(2) OJ L 337, 24.12.1994, p. 83.
(3) OJ L 309, 27.11.2001, p. 22.
(4) OJ L 257, 10.10.1996, p. 26.
(5) OJ L 85, 29.3.99, p. 1.
(6) OJ L …

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A. whereas the sixth environmental action programme prescribes the development of thematic strategies
in the environmental field; whereas the CAFE (Clean Air For Europe) programme is the first of these
strategies,

Wednesday 13 March 2002

B. whereas the general objective of the CAFE programme is to draw up a long-term integrated strategic

policy for combating air pollution in order to protect human health and the environment,

C. whereas combating air pollution is one of the main aspects of sustainable development policy;
whereas, moreover, the objective of sustainable development cannot be attained without a genuinely
integrated policy to combat air pollution,

D. whereas the fifth environmental action programme states that ‘All people should be effectively pro-

tected against recognised health risks from air pollution’,

E. whereas Article 11(2) of Decision No 2179/98/EC states that particular attention shall be given to
developing and implementing a strategy with the goal of ensuring that critical loads, in relation to
exposure to acidifying, eutrophying and photochemical air pollutants, are not exceeded,

F. whereas the European Parliament has stressed on numerous occasions that critical loads and levels of

acidifying, eutrophying and photochemical air pollutants should not be exceeded after 2020,

G. having regard to the progress made in combating air pollution under the Auto-Oil I and II pro-
grammes, in respect of some sectors and some pollutants, as a result of technical and non-technical
measures,

H. having regard to the work that remains to be done in all pollutant industries and in respect of the

main pollutants, including CO2, the level of which is forecast to continue rising into 2005,

I. whereas some pollutants are not subject to regulatory proposals,

J. whereas, inter alia, ground-level ozone and particulate matter pose a serious risk to public health in

Europe, especially for vulnerable groups of the population,

K. whereas Community legislation against air pollution is based on different structures and methodol-

ogies; whereas a coherent framework is needed,

L. whereas a large number of these Community legislative texts are due for review and revision in 2004,

1. Welcomes the Commission’s proposal to combine the majority of its measures against air pollution
within one thematic strategy which will provide a useful tool for the Community to use in attaining its
long-term objective of critical
loads and levels for the four air pollutants covered by the directive on
national emission ceilings and the secondary air pollutants arising from these four pollutants;

2.
Considers the CAFE strategy to be an incentive for an integrated approach to Community environ-
mental legislation, but stresses that its general nature must not be an obstacle to the introduction or review
of more specific measures; calls on the Commission to inform the Council and Parliament regularly about
this; considers that the general approach must not lead to the delaying or abandonment of the assessment
and possible review of existing air quality directives and national emissions ceilings;

3.
Notes that several Community legislative texts concerning the combating of air pollution are due to
be revised in 2004; expects the Commission to present its reviews of the legislation in force followed by
proposals for revision so that the revised legislation may be applied as swiftly as possible;

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Wednesday 13 March 2002

Believes that the CAFE programme could demonstrate the feasibility of actions and types of measures

4.
needed in order to reach the Community’s long-term objectives relating to air pollution;

Stresses the urgency of this activity, and the necessity that CAFE proposals for measures are delivered

5.
according to the schedule laid down, i.e. by the end of 2004 at the latest;

6.
Calls on the Commission, in view of the considerable work that remains to be done in the fight
against air pollution, to propose further courses of action for all industries and pollutants, whether they
are subject to regulation or not;

Calls for present or future assessments of chemical substances to be used in the development of

7.
legislation on air pollutants;

Believes it is essential to draw up practical proposals to link the new programme to existing air

8.
quality measures;

Stresses that one important task of the CAFE programme should be to establish harmonised repor-

9.
ting requirements for Member States’ emission inventories in order to facilitate comparability of data;

10.
Notes the structural links between air quality related measures in different policy areas, especially
the strong link between air quality and climate change measures, and therefore urges the Commission to
co-ordinate its efforts in these two areas;

11.
Agrees with the Commission that CAFE needs to provide strong guidance for the development of
sectoral, source-based measures to reduce emissions, and that effective structural links between CAFE and
the sectoral strategies must therefore be established, since such links are essential in order to ensure that
the necessary measures (whether technical or non-technical) are taken and that scenarios used within CAFE
and other policy areas are consistent;

12.
Notes in this respect the Commission’s proposals concerning the European programme on climate
change and the emission rights exchange system; calls on Parliament and the Council, in the light of
current levels of air pollution and the role played by the European Union in order to reach an agreement
at the last Conference of parties to the Kyoto Protocol held in Bonn, to adopt ambitious, balanced legis-
lation on the basis of these two proposals to enable the European Union to play the leading role which it
has assumed in combating climate change;

13.
Shares the Commission’s view that existing concentrations of particulate matter and ground-level
ozone pose a serious threat to the environment, architectural heritage and public health, especially in large
cities and for vulnerable population groups; therefore urges the Commission to take prompt action to
propose policy measures aimed at reducing emissions of ozone precursors and particulate matter and its
precursors, in particular those not covered by Council Directive 2001/81/EC;

14.
Stands by its efforts towards a sustainable transport policy and calls on the Commission, in the
context of CAFE, to introduce for inland waterways and rail transport the agreements on emissions stan-
dards which have been reached with the motor industry; also calls on the Commission and the Member
States to take a proactive stance in the relevant international fora, in order to set emissions standards for
air transport in consultation with the aviation industry; considers that there should be a level playing field
between the demands made on international aviation and the demands made on other industrial and
transport sectors;

15.
Considers that sustainable transport cannot be achieved solely by adopting technical measures;
notes the need for a change in the behaviour of both consumers and producers; recognises the urgent
need to develop alternative fuels and means of transport in order to contribute to such a change of behav-
iour; calls on the Commission to promote the relevant research in the context of CAFE;

16.
Underlines the importance of strengthening links between research and policy making; however,
is of the opinion that scientific uncertainty should not be used as an excuse for failure to take action
against emissions that are likely to cause long-term damage;

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Considers it essential to set up a monitoring system to ensure that the programme operates effec-

17.
tively;

18.
Commends the Commission for fully involving the candidate countries in the CAFE programme and
sees this participation as a prerequisite for a smooth integration of Community air quality legislation into
the legislative bodies of candidate countries; notes that there was no funding for combating air pollution in
the budget of the Instrument for Structural Policies for Pre-Accession (ISPA) for the year 2000; calls,
therefore, on the Commission and the candidate countries to promote projects concerning the combating
of air pollution so that the candidate countries can play their part in combating air pollution and in the
‘Clean Air for Europe’ programme;

Stresses the importance of broad consultation with relevant stakeholders in the process leading up

19.
to new policy proposals in order to further improve political credibility;

20.
Notes that there is an increasingly large overlap in both policy and geographical terms between the
Convention on Long Range Transboundary Air Pollution (CLRTAP) and Community air quality policy;
therefore shares the Commission’s view that enhanced co-operation with CLRTAP is essential if CAFE is
to add real value to policy-making and avoid wastage of resources;

21.
Shares the Commission’s view on the need to increase transparency and bring Community policy
closer to the citizens; therefore underlines that regular, accurate information on the progress and priorities
of environmental policy is essential in order to increase public trust and involvement, as well as to allow
the public to influence policy made in its name;

22.
Calls on the Commission to draw up clear, transparent rules for the participation of pressure
groups; all participants must be able to take part without discrimination, with their respective financial
resources being taken into account;

23.
Expresses some concern regarding the financing of the CAFE programme, especially concerning
funding needed to ensure the participation and active involvement of candidate countries and NGOs in
the programme and its working groups;

Calls on the Commission to ensure that Parliament is kept informed of developments, for example

24.
by means of six-monthly progress reports, regular workshops etc.;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, Commission and the Parliaments of

25.
the Member States.

P5_TAPROV(2002)0100

Postal services ***II

European Parliament legislative resolution on the Council common position for adopting a Euro-
pean Parliament and Council directive amending Directive 97/67/EC with regard to the further
opening to competition of Community postal services (14091/1/2001 (cid:1) C5-0642/2001 (cid:1) 2000/
0139(COD))

(Codecision procedure: second reading)

The European Parliament,

(cid:1) having regard to the Council common position (14091/1/2001 (cid:1) C5-0642/2001),

(cid:1) having regard to its position at first reading (1) on the Commission proposal to Parliament and the

Council (COM(2000) 319) (2),

(1) OJ C 232, 17.8.2001, p. 287.
(2) OJ C 337 E, 28.11.2000, p. 220.