European Parliament resolution on the EU strategy for the Punta del Este Conference on Persistent Organic Pollutants
Date: 2005-04-28
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: EU environmental policy, chemical pollution, environmental cooperation, international conference, pollutant, pollution control measures, the EU's international role

C 45 E/146

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

23.2.2006

Thursday 28 April 2005

37.
Notes that the development of Internet and e-banking may increase the demand for cross-border
financial products; asks the Commission to assess the implementation and effectiveness of the Financial
Services Distance Marketing Directive (1);

Notes that, despite low current demand for cross-border financial services, there is substantial
38.
demand from certain groups of internationally mobile consumers, such as cross-border commuters and
expatriates, for financial service products with which they are familiar; considers that, for such groups and
such a purpose, opt-in ‘pan-European’ schemes, under a uniform 26th European regime (similar to e.g. the
European Company Statute) may offer a voluntary option; asks the Commission to assess and analyse the
feasibility of such schemes;

39.
Is aware that, for other consumer groups, the potential benefits of the single market in financial
services depend on the activities of foreign and domestic operators in consumers' home markets; notes
that increased competition should not lead to financial exclusion of customers; concludes that basic finan-
cial services should remain available and affordable to every European citizen; asks the Commission for an
assessment of the situation in the Member States;

*

*

*

40.

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and the Commission.

(1) Directive 2002/65/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 September 2002 concerning the distance

marketing of consumer financial services (OJ L 271, 9.10.2002, p. 16).

P6_TA(2005)0154

Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)

European Parliament resolution on the EU strategy for the Punta del Este Conference on Persistent
Organic Pollutants

The European Parliament,

— having regard to the Stockholm Convention on persistent organic pollutants of 22 May 2001 and the
forthcoming first Conference of the Parties (COP-1) to be held in Punta del Este, Uruguay, from 2 to
6 May 2005,

— having regard to Oral Question B6-0171/2005 tabled on behalf of the Committee on the Environment,
Public Health and Food Safety pursuant to Rule 108 of its Rules of Procedure, and having regard to the
statements by the Council and the Commission,

— having regard to Rule 108(5) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas the Stockholm Convention entered into force on 17 May 2004,

B. whereas the Stockholm Convention was ratified by the European Community on 16 November 2004 (1)

and has been ratified by a majority of its Member States, including the new Member States,

C. whereas the European Parliament and the Council have adopted the legislative instruments to imple-
ment the Stockholm Convention (2) and thereby demonstrated the commitment to eliminate persistent
organic pollutants as far as possible,

(1) Decision 2004/…/EC of 14 October 2004 (not yet published), deposited on 16 November 2004.
(2) Regulation (EC) No 850/2004 of 29 April 2004 on persistent organic pollutants and amending Directive 79/117/EEC
(OJ L 158, 30.4.2004, p. 7); Corrigendum: OJ L 229, 29.6.2004, p. 5; Regulation (EC) No 304/2003 of 28 January
2003 concerning the export and import of dangerous chemicals (OJ L 63, 6.3.2003, p. 1); Council Directive 96/59/
EC of 16 September 1996 on the disposal of polychlorinated biphenyls and polychlorinated terphenyls (PCB/PCT)
(OJ L 243, 24.9.1996, p. 31).

23.2.2006

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 45 E/147

Thursday 28 April 2005

D. whereas the first Conference of the Parties will prepare the ground for future COPs and whereas a large

number of important topics will be discussed and decided upon at COP-1,

E. whereas the Stockholm Convention is not a static legislative instrument, but provides for a mechanism

to add new substances,

Urges the EU to take an active role in the negotiations by means of effective cooperation between the

1.
Commission, the Council and Parliament;

Believes that the Conference will provide a good opportunity to set ambitious targets for taking
2.
measures designed in particular to eliminate the production, placing on the market and use of intentionally
produced persistent organic pollutants;

3.
Urges the Commission and the Member States to ensure that the decisions taken at COP-1 ensure
effective implementation and further development of the Convention, and that those decisions are consist-
ent with the Community's environmental and development policy objectives and legislation;

4.

(a)

Urges the Commission and the Member States in particular to aim to ensure that:

specific exemptions of substances listed in Annex A of the Convention are granted only in exceptional
and well-justified cases;

(b) countries in malarial regions receive adequate financial assistance to replace DDT with safe and effective
alternatives according to a well established timetable in order to achieve a definitive ban on the use of
DDT as soon as possible;

(c) guidelines are adopted for promoting ‘best environmental practices’ and ‘best available techniques’ to
reduce and eliminate releases of unintentionally produced POPs, in particular dioxins and furans;

Urges the Commission and the Member States to ensure equitable geographical representation of the

5.
EU in the POPs Review Committee, as has been achieved under the Rotterdam Convention;

6.
Believes that the Global Environment Facility should continue to be the principal entity entrusted with
the operation of the financial mechanism, mainly by supporting less developed countries in achieving the
established goals;

7.
Believes that coordination and coherence need to be ensured when implementing at Community level
the provisions of the Rotterdam, Stockholm and Basel Conventions and when participating in the devel-
opment of the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) within the United
Nations framework;

8.
Urges the Commission and the Member States to establish appropriate guidance for the elaboration of
national implementation plans; urges those States which have not yet done so to develop their national
implementation plans as soon as possible;

9.
Believes that the Members of the European Parliament who are part of the EC delegation have an
essential contribution to make and expects, therefore, that they will have access to EU coordination meet-
ings in Punta del Este, on the basis of at least observer status, with or without speaking rights;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments
10.
and parliaments of the Member States and the Secretariat of the United Nations Environment Programme,
with the request that it be circulated to all non-EU contracting parties.