Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council relating to the driver-perceived noise level of wheeled agricultural or forestry tractors (Codified version) COM(2007) 588 final — 2007/0205 (COD)
Date: 2007-12-12
Institutions: European Economic and Social Committee
Subjects: codification of EU law, measuring equipment, metrology, noise, noise level, technical standard, tractor

16.5.2008

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 120/15

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the ‘Proposal for a Directive of the
European Parliament and of the Council relating to the driver-perceived noise level of wheeled
agricultural or forestry tractors’ (Codified version)

COM(2007) 588 final — 2007/0205 (COD)

(2008/C 120/03)

On 24 October 2007, the Council decided to consult the European Economic and Social Committee, under
Article 95 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, on the

Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council relating to the driver-perceived noise level of
wheeled agricultural or forestry tractors (codified version).

Since the Committee unreservedly endorses the proposal and feels that it requires no comment on its part,
it decided, at its 440th plenary session of 12 and 13 December 2007 (meeting of 12 December), by
135 votes with 2 abstentions, to issue an opinion endorsing the proposed text.

Brussels, 12 December 2007.

The President

of the European Economic and Social Committee

Dimitris DIMITRIADIS

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the ‘Green Paper on market-based
instruments for environment and related policy purposes’

COM(2007) 140 final — SEC(2007) 388

(2008/C 120/04)

On 28 March 2007, the European Commission decided to consult the European Economic and Social
Committee, under Article 262 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, on the

Green Paper on market-based instruments for environment and related policy purposes.

The Section for Agriculture, Rural Development and the Environment, which was responsible for preparing
the Committee's work on the subject, adopted its opinion on 31 October 2007. The rapporteur was
Mr Ribbe.

At its 440th plenary session held on 12-13 December 2007 (meeting of 13 December), the European
Economic and Social Committee adopted the following opinion by 48 votes with 1 abstention.

1. Summary

is no longer about whether they should be introduced but about
how they should be used.

The Committee notes the much delayed publication of
1.1
the Green Paper on market-based instruments (MBI) for environ-
mental protection.

The Committee shares

the views expressed on the
1.2
various fiscal and environmental
impacts of various market-
based instruments for environmental protection (taxes, charges,
fees, subsidies, rights/certification schemes etc.).

1.3
The Committee notes that market-based instruments
have long been an element of political action, so the discussion

As the Commission rightly points out, MBI are a good
1.4
way of tackling environmental
issues in a cost-effective way.
They are not, however, a panacea. The political discussion —
and the Green Paper — should therefore address the relationship
and interplay between, for instance, rules and bans, regulatory
law and market-based instruments (such as taxes, charges,
targeted subsidises and tradable permits). The Committee
regrets, however, that the Commission Green Paper gives far too
few pointers in this regard.