EN
L 114/34
Official Journal of the European Union
12.4.2022
(ag) making the data and evidence linked to the implementation of the 8th EAP publicly available, easily accessible and comprehensible, without prejudice to provisions on confidentiality in domain-specific legislation; (ah) supporting the global uptake of the priority objectives set out in Article 2, ensuring coherence between internal and external approaches and coordinated action, in particular as regards: (i)
engaging with third countries on climate and environmental action, encouraging and supporting them to adopt and implement rules in those areas that are at least as ambitious as those of the Union, and ensuring that all products placed on the Union market fully comply with relevant Union requirements in line with the Union’s international commitments, including with regard to halting deforestation and land degradation;
(ii) fostering sustainable corporate governance, including establishing mandatory due diligence requirements at Union level, and promoting the uptake of responsible business conduct in Union external policies, including in trade policy; (iii) enhancing cooperation with governments, businesses, social partners and civil society in third countries and international organisations to form partnerships and alliances for environment and climate protection, and promoting cooperation on environment and climate change, including in G7 and G20; (iv) demonstrating leadership in international fora by, inter alia, achievement of the SDGs by the Union as well as of the objectives laid down in the Paris Agreement, the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Convention to Combat Desertification and other multilateral environmental agreements, notably by strengthening their implementation, and supporting third countries to do the same, including by increasing transparency and accountability as regards progress on the commitments made under those agreements; (v) strengthening international environmental governance by closing remaining gaps and strengthening respect for, and application of, recognised international environmental principles; (vi) ensuring that the Union and the Member States’ financial assistance to third countries promotes the UN 2030 Agenda.(
Article 4
Monitoring framework and governance
1.
The Commission, supported by the European Environment Agency (EEA) and the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), without prejudice to their independence, shall monitor, assess and report on the progress of the Union and the Member States with regard to attaining the priority objectives set out in Article 2, on an annual basis, taking into consideration the enabling conditions laid down in Article 3 and the overall goal of achieving systemic change.
The information that results from that monitoring, assessment and reporting shall be made publicly available and easily accessible.
2.
The monitoring, assessment and reporting referred to in paragraph 1 shall aim to facilitate high-level strategic political communication.
Following a consultation process with all relevant stakeholders, the Commission shall, by 2 May 2022, present a monitoring framework, based on a limited number of headline indicators, which include, where available, systemic indicators that address, inter alia, environmental-social and environmental-economic nexus.
The list of headline indicators shall remain stable to ensure accountability.
It shall, however, be updated to reflect the latest policy and indicator developments, where appropriate.
3.
The monitoring and assessment referred to in paragraph 1 shall reflect the latest developments as regards the availability and relevance of data and indicators and shall build on data available in the Member States and at the Union level, in particular data and indicators produced by the EEA and the European Statistical System, with a view to minimising administrative burden.
It shall be coherent with, and without prejudice to, other monitoring, reporting and governance frameworks and exercises covering environment and climate policy.
It shall be based on a methodology that enables, where possible, measurement of distance to targets in relation to the priority objectives set out in Article 2 and selected headline indicators.