Sn

1
(No Transcript)
2
Environment Work Programme
8 January 2009
3
Environment Programme presentation - Prague, 8
Jan 2009
Czech Presidency 2009

• Motto Europe without Barriers
• Key issues 3E
• Economy - Competitiveness, the Four Freedoms, and
  Liberal Trade Policy
• Energy and climate change
• Europe open and secure

4
Environment Programme presentation - Prague, 8
Jan 2009
Main environment priorities 1. Climate change 2.
Protection of human health and the environment 3.
Sustainable consumption and production 4.
Biodiversity protection
5
Environment Programme presentation - Prague, 8
Jan 2009
Climate change

• Negotiations with key global partners
• Negotiations with key global partners - outreach
  activities with the USA, China, Brazil, India,
  Japan and others be carried out in Troika format
  participation at G8, G20, MEM and other fora. The
  objective of CZ PRES is to prepare necessary
  elements for reaching an agreement in Copenhagen,
  December 2009 on binding targets of keeping the
  rise of the average global temperature below 2
  degrees Celsius (IPCC recommendation)
• Agreement at EU level on the financial
  arrangements EU contribution to the envisaged
  agreement in Copenhagen
• Adaptation to Climate Change - debate on
  approaches and instruments across Europe at
  informal Council

6
Environment Programme presentation - Prague, 8
Jan 2009
Protection of human health and the environment

• Industrial emissions and integrated prevention
  and pollution control
• The objective is to widen the scale of the
  sectors included, esp. combustion installations
  20 50 MW, waste and waste water treatment as
  well as production of wood-based panels
• It is necessary to intensify the role of the
  Best Available Techniques by the clarification of
  the role of the BAT reference documents (BREFs)
• Some competences of the European Comission in
  the proposal would go to the national level
  (subsidiarity principle)
• We aim to reach a political agreement on the EU
  Environment Council level on the Directive on
  Industrial Emmissions (IPPC)

7
Environment Programme presentation - Prague, 8
Jan 2009
Protection of human health and the environment

• National emission ceilings (NEC)
• After the agreement on climate/energy package we
  requested the European Commission to submit the
  proposal on revision of the NEC directive to
  start negotiations soon
• High importance for all member states - air
  quality is one of the most serious problems of
  the European environment
• New emission ceilings for NOx, SO2, VOC and NH3
  related to 2020 are needed to reduce
  acidification, eutrophication and ground-level
  ozone. Particle air pollution is very problematic
  and has significant health impacts. Therefore we
  particularly welcome that the directive will
  include also emission caps for PM2,5.
• We want to start the discussion and have a
  policy debate in June Environment Council.

8
Environment Programme presentation - Prague, 8
Jan 2009
Protection of human health and the environment

• Ozone depleting substances (ODS)
• The main objective of the Recast is to simplify
  and to streamline the Regulation to remove
  obsolete sections and to address future
  challenges
• Revised regulation will limit the extent of
  exceptions for certain ODS (i.e. methylbromide or
  CFCs in laboratories).
• Ban four new ODS not covered by the Montreal
  Protocol (risk of future increases in
  consumption) will be introduced
• Objective to achieve first reading agreement
  with the European Parliament or at least
  political agreement in the Council.

9
Environment Programme presentation - Prague, 8
Jan 2009
Protection of human health and the environment

• Waste management
• We will discuss the issue of management of
  bio-waste based on Commissions Green Paper and
  adopt Council Conclusions to guide follow-up work
  (including legislative) in this area.
• Aiming to unify bio-waste management practice in
  the EU member states (eg. emission limits,
  technical requirements, etc.).
• The Commission has proposed revision of two
  directives concerning WEEE (waste electric and
  electronic equipments), including proposals for
  new collection targets. We will open discussion
  on this issue in the 2nd half of our Presidency.
• We will discuss at March Environment Council
  also the situation on the recycled waste market
  in light of the global economic crisis.

10
Environment Programme presentation - Prague, 8
Jan 2009
Protection of human health and the environment

• International level - chemicals
• We will do utmost at the 25th UNEP Governing
  Council meeting in February in Nairobi to reach
  an agreement on the need of legally binding
  instrument on mercury to reduce its negative
  impact to the environment and health worldwide.
• We will also head the EU delegation at the
  Stockholm Convention 4th COP in May in Geneva.
  Main task of the conference will be listing new
  substances into Annexes of the Convention (POPs
  Review Committee recommends 9 new substances to
  be incuded).
• The International Conference on Chemicals
  Management (SAICM) in Geneva is to také stock in
  progress and give guidance for future
  implementation of the sound chemicals management
  globally.

11
Environment Programme presentation - Prague, 8
Jan 2009
Sustainable Consumption and Production

• Revision of Ecolabelling Scheme
• The aim is to give a real chance and opportunity
  to EU citizens and consumers to choose green in
  much larger scale of products
• Simplification of procedures, lowering costs and
  higher cohesion among the European scheme and
  national ones will help producers to participate
  on the ecolabelling program
• Objective To achieve the first reading
  agreement with the European Parliament or at
  least political agreement in the Council.

12
Environment Programme presentation - Prague, 8
Jan 2009
Sustainable Consumption and Production

• Revision of EMAS Regulation
• Now we have about 6000 EMAS certified
  organisations in the EU. Revised Regulation could
  result in 17 000 more organisations certified by
  2015
• Revision should bring simplification of annual
  auditing of certified organisations but also
  strenghten the role of inspectional bodies.
• Revised Regulation will bring new instrument for
  enterprises reference documents which can be
  used then as well understandable guidelines the
  general objective is to raise attractivity of the
  instrument.
• Objective to achieve first reading agreement
  with the European Parliament or at least
  political agreement in the Council.

13
Environment Programme presentation - Prague, 8
Jan 2009
Biodiversity Protection

• Soil Directive
• Efficient protection of soil is closely
  connected to the human health, maintaining
  biodiversity and fighting climate change (both
  adaptation and mitigation) CZ PRES favours
  adoption of the Soil Directive.
• We need common rules how to manage the soil to
  protect it against erosion, contamination and
  other degradation.
• We aim to reach a political agreement of the EU
  member states by trying to find mutually
  acceptable compromises on remaining sensitive
  issues (e.g. soil contamination).

14
Environment Programme presentation - Prague, 8
Jan 2009
Biodiversity Protection

• Trading in Seal Products
• Despite of absence of seals in the Czech
  environment, we have a very long and succesful
  tradition in nature and biodiversity protection.
• Therefore we can serve as a good and independent
  moderator of the negotiations on this Regulation
  in the Council and with the European Parliament.
• Czech Presidency aims to reach a first reading
  agreement between the Council and the Parliament.

15
Environment Programme presentation - Prague, 8
Jan 2009
Important Events
Towards eEnvironment Conference

• 25th - 27th March 2009, Prague

Wilderness Conference

• 27th - 29th May 2009, Prague

Informal Environment Council

• 12th - 13th June 2009, Prague

16
THANK YOU!
17
(No Transcript)