Diapositive 1

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THE EUROPEAN ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY General
framework
Supported by the European Commission (DG ENV)
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• The Treaty the Environment
• The Community Environmental Policy Strategy
• The Community Environmental Policy Tools for
  Action
• Legal Instruments
• Technical support
• Communication tools
• Public Participation Control

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1.The Treaty the Environment
Art. 3   the activity of the Community shall
include (l) a policy in the sphere of the
environment 
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Art 174 The objectives of the Environmental
Policy
1. Community policy on the environment shall
contribute to pursuit of the following
objectives - preserving, protecting and
improving the quality of the environment -
protecting human health - prudent and rational
utilisation of natural resources - promoting
measures at international level to deal with
regional or worldwide environmental problems.
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Art. 174 - The principle of the EU
Environnemental Policy

• a high level of protection taking into account
  the diversity of situations in the various
  regions of the Community.
• the precautionary principle and the principle of
  preventive action - environmental damage should
  as a priority be rectified at source - the
  polluter should pay principle

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EU Chalenge Sustainable development

• The International background
• The Treaty, since 1997"promote throughout the
  Community a harmonious, balanced and sustainable
  development of economic activities (art.2)
• "environmental protection requirements must be
  integrated into the definition and implementation
  of other Community policies. ... in particular
  with a view to promoting sustainable development"
  (art.6)

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2.The Community Environmental Policy Strategy
Reference documents Sixth Environment Action
Programme  Environment 2010 Our future, our
choice  (2001) The Cardiff Process (1998)
integration of environmental considerations into
EU policies and activities The Lisbon Strategy
(2000) sustainable development through a dynamic
and competitive economy The Goteborg Strategy (
2001) to dovetail the policies for economically
socially and environmentally sustainable
development.
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The Sixth Environment Action Programme2001-2010
 Our Future Our Choice 
6 Priorities Climate change Nature and
biodiversity Environment and health Management
of natural resources and wastes The
international context Enlargement
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Sixth Environment Action Programme
7 Thematic Strategies
Soil protection Marine environment Sustainable
use of pesticides Air pollution Urban
environment Prevention and recycling of
waste Sustainable use of resources
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Sixth Environment Action Programme
A New Approach
Enforcement of the Environmental
Legislation Integration of environmental
concerns into the other EU Policies
environmental criteria and indicators Working
with the Market environmentally related taxes
and incentives for green public procurements,
cooperation with the financial sector Help
European citizens to better understand and
participate in environmental issues Sustainable
use and management of lands
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Sixth Environment Action Programme
Specific Action Plans
ETAP Ecotechnologies Action Plan CAFE Clean Air
For Europe SCALE Science, Children, Awareness,
Legal instrument, Evaluation REACH Registration,
Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals
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3.The Community Environmental Policy Tools for
Action
Legal instruments

• directives / regulations
• from a sectorial to a global approach
• from legal to voluntary instruments
• Information on EU Environmental Legislation
• Portal to EU Law http//eur-lex.europa.eu/en/inde
  x.htm
• Summary of the EU policy and Law on environment
  http//europa.eu/scadplus/leg/en/s15000.htm

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• Main directives
• 75/442 Waste management Framework Directive (?
  2006/12)
• 79/409 Birds Directive 92/43 Natura 2000
  Directive
• 82/501 Seveso Directive (? 96/82) - control of
  major-accident hazards
• 85/337 EIA Directive environmental impact
  assessment
• 96/61 IPPC Directive permit system for
  industrial installations
• 96/62 Air Quality Framework Directive - air
  quality assessment and management
• 2000/60 Water Framework Directive - integrated
  river basin management
• 2001/42 SAE Directive-on the assessment of the
  effects of certain plans and programmes on the
  environment

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International Conventions Kyoto Protocol
(1997) reducing Greenhouse Gaz
Emissions Aarhus Convention (1998) Access to
Information, Public Participation in
Environmental Decision-making and Access to
Justice Bonn Convention (1979) Bern Convention
(1979) Habitats and Biodiversity Geneva
Convention (1979) Long-range Transboundary Air
Pollution All the Conventions on
http//ec.europa.eu/environment/international_issu
es/pdf/agreements_en.pdfpage13
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• Voluntary Instruments
• Network of protected areas NATURA 2000
• European Eco-label
• EMAS - Eco-Management and Audit Scheme

• Monitoring Instruments
• EPER The European Pollutant Emission Register
• INSPIRE Europe's infrastructure for spatial
  information
• BREF Reference Documents on Best Available
  Techniques
• REACH Registration, Evaluation Authorisation of
  Chemicals

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Technical support
DG Environment European Commission http//ec.eur
opa.eu/environment/index_en.htm European
Environment Agencyhttp//eea.eu.int IMPEL - EU
Network for the Implementation and Enforcement
of Environmental Law http//ec.europa.eu/environ
ment/impel/index.htm EIONET - European
Environment Information and Observation Network
http//www.eionet.eu.int Institute for
Environment and Sustainability - Joint Research
Centre http//ies.jrc.cec.eu.int EIPPC -
European Integrated Pollution Prevention and
Control Bureau Sevillahttp//eippcb.jrc.es
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The DG ENVIRONMENT Commissioner Stavros
DIMAS General-Director- Mogens Peter CARL
7 Directorates A/ Communication, legal affaires
civil protection B/ Protecting the natural
environment C/ Climate change and air D/ Water,
chemicals cohesion E/ International affairs and
LIFE F/ Resources G/ Sustainable development
integration
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Communication tools
Awareness Campaigns Sustainable Cities and
Towns Campaign Green Week European awards for
environment In town, without my car ! the
Mobility Week
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Other communication tools News
Letters Environment for Europeans Science for
environment policy NATURA 2000 Newsletter LIFE
news Water Information System for Europe
Newsletter ETAP Newsletter - Clean, clever,
competitive Leaflets, Informative
Brochures Studies Reports
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Public Participation Control

• Take part to the public consultation of the EC
• generalhttp//ec.europa.eu/yourvoice/consultation
  s/index_en.htm
• environment
• http//ec.europa.eu/environment/consultations_en.
  htm

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Public Participation Control
Controlling implementation and enforcement of the
EU Law

• To act against.
• the European Parliament petitionhttp//www.europ
  arl.europa.eu/parliament/public.do?languageen
• the UE Ombudsman complaintshttp//www.ombudsman.
  europa.eu/home/en/default.htm
• the European Commission complaintshttp//ec.euro
  pa.eu/community_law/complaints/form/index_en.htmi
  n Index under the heading Infringements
• the European Court of Justice complaints