Decision No 2179/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 September 1998 on the review of the European Community programme of policy and action in relation to the environment and sustainable development 'Towards sustainability"

• Published date: 10 October 1998
• Official Gazette Publication: Gazzetta ufficiale delle Comunità europee, L 275, 10 ottobre 1998,Diario Oficial de las Comunidades Europeas, L 275, 10 de octubre de 1998,Journal officiel des Communautés européennes, L 275, 10 octobre 1998

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Decision No 2179/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 September 1998 on the review of the European Community programme of policy and action in relation to the environment and sustainable development 'Towards sustainability"

Official Journal L 275 , 10/10/1998 P. 0001 - 0013

DECISION No 2179/98/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 24 September 1998 on the review of the European Community programme of policy and action in relation to the environment and sustainable development 'Towards sustainability`

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular the first subparagraph of Article 130s(3) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission (1),

Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (2),

Having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions (3),

Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 189b of the Treaty (4), in the light of the joint text approved by the Conciliation Committee on 29 June 1998,

(1) Whereas on 18 March 1992 the Commission adopted the European Community programme of policy and action in relation to the environment and sustainable development 'Towards sustainability` (hereinafter referred to as 'the Programme`);

(2) Whereas the European Parliament, in its resolution of 17 November 1992 (5), welcomed the guidelines set out in the Programme;

(3) Whereas the Economic and Social Committee, in its opinion of 1 July 1992, approved the concepts and the thrust of the Programme;

(4) Whereas the Council and the representatives of the Governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council, in their resolution of 1 February 1993 (6), approved the general approach and strategy of the Programme;

(5) Whereas, while many of the measures and actions in the Programme are set within a time-frame which extends to the year 2000, the Programme provides for a review to be undertaken before the end of 1995;

(6) Whereas a number of developments with a bearing on sustainable development have occurred since the adoption of the Programme, in particular the adoption of Agenda 21 on the outcome of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, and the adoption by the Commission of a White Paper on growth, competitiveness and employment;

(7) Whereas the review should also reflect the commitments entered into and the conclusions adopted as part of various international processes;

(8) Whereas one of the objectives of Community policy on the environment, under Article 130r of the Treaty, is the protection of human health;

(9) Whereas the enlargement of the European Union to include the three new Member States, Austria, Finland and Sweden, poses new environmental challenges to the Union; whereas the Community has committed itself to reviewing certain provisions of its legislation in the environmental field by the end of the transitional period in accordance with the Act concerning the conditions of accession of Austria, Finland and Sweden, in the light of the stricter standards that can be maintained in the new Member States in accordance with the Treaty, and emphasising the great importance of promoting a high level of health, safety and environmental protection as part of Community action;

(10) Whereas extensive consultation has taken place in the review process carried out by the Commission to compile information on progress to date and obstacles to the implementation of the Programme;

(11) Whereas on 10 November 1995 the European Environment Agency presented an updated state of the environment report as a contribution to the review process which made it clear that, without additional measures, the 1992 aims for the year 2000 will not be attained in certain sectors;

(12) Whereas in January 1996 the Commission presented a progress report on the implementation of the Programme;

(13) Whereas the overall strategy, objectives and indicative actions of the original Programme remain valid and the Programme constitutes an appropriate point of departure for the implementation of Agenda 21 by the Community and the Member States;

(14) Whereas the basic strategy of the Programme is to achieve full integration of environmental and other relevant policies through the active participation of the main actors in society in a broadening and deepening of the range of instruments to achieve behavioural change;

(15) Whereas the conclusions of the progress report show that progress has been made on a number of issues, but that a great deal remains to be done to move towards sustainability;

(16) Whereas the progress report identifies key priorities needed to ensure that the process of sustainable development is given greater impetus; whereas the Community should step up its efforts on five key priorities and five other issues to support the implementation of the Programme;

(17) Whereas the objectives, targets, actions and time-frames indicated in the Programme constitute a useful start in moving towards sustainable development; whereas action needs to be stepped up to ensure that the priorities set out in the programme are put into practice in a more effective way; whereas sustainability of activity and development will not be attained during the life-span of this programme and, consequently, further and still more progressive priority objectives and measures will be necessary beyond the year 2000 to maintain the momentum of Community action;

(18) Whereas, in implementing its general action programme, the Community will act within the limits of its powers; whereas, in their resolution dated 1 February 1993, the Council and the representatives of the Governments of the Member States invited the Commission to come forward with appropriate proposals to give effect to the programme in so far as it pertains to action at Community level;

(19) Whereas this Decision is without prejudice to the legal basis for the measures which, while complying with the objectives of the actions provided for in this Decision, are adopted in the framework of environmental policy and of other Community policies;

(20) Whereas the further integration of environmental protection requirements into other policy areas is regarded as a key means of achieving sustainable development; whereas, in the process of implementing the approach set out in the Programme, the need to integrate environmental considerations into Community policy and action should be translated into more operational terms; whereas, to this end, in relation to the target sectors of agriculture, transport, energy, industry and tourism a number of priorities have been identified in connection with which action can be carried out most effectively at Community level;

(21) Whereas broadening the range of instruments has proved more difficult than envisaged; whereas the development and implementation of other instruments to complement legislation is necessary to bring about substantial changes towards sustainable development in current trends and practices, taking account of the subsidiarity principle; whereas this requires the further development at an appropriate level of effective market-based and other economic instruments and of horizontal instruments, and the improved use of the Community's own financial support mechanisms as a means of promoting sustainable development; whereas the Commission has put forward proposals for reform of the common agricultural policy which envisage, in particular, increased financial incentives for agri-environmental measures and the possibility for Member States to take appropriate steps to ensure compliance with the environmental provisions of the common market organisations;

(22) Whereas it is necessary to ensure better implementation and enforcement of environmental measures, which requires action at all levels of the regulatory chain;

(23) Whereas communication, information, education and training are crucial as a means of stimulating environmental awareness and promoting behavioural changes in all sections of society;

(24) Whereas the Community has an important role to play in international action on the environment and sustainable development; whereas there is a need to respond to international challenges, in particular the potential accession of the associated countries of central and eastern Europe and of Cyprus, the need to increase cooperation with the Mediterranean countries and the countries of the Baltic Sea region, the need to carry on the process initiated by the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development and discussions on trade and the environment;

(25) Whereas further efforts are necessary to improve the basis for environmental policy in the form of reliable and comparable data, statistics and indicators and methods of assessing the costs and benefits of action or lack of action;

(26) Whereas it is necessary further to develop approaches to promote sustainable patterns of production and consumption; whereas it is necessary to promote the best use of new techniques and technologies;

(27) Whereas it is necessary further to develop the concept of shared responsibility, in particular by strengthening dialogue with the actors concerned and their involvement in the preparation of Community policies and actions;

(28) Whereas there is potential for Community support to provide more coherent and coordinated approaches in relation to activities at local and regional levels on issues fundamental to the achievement of sustainable development and to stimulate exchanges of information and experience;

(29) Whereas the Community will further develop its policies in relation to the environmental themes covered by the Programme on the basis of high standards of environmental protection; whereas specific attention will be given to those actions which can be...