Transcript Developments in the EU enlargement process

Developments in the EU
enlargement process
11th REReP Task Force meeting
20 November 2008
Becici, Montenegro
Slavitza Dobreva – DG Environment, European Commission
Key developments in the
enlargement process
November 2008
Enlargement Strategy 2008 - 2009
Adopted on 5 November 2008
Main findings:
 Croatia - possible to reach the final stage of accession
negotiations by the end of 2009, provided that Croatia
fulfils all the necessary conditions (indicative road map
proposed)
 Turkey – need to renew political reforms efforts
 fYRoM – need to hold free and fair elections, to fulfil
outstanding key partnership priorities
 Western Balkans – progress towards EU membership
can be accelerated provided potential candidates meet
the necessary conditions, thus resulting in candidate
status
Progress Report 2008 - Croatia
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Good progress achieved in the environment chapter,
especially in the areas of air quality, chemicals and
GMOs
Considerable efforts needed to further align with and
implement the acquis in the water, industrial pollution
control and risk management, climate change and
horizontal sectors
Substantial efforts needed in the forthcoming period to
meet the requirements of the environment chapter
especially as regards investments
Progress Report 2008 - fYRoM
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Progress made in developing the legislative framework
in the field of horizontal legislation and the air and waste
sectors.
A substantial amount of implementing legislation - still to
be prepared
Some sectors (water quality and nature protection) lagging behind. Administrative capacity at both central
and local levels requires substantial strengthening
Significant efforts made to increase financial
resources, however, investments in environmental
infrastructure are still largely insufficient
Coordination between all institutions involved in
environmental protection – to be improved
Progress Report 2008 - Turkey
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Progress in the areas of air quality, waste, water
and nature protection
Good progress on strengthening the
administrative capacity at central level
Overall level of alignment remains low - no
progress in the areas of industrial pollution and
risk management and GMOs, limited progress on
chemicals
Delays in establishment of the EIA hampering
further improvements in implementation and
enforcement
Progress Report 2008 - Albania
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Slow progress in approximation of legislation to
the acquis in almost all sector (horizontal
legislation, air, waste, water, nature protection,
noise)
Implementation and enforcement still lagging
behind
Further efforts needed to strengthen
administrative capacity and to improve interinstitutional cooperation
Preparations in the field of the environment are
advancing slowly
Progress Report 2008 – Bosnia and
Herzegovina
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Preparations in the field of the environment remain at an
early stage
Need to strengthen environmental protection institutions,
in particular at State level and to mainstream
environmental concerns in other sectors
Establishment of a harmonised legal framework for
environmental protection, of the State Environmental
Agency and of a functioning environmental monitoring
system to be speeded up
Need to step up its efforts with regard to obligations
under international conventions
Progress Report 2008 - Montenegro
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Some progress achieved in horizontal legislation,
waste, nature protection, IPC, chemicals
Further efforts needed, particularly on implementation
and enforcement
Particular attention to be paid to strengthening
administrative capacity and to establishing effective
inspection services
Further efforts to be put into raising awareness of
environmental protection issues.
Environmental protection, in particular in coastal areas
and national parks, is a cause for concern
Progress Report 2008 - Serbia
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Moderately progress in environment (some
areas of horizontal legislation, IPC)
Some sectors not sufficiently regulated (air,
waste, water, nature protection) – in particular
no legal or institutional framework for water
quality
Legislation enforcement at all levels still to be
ensured
Good progress in strengthening administrative
capacity and in adoption of a national
sustainable development strategy
Progress Report 2008 – Kosovo
under UNSCR 1244
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Some progress in horizontal legislation, waste,
chemicals
Further efforts still required in most sectors for
the
transposition,
implementation
and
enforcement of legislation
Significant efforts needed to address the lack
of human and financial resources, both at
national and at municipal level and lack of
appropriate coordination mechanisms between
all institutions dealing with environmental
protection
Good progress in establishing the EPA
Key EU legislative developments
2007 - 2008
Air quality
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Directive 2008/50/EC on ambient air quality and cleaner air for
Europe (OJ L 152 of 11 June 2008)
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The purpose of this Directive is to:
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define and establish objectives for ambient air quality
assess the ambient air quality on the basis of common methods and criteria
and, in particular, certain pollutants
provide information on ambient to help combat pollution and nuisance and to
monitor long-term trends and improvements
ensure that such information on ambient air quality is made available to the
public
maintain good air quality and improving it when needed
promote increased cooperation between the Member States in reducing air
pollution
Member States to classify territory to assess ambient air quality
PM2.5 to be reduced by 20% by 2020 (based on 2010 exposure levels)
Air quality plans to be developed in areas where concentrations of
pollutants exceed air quality values
Action plans to indicate the short term measures to reduce risk of
exceeding pollutants alert thresholds
Trans-boundary consultation among Member States
Information to the public readily available
In force – 11 June 2010
Industrial Pollution Control
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Directive 2008/1/EC concerning integrated pollution
prevention and control (codified IPPC legislation)
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Proposal for a Directive on industrial emissions
(COM(2007)844 final)
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Simplifies legislation (recasts seven Directives into one)
BAT concept to be improved and clarified
Tightens minimum emission limit values for LCPs
Introduces minimum standards for environmental inspections of
industrial installations and allows for more effective permit reviews
Scope to be extended – LCPs between 20 to 50 MW, production of
wood-based panels, preservation of wood
Administrative costs to be reduced by between €105 and €255 million a
year
Water Quality
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Directive 2007/60/EC on the assessment and
management of flood risks (OJ L 288 of 6 November 2007)
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Applies to all kinds of floods
To reduce and manage the risk to human health, the
environment, cultural heritage and economic activity
Three stages of flood risk management
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preliminary flood risk assessment of river basins and associated
coastal zones – 2011
flood hazard maps and flood risk maps: indication of inhabitants
potentially at risk, economic activity and environmental damage
potential – 2013
flood risk management plans: prevention, protection and
preparedness – 2015
Assessments, maps and plans available to the public
Coordinated actions in shared river basins, including with third
countries
Consider long term developments: climate change, sustainable
land use practices
Marine Environment
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Directive for Community action in the field of
marine environmental policy (OJ L 164 of 25 June 2008)
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To ensure that EU marine waters are environmentally healthy by
2020 at the latest
European Marine Regions established on the basis of
geographical and environmental criteria
Marine strategies to be developed in each marine region, and to
include an action plan
EU Member States to draw up a programme of cost-effective
measures
EU Member States to establish marine protected areas –
coordinate activities with non-EU countries in the same marine
region, including through regional sea conventions
In force – 15 July 2010
Waste Management
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Revision of the Waste Framework Directive
(COM(2005)667 final) approved by the Council.
The agreed Directive:
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Sets new recycling targets to be achieved by the Member States
by 2020
Strengthens provisions on waste prevention
Sets a clear, five-step "hierarchy" of waste management options
according to which prevention is the preferred option, followed
by reuse, recycling, other forms of recovery and with safe
disposal as the last recourse.
Clarifies a number of important definitions, such as recycling,
recovery and waste itself.
The new directive will also streamline EU waste legislation by
replacing the existing Waste Framework Directive, the
Hazardous Waste Directive and the Waste Oils Directive.
Climate change
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Climate action and renewable energy package
(23 January 2008, possible agreement end 2008/early
2009)
 Commitments to fight climate change and promote
renewable energy up to 2020 and beyond.
 Key policy proposals:
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Proposal amending the EU Emissions Trading Directive
Proposal relating to the sharing of efforts to meet the
Community’s independent greenhouse gas reduction
commitment in sectors not covered by EU ETS
Proposal for a Directive on Carbon Capture Storage
Proposal for a Directive promoting renewable energy
Climate change
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White Paper on adaptation to be adopted in first
quarter 2009 – possible principles for EU action:
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Priority to measures good for mitigation and adaptation
Priority to measures which can be beneficial irrespective of
uncertainties
Precautionary principle: consider worst case scenario even if
uncertainties are high
Solidarity between EU Member States, regions, social groups
Adaptation policy should be dynamic and flexible, based on
scientific evidence
Measures must be cost effective, proportionate and in line with
EU objectives on sustainable development
Forestry
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Package to tackle illegal logging and deforestation (17
October 2008) – a communication and a regulation
Proposal to work in the international negotiations on
climate change towards the development of a Global
Forest Carbon Mechanism through which developing
countries would be rewarded for emissions reductions
achieved by taking action to reduce deforestation and
forest degradation
The proposals in the Communication should form part of
the EU's position at the UN climate conference in
Poznan in December and in the negotiations on a new
climate agreement that is due to be concluded in
December 2009 in Copenhagen
Proposed Regulation on illegal logging
 Objective: minimise the risk of marketing illegally
harvested timber & timber products in the EU
 Product scope: all timber & timber products
 Monitoring organizations: i.e. federation or certification
body can develop a system to facilitate implementation
 Application: two years after its entry into force to ensure
that the implementing measures are in place
 Enforcement: MS responsibility to perform checks and
to impose penalties
 Point of control: the first placing on the market
Importers for imported products
Primary producers for domestically produced
timber
Thank you for the attention!
For more information:
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/index_en.htm