11/09/2005 - Policy makers
must better integrate environmental issues
across EU policies
Existing policies alone will not be enough
to save Europe's environment from extensive
environmental change in the long term, according
to a new report released today by the European
Environment Agency in Copenhagen.
'The European Environment Outlook' report
shows that, despite successes in some areas,
the EU continues to face significant environmental
challenges in terms of meeting its long term
environmental commitments.
In particular, targets in respect of greenhouse
gas emissions, climate change and the use
of alternative sources of energy for electricity
generation, heat and transport are in danger
of being missed.
"Our environment is a complex system.
The changes we will experience are also complex
with many contributory factors. Climate change
is the most obvious dramatic change but increased
tourism and, urbanisation are also pressures
that our environment has to deal with. However,
we must also consider demographics. An ageing
more wealthy society with changing consumption
habits will continue to make a huge impact
on our future environment," says Professor
Jacqueline McGlade, executive director of
the EEA.
For many environmental problems, legislation
has successfully addressed the 'big polluters',
but new concerns are likely to arise from
individual consumption and diffuse sources
of pollution associated with agriculture.
"Successful responses require policy-makers
to continue to shift to more integrated approaches
that provide a coherent response across key
sectors. That means that policy makers in
transport and agriculture, for example, must
consider the combined environmental implications
of their policies," says Professor Jacqueline
McGlade.
According to the report the EU seems to be
on track to meet the targets set for a number
of other issues, particularly for air pollution
and nutrient emissions. Positive developments
are also expected in other areas, for example
a reduction in agricultural nutrient surpluses,
and a relative decoupling of transport demand
from economic growth.
Background information
The European Environment Outlook report assesses
the environmental consequences of key socio-economic
developments in Europe, particularly with
regard to climate change, air quality, water
stress and water quality. The projected developments
in the report are discussed in the light of
Europe's current policy targets as adopted
in the European Union's Sustainable Development
Strategy and the Sixth Environment Action
Programme.
Web Links
Link to the European Environment Outlook report:
http://reports.eea.eu.int/eea_report_2005_4
For comprehensive background information
on the report please visit the 'Environmental
Scenarios - Information Web Portal':
http://scenarios.ewindows.eu.org/reports/fol949029
To read the EU's Sustainable Development
Strategy go to:
http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/en/com/cnc/2001/com2001_0264en01.pdf
To read the EU's Sixth Environment Action
Programme go to:
http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/en/com/pdf/2001/en_501PC0031.pdf
About the EEA
The European Environment Agency is the leading
public body in Europe dedicated to providing
sound, independent information on the environment
to policy-makers and the public. Operational
in Copenhagen since 1994, the EEA is the hub
of the European environment information and
observation network (Eionet), a network of
around 300 bodies across Europe through which
it collects and disseminates environment-related
data and information. An EU body, the Agency
is open to all nations that share its objectives.
It currently has 31 member countries: the
25 EU Member States, three EU candidate countries
– Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey – and Iceland,
Liechtenstein and Norway.A membership agreement
has been initialled with Switzerland. The
West Balkan states – Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Croatia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,
and Serbia and Montenegro – have applied for
membership of the Agency.
