1 / 43

EU Environmental Policy- Historic and Development Perspective

EU Environmental Policy- Historic and Development Perspective. Paul Tempany Policy-making expert Industrial Pollution, Climate Change and Environmental Monitoring. Consultant’s experience. Over 30 years experience in pollution control and policy in UK and EC

mizell
Download Presentation

EU Environmental Policy- Historic and Development Perspective

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. EU Environmental Policy-Historic and Development Perspective Paul Tempany Policy-making expert Industrial Pollution, Climate Change and Environmental Monitoring

  2. Consultant’s experience • Over 30 years experience in pollution control and policy in UK and EC • Water and environment agencies, government, training, research, consultancy and in industry • Author of 3 BAT reference documents for IPPC • Water pollution, waste management, IPPC, energy efficiency and climate change

  3. Aims of the presentation • Explain the history of the development of EU Environmental Policy • Highlight the key developments • Explain the developments • How these policies and developments are relevant to BiH

  4. Very Early Developments in Environmental Issues • Moses and the Israelites • Ablutions outside of the camp 15 to 12 century BC • Islamic scholars 9th to 13th centuries CE • Earliest known writings on pollution and health • Medieval butchers in Ferrara, Italy • Pits for blood from slaughtering • Edward I of England, 1272 • Banned the burning of coal on London • Philip II of Spain, XV century • Cemeteries outside of urban areas

  5. Industrial revolution – key features • Mechanisation • Greatly increased production • Steam power • Replacing human and animal muscle, wind and water • Iron making (also lead, copper) • Coal and coke replacing wood as a fuel in metallurgy • Movement of population to towns and cities • Clean water, dirty water • Poor air quality

  6. UK examples Early 1800s, Widnes (Cheshire, UK) under the cloud of the Leblanc process  1863 Alkali Act 5 inspectors to control hydrochloric acid gas from chemical industry

  7. London 1851, ‘Greatest’ city in world, 2.5M pop • and other cholera epidemics • 616 died in 1854 • 1858 Great Stink led to modern sewerage system

  8. The Great Smog 1952 20,000 deaths 100,000 ill led to Clean Air Act 1956

  9. Early EU Policy • 1957 Treaty of Rome • European Economic Community formed • Primarily economic – ‘the Common Market’ • No environmental dimension • National legislation • Early regulations under: • Article 100 ‘economic level playing field’ • Article 235 ‘any other business’

  10. Early European environmental directives • 1967 ‘Packaging directive’ for classification, labelling and packaging dangerous substances • 1970 Permissible sound level and the exhaust system of motor vehicles.

  11. Public Environmental Concerns • 1945 onwards: Nuclear testing • 1971 Greenpeace’ first action against testing • 1940s – 1960s: smogs in cities • 1950s – 1980s: acid rain • 1984 half of trees in Black Forest (DE) affected • 1962 ‘Silent Spring’: effects of pesticides • 1978 Love Canal: toxic waste

  12. Environmental images of the 1960’s

  13. Pressures and change • 1st: differing national standards posed significant barriers to trade e.g. vehicle emissions controls • 2nd: increasing international politicisation of environmental problems, e.g. acid rain, toxic wastes • 1972 UN Conference on Human Environment • Stockholm Conference • 1972 Paris Summit of Heads of State, Declaration became First Environment Action Programme

  14. 1st Environmental Action Programme (EAP) 1973 to 1976 The Commission would propose to: • reduce pollution and nuisances; • improve the natural and urban environments; • deal with environmental problems caused by the depletion of certain natural resources; • and promote awareness of environmental problems and education

  15. Development of EU Environmental Policy • From 1957 to 1987 about 200 items of legislation • Legal basis criticised • IGC 1986 to amend Treaty of Rome • 1987 Single European Act • Environmental Title Articles 130r-t very broad • New areas, • e.g. Protection of wildlife habitats, freedom of information

  16. Principles relating to the environment • to preserve, protect and improve the quality of the environment; • contribute towards protecting human health • ensure a prudent and rational utilization of natural resources. • preventive action is to be taken • that environmental damage should be rectified at source • the polluter should pay • ‘environmental protection requirements shall be a component of the Community's other policies’

  17. The Community to take account of: • Science and technical data • Environmental conditions in the regions • Costs and benefits of action or no action • Economic and social development of the Community • Where action by the EC was better than MS action • MS could introduce more stringent measures as long as compatible with e.g. internal market

  18. Drivers for Environmental Policy continue • 1976 Seveso disaster: chemical explosion • 1982 Seveso Directive • Wastes • 1978 Amoco Cadiz: oil spill • 1979 3 Mile Island: nuclear meltdown • 1984 Bhopal disaster: chemical gas leak • 1986 Chernobyl : nuclear disaster • 1985 Hole in the Ozone Layer: • international effect • 1987 Montreal Protocol

  19. 1976 Seveso incident • Small chemical plant • Close down required by law over weekend • Shut down too rapid and without precautions • Explosion caused highest ever exposure of residents to dioxins • 41 drums of toxic wastes ‘lost’ for 7 years, found in France

  20. 1992 The Maastricht Treaty • sustainable and non-inflationary growth respecting the environment’ (Article 2) • ‘economic and social progress which is balanced and sustainable’ • ‘aim at a high level of protection’, and be based on the ‘precautionary principle’ • ‘Environmental protection requirements must be integrated into ... other Community policies • Co-decision procedure with European Parliament • QMV in Council removed MS veto

  21. 1997 The Amsterdam Treaty • Sustainable development made explicit • DG ENV given more power by • Requirement to integrate environment in all policy areas • COM to prepare EIA of all policies with env impact • Co-decision became norm for environmental issues • Community competent for all areas of environment • New approaches: • Cardiff Integration Process • EU Sustainable Development Strategy

  22. 2001 Nice Treaty • Changes in QMV • Smaller MS have more votes in proportion to their population

  23. 2009 (into force) Lisbon Treaty • Strengthens sustainability further • Pursue sustainable development beyond Europe • Share energy competence with MS • Fisheries and marine conservation come under Agriculture • Agriculture and Fisheries come under co-decision • Parliament can influence whole budget

  24. EU 6th Env Action Plan • July 2002 to July 2012 • No new targets • 4 key thematic areas: • Climate change. • Nature and biodiversity. • Environment, health and quality of life. • Natural resources and wastes.

  25. 6th EAP: 7 Thematic Strategies • Air • Pesticides • Waste prevention and recycling • Natural resources • Soil • Marine environment • Urban environment

  26. EU 7th Env Action Plan • EC Communication on strategic initiatives • Europe 2020 strategy • European Semester • 7th EAP should be a strategic document to: • Improve implementation track record • Further integrate climate and environment • Align existing policy and practice to knowledge • Fill significant policy gaps • 26 Sept RENA ministerial meeting

  27. Limits to Scope of EU Environmental Policy • Subsidiarity principle • Some ‘framework’ legislation leaving detail to MS • Unanimity of Council of Ministers in sensitive areas • E.g. ‘green’ taxation, quantitative management of water resources, town and country planning, some aspects of energy policy

  28. What is an National Approximation Action Plan? • Harmonisation of Environmental Policy and Strategy with the EU • An Action Plan to achieve this • The largest chapter of legislation: • IS IT WORTH IT?

  29. Policy advantages and disadvantages • Priorities are no longer under exclusive domestic control. • MS can influence environmental policy in all of Europe and world • Member States must implement EU legislation or be fined •  MS participate in process •  Decision making at EU level is arguably more transparent • The requirement to meet EU standards can strengthen the negotiating position of environmental ministries in relation to other government departments within MS • Environmental standards have been tightened in most MS e.g. air and water. • Exchanging experience between MS e.g. IMPEL, EP Review Group

  30. Benefits of the EU Env Acquis Implementation will: • bring investment and jobs • Attract non-environmental investment • Reduce risks • Reduce insurance costs • Improve and maintain the image of BiH • Reduce the costs of health care • Increase the health and potential of the population • Protect the environment for the use of the current and future generations

  31. IPA Projects • This project is a ‘gateway’ • The fulfilment of this contract will open the gates to over 40 million EUROS investment

  32. Job creation - Environmental industries -

  33. Tourism • One of the world’s largest and fastest growing economic sectors • Represents one in every twelve jobs • Directly represents 5% of global and EU GDP • 30% of the world’s exports of services, US$ 3 billion a day income, 4th after fuels, chemicals and automotive products • Bringing people into closer contact with nature raises public awareness of environmental issues • Brings people together and connecting the world, fostering mutual respect, understanding and tolerance

  34. Tourism • BiH will have 3rd highest growth in world • Sarajevo listed as: • 43rd best city in world • One of top ten in 2010; • 1st in 2012 • Lots of opportunity for development of rural areas

  35. Challenges for BiH • Difficulty of implementation • Improving and maintaining image • Impacts of lack of action

  36. Pollution prevention: Ajka, Hungary, Red Mud Disaster • 4 October 2010 • Red mud is caustic waste from alumina manufacture • Damn collapsed • 9 died, 122 injured

  37. Sustainability • Lack of wood for construction and fuel linked to downfall of: • Gilgamesh ~ 3000 BCE • Minoa (Crete) ~ 1400BCE • Rome ~500 CE • Venice XVI century • UK, Spain, Portugal • loss of colonial resources

  38. Limits to Growth • Club of Rome 1968 • ‘Limits to Growth’ 1972 • Criticisms: • Underestimates technology • New resources, decreased consumption • Price mechanism • Reviewed in 1993, 2009, 2010 to be consistent with data

  39. Sustainability and climate change • Biggest experiment ever • Risk of change significant • BiH vulnerable: • Land, ecosystems and species • Erosion and soil degradation • Decreases in river flows • Flooding and land slip • Losses in tourism (especially winter), trade and raw materials, agriculture, forestry, hydroelectric power

  40. Summary • Development of environmental policy has been in response to incidents and activities • EU has adopted principles such as: • Polluter pays, subsidiarity ..... • There are disbenefits to implementation, but: • Major benefits • Benefits to the economy • Sustainability • Membership of EU brings ability to influence EU an international policies

  41. Thank you for your attention! Paul Tempany ptempany@eptisa.com

More Related