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History of the Environmental History of the Environmental EU LegislationEU Legislation

EU Environmental Legislation2.VII.2008

Warsaw, Poland

““Business Support Programme for Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia and TurkeyBusiness Support Programme for Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia and Turkey””

BSP 2007/142-722

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•  Awareness of environmental issues 1960s

•  First Community environment legislation:

 

Environmental Legislation HistoryEnvironmental Legislation History

dangerous chemicals, motor vehicles, detergents.

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•  First Action Programme 1973 - 1976

Environmental Legislation HistoryEnvironmental Legislation History

The First EAP emphasised the need for a comprehensive assessment of the impacts of other policies, in an effort to avoid damaging activities.

EU Environmental Legislation, 2.VII.2008, Warsaw, Poland 4

•  Second Action Programme 1977 - 1981

Environmental Legislation HistoryEnvironmental Legislation History

The Second environmental action programme (EAP) (1977 - 1981) was a follow up to the first in terms of approach and objective, with simply a greater range of problems to be dealt with. Nature Protection received special attention.

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•  Prevention is better than cure

•  Environmental impacts to be accounted at earliest

possible stage

•  Avoidance of significant damage to ecological balance

•  Improvement of scientific knowledge

•  Polluter pay principle

The 1The 1st st & 2& 2ndnd EAP Principles EAP Principles

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•  Activities in one member state should not cause deterioration in another

•  Interests of developing countries

•  Promotion of protection through international

organisations

•  Environmental protection is everyone's responsibility and therefore education is necessary

The 1The 1st st & 2& 2ndnd EAP Principles - continued EAP Principles - continued

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•  Subsidiary principle - action at appropriate level

•  Co-ordination of national programmes and

harmonisation of national policies within the Community

The 1The 1st st & 2& 2ndnd EAP Principles - continued EAP Principles - continued

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Change in emphasis from pollution control to pollution prevention

Land use planning

Integration of environment into other EC policies

Emissions control policy

Third Environmental Action ProgrammeThird Environmental Action Programme

Third Environmental Action Programme Third Environmental Action Programme (1982 -1986)

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Effective implementation of existing Community legislation

Regulation of all environmental impacts of 'substances' and

'sources' of pollution

Increased public access to and dissemination of information

Job creation

Fourth Environmental Action Programme 1987 - 1992Fourth Environmental Action Programme 1987 - 1992

„Towards environmental policy integration”

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Fifth Environmental Action Programme 1993 -200Fifth Environmental Action Programme 1993 -20000

The elements of the Fifth Environmental Action Programme

Sustainable development Reference to the sectoral approach The emphasis on new instruments. The new consensus-oriented approach taking into account the crucial role of non-governmental protagonists and local/regional authorities to represent the general interest of the environment. The setting of medium and long-term objectives

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Fifth Environmental Action Programme 1993 - 2000Fifth Environmental Action Programme 1993 - 2000

The features of sustainability are:

To maintain the overall quality of lifeTo maintain continuing access to natural resourcesTo avoid lasting environmental damageTo consider as sustainable a development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

"Towards Sustainability"

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Legislation in the late 90s:

Fifth Environmental Action Programme 1993 - 200Fifth Environmental Action Programme 1993 - 20000

• Ambient Air Quality Directive• Water Framework Directive• IPPC-Directive• The reform of European Chemicals Policies• Sett up maximum emission ceilings for key pollutants• The Completion, revision or modernisation of existing

legislative programmes• The introduction of many new environmental policy

instruments

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6th Environment Action Programme 6th Environment Action Programme

(2002-2012)(2002-2012)

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The Sixth Environment Action Programme identifies four

priority areas :

•   climate change

•   nature and biodiversity

•   environment and health

•   natural resources and wastes

6th Environmental Action Programme6th Environmental Action Programme

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Thematic Strategies cover the following fields : Air Waste prevention and recycling Marine Environment Soil Pesticides Natural resources Urban Environment

The Thematic Strategies will be reviewed in 2010.

6th Environmental Action Programme6th Environmental Action Programme

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BibliographyBibliography

EC websides: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/actionpr.htm http://www.eeb.org/

Dr. Christian Hey, EU Environmental Policies: A short history of the policy strategies: http://www.eeb.org/publication/chapter-3.pdf