CITRA - Duquesne University

Developing the internal free market has been an overriding concern since the founding of the European Economic Community (EEC) in 1957. However, environmental issues have become very important in the last ten years, due to the elimination of most trade barriers and the implementation of the single currency. As a result, we will be considering a program that has not yet been completed. However, the underlying policies are clear and the major legislation is either in place or under active discussion.

The development of specific environmental programs in the EU has been based on a larger integrated framework of overall environmental policy.

Decision No 1600/2002/EC of the European Parliament and Council 22 of July 2002 laying down the Sixth Community Environment Action Program

It sets forth the basic objectives, targets, and timetables for EU environmental policies for the ten year period after enactment. There are three overall aims for the Program. They are:

1. To help stabilize the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The specific goal is to limit carbon dioxide concentrations to 550 parts per million and to limit maximum global temperature increase to 2 Celsius degrees. This is expected to require a 70% reduction in the emission of greenhouse gases.

2. To protect, conserve, restore and develop the functioning of natural systems and habitats.

3. To improve the efficiency of resource utilization and waste management to bring about more sustainable production and consumption patterns.

The Sixth Environmental Action Program specifies a number of key strategies for implementation. One strategy for encouraging sustainable production and consumption patterns is to promote the integration of environmental protection requirements in product and process standardization requirements. The Sixth Environmental Action Program also calls for improved collaboration between business associations with their social partners, consumers and their organizations. The EU is also called on to promote the acceptance by private business of EMAS, the Eco-Management and Audit Scheme.

The Sixth Environmental Action Program also calls for the development of programs to promote a broader acceptance of environmental criteria in purchasing decisions. Suggested strategies include the promotion of eco-labeling programs, the encouragement and verification of self-declared environmental claims and the incorporation of a green procurement policy, possibly based on product life cycle pollution assessments. Public acceptance of these goals is to be encouraged through the development of an EU environmental liability regime.

The Sixth Environmental Action Program sets forth a series of detailed program objectives in specific priority areas. Article five, establishes a series of specific goals for the control of greenhouse gases and climate change in the context of the Kyoto protocol.

Article Seven addresses environmental aspects of health issues and quality of life. Particular attention is paid to the development of a more comprehensive regime for evaluating and controlling the introduction and use of chemicals in the EU. Responsibility for generating information on the risks of chemical use is to be placed on importers, manufacturers and downstream users. The program includes a call to develop a more rigorous regime for the regulation of pesticide use.

Article eight addresses sustainable use and waste management. The Program calls for a significant overall reduction in the generation of waste, especially hazardous wastes. To achieve this end, EU programs should encourage the development of ecologically sound product design. Programs should be developed to phase out the use of selected hazardous substances. Waste prevention should be encouraged through recovery and reuse. Waste should be separated at the source to promote the collection and recycling of priority waste streams on the basis of producer responsibility.

The IPP constitutes the ‘product dimension’ of the Sixth Environmental Action Program (Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament: integrated Product Policy, Building on Environmental Life Cycle Thinking, Brussels 18.6.2003; COM(2003) 302 final). The goal of the IPP is to reduce the environmental impact of products over their life cycles.

Stakeholders are expected to be involved in the process of developing market incentives that encourage continuous improvement from the perspective of a product life cycle. The economic impact of the IPP will be moderated as a heightened environmental awareness often leads to improved resources utilization.

The IPP is expected to be implemented through a variety of initiatives. These will include taxes and subsidies, voluntary agreements with companies and trade associations, the incorporation of environmental perspectives in the standardization process, influencing public procurement criteria and other legislation.

Member states will be encouraged to develop and publicize action plans for greening public procurement. To encourage this process, the EU is expected to develop a practical handbook for public authorities on green procurement, a database with suggested environmental criteria by product groups, and a comprehensive green public procurement website.

Companies will be encouraged to adopt environmental management systems, such as EMAS (see below), ISO 14001 and POEMS, the product oriented environmental management system. “Green design” directives may be adopted that require environmental analyses as a part of the product documentation process. Eco-labeling and the associated energy label programs will be encouraged.

In cooperation with the European Environmental Agency and the member states, the Commission will develop a series of indicators that will measure the impact of the IPP on European environmental conditions.