Council approves new environment action programme to 2020

Source: Council of the European Union (Council) i, published on Friday, November 15 2013.

COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

Brussels, 15 November 2013 (OR. en) PRESSE 475

Council approves new environment action programme to 2020

The Council adopted today a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on a general union environment action programme to 2020 (PE-CON, ADD1 REV1).

Adoption of the legislation follows an agreement reached during the informal discussions with the European Parliament on 19 June 2013

The seventh Environment Action Programme entitled "Living well, within the limits of our planet" replaces the sixth programme, which expired in July 2012. The new programme reflects the EU's commitment to transforming itself into an inclusive green economy that secures growth and development, safeguards human health and well-being and provides decent jobs. It sets out nine priority objectives for EU environment policy in the period up to 2020:

  • - 
    to protect, conserve and enhance the Union's natural capital;
  • - 
    to turn the Union into a resource-efficient, green and competitive low-carbon economy;
  • - 
    to safeguard the Union's citizens from environment-related pressures and risks to health and wellbeing;
  • - 
    to maximise the benefits of the Union's environment legislation by improving implementation;

At a meeting of the Economic and Financial Affairs, without discussion. The Hungarian and Polish delegations voted against

–           to improve the knowledge and evidence base for environment policy;

–           to secure investment for environment and climate policy and address

environmental externalities;

–           to improve environmental integration and policy coherence;

–           to enhance the sustainability of the Union's cities;

–           to increase the Union’s effectiveness in addressing international environmental

and climate challenges

The programme builds on policy initiatives in the Europe 2020 strategy, such as the EU climate and energy package, the communication on a Roadmap for moving to a low-carbon economy in 2050, the EU 2020 Biodiversity Strategy and the Roadmap to a resource-efficient Europe

The Commission will evaluate the programme and submit a report to the European Parliament and the Council before it ends. It will present a proposal for an eighth programme in a timely manner with a view to avoiding a gap between the seventh and eighth programmes

The decision will enter into force on the twentieth day following its publication in the Official Journal of the EU

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