4.2 Annex 2. ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY INTEGRATION (EPI)

"Early co-ordination between sector and environmental objectives, in order to find synergy between the two or to set priorities for the environment, where necessary."

(OECD 1996).

"Environmental protection requirements must be integrated into the definition and implementation of the Community policies and activities referred to in Article 3, in particular with a view to promoting sustainable development"

(Article 6, Treaty European Community after Amsterdam 1997).

Traditional environmental regulation (emission control) reduced some problems (acid rain, water pollution) but was neutralised in many cases by the growth and changing nature of production and consumption: greenhouse gases, waste, soil pollution, water scarcity, chemical pollution.

Containing: "general and specific (substantive and process-oriented) policy recommendations"

Targeted at National Environmental Government Administrations

and to "encourage strong social pressure on economic sectors to integrate environmental considerations into their policies".

1. Strategic Environmental Assessment:
2. Sectoral environmental reporting:
3. Price mechanisms, economic reform and business involvement:
4. Specific tools and mechanisms integrating environmental considerations into transport, energy, agriculture, and possibly, military activities:
5. Public support/participation.

1. S.E.A. "a possible instrument".
2. Sectoral reporting: EEA "Dobris+7", "focusing on environmental performance by the main sectors".
3. ECE/EAP-TF/PPC and business: reports on "the environmental performance review (EPR) programme, economic instruments, environmental financing and investments, clean production and voluntary agreements".
4. Sectoral integration: "possible instrument on transport, health and environment"; follow up decisions on energy, conclusions on "agriculture and biodiversity".
5. Progress Aarhus Convention.

1. No targets, timetables, indicators.
2. No environmental tax reform and abolition on environmentally perverse subsidies.
3. No public procurement.
4. No IPPC.
5. No Environmental Liability.

And: explicitly addressed to environmental ministries: is that the right target group?

Also: concerns on the process:

* High-level Group of Govt Off or Enlarged Bureau. No place for NGO's

* Additional Concern: USA!

1. Sectoral AND Cross-sectoral.
2. Targets, timetables, indicators.
3. Explicit commitments to perform ecological tax reform, joint minimum objectives.
4. Explicit commitment, with deadline, for abolition of environmental perverse subsidies, shift towards green subsidies.
5. Explicit commitment to promote green public procurement.
6. (Re)confirmation of principles of prevention, precaution, producers responsibility. Including environmental liability.
7. Monitoring, evaluation, assessment, with clear criteria (EEA?)

Sectoral:

• Transport
• Agriculture
• Energy

- Tourism?

- Certain industries?

Cross-sectoral:

• S.E.A.
• E.I.A.

- Prevention and Precaution

• Environmental Liability
• Greening Taxation
• Greening Subsidy policies
• Greening Public Procurement
• Producer Responsibility

CRITERIA FOR SECTOR STRATEGIES

EEA

1. Economic integration

1. Eco-efficiency targets and indicators

1. Market integration

1. Quantification negative environmental effects
2. Internalisation environmental effects in market prices
3. Effectiveness in reducing effects
4. Use revenues to maximise behaviour chance
5. Use revenues to promote employment
6. Damaging Subsidies and Tax Exemptions
7. Market-instruments encouraging environmental benefits

1. Management integration

1. Adequate E.I.A.
2. S.E.A. policies, plans, programmes
3. Green purchasing
4. Other sector-specific measures

Missing: targets, timetables: in other words, are the measures radical enough to make a real difference for the environment.

CONCLUSIONS:

1. E.P.I. crucial to change consumption and production patterns: concrete measures in sectors.
2. Pressure upon Governments needed strong resistance from business and no guaranteed public support.
3. E.E.A. to be given task to report on real progress in E.P.I. in Europe.
4. Environmental Ministers must take the lead but need to be "helped" to make their colleagues to do the work.
5. Essential that such reforms take place in the entire region. Economies too much integrated.
6. E.P.I. is not a technical process, but a very political one, for which public support is essential.
7. Therefore, a perfect issue for an NGO-Ministers' session in Kiev.