Germany’s EU Council Presidency in 2007

Focal issue: Environment - Innovation – Employment

Focal issue: Environment - Innovation – Employment Strategic approach for the Federal Environment Ministry (BMU):

Environmental policy is also economic policy – ecological industrial policy

Competition and employment are strengthened by the development of resource- and energy-efficient technologies

The global challenges of climate protection and resource shortages necessitate “green” innovations

Ecological industrial policy comprises a comprehensive package of measures and must become a concrete element of the Lisbon Strategy

Operationalisation through concrete EU dossiers and the informal meeting of EU Environment Ministers in Essen

1. Ecological industrial policy 2. Climate policy3. Energy policy4. Environmentally sound mobility5. Biodiversity

6. Cross-cutting issues: Lisbon Strategy7. Restricting hazardous substance emissions in the water sector8. Waste policy9. Chemicals policy10. Soil conservation11. Others

Priorities

I. Focal points of the Presidency

II. Further key issues

ENVIRONMENT COUNCIL20 FEBRUARY 2007

1. Climate ChangeCouncil conclusions

2. Contribution to the Spring European Council (“Key Issues Paper”)Council conclusions

3. Proposal for a Directive for inclusion of aviation in the EU emission trading schemePolicy debate

4. Review of the Community Strategy to reduce CO2 emissions from passenger cars Policy debate

5. Thematic Strategy on the Sustainable Use of PesticidesCouncil conclusions

6. Adaptation to Climate Change / Symposium on Climate Change and the European Water Dimension, Vulnerability - Impacts - Adaptation (12 – 14 February 2007, Berlin)

Presentation of the Green Paper by the CommissionInformation from the Presidency

7. Thematic Strategy for Soil ProtectionProposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a

framework for the protection of soil and amending Directive 2004/35/EC- Policy debate8. Biodiversity: Preparation of the Ninth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 9) (Bonn, 19 to 30 May 2008)- Information from the Presidency

ENVIRONMENT COUNCIL28 / (poss.) 29 JUNE 2007

1. Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on wastePolitical agreement

2. Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on environmental quality standards in the field of water policy and amending Directive 2000/60/EC

Political agreement3. Review of the EU emissions trading scheme

Council conclusions4. Biodiversity: Preparation of the Ninth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on

Biological Diversity (COP 9) (Bonn, 19 to 30 May 2008)Council conclusions

5. Proposal for a Directive for inclusion of aviation in the EU emission trading schemeProgress report / Political agreement

6. Review of the 6th Environment Action PlanCouncil conclusions

7. Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the banning of exports and the safe storage of metallic mercury

Political agreement8. Proposal for a Directive amending Directive 98/70 relating to the quality of petrol and diesel fuels

Political agreement9. Environment, innovation, employment (from the informal meeting of environment ministers)- Council conclusions10. Review of the Community Strategy to reduce CO2 emissions from passenger cars

- Council conclusions11. Revision of the EU regulation on Implementation of the Rotterdam Convention (PIC-regulation)

- Political agreement12. (poss.) Exhaust gas emission from heavy duty vehicles (EURO VI)- Presentation by the Commission / (poss.) Policy debate 13. (poss.) Green Paper of the Commission on ship dismantling

Presentation by the Commission / (poss.) Policy debate14. Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the council establishing a framework for Community

action to achieve a sustainable use of pesticidesInformation by the Presidency

2nd readings

• Air Quality Directive• Flooding Directive• (?) Marine Environment (?)

Conciliation

• Life +

ENVIRONMENT WORK PROGRAMMEJanuary 2007

Monday, 8 January : WP on the EnvironmentPresentation of programm (a.m.)WP on International Environmental Issues /Internat. Chemicals

Tuesday, 9 January : WP on the EnvironmentWasteWP on International Environmental Issues /Internat. Chemicals

Wednesday, 10 January : WP on International Environmental Issues/Global

Thursday, 11 January : WP on International Environmental Issues/Climate Change

Friday, 12 January : WP on the EnvironmentPesticides (a.m)/Soil –Directive & Strategy (p.m)

 

Monday, 15 January : WP on the EnvironmentETS & Aviation

 

Thursday, 18 January :

:

WP on the EnvironmentWaste

 

Friday, 19 January :

WP on the EnvironmentLisbon-Strategy/ Contribution to the Spring Council  

 

Monday, 22 January : WP on International Environmental Issues/evtl. Expertengruppe Chemikalien

 

Tuesday, 23 January : WP on International Environmental Issues/Global  

Wednesday, 24 January : WP on the EnvironmentPriority substances

 

Thursday, 25 January : WP on the EnvironmentPesticides (a.m.)/(poss) CO2-emissions for cars

 

Friday, 26 January : WP on the EnvironmentLisbon-Strategy/ Contribution to the Spring Council

 

Monday, 29 January : WP on the EnvironmentFlooding-Directive (p.m.)

 

Tuesday, 30 January : WP on the Environment Soil-Directive & Strategy

 

Working Party on International Environmental Issues (WPIEI)during German Presidency of the EUJanuary - June 2007

Schedule of WPIEI Meetings:

Climate Change 11.01., 01.02., 22.02., 29.03., 27.04., 07.06.

Global (UNEP/CSD) 10.01., 23.01., 14.03., 28.03., 18.04.

Biodiversity 07.02., 21.03., 25.04., 23.05., 06.06.

CITES 15.03., 16.04., 24.04., 25.05.

Chemicals (SAICM, POPs) 08.01, 09.01., (experts: 22.1.), 13.03., 30.3., 20.04.,

Basel, PIC, POPs (Synergy) 28.02., 22.5.

Montreal Protocol 10.05., 30.05.

Horizontal Issues 27.3.

Gothenborg Protocol 13.04.

Aarhus 23.04. (a.m.), 30.04. (a.m.)

Espoo, SEA Protocol 23.03. (a.m), 23.04. (a.m.), 30.04. (a.m.)

Environment and Health 01.06. (a.m)

Biosafety 6.2., 31.5. (a.m.)

Desertification 17.01., 02.05., 20.06.

Main International Environmental Meetings during Germany’s EU presidency

January - June 2007

24th session of the United Nations’ Environment Programme (UNEP)Governing Council and the Ministerial Forum February 5-9, Nairobi3rd ASEM Environment Ministers’ MeetingMarch 13-15, Copenhagen3rd Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (COP-3)April 30-May 4, Dakar15th Session of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD)April 30-Mai 11, New York 14th Conference of the Parties on the CITES ConventionJune 3-15, Den Haag

Important meetings and conferences during Germany’s EU presidency

January - June 2007

1. Meetings of the Council of the European UnionFebruary 20, 2007 Environment Council, BrusselsJune 1-3, 2007 Environment (informal), EssenJune 28-29, 2007 Environment Council, Luxembourg

2. Presidency ConferencesJanuary 11-12, 2007 Workshop on Practical Experiences with the Functioning of Compliance

Mechanisms under Multilateral Environmental Agreements, PotsdamJanuary 17-19, 2007 The German EU Presidency Informal Workshop on Climate Change, PotsdamJanuary 29 – 31, 2007 European Renewable Energy Policy Conference, BrusselsFebruary 12-14, 2007 Symposium “Time to Adapt Climate Change and the European Water

Dimension, Vulnerability - Impacts – Adaption”, BerlinFebruary 22-23, 2007 EU Policy Workshop on Offshore Wind Power Deployment, BerlinMarch 19, 2007 Network of EU Environmental Lawyers, BonnMarch 29-30, 2007 Workshop on Promoting Environment and Resource Conservation in the

European Security Strategy, BerlinApril 23-24, 2007 Conference on Nature Conservation, Agriculture and rural Development, BonnMay 14-15, 2007 EU Nature Directors’ Meeting, PotsdamMay 30 - June 1, 2007 IMPEL-Plenary Meeting, BerlinMay 30-31, 2007 European-Ecolabel-German Presidency Meeting, BerlinMay 30-June 1, 2007 Integrated Product Policy-German Presidency Meeting, Berlin June 3-5, 2007 European Sustainability Berlin 2007 – ESB07: Linking Policies and

Implementation, BerlinJune 17-19, 2007 EU Water Directors’ Meeting, Dresden

List of International Environmental Meetings (Part.1)International environmental meetings during Germany’s EU presidency

(January-June 2007)January 17-19, 2007 1st Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol on Water and Health, GenevaJanuary 29-February 1, 2007 International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC),

Plenary Session, Working Group, ParisFebruary 14-16, 2007 Workshop on UN ECE Pollutant Release and

Transfer Registers (PRTR), GenevaJanuary, 23-25, 2007 International Symposium on Safety Cases for

Deep Disposal of Radioactive Waste – Where do We Stand? Paris

February 26-March 1, 2007 CSD-15 Intergovernmental Preparatory Meeting, New YorkFebruary 28-March 1, 2007 G 8 – Nuclear Safety and Security Group

Meeting (NSSG), BonnMarch 6, 2007 HELCOM Stakeholder Conference, HelsinkiMarch 15-17, 2007 G8 Environmental Ministerial, PotsdamMarch, 19-21, 2007 International Commission on Radiation

Protection, Main Session, EssenMarch 28-29, 2007 Western European Nuclear Regulators

Association (WENRA), Prague

List of International Environmental Meetings (Part.2)

April 2-5, 2007 International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Plenary Session, Working Group, Brussels

April 19-20, 2007 3rd CBSS Ministers of Environment meeting held jointly with CBSS Ministers of Agriculture, Stockholm

April 22-27, 2007 International Conference on Nuclear Data for Science and Technology, Nice

April 23-24, 2007 International Conference on Environmental Radioactivity, ViennaApril 25-26, 2007 G 8 – Nuclear Safety and Security Group Meeting (NSSG), BonnApril 25-27, 2007 2nd Meeting of the Open-ended ad hoc Working Group on Non-

Compliance, DakarApril 30-May 4, 2007 International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Plenary Session, Working

Group, BangkokMay 2-4, 2007 7th meeting of the Working Group of the Parties to the Aarhus

Convention, GenevaMay 7-18, 2007 26th Sessions of the Subsidiary Bodies of the United Nations Framework

Convention on Climate Change, BonnMay 21-23, 2007 10th Meeting of the Working Group of the Parties to the Espoo

Convention, GenevaMay 23-25, 2007 International Nuclear Regulators Association (INRA), MadridMay 24-25, 2007 (poss.) 3rd Meeting of the Signatories to the Protocol on SEA, GenevaMay 28-June 1, 2007 The International Whaling Commission's 59th annual meeting, AnchorageJune 4-8, 2007 27th Meeting of the Open-ended Working Group of the Parties to the

Montreal Protocol, NairobiJune 25-29, 2007 OSPAR Commission, Ostend

Informal meeting of Environment Ministers: “Environment - Innovation – Employment" - Perspective 2020: what does the EU have to do to support the lead markets of the future?

Goals: • Impetus for progress in developing modern environmental technologies and increasing energy and resource efficiency as a future issue for environmental, economic and employment policies• Highlighting potential for innovations, concrete examples of eco-innovations, e.g. in the energy and transport sectors• EU initiative for an ecological industrial policy, R & D, market launch, regulatory framework, new foreign trade promotion, institutional measures

Venue: Essen, Zeche ZollvereinFramework programme: exhibition,

visits to model innovative projects in the Ruhr regionClimate-neutral event (certificates for participants)

Essen

Key dates

European Renewable Energy Policy Conference (BXL) 29-31 Jan 07 International Conference on Energy Efficiency 1 Feb

07 Symposium “Climate-Water" (Berlin) 12-14 Feb 07 EU Council of Energy Ministers (preparations

for European Council) 15 Feb 07

EU Council of Environment Ministers (preparations

for European Council) 20 Feb 07

EU Policy Workshop (offshore wind energy use) 22/23 Feb 2007

Spring European Council (topic: energy policy in Europe) 8/9 March 07

Informal meeting of Environment Ministers (Essen) 1-3 June 07

EU Council of Energy Ministers (with dossiers on renewables) 8 June 07

EU Council of Environment Ministers 28 June 07

Key dates