Environment
EU Environment Policy
Alpeuregio Summer SchoolBruxelles 01.07.2019
Andrea VETTORIDeputy Head of Unit
ENV.D1 Land Use & ManagementEuropean Commission
Directorate General Environment
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Summary
1. Global challenges
2. State of Europe's Environment
3. EU environment policy &its priorities
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1. Global challenges
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The Anthropocene
http://www.stockholmresilience.org/research/research-news/2017-02-16-wef-2017-beyond-the-anthropocene.html
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Socio-economic system trends
Globalisation of unsustainable systems of production and consumption
The Great Acceleration
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Earth system trends
The Great Acceleration
Environmental system trends
Tipping points
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The Great Acceleration
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Source: 2017 EEA elaboration on Stockholm Resilience Centre’s original image
Planetary Boundaries A systemic perspective
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• • Over 40% of insect species are threatened with extinction.
• • Habitat loss by conversion to intensive agriculture is the main driver of the declines.
• • Agro-chemical pollutants, invasive species and climate change are additional causes.
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The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
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The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
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2. State of Europe's Environment
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EEA – SOER 2015
• In 2015, Europe stands roughly halfway between the initiation of EU environmental policy in the early 1970s and the EU's 7th Environment Action Programme 2050 vision of living well within the limits of the planet.
• Looking back on the last 40 years, the implementation of environment and climate policies has delivered substantial benefits in terms of improvements in environmental, health and living standards of citizens; jobs and growth; and creation of innovation opportunities. Further implementation efforts by countries can increase these positive trends.
• Living well within ecological limits requires fundamental transitions in the systems of production and consumption that are the root cause of environmental and climate pressures.
• Achieving this commitment can put Europe at the frontier of science and technology but calls for a greater sense of urgency and more courageous actions.
• Such transitions require profound changes in dominant institutions, practices, technologies, policies, lifestyles and thinking.
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Systemic Change
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"Green Infrastructure""Nature-based solutions"
"Ecosystem approach""Multifunctionality"
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GI is already a reality…
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Resilience and multifunctionality
… but still a lot to do
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The Life-cycle
SourceSource SinkSink
Extraction:Extraction:
16 tons16 tons
Disposal:Disposal:
6 tons6 tons
Growing Growing
technospheretechnosphereTo physical stock: To physical stock:
10 tons10 tons
Threats to ecosystem services !Threats to ecosystem services !
The Life-cycle
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Prevention
Recycling
Recovery
Disposal
Re-use
Moving up the waste hierarchy
Waste as a resource
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Example
•“Urban mining”
•
➢ 1t of good ore contains 5g of gold
➢ 1t mobile phones contains 150g of gold!
=> ecodesign + recycling
A Mine of the Future
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EU Plastics Strategy (16th January 2018)
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=> By 2030 all plastics packaging reusable or recyclable
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10 rivers contributing between 88% and 94% of the total land based plastic debris to marine litter
Source: Christian Schmidt et al.
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The need to act
EU's contribution to the problem Single Market
Innovation race
Strengthening EU legislation
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Scope
• 70% covered of all marine litter: top 10 SUP (43%) + fishing gear (27%)
Source:▪ Joint Research Center - European Regional Seas Conventions▪ Marine Strategy Framework Directive
Most found marine litter items on European beaches
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Proportional approach
Ranking Item
1 Drinks bottles, caps and lids
2 Cigarette butts
3 Cotton buds sticks
4 Crisp packets / sweet wrappers
5 Sanitary applications
Ranking Item
6 Plastic bags
7 Cutlery, straws and stirrers
8 Drinks cups and cup lids
9 Balloons and balloon sticks
10 Food containers including fast food packaging
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Consumption reduction
Prevention Measures
• Significant reduction of consumption of on-the-go products:
• Food containers • Cups for beverages
• Member States choose the appropriate measures
• Consumption reduction targets
• Economic instruments
• Increase the availability of alternatives e.g. re-usable
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Market restriction
Prevention Measures
• Restrictions only target the plastic content, not the product itself
• Only products with readily alternatives (single & multi use):
▪ Cotton bud sticks
▪ Cutlery
▪ Plates
▪ Straws
▪ Beverage stirrers
▪ Sticks for balloons
• Product design requirement for the top littered item (single-use beverage containers): plastic caps and lids must remain attached during use
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• Extended producer responsibility - producers of plastic fishing gear
• Improve the circularity of fishing gear:
• maximise collection
• facilitate re-use
• support high quality recycling
Fishing gear
Measures
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3. EU environment policy & its priorities
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Environment: an EU priority
• 1. Union policy on the environment shall contribute to pursuit of the following objectives:
• — preserving, protecting and improving the quality of the environment,
• — protecting human health,
• — prudent and rational utilisation of natural resources,
• — promoting measures at international level to deal with regional or worldwide environmental problems, and in particular combating climate change.
• 2. Union policy on the environment (…) shall be based on the precautionary principle and on the principles that preventive action should be taken, that environmental damage should as a priority be rectified at source and that the polluter should pay.
Article 191 (TFUE)
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7th EAP (2014-2020)
The new General Union Environment Action Programme to 2020 (7th EAP)
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VISION
The following 2050 vision is intended to help guide action up to and
beyond 2020:
"In 2050, we live well, within the planet's ecological limits.
Our prosperity and healthy environment stem from an
innovative, circular economy where nothing is wasted and
where natural resources are managed sustainably, and
biodiversity is protected, valued and restored in ways that
enhance our society's resilience. Our low-carbon growth has
long been decoupled from resource use, setting the pace
for a safe and sustainable global society".
7th EAP (2014-2020)
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Thematicpriority objectives
PO 1: to protect, conserve and enhance
the Union’s natural capital
• Biodiversity
• Water, Marine
• Land and soil
• Forests
• Nutrient cycle
PO 2: to turn the Union into a resource-
efficient, green and competitive low-carbon economy
• Climate mitigation
• SCP, Waste
• Eco-innovation
• Industrial emissions
• Water stress
PO 3: to safeguard the Union’s citizens from environment-related
pressures and risks to health and well-being
• Chemicals
• Air quality
• Drinking and bathing water quality
• Noise
• Climate adaptation
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Enablingpriority objectives
PO 4: to maximise the benefits of Union
environment legislation by improving
implementation
• Compliance information
• Partnership agreements
• Inspections and surveillance
• Complaints handling
• Access to justice
PO 5: to improve the knowledge and
evidence base for Union environment policy
• Knowledge gaps
• Emerging risks
• Streamlining data and information
PO 6: to secure investment for
environment and climate policy and
address environmental externalities
• EHS, taxation, MBIs –European Semester
• Private/public sector investment
• GDP and beyond
PO 7: to improve environmental
integration and policy coherence
• Env. conditionalities and incentives in other policies
• Impact assessment
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Spatialpriority objectives
PO 8: to enhance the sustainability of the Union’s cities
• Sustainability criteria for cities
• Better access to financing
PO 9: to increase the Union’s effectiveness in addressing
international environmental and climate-related challenges
• Implement Rio + 20 outcomes
• Engage more effectively in international env. & climate negotiations
• Ratify outstanding MEAs
• Strategic cooperation with partner countries
• Reducing env. impact of EU consumption on partner countries/regions
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1. Jobs, Growth and InvestmentStimulating investment for the purpose of job creation
2. Digital Single MarketBringing down barriers to unlock online opportunities
3. Energy Union and ClimateMaking energy more secure, affordable and sustainable
4. Internal MarketA deeper and fairer internal market
5. A Deeper and Fairer Economic and Monetary UnionStability for the single currency, solidity of public finances and social fairness in implementing structural reforms
6. A balanced EU-US Free Trade AgreementFreer trade – without sacrificing Europe’s standards
7. Justice and Fundamental RightsUpholding the rule of law and linking up Europe’s justice systems
8. MigrationTowards a European agenda on Migration
9. A Stronger Global ActorBringing together the tools of Europe’s external action
10. Democratic changeMaking the EU more democratic
Juncker Commission
2014-2019
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More information
DG Environment: http://www.ec.europa.eu/environment
SOER 2015 (European Environment Agency): www.eea.europa.eu/soer
The EU Environment Action Programme (7th EAP):http://www.ec.europa.eu/environment/newprg
Circular economy:http://ec.europa.eu/environment/circular-economy/index_en.htm
Summary of EU Environmental policy/legislation: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/browse/summaries.html
[email protected] Thank you for your attention!