EU Environmental Ministers Agreed on Protection of Marine Environment
The environment ministers of the European Union reached a political agreement on the marine strategy directive. The directive aims to achieve or maintain good environmental status in the marine environment by year 2021.
"The directive is a major step in marine protection. Seas and oceans have during the centuries been an important source of European well-being. The deterioration of marine environment has caused great concerns. It is our task to improve marine protection, also for the sake of the future generations. The political agreement reached today is an encouraging sign on that we will be able to bear our responsibility", states Mr. Jan-Erik Enestam, Finland's Minister of the Environment, President of the Council.
"I am very satisfied with the progress made and the result achieved. The marine environment directive has been one of the Presidency priorities. What makes the result even more valuable is that the negotiation process was quite complex and many of the details remained open until the very final stages. The Presidency has worked in a determined and persistent manner to reach the goal", Mr. Enestam stressed.
The directive establishes an integrated approach and common goals for protection of the European marine environment. The marine problems will be addressed in each marine region taking into account the specificities of the region.
The Member States shall tailor marine strategies to their marine regions. The strategies shall include an assessment, monitoring, targets, criteria and indicators for good environmental status, as well as programmes of measures. Strategies shall result in improvement of the environment by year 2021.
The directive emphasises international cooperation among the Member States, and with the third countries within each marine region. Regional seas conventions will also be crucial in implementing the directive. For example, in the Baltic Sea, work will be carried out within the framework of the Helsinki Convention, HELCOM, in close cooperation with Russia.
The directive covers marine waters on the seaward side of the baseline from which the extent of territorial waters is measured, extending to the outmost reach of the area where Member States exercise jurisdictional rights.
Need to accelerate International Climate negotiations in 2007
The Council adopted Conclusions on Climate Change. They take stock of the UN Climate Conference held in Nairobi and set the way forward. The EU has been very pleased with the results achieved in Nairobi.
The conclusions stress that the pace of the international negotiations needs to be accelerated considerably in 2007. The EU also emphasizes the need to complete the international negotiations on a post-2012 agreement by the end of 2009 at the latest. This is vital for avoiding a gap between the first and the second commitment periods.
"Bearing this in mind, we had today a very promising and forward-looking exchange of views on starting points for preparing climate change considerations by the Spring European Council. The Member States stressed that the EU leadership requires credibility in the implementation, ambitious but realistic visions about the future and ability to build bridges between nations. The German Presidency will have a lot to do. The Commission has continued to analyze cost and benefits of emission reduction strategies and is expected to come out with a post-2012 Communication in early January. That will be linked to the Communication on Energy Policy", states minister Enestam.
The Council discussed today the nature of the EU leadership, the EU´s role in the future agreement and the focus of the proposals EU should prepare next spring.
The Council stressed the importance for achieving the biodiversity targets
The Council adopted conclusions which outline the most important actions for halting the loss of biodiversity by the year 2010. They are related to the Commission Communication Halting the Loss of Biodiversity by 2010 and beyond and it's Action Plan of May 2005.
"I am very pleased that we can on this way support the targets expressed in the Commission Communication on Halting the Loss of Biodiversity by 2010 and Beyond and its Action Plan of May 2005. Now it is important to act vividly and in good co-operation with each other for achieving our biodiversity targets for year 2010", stressed minister Enestam.
The conclusions lay special emphasis on the compatibility of different policy sectors and on the integration of the biodiversity targets into other sectors. It also highlights the use of opportunities that other sectoral and horizontal policies already provide for biodiversity, especially in agricultural, rural development, forest and fisheries policies.
The Council stress the importance of reducing greenhouse gas emissions for minimizing the harmful effects of climate change to biodiversity. The Conclusions also pay attention to the fact that there is a need for broadening of the finance basis for biodiversity.
The Council rejected by a qualified majority both proposals for decisions submitted by the Commission aimed at the withdrawal of the safeguard measures taken by Austria against T25 and MON810 transgenic maize varieties authorised in the European Union.
For more Information: Christian Sjöstrand, Political Adviser to the Minister of the Environment: +358 50 599 7876. Outi Berghäll, Director, Ministry of the Environment, tel. +358 9 1603 9313 (Climate). Tuija Talsi, Counsellor, the Permanent Representation of Finland, tel. +32 476 599 909 (GMOs). Ministerial Counsellor Ulla Kaarikivi-Laine, tel. +358 50 559 9142 (Marine). Tuula Varis, Counsellor, the Permanent Representation of Finland, tel. +32 478 629 994 (Marine)