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VIEW FROM SLOVENIA - Environmental achievements during the Slovenian Presidency of the EU
Autumn 2008
By Janez Podobnik, Minister of the Environment and Spatial Planning for the Republic of Slovenia
During Slovenia’s presidency of the EU in the first half of 2008, one of the most demanding papers it considered concerned environmental issues Environmental Protection – Climate Change and Biodiversity. The climate and energy legislative package was among the Slovenian presidency’s top priorities.
Climate and energy progress
The proposals contained in the climate and energy package that was, presented in January 2008 set out the approach for implementing previously adopted commitments in this field. Under Slovenia’s guidance, the European Council confirmed that the proposals represented a solid basis for legislation, and that the package would effectively support preparations for a global agreement on the climate change regime after 2012. The European Council also confirmed the basic principles concerning burden-sharing arrangements in this area amongst the member states. The Council undertook to conclude by the end of 2008 a final agreement on the package’s legislative proposals, together with the European Parliament, or at the latest by the end of the Parliament’s 2009 mandate.
In accordance with these commitments, the Slovenian presidency managed to preserve the package in a unified form, as well as agreeing the timeline for the relevant negotiations. In June 2008, the Environment Council and the Energy Council discussed the detailed progress report prepared by Slovenia on these matters. It covered the various opinions expressed by member states and identified the basic issues that had not been resolved by ministers at the Council. The ministers then presented political guidelines that would help turn the proposals into individual legislative proposals within the framework of the next triple presidency (France, Czech Republic, Sweden). They also reconfirmed their support for the aims and principles contained within the package and for the agreed timescale.
Slovenia also co-ordinated the preparation of the EU’s strategy for negotiations within the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol. The Slovenian presidency successfully led international activities in this field against the backdrop of a growing consensus that negotiations on the post-Kyoto regime to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are crucial to international efforts for combating climate change.
Greenhouse gasses - a framework of aviation Measures for tackling aviation-related greenhouse gas emissions were pursued under the Slovenian presidency, and on June 27 the EU Council agreed that aviation traffic emissions would be included within the existing carbon trading scheme. This was confirmed by the European Parliament in early July. From 2012, carriers using European airports will have to obtain allowances covering greenhouse gas emissions from their flights and, once a year, hand them over to the competent authority in the relevant member state. Eighty-five per cent of allowances will be granted to carriers free of charge, but they will have to buy the rest. If carriers fail to follow these new rules, then member states can take away the permit to fly. It is expected that 600 carriers will be included in the scheme.
This regime will be a key measure for cutting greenhouse gas emissions and represents a fundamental achievement by the Slovenian presidency in the environmental field. Air traffic emissions represent 5% of all greenhouse gas emissions, but are increasing rapidly thanks to air traffic growth. The agreement achieved is all the more important because of its connection to the climate and energy package, and including aviation emissions therefore bolsters the EU’s credibility in this field.
Tackling waste and pollution
Another major achievement was the adoption by the European Parliament on June 17 of the new Waste Framework Directive. In essence, the new waste directive updates a number of previous policy documents in this field and endorses an approach based on a sustainable use of natural resources - a key principle for the establishment of a system based on recycling. The directive introduces a clear structure for dealing with waste – including the removal of waste, preparations for the use of recycled waste, and the recycling of waste itself. The waste directive will fully regulate the process of dealing with waste and, therefore, contributes to a much needed legislative simplification in this area at the EU level. It represents a significant contribution to the protection of both the environment and the health of Europe’s citizens.
Regulations are also being adopted that ban the export of mercury and mercury compounds and cover the safe storage of mercury. The main purpose behind these rules is to limit any potential increase to global mercury pollution. The regulations specify that, from March 15, 2011 the export from the EU of metallic mercury, cinnabarite, mercuric oxide, calomel and mercury compounds with a concentration higher than 95%, will be banned. The proposed regulations complement currently existing policies and legislation in the fields of industrial pollution control, chemicals, health protection, workers’ safety and waste. They are also in accord with various global policy goals - in particular, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) for mercury.
Water standards
Progress was made, too, on the directive covering environmental quality standards in the field of water policy. This is designed to reduce the chemical pollution of surface water, which can damage aquatic eco-systems, as well leading to the loss of natural habitats and biodiversity. Pollutants accumulate in the food chain and can damage species subsisting on fish. While people are exposed to the harmful effects of pollutants through drinking water, eating fish and other marine organisms, or even through recreational activities, such as swimming.
Looking to the future, the European Water Partnership - an open forum for seeking solutions to water-related challenges throughout Europe - is an especially good example of a new form of much-needed cooperation. The partnership generates several new opportunities in this field of managing common water resources by allowing for the direct participation of economic, scientific, public and administrative institutions. While strong support for the partnership from the European Parliament, the Commission, as well as key economic and international organisations, provide scope for optimism and a real chance to make practical progress in this area.
Protecting biodiversity
The informal April meeting of EU environment ministers in Slovenia was dedicated to forest biodiversity. It covered measures for adapting to climate change, as well as strategies that could mitigate its impact. Perhaps unsurprisingly, ministers concluded that forests serve a number of different important environmental purposes and also play a vital role in helping to stabilise the earth’s climate – for example by helping to regulate weather systems and water provision. Accordingly, forest habitats and biodiversity were seen as key to the healthy functioning of the biosphere.
The ninth conference of the Convention on Biodiversity (known as COP-9) in Bonn in May 2008 was an important international event where the EU successfully achieved all of its goals aimed at halting the loss of biodiversity. Slovenia led the EU’s preparations for the conference, as well as putting together the EU’s position drafts, and coordinated the line to take with member states. Among the topics at the conference, some of the main priorities for Slovenia and the EU included the conservation of forest biodiversity and the sustainable use of forests, the link between biodiversity and climate change, the conservation of marine biodiversity, protected areas, and access to, as well as the shared benefits from, genetic resources.
Ways to increase the synergies between policies on climate change and biodiversity were placed high on the COP-9 agenda. Within this framework particularly interesting discussions were held on bio-fuels and their effect on biodiversity and an agreement reached to further discuss the sustainable use of bio-fuels in relation to biodiversity, and a consensus emerged on the need for a global agreement on the use of bio-fuels that would cover sustainability standards.
Scientific criteria and guidelines for defining marine areas were also adopted at the COP-9 conference, as was a strategy for establishing a network of protected marine areas by 2012. A number of other important agreements were also reached, including an initial financial strategy, and the precise limitations for ocean fertilisation as one possible measure for carbon air capture. While an especially important achievement was the decision to hold further negotiations on the international regime regarding access to, and the fair distribution of, the benefits of biodiversity.
Also at the Bonn conference, Slovenia and WWF presented the background to the Dinaric arc project. This refers to the Dinarides eco-region, stretching along the coast of the Adriatic sea, which comprises a high degree forest biodiversity and water-rich underground karstic aquifers – this environment is important for maintaining river basins and coastal areas. The environment ministers of the relevant countries - Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Albania - signed a joint declaration for enhanced cooperation regarding the sustainable management of the Dinarides eco-region. Before the end of 2008, Slovenia will organise a workshop for all of the relevant countries in order to help achieve these goals.
River and marine strategy
All of these activities are closely connected to the regional approach being implemented in the Danube river basin by the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR). Actively assisted by its secretariat, Slovenia established important structures for supporting environmental cooperation within the Sava river basin. Specifically, the International Sava River Basin Commission and the ICPDR signed a cooperation agreement in Belgrade in June 2008. This exemplary form of regional cooperation will help protect the Black Sea, and has therefore acquired a measurable value beyond the immediate region - stretching to the Mediterranean and to Asia.
In May 2008, Slovenia and Austria also organised an EU workshop for the implementation of the Floods Directive – it took a city divided by a common river as an example. A project was also presented concerning urban development planning against the backdrop of the dynamics and ecological conditions of river systems. This is presently a pilot project, but could be transferred to international rivers such as the Drava, Sava, or Soča.
In June 2008, Slovenia organised at Portorož the first meeting of the Adriatic coastal states to consider implementation of the EU’s marine strategy. This covered the implementation of Article 5 of the Directive and sought to prepare the Adriatic sub-regional strategy for managing coastal and marine areas. In the era of climate change, marine areas, particularly in the Mediterranean, are amongst the most vulnerable regions. At the same time, these areas are also being influenced by intense levels of development (traffic, urbanisation, tourism, agriculture). Increasing environmental pressures, however, mean these regions need a common vision for implementing key developmental objectives which also contribute to the quality of life.
In summary, the implementation of the climate and energy package, and the pragmatic integration of the principles underlying the EU Water Directive, Floods Directive and the new Marine Directive, are crucial to planning for the sustainable management of a range of different geographic areas. They represent a framework for the planning and provision of greater flood safety, more widespread use of renewable resources, and the reduction of the impact of droughts. They also benefit all of those countries sharing common river basins and coastal areas.