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

andrea.vettori@ec.europa.eu Thank you for your attention!