PRESS RELEASE

Commission's package on consumption, production and industry welcomed, but is sadly lacking in vision or ambition and full of contradictions

 

[Brussels, 16 July 2008] EEB, Europe's largest federation of environmental citizens' organisations, welcomes the publication of the European Commission's long-awaited package on sustainable consumption, production and industry. Sadly, the package is obviously lacking in vision or ambition and does not show the way to reducing Europe's ecological footprint. As the Commission itself has stated previously, the package simply reinforces existing mechanisms [1], in an effort to strengthen synergies and provide an integrated approach.

Doreen Fedrigo, EEB Policy Unit Coordinator, said, "Sustainable consumption and production patterns will require substantial changes to European behaviour, which current mechanisms alone cannot do. Though the publication of this package signals that the EU institutions are ready to start the real work, more must be done to develop a clearer vision for both SCP and sustainable industrial policy. The dominance of the voluntary approach also sends the wrong signals to companies and investors. We turn to European Parliament and Council for more progressive contributions."

Today's package is the European Commission's contribution to international work on changing unsustainable patterns of consumption and production, as follow-up to the 2002 Johannesburg Summit on Sustainable Development. There, national governments agreed to accelerate the shift towards sustainable consumption and production to promote social and economic development within the carrying capacity of ecosystems [2].

An extension to the Ecodesign of Energy-using Products (EuP) Directive was restricted only to 'energy-relevant' products, although the Commission says this is also meant to provide 'resource efficient consumer products'. The continued energy focus reveals the heavy control of DG Enterprise, whose sustainable industrial policy focuses purely on energy and climate change.

According to the Commission, the EuP Directive will be used to 'pursue systematically' advanced benchmarks of environmental performance of products. These benchmarks are meant to give companies clear indications of which aspects of their products will need to be improved in future. EEB questions the effectiveness of these benchmarks since they are voluntary.

The take-up of more sustainable products through public procurement is promoted, with 10 priority sectors highlighted. For many of these - such as computers, textiles, printing paper, and cleaning products - a European Ecolabel already exists, providing a key area of synergy between 'environmental benchmark' products and their more systematic purchase. Indeed, the European Ecolabel is given a stronger position as a 'beacon' of environmental excellence. However, the package also includes proposed simplifications to the Ecolabel Regulation, which would counteract any of the benefits of this synergy and potentially put the label's credibility into question.

A Retailer Forum will also be set up to identify key areas for the sector to improve its own ecological footprint and supply chain, while also making more sustainable products and sustainability information available to consumers. Regrettably, an unmonitored, voluntary approach has been taken, and such self-commitment mechanisms have not proven effective in Europe in the past. Similarly, there is no reflection on introducing the producer responsibility principle to the retail or industry sectors.

Doreen Fedrigo said: "The retail sector has tremendous influence on consumption and production patterns, so it is good that it was addressed in this package. Unfortunately, not only does the package suggest a voluntary basis for activities, but advertising, a powerful tool to promote consumption, has also not been mentioned once in the package. We want to see this shortcoming addressed in further developments from the Commission."

For further information please contact:-
Doreen Fedrigo, EU Policy Unit Coordinator; Tel: +32 2 289 13 04; Email: doreen.fedrigo@eeb.org
Vanessa Bulkacz, Press & Publications Officer; Tel: +32 (2) 289 1309; Email: press@eeb.org

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[1] The package contains the following :

A draft proposal for the amendment of the Ecodesign of Energy-using Products Directive
A draft proposal for a revised European Ecolabel Regulation
A draft proposal for a revised EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme Regulation
A draft Communication on green public procurement

[2] The World Summit on Sustainable Development, or the 'Johannesburg Summit', resulted in the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation. The plan includes a chapter on 'Changing Unsustainable Patterns of Consumption and Production', identifying the need to develop a 10-year framework of programmes in support of regional and national initiatives to accelerate changes in consumption and production patterns. National and regional initiatives are meant to accelerate the change in patterns 'by addressing and, where appropriate, delinking economic growth and environmental degradation through improving efficiency and sustainability in the use of resources and production processes and reducing resource degradation, pollution and waste. All countries should take action, with developed countries taking the lead, taking into account the development needs and capabilities of developing countries, through mobilization, from all sources, of financial and technical assistance and capacity-building for developing countries'. More details on activities relating to sustainable consumption and production in the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation can be found at:  http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/documents/WSSD_POI_PD/English/POIToc.htm.