PRESS RELEASE

Commission adopts hands-off approach on urban environment

 

Brussels , Belgium (13/01/2006) - The European Environmental Bureau, Europe 's largest federation of environmental citizens' organisations, regrets that the Thematic Strategy on the Urban Environment published today does not come forward with legislation. At earlier stages the Commission had considered obliging Europe 's big cities to adopt plans which would integrate environmental concerns into their day-to-day policy decisions and help to better manage urban transport. However, the new Thematic Strategy only promises further technical guidance on such plans, to be published later in 2006.

"The Commission has shied away from more far-reaching plans for EU directives" , says Kerstin Meyer, EEB Policy Officer. "The Strategy basically leaves it up to the member states and cities themselves to improve their environmental performance. This voluntary approach has not worked in the past. This is why most cities are still facing enormous problems with urban sprawl, congestion, air and noise pollution, derelict land and generation of waste and waste-water".

In its previous Communication 'Towards a Thematic Strategy on the urban environment', the Commission had stressed the need for integrated environmental and transport management plans in cities, and stated that there could be requirements at EU level for making these plans. [1] Reacting to that, member states in the Environment Council had voiced concerns about possible obligations. [2] However, member states and the Parliament had originally asked the Commission to work on this issue.

The only measure in this Strategy which could make a real difference to urban policies, are new opportunities under the Cohesion Fund and Structural Funds to finance environmental projects in cities. However, it is now completely up to member states whether to use these opportunities. The EEB believes that the EU should better steer the spending of EU money - and that money should be rejected for city projects, which are in conflict with EU environmental objectives. It should be conditional on making environmental management and transport plans and demonstrating that projects are not in conflict with the objectives in these plans.

"Council and Parliament must make sure that tax-payers' money is spent to serve the general interest for a clean environment. Member states and cities should be required to demonstrate that EU-funded projects will not be in conflict with the environment" , says Stefan Scheuer, EU Policy Director at the EEB. "The choice should be clear: we need more clean city busses instead of new four-lane roads in cities" .

For further information please contact:
Kerstin Meyer, EU Policy Officer Air, Noise and Urban Environment, Tel: +32 2 289 13 07, Mobile : +32 497 800862, kerstin.meyer@eeb.org
Gemma Parkes, Press & Publications Officer, Tel: +32 2 289 1309, gemma.parkes@eeb.org

[1] Towards a Thematic Strategy on the Urban Environment (COM(2004)60): http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/urban/towards_com.htm#language_versions
[2] Council press release of 14 October 2004, http://ue.eu.int/ueDocs/cms_Data/docs/pressData/en/envir/82253.pdf