15 October Environment Council

Date: 17/10/1996

MINISTERS gave a mixed reception to the Commission's plans for tighter fuel quality and vehicle emission rules, during a session open to television cameras. Belgium, France and the UK were fairly neutral about the proposals, which emerged from the so-called 'Auto-Oil Programme', but expressed general support in principle. The other rich EU states favoured even stricter measures, while Greece, Ireland, Portugal and Spain voiced concern over the 5.5-billion-ecu price-tag and the proposed timetable. Germany's Angela Merkel called for tougher limits on sulphur and benzene in petrol and diesel, while Austria's Martin Bartenstein said the Commission had fallen victim to industry lobbying.

ENVIRONMENT Commissioner Ritt Bjerregaard said she would push for scientists to speed up their investigations into the safety of a strain of genetically-modified maize developed by Ciba-Geigy. Delays to the approval process, caused by fears of possible health risks posed by the product, have threatened to plunge the EU into a trade dispute with the US, where the maize has already been licensed for use. Commission plans to modify the directive on the contained use of genetically-modified organisms were also discussed.

BJERREGAARD reported on talks held last week in St Petersberg between the Commission, Canada, the US and Russia in an attempt to agree humane trapping standards. The negotiations were aimed at averting a transatlantic trade dispute over the EU's proposed ban on the use of leghold traps and on imports of furs caught using “inhumane” methods. The Commissioner claimed that “a certain amount of progress” had been made in St Petersberg. Officials said the main issues outstanding were a US request for a weaker legal framework for any deal, the question of the leghold trap ban itself, trap killing times for large animals and the species covered by new standards for several types of trap. The EU is pushing for a four-year implementation period, while Canada wants ten.

MINISTERS held an orientation debate on the Commission's proposals to review the Fifth Framework Action Programme on the environment. Irish minister Brendan Howlin said reaching a common position by the December Council was one of his main aims.

SEVERAL issues were discussed on the review of the EU's waste strategy . Howlin said that further work was needed to prepare a possible draft resolution on trans-boundary waste for incineration, the Commission's idea of producer responsibility and the need for waste minimisation measures.

MEMBER states generally accepted proposals to cut lead content in drinking water, but disagreed on who should pay for the changes. There was, however, consensus on the need to look at limits on both individual and accumulated pesticides.