Talks on green laws dogged by contradictions

Date: 15/06/2000

By Gareth Harding

THERE is a glaring contradiction in the EU's approach towards the environmental aspects of enlargement.

On the one hand, both Commissioners and MEPs have made it clear that the candidate countries of central and eastern Europe cannot join the Union until they comply with all the EU's environmental laws. On the other, both sides of the negotiating table know it will take them at least a decade to meet this ambitious goal.

To get around this dilemma, the Commission has resorted to a classic fudge which basically means the candidate countries will be deemed ready for membership as long as they put the Union's 200-plus environmental directives onto their national rule books, regardless of whether they actually comply with these laws.

This has not, however, stopped the Commission from wagging its finger at the applicant states, exhorting them to do more, faster.

During an official visit to the Czech Republic last month, Environment Commissioner Margot Wallström stressed that the EU was demanding "100%, not just 90% compliance" with the Union's environmental laws.

Her sermonising has frustrated many former Soviet bloc countries, which have spent ten years trying to clean up the mess left behind by half a century of Communism. "It is too much," said a candidate country diplomat. "We are doing much better than we are given credit for."

Enormous progress has indeed been made in cutting sulphur emissions, improving waste-water treatment and cleaning up contaminated sites.

But the transition to a market economy has thrown up new problems. The number of cars on the road has exploded, bringing with it new types of air pollution and household waste is also on the rise.

The first and second-wave applicants, which face a bill of more than €120 billion to meet the Union's green standards, are already spending far more on cleaning up the environment than existing member states.

But even this level of spending will not be enough to ensure compliance with Union laws in areas such as air quality and water treatment, and candidate countries have therefore asked for derogations of between three and 13 years to meet EU standards.

There is a glaring contradiction in the EU's approach towards the environmental aspects of enlargement. On the one hand, both Commissioners and MEPs have made it clear that the candidate countries of central and eastern Europe cannot join the Union until they comply with all the EU's environmental laws. On the other, both sides of the negotiating table know it will take them at least a decade to meet this ambitious goal.