Parliament prepares for heated debate on global warming and other eco-problems

Date: 03/09/1998

By Simon Coss

THIS month's European Parliament plenary session will have a decidedly 'green' tinge to it, with debates on a raft of studies on environmental issues.

In all, MEPs are set to discuss eight parliamentary reports on diverse subjects such as car pollution, water quality and aircraft noise when they file into the hemi-cycle on 14 September.

They will also have the opportunity to hear from Environment Commissioner Ritt Bjerregaard who will explain the Union's strategy for combating global warming in the wake of last December's climate change talks in Kyoto.

“We felt it was convenient to group things together in this way and it's handy to have all of the discussions on the same day,” explained UK Socialist MEP Ken Collins, who chairs the Parliament's environment committee.

Collins confessed that he and his parliamentary colleagues would use some of their debating time to pat themselves on the back over the recently concluded 'Auto-Oil' conciliation talks which paved the way for tough new anti-pollution measures to be imposed on the Union's carmakers and oil producers.

During the talks, the Parliament persuaded EU governments to introduce binding legislation on improved fuel quality and engine specifications by 2005. In its original Auto-Oil proposal, the European Commission had said such legislation would only be needed five years after that date.

“I think a wee bit of self-congratulation is justified. We did a good job on this one,” said Collins.

But while the Auto-Oil debate will amount to little more than putting the finishing touches to work which has virtually been completed, other environmental matters are likely to be more controversial.

One of the subjects expected to provoke some of the most heated discussion during the session is the issue of water quality within the EU.

At the end of June, the Parliament approved a 'common position' presented to it by EU governments in order to pave the way for a 'framework' water directive. But MEPs plan to discuss it again at this month's plenary session before it goes back to ministers.

If formally endorsed, this new law would attempt to coordinate the current patchwork of laws governing water quality in the Union. At present, separate local, regional and national bodies are responsible for lakes, rivers and coastal waters, with other organisations in charge of providing water for drinking and for agricultural use.

The framework directive is intended to ensure all these various bodies work together to ensure water quality is assured as supplies flow from springs, through lakes, rivers, towns and cities and into the sea.

The idea for a framework directive was originally put forward by Collins himself around three years ago and the Socialist MEP argues that the Parliament struck the right balance when it approved the common position before the summer.

“We have been told by the environmental lobby that we have not gone far enough and by the water companies that we've gone too far, so we are probably about right,” he said.

On the question of global warming, the Parliament will be hoping for a strong statement from Bjerregaard on how the EU will put into practice the promises made at Kyoto.

In November, the Environment Commissioner and Austrian Environment Minister Martin Bartenstein will head the Union's negotiating team at the Kyoto follow-up conference to take place in Buenos Aires.

“She and Bartenstein will be negotiating for the EU so they will need a strong position,” said one insider.

Bjerregaard first unveiled her plans for implementing the Kyoto pledges at the beginning of June. After marathon talks, EU environment ministers finally agreed on a 'burden share' deal which sets out what greenhouse gas cuts must be made by individual member states to enable the Union to meet its overall target of reducing emissions to 8&percent; below 1990 levels by 2012.