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Press Release 057/2005
Consequential environmental protection in Europe is good for mankind, environment, and German economy
UBA Annual Report focuses on European environmental policy
European and international environmental protection, its impact on Germany and the work done by the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) are the main areas of focus of the UBA Annual Report 2004. As concerns EU expansion, chemicals policy, international clean air policy, standardization, climate protection, and emissions trading, it has been proven that fastidious health and environmental protection have been a success and strengthened both the European and the German economy. In light of this, the tendency registered in some regions to put these political issues on the back burner is incomprehensible. Prof. Dr. Andreas Troge, UBA President, said, “It is our duty to uphold and improve citizens’ health and environment in both the newer and older EU-member countries. If our efforts to invest in environmental and health protection flag today, we will have to pay for it twice over in the future. By pulling on the brakes of environmental protection, we--Germany included- would miss out on the opportunity to develop markets for environmental protection products. Our valuable knowledge and frontrunner position in environmental and energy technologies are not being adequately utilized.”
The current recommendations issued by the European Parliament’s Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection and Committee on Industry as regards the EU’s new chemicals policy (known as REACH) would require that only chemicals of which less than 10 tons are used be subjected to existing testing procedures, and that testing requirements for all other chemicals be eased up considerably. In contrast to the 30,000 chemical substances originally intended for inclusion when REACH was drafted, only a fraction of chemicals would now be tested for their risk potential. This essentially means that REACH would in fact become a largely ineffective programme for monitoring large volumes of existing substances. Chemicals legislation that is weakened to such an extent would make it impossible to evaluate the risks posed by chemicals to human health and the environment. REACH would thereby fail to meet its aim and purpose. The proposal forwarded by the incumbent British EU presidency, which has justifiably addressed concerns about the previous Commission’s draft for REACH and made improvements and clarifications, should be lent support.
UBA’S annual report also illustrates that international and European environmental policy has born fruit. The launch of trade in climate-damaging carbon dioxide (CO2) last year marked the coming of age of an important environmentalist demand, namely that the environment no longer be used for free. Its use now carries a price tag, and CO2 emissions have become an issue for chief financial officers who must now take into account the CO2 balance when making investment decisions. The ecological and economic efficiency of this innovative instrument must now be firmly established and developed upon. This includes extending the emissions trading system to other sectors of the economy, e.g. aviation and shipping, so as to include more existing greenhouse gas emissions in CO2 trade and thereby make the emission allowances market more attractive.
Considerable progress has also been made in other fields. Activities in standardization of technical norms, measuring methods, and limit values are working towards establishing the same level of environmental protection in all the member states and beyond. A common scientific foundation is a critical prerequisite for comparability and better evaluation of the intensive environmental monitoring that takes place in Germany and the rest of Europe. It is the only basis on which well-founded and cost-minimized agreements such as the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN/ECE), which celebrated its 25th anniversary last year, can be realized. Scientific cooperation and political negotiations on the way have made it possible to significantly reduce air pollution in the northern hemisphere. In Germany sulfur dioxide emissions have declined by roughly 90 percent compared to 1990. However, pollutant input into ecosystems such as forests remains too high, and other substances, e.g. persistent organic pollutants or POPs, require appropriate regulation. The signatory states of the UNECE Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution are therefore strongly committed to further development of the agreement.
The accession of ten new member states to the European Union (EU) on 1 May 2004 marks a great opportunity to make real improvements in the lives of millions of people and to rid the environment of brownfields within a few years’ time. UBA has been committed to better cooperation in environmental protection between the nations of Europe for many years. The Agency especially supported accession countries in creating the appropriate framework of environmental protection necessary for integration into the EU. The broad spectrum of activities illustrates how important EU expansion has been for the protection of health and the environment in the new member states while reflecting what great efforts are necessary to implement Europe’s largest environmental program--which is what EU expansion essentially is.
The UBA Annual Report 2004 is available free in print and on CD-ROM (including additional information) from GVP Gemeinnützige Werkstätten Bonn, In den Wiesen 1-3, 53227 Bonn, fax: 01888 305 3356, e-mail: uba@broschuerenversand.de. The report is also available online at www.umweltbundesamt.de/uba-info-medien/UBAJB2004.pdf.
Dessau-Roßlau, 29 September 2005