Environment

The purpose of EU Environment Policy is to deliver an improved environment across Europe and to promote sustainable development. Environmental pollution does not respect national boundaries and action at the EU level has been crucial in delivering improvements to the environment in the last 30 years without distorting competition among Member States.
The impact of policies on the environment need to be considered for policy making in many other areas, such as agriculture, energy and transport.

The cornerstone of EU environmental action is the Sixth Environmental Action Programme 2002 – 2012.
It identifies four environmental areas to be tackled for improvements:

It also emphasises the importance of:

Enforcing existing environmental laws
Taking the environmental impact into account in all relevant EU policies (e.g. agriculture, development, energy, fisheries, industry, the internal market, transport)
Closely involving business and consumers in identifying solutions to environmental problems
Giving people the information they need to make environmentally friendly choices
Raising awareness of the importance of using land wisely in order to preserve natural habitats and landscapes, as well as minimise urban pollution

Over the life of this and five earlier action programmes and after 30 years of standard setting, the EU has established a comprehensive system of environmental protection.

The issues covered range from noise to waste, from chemicals to car exhausts, from bathing water to an EU-wide network to deal with environmental disasters, such as oil spills or forest fires.

Concerns about the impact of pollution on people's health have been taken up in an Environment and Health Action Plan for the period 2004-2010. Our health is increasingly affected by environmental factors and this programme improves our knowledge of the links in order to improve protection and prevention.

Environment in the South West

Environmental policy is a top priority for the South West. The region boasts a very rich and diverse environment, with one third of its territory designated nationally for its landscape quality. The South West is also home to 26 of the 39 UK priority habitats, many of which are protected under the European Natura 2000 network.

Approximately 80% of the UK’s environmental legislation originates from EU Directives and a significant percentage of that is implemented at, or impacts on, the local level. EU Environment Policy is therefore of prime importance to the South West and followed closely by regional and local bodies, in order to seek to influence it where necessary in the interest of the region as a whole.

The EU Environment Programme
http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/environment/index_en.htm

Sixth Environment Action Programme 2002-2012
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/newprg/index.htm

EU Environment Commissioner
http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/commission_barroso/dimas/index_en.htm

Funding for Environment Projects
http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/environment/life/home.htm

Links
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/links.htm