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Environmental Agenda for Finland's EU Presidency |
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bridges vol. 11, September 2006 / EU News
by Saija Nurminen
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Finland has chosen "a new generation of environmental policy" as its
main theme for the environmental program of the Finnish Presidency of
the EU in the second half of 2006. Finland's other main priorities in
the environmental sector are mitigating climate change, halting the
decline in biodiversity, and the interim review of the EU's 6th
Environment Action Program (6EAP).
A new generation of environmental policy for Europe
The informal meeting of European environmental ministers in Turku in
July focused on the need for a new generation of environmental policy
for Europe. The EU has achieved good results in tackling so-called
bottom of the barrel environmental problems. However, issues such as
sustainable consumption and production, as well as material and
resource efficiency, call for improved and more efficient decision
making and new policy approaches.
Global production chains create well-being, but at the same time give
rise to new environmental problems. Major challenges include climate
change, the rising demand for energy, continuing dependency on fossil
fuels, and the steady destruction of vital natural resources.
We encourage the EU to adopt a more prominent role in the global
community when it comes to critical environmental questions. The EU
should envision how well-being, eco-efficiency, responsible industry,
and active citizenship can
coexist.
Climate change
Climate change is a high priority for us. On the international level
the emphasis will be on processes aimed at exploring the development of
a global climate regime after 2012. Such processes were launched as the
Montreal Plan of Action adopted in Montreal in December 2005. Key tasks
in this respect will be preparation for and participation in the
international climate negotiations in Nairobi in November.
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When
preparations for Austria's 2nd Council Presidency began in 2004, it was
clear that the negotiations on the 7th Research Framework Program would
be at a crucial stage when Austria took over in January 2006. The
preparatory work was very much focused on these negotiations whereas
other initiatives were limited to a minimum. The overall goal was to
advance the negotiations as far as possible on the 7th Framework
Program "package" consisting of the EC and the Euratom Framework
Program, seven specific programs, and the Rules for Participation (also
EC and Euratom) - altogether 11 dossiers - in order to facilitate their
adoption on schedule, the start of FP7 in January 2007.